A Different Brand of Football
CFL
CFL
NFL
NFL
The Canadian Football League plays a similar -- yet distinctively different -- brand of football than the National Football League.

Mouse over the fields and the scoreboard to learn about key differences.

Season: The CFL runs from June through November. The NFL runs from September through February.

Fair Catch: Unlike the NFL, the CFL does not have a fair catch rule.

Movement at the snap: In the CFL, all offensive backfield players (except the quarterback) can be in motion at the time of the snap. In the NFL, only 1 player can be in motion at the snap.

Single Point (Rouge): On kickoffs in the CFL, the kicking team earns a single point if the ball goes through end zone or lands in the end zone and is not returned by the opposing team.

Distance of Players from Line of Scrimmage: 11 inches Distance of Players from Line of Scrimmage: 36 inches Players on the Field per Team: 12 Players on the Field per Team: 11 Goal Post at Front of End Zone Goal Post at Front of End Zone Goal Post at Back of End Zone Goal Post at Back of End Zone Size of End Zone: 20 yards Size of End Zone: 20 yards Size of End Zone: 10 yards Size of End Zone: 10 yards Field Deminsions: 110 x 65 yards Field Deminsions: 100 x 53-1/3 yards Number of Downs:<br>CFL: 3, NFL: 4 Play Clock:<br>CLF: 20 seconds, NFL: 25 seconds Time Warning at End of Half:<br>CFL: 3-min, NFL: 2-min Timeouts per Half: <br> CFL: 1, NFL: 3 Timeouts per Half: <br> CFL: 1, NFL: 3