Canadian Football League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Canadian Football League
Ligue canadienne de football

Sport	Canadian football
Founded	January 19, 1958 (67 years ago) (1958-01-19)
Inaugural season	1958
Commissioner	Stewart Johnston
No. of teams	9
Country	Canada
Headquarters	50 Wellington Street East, Toronto, Ontario
Most recent champion(s)	Toronto Argonauts (9th title)
Most titles	Edmonton Elks (11 titles)
TV partner(s)	Canada: CTV, TSN RDS (French) United States: Broadcast CBSSN Live Streaming CFL+ International: See list

The Canadian Football League (CFL) is Canada's top professional Canadian football league. It has nine teams, split into two groups: the East Division with four teams and the West Division with five teams. The CFL is the highest level of Canadian football played anywhere in the world. Its main office is in Toronto.

The CFL officially started on January 19, 1958. This happened when two older football groups, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (also called the "Big Four") and the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU), joined together. The Big Four began in 1907, and the WIFU started in 1936.

The league's regular season lasts 21 weeks. Each team plays 18 games and gets three weeks off. The season usually runs from mid-June to early November. After the regular season, six teams play in the playoffs. These games lead up to the Grey Cup championship in late November. The Grey Cup is one of Canada's biggest yearly sports events.

History of the CFL

How Canadian Football Started

Rugby football began to be played in Canada in the 1860s. Many early Canadian football teams were part of the Canadian Rugby Football Union (CRFU), which started in 1880. This group later became the Canadian Rugby Union (CRU) in 1891. The CRU was like a main organization for many smaller football groups.

The Grey Cup trophy was first given out in 1909. It was donated by the Governor General of Canada, Earl Grey. The trophy went to the team that won the "Senior Amateur Football Championship of Canada." By this time, Canadian football had changed a lot from its rugby roots. It started to look more like the American game.

For much of the early 1900s, teams played in leagues within their own provinces. In 1907, some of the stronger teams in Ontario and Quebec formed the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), known as the "Big Four." It took almost 30 years for a similar strong league to form in the west. In 1936, teams from Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan created the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU).

From the 1930s to the 1950s, both the Big Four and the WIFU slowly changed from amateur (for fun) to professional (paid) leagues. Amateur teams could no longer compete for the Grey Cup. The last time an amateur team won the Grey Cup was in 1936, except during the World War II years.

After World War II, the WIFU teams were playing at the same high level as the Big Four. Both leagues soon became fully professional. By 1954, the Grey Cup was only played by professional teams. This year is seen as the start of modern Canadian football.

The CFL is Formed

In 1956, the Montreal Alouettes team thought about leaving the Big Four and joining the WIFU. Because of this, the Big Four and WIFU created a new group called the Canadian Football Council (CFC). Their goal was to make professional football more modern.

In 1958, the CFC officially left the CRU and became the Canadian Football League (CFL). The CFL took ownership of the Grey Cup. This meant amateur teams were no longer part of the Grey Cup competition. The CRU continued to manage amateur football in Canada.

At first, the two leagues (East and West) stayed separate. They only played against each other in the Grey Cup final. This was similar to how Major League Baseball worked for many years.

The Big Four was renamed the Eastern Football Conference in 1960. The WIFU became the Western Football Conference in 1961. Also in 1961, teams started playing a few games against teams from the other conference. By 1981, the two conferences fully merged. They became the East and West Divisions of the CFL. This merger brought a balanced schedule where all nine teams played each other twice. Since 1986, the CFL's regular season has been 18 games long.

Some teams had similar names because of their separate histories. For example, the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders both had "Rough Riders" in their names. Other team names came from old traditions. The Toronto Argonauts football team was formed by members of a rowing club. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats team was created after two older Hamilton teams joined together.

The league had nine stable teams from 1958 until 1981. These were the BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Elks, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and Montreal Alouettes. After the 1981 season, the Alouettes team stopped playing. A new team called the Concordes replaced them the next year.

In 1986, the Concordes were renamed the Alouettes to try and get more fans. But the team folded again the next year. Because Montreal lost its team, the league moved the Winnipeg team into the East Division from 1987 to 1994.

CFL Teams in the United States

In 1993, the CFL allowed its first team from the United States, the Sacramento Gold Miners. After some success, the league added more U.S. teams in 1994. These included the Las Vegas Posse, Baltimore Stallions, and Shreveport Pirates. For the 1995 season, the American teams formed their own South Division. Two more teams, the Birmingham Barracudas and Memphis Mad Dogs, were added. The Posse team folded, and the Gold Miners moved to become the San Antonio Texans. In 1995, the Stallions became the only non-Canadian team to win the Grey Cup.

Even though American teams did not have to follow the CFL's rules about having a minimum number of Canadian players, only the Stallions were truly successful. Other things, like the NFL's Baltimore Ravens team starting, money problems for Canadian teams, and other American teams not playing well, made the CFL decide to stop its U.S. expansion. The Stallions team was used to bring back the Montreal Alouettes in Canada.

After U.S. Expansion

The CFL returned to being an all-Canadian league in 1996 with nine teams. Players from the U.S. teams were spread out among the remaining Canadian teams. However, the Ottawa Rough Riders, a team since 1876, folded after the 1996 season. Toronto and the recently revived Montreal teams were also struggling. Montreal's problems were solved by moving to Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, a smaller place than the huge Olympic Stadium. The Winnipeg team moved to the East Division again from 1997 to 2001 because Ottawa was gone.

In 1997, the NFL gave the CFL a $3 million loan with no interest. In return, the NFL could sign CFL players during a certain time. The CFL later paid back the loan. This agreement between the CFL and NFL ended in 2006.

Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium is the largest stadium in the CFL.

In 2002, the league grew back to nine teams with the new Ottawa Renegades. But after four seasons of losing money, the Renegades stopped playing before the 2006 season. Their players were taken by the other teams. Winnipeg moved to the East Division again in 2006 and stayed there until 2013.

In 2005, the league set a new record for total fans attending games, with over 2.3 million people. In 2006, the league launched CFL Broadband, an online service to watch games live.

Mark Cohon's Time as Commissioner (2007–2015)

When Mark Cohon became commissioner, the CFL became more stable and grew. New TV deals, new agreements with players, the 100th Grey Cup celebration, and many stadium upgrades happened during this time. The 100th Grey Cup had the highest TV ratings ever for a championship game in English Canada.

In the 2000s, the CFL had the third-highest number of fans per game in North America. It was seventh worldwide. A 2006 study showed that the CFL was the second most popular sports league in Canada. About 19% of Canadian adults followed the CFL. The NHL was first with 30%. The NFL had 11% of fans. This means about 80% of Canadian football fans followed the CFL.

During Mark Cohon's time, many teams either fixed up their old stadiums or built new ones. The Montreal Alouettes added 5,000 seats to Percival Molson Memorial Stadium by 2010. The Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders also improved their stadiums. In 2011, the BC Lions started playing under a new roof at BC Place. In 2013, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved to a brand new stadium, now called Princess Auto Stadium. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats started using their new stadium, Tim Hortons Field, in 2014.

In 2014, the Ottawa Redblacks played their first season. They became the third Ottawa team in CFL history. This new Ottawa team brought the league back to nine teams. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved back to the West Division. The Ottawa Redblacks played at the newly renovated TD Place Stadium.

In his last year as commissioner, Mark Cohon helped create a new agreement between the CFL and its players.

Jeffrey Orridge's Time as Commissioner (2015–2017)

The Toronto Argonauts got new owners and a new stadium. The Argonauts were sold to Bell Media and MLSE. In 2016, the Argos moved to BMO Field after playing at the Rogers Centre for over twenty seasons. A new stadium for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the New Mosaic Stadium, was finished in 2016. The first game there was in 2017.

In 2015, Michael Sam signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He became the first openly gay player in the league. Sam left the team before the first preseason game for personal reasons. He returned but then left permanently in August, again for personal reasons.

After the 2015 season, Jeffrey Orridge announced a new look for the CFL. This included a new logo, motto, team uniforms, and website. The league and players also agreed on a new drug policy. In 2017, Jeffrey Orridge left his role as commissioner. He said it was because of "differing views on the future of the league." Jim Lawson became the temporary commissioner.

Randy Ambrosie's Time as Commissioner (2017–2025)

On July 5, 2017, Randy Ambrosie became the new CFL commissioner. He had played nine seasons in the league from 1985 to 1993. Ambrosie was the first commissioner to have played in the league since 1997.

In October 2018, the CFL started focusing on marketing the league internationally again. This plan was called CFL 2.0. Ambrosie partnered with the Professional American Football League of Mexico (LFA) to help players develop. He also announced a special CFL Combine in Mexico for Mexican players in 2019. The league then held a draft for LFA and Mexican university players.

In February 2019, the CFL announced that German and French football players would join the CFL national combine. Ambrosie traveled around Europe, making partnerships between the CFL and top European football leagues. By January 2020, football leagues from 13 countries had partnered with the CFL. These partnerships included trading players and coaches. In February 2020, the CFL also partnered with Japan's X-League. This meant new rules for the CFL, allowing more international players on teams.

The league took over the Montreal Alouettes team before the 2019 season. This happened after the owner gave the team back to the league. The Alouettes found new owners in January 2020.

On August 17, 2020, the CFL cancelled its 2020 season. This was due to the coronavirus pandemic and travel rules. It was the first cancelled season in the league's history. The league returned in 2021, playing a shorter 14-game schedule. The season ended with the Grey Cup game in December.

On August 29, 2022, one of the Montreal Alouettes owners stepped away from the team. On February 14, 2023, the CFL took ownership of the Alouettes again. On March 10, Quebec businessman Pierre Karl Péladeau bought the team. On April 11, 2024, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced record earnings.

On October 26, 2024, Ambrosie said he planned to retire as commissioner in 2025.

Stewart Johnston's Time as Commissioner (2025–present)

On April 2, 2025, TSN president Stewart Johnston was announced as the new commissioner. He officially started on April 24, 2025.

CFL Teams

BC Lions

Calgary Stampeders

Edmonton Elks

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Toronto Argonauts

Ottawa Redblacks

Montreal Alouettes

How the CFL Season Works

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo during the 2005 Grey Cup game.

Since 2022, the CFL season has these parts:

• A short pre-season (exhibition games) in late May to early June. Teams play two games over three weeks.
• A regular season with 18 games over 21 weeks. This runs from early June to late October.
• A six-team, three-week single elimination playoff tournament in November. This ends with the Grey Cup championship game.

Preseason Games

Team training camps start 28 days before the first regular season game. There is also a special camp for new players three days before the main camp. The pre-season schedule lasts two weeks. Each team plays two games against teams from its own division.

Regular Season Games

The regular season is 21 weeks long. Games start in early June and finish by late October. Each team plays 18 games and gets three weeks off. The CFL's nine teams are in two divisions: the East Division (four teams) and the West Division (five teams).

The most popular week in the CFL season is the Labour Day Classic. These games are played over the Labour Day weekend. They feature traditional rivalries like Toronto vs. Hamilton and Edmonton vs. Calgary. The next week, these teams play a rematch, which is also very popular. The Saskatchewan vs. Winnipeg rematch is called the Banjo Bowl.

Other special games include the Hall of Fame Game and the Thanksgiving Day Classic. The Thanksgiving Day games are played on Thanksgiving and usually don't feature traditional rivalries.

The league gives points for regular season results. Teams get two points for a win, one for a tie, and none for a loss. If teams have the same number of points, there are rules to break the tie.

Playoff Games

The playoffs happen in November. After the regular season, the top team from each division gets to host a division final game. They also get a week off during the first round. The second-place team from each division plays against the third-place team in a division semifinal.

Sometimes, a fourth-place team from one division might have a better record than a third-place team in the other division. If this happens, the fourth-place team can "cross over" and play in the other division's playoffs. The winners of the semifinal games then play the first-place teams in the division finals. The two division champions then play each other in the Grey Cup game. Since 2022, the Grey Cup has been held on the third Sunday of November.

The Grey Cup

The Grey Cup trophy.

The Grey Cup is the name of the CFL's championship game and the trophy given to the winning team. It is the second-oldest trophy in North American professional sports, after the Stanley Cup. The Grey Cup game is held in a different CFL city each year. The city is chosen a few years in advance. The Toronto Argonauts have won the most Grey Cups, with 19 wins. They won most recently in 2024.

The Grey Cup is Canada's biggest yearly sports event. It is like a big autumn festival for the country. Many fans travel from all over Canada to watch the game and enjoy the week of celebrations leading up to it.

Player Awards

After the Grey Cup game, the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player and Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian are chosen. Other player awards, like the Most Outstanding Player, are given out at a special ceremony. This happens in the Grey Cup host city the week before the game. The ceremony is shown on TV. The Coach of the Year Award is given out at a different event in February. The CFL also picks an All-Star Team each year.

CFL on TV and Radio

The Grey Cup championship game used to hold the record for the largest TV audience in Canadian history. The 1983 Grey Cup game had over 8 million viewers. This was about 33% of the Canadian population at the time.

Canadian TV Channels

Since 2009, TSN has been the main TV channel for all CFL games in Canada. TSN's French-language channel, RDS, shows Montreal Alouettes games in Quebec. Games are usually played on Thursday to Saturday evenings in June, July, and August. In September and October, they switch to more Saturday and Sunday afternoon games. TSN often has a "Friday Night Football" game each week.

In 2006, the CFL started showing every regular-season game on TV. They also added a system for reviewing plays instantly. In 2006, the CFL also began offering games online through CFL Broadband.

In 2008, the CFL signed a new TV deal with CTVglobemedia. This deal gave TSN and RDS exclusive rights to all CFL games, including the playoffs and Grey Cup. In 2013, TSN extended its contract until 2018. In 2015, the deal was extended again.

In June 2024, Bell Media announced that CTV would also show some CFL games. This brought the CFL back to regular TV channels for the first time since 2007. The CFL's agreement with TSN, CTV, and RDS runs until the 2026 season.

International TV Channels

In 2013, the CFL announced that ESPN Networks would show its games in the U.S. Five games were on ESPN2, and 55 were on ESPN3. This deal was renewed in 2014 for five years. At least 17 games, including the Grey Cup, would be on ESPN2 or another ESPN channel.

ESPN has shown CFL games for a long time. Their first CFL game was on July 9, 1980.

On April 27, 2023, CBS Sports Network announced a new deal to show CFL games in the U.S. They showed 34 games in the first three months of the 2023 season. In 2024, CBSSN showed most of the June, July, and August games, plus the Labour Day and Thanksgiving Day Classics.

ESPN Brasil started showing CFL games live in Brazil in 2015. BT Sport also shows CFL games in Britain and Ireland. In June 2019, the CFL signed a deal to show one game a week in Mexico on MVS TV.

Online Streaming

Most games not on ESPN TV channels are streamed in the United States through the ESPN+ service.

In 2017, the league partnered with Yare Media to offer streaming packages in 130 other countries.

In 2023, the league created CFL+. This service offers free, live streaming of every regular-season game to viewers outside the U.S. and Canada. For those in the U.S., all games not on CBS Sports Network are also available. In 2024, CFL+ added video on demand for up to 48 hours after games. It also started showing preseason games with local radio commentary.

Games are also available on TSN streaming platforms. This started in 2014 with the TSN GO app and TSN.ca. In 2018, TSN Direct launched, allowing fans to stream games without a cable TV subscription. In 2024, TSN+ started a special stream with extra game data.

Radio Broadcasts

CFL teams have their own local radio stations that broadcast regular season and playoff games. TSN Radio owns the rights to the Grey Cup radio broadcast. Sirius XM Canada also broadcasts CFL games. English games are on Canada Talks, and French games for the Montreal Alouettes are on Influence Franco.

Players and Their Pay

Player Salary Cap (2025)

The 2025 salary cap for teams was set at $5,650,000. However, on February 5, 2025, the league announced the cap would increase to $6,062,365. This increase was due to a new revenue sharing model that started in 2024. The cap does not include payments for non-football services or bonuses for preseason and playoff games. The lowest player salary is $70,000, which has not changed since 2023.

Player Designations

CFL players have different nationality labels:

• Nationals: These are Canadian citizens or players who meet certain Canadian residency or university football rules.
• Americans: These are non-National players, mostly from the United States.
• Globals: These are players who are not Canadian or American citizens.

National players join the CFL through the CFL Draft or as free agents. Global players join through special drafts. American players are usually found through a "negotiation list." Each team can claim up to 45 players who have not played in the CFL before. If a player on the list wants to join the CFL, the team has ten days to offer them a contract.

Team Roster Rules

In 2006, the number of active players a team could have increased from 40 to 42. It went up to 44 in 2014 and 46 in 2016. Teams can put an unlimited number of players on disabled, injured, or suspended lists.

As of 2021, each team must follow rules about how many National, American, and Global players they have. Teams need two quarterbacks, two Global players, and a maximum of 20 American players (not including quarterbacks). A team must have at least 44 active players in total. Each team also has one player on a reserve roster who gets benefits but cannot play in a game.

Before 2019, Canadian quarterbacks were at a disadvantage because of roster rules. This changed in 2019. Now, a National quarterback can count towards the Canadian player requirement if they are playing quarterback.

Teams can also have up to 10 players on their practice squad. This number can go up to 12 if they have two Global practice squad players. The practice squad size temporarily increases to 15 after the National Football League season starts. This is to make room for players who were cut from NFL teams. Players on the practice squad can sign with another team's active roster at any time.

Player Representation

CFL players are represented by the Canadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA). Each team chooses two players to be on the CFLPA Board. This board meets once a year and elects leaders every two years.

CFL Draft

The CFL Draft is where eligible Canadian nationals are chosen by CFL teams. These players usually come from U Sports football (Canadian universities) or American college football. The draft usually happens in May and has eight rounds. The first two rounds are often shown live on TSN. Before the draft, there is the CFL Combine, where players show off their skills.

Teams also keep "negotiation lists" of players they want to sign as free agents. These lists give teams special rights to talk to those players. Players can be added or removed from these lists, and their rights can be traded.

There is also a supplemental draft. This allows teams to pick players who were not chosen in the main draft. Teams offer draft picks for the next year to get these players. The team that offers the highest pick wins the player and gives up that pick. This helps teams add talented players who might have been missed in the regular draft.

CFL Commissioners

Future CFL Expansion

Some cities have shown interest in having a CFL team. These include cities in the Maritimes, Quebec City, Saskatoon, Kitchener, London, and Windsor.

Maritimes Expansion

Since the 1980s, the CFL has sometimes played exhibition and regular-season games in the Maritimes. These games have been in cities like Saint John, New Brunswick, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick. In 1984, the league approved a team called the Atlantic Schooners for the Maritimes. However, plans for a stadium fell through, and the team never played.

No city in the Maritimes has a permanent stadium that meets CFL standards. The largest stadium, Croix-Bleue Medavie Stadium, has 8,300 permanent seats. It can be expanded to 20,000 with temporary seats. "Touchdown Atlantic" games have been played in Halifax and Moncton. The 2010 Moncton game sold out very quickly. However, Moncton Stadium would need major upgrades to host a CFL team permanently.

In November 2017, a group in Halifax showed interest in getting a team. This group, called 'Maritime Football Ltd.', included Anthony LeBlanc. In June 2018, the group met with the Halifax Regional Council about bringing a CFL team to Halifax. They thought about playing at Université de Moncton while a stadium was built in Halifax. Maritime Football Ltd. chose a spot in Shannon Park for a new stadium. The stadium was estimated to cost between $170 to $190 million and seat 24,000.

On October 30, 2018, Halifax City Council voted to study the idea of a stadium. Maritime Football Ltd. and CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie announced they would start selling season tickets to see how much interest there was. They also held a contest to name the team. On November 23, 2018, the group, now called Schooners Sports and Entertainment, and Commissioner Ambrosie announced the new team would be called the Atlantic Schooners. The goal was for the team to start playing in 2021. However, no team was actually awarded. On March 15, 2023, it was reported that Schooner Sports and Entertainment was no longer trying to get a team for Atlantic Canada.

Quebec City Expansion

There has been interest in adding a team in Quebec City. In 2003, an exhibition game was held at Telus Stadium between the Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa Renegades. In 2008, the government said no to a plan that could have led to a CFL team in Quebec City. They said they would not pay for professional sports. In 2009, a businesswoman named Christina Saint Marche said she was interested in running a team in Quebec City. She thought there would be a natural rivalry with the Montreal Alouettes.

Saskatoon Expansion

Saskatoon last had a top-level Canadian football team in 1935. The Saskatoon Hilltops team later became an amateur team. In early 2012, the management at Credit Union Centre said they wanted to bring a CFL team to Saskatoon. However, the Saskatchewan Roughriders team, based in Regina, sees itself as a team for the whole province. They believe Saskatchewan is too small for two teams. Also, Saskatoon does not have a suitable outdoor stadium. Its largest, Griffiths Stadium, seats only 6,171 fans. It is unlikely the CFL will expand to Saskatoon soon without approval from the Roughriders.

Mexico Expansion Ideas

While not being considered for a new team, Mexico has been suggested for neutral site regular season games. Commissioner Randy Ambrosie suggested this in 2019. He also talked about partnering with the LFA to help players develop. This was part of the league's plan to grow globally. Ambrosie also announced a special CFL Combine in Mexico for Mexican players in 2019. The league then held a draft for LFA and Mexican university players. In March 2019, Ambrosie said that after the LFA combine, many people asked about buying a team for Mexico. However, Ambrosie said the league did not plan to expand internationally at that time.

More About the CFL

See also

In Spanish: Canadian Football League para niños