In terms of reach, the CFL is a much more local event, although its matches are broadcast in other countries such as the United States and even in Brazil, on ESPN, riding on the success enjoyed by American league matches. in our country. . country.

Currently the league only has Canadian teams, but between 1993 and 1996 teams from the United States participated.

There are nine teams split between the East and West divisions, while the southern neighbors have a 32-team league. Thus, as 18 games are played during the regular season of the Canadian league, the teams face each other two or three times, whereas in the American league, not all the teams face each other.

According to ESPN, while the average salary in the NFL is US$850,000, in the CFL it is “only” US$50,000, but athletes like Ricky Williams and Chad Johnson have played in both leagues. The Canadian football field is getting bigger and bigger, measuring 110 yards by 65. Another fundamental difference is that each team has one more player (12) compared to the NFL and one fewer attempt (3) to advance 10 yards. All these differences tend to favor aerial play.

The CFL still allows the game to end in a tie if it is not decided after two overtime possessions during the regular season. The tournament is played from July to November, therefore occupying a large part of the summer, which facilitates matches in open stadiums, which would be difficult in some localities in winter.

The final between the conferences, the equivalent of the Super Bowl, is called the Gray Cup and brings together nearly 65,000 people. The Edmonton Eskimos have played the most games in this event, 25 times, while the Toronto Argonauts have won the most, 16. Despite the Canadian preference for hockey, this game enjoys the greatest television coverage, with an audience of about 4 million people, according to the newspaper The Globe and Mail.