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 a professional sports league in Canada. It's where the best Canadian football players compete. The league has nine teams. These teams are split into two groups: four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the top level of Canadian football in the world. Its main office is in Toronto.

The CFL officially started on January 19, 1958. It was formed when two older football groups, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (or "Big Four") and the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU), joined together.

The league's regular season runs for 21 weeks, usually from mid-June to early November. Each team plays 18 games and gets three weeks off. After the regular season, six teams go to the playoffs. The playoffs end with the Grey Cup championship game 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 in Canada in the 1860s. Early Canadian football teams played under groups like the Canadian Rugby Football Union. This group later became the Canadian Rugby Union (CRU) in 1891. The CRU was like a main organization for many smaller football groups.

In 1909, the Governor General, the Earl Grey, donated the Grey Cup. This trophy was for the team that won the "Senior Amateur Football Championship of Canada." Over time, Canadian football changed from its rugby roots. It started to look more like the American game.

For much of the early 1900s, teams played in local leagues. In 1907, some strong teams formed the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), also known as the "Big Four." About 30 years later, in 1936, western teams formed the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU).

From the 1930s to the 1950s, both the Big Four and WIFU slowly became professional leagues. Amateur teams could no longer win the Grey Cup. 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 Born

In 1956, the Big Four and WIFU created a new group called the Canadian Football Council (CFC). This group wanted to make professional football more modern. In 1958, the CFC officially left the CRU and became the Canadian Football League (CFL). The CFL took over the Grey Cup trophy.

At first, the two groups (East and West) stayed separate. They only played each other in the Grey Cup final. In 1960, the Big Four became the Eastern Football Conference. In 1961, the WIFU became the Western Football Conference. That same year, teams started playing a few games against teams from the other conference.

In 1981, the two conferences fully merged. They became the East and West Divisions of the CFL. This meant all nine teams played each other twice a season. Since 1986, the CFL regular season has been 18 games long.

Some teams had similar names because of their separate histories. The Ottawa Rough Riders were called the "Eastern Riders." The Saskatchewan Roughriders were called the "Western Riders." Other team names came from old traditions. For example, the Toronto Argonauts team was formed by a rowing club.

The league had nine teams from 1958 until 1981. These teams were the BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Elks (formerly Eskimos), Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and Montreal Alouettes. After 1981, the Montreal Alouettes team stopped playing, but a new team called the Concordes took its place.

In 1986, the Concordes changed their name back to the Alouettes. But the team folded again the next year. This meant the league had to move the Winnipeg team to the East Division for a while to balance the divisions.

Trying to Expand to the U.S.

In 1993, the CFL added its first team from the United States, the Sacramento Gold Miners. The league then added more U.S. teams in 1994 and 1995. These included the Las Vegas Posse, Baltimore Stallions, Shreveport Pirates, Birmingham Barracudas, and Memphis Mad Dogs. The Baltimore Stallions were the only U.S. team to win the Grey Cup, in 1995.

Most American teams did not do well. The CFL decided to stop its U.S. expansion. The Baltimore Stallions team was then used to bring back the Montreal Alouettes in Canada.

Back to All-Canadian Teams

The CFL returned to being an all-Canadian league in 1996 with nine teams. However, the Ottawa Rough Riders, a very old team, folded after the 1996 season. The Toronto and Montreal teams were also struggling. Montreal's problems were solved by moving to a smaller stadium. Winnipeg moved to the East Division again from 1997 to 2001 because Ottawa was gone.

In 1997, the NFL gave the CFL a loan to help with money problems. The CFL later paid back this loan.

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, the Renegades stopped playing in 2006. Winnipeg moved to the East Division again until 2013.

In 2005, the CFL had its highest ever number of fans attending games, with over 2.3 million people.

Recent Years (2007-Present)

Under Commissioner Mark Cohon (2007–2015), the CFL became more stable and grew. New TV deals, stadium upgrades, and the 100th Grey Cup celebration were big highlights. The 100th Grey Cup had the most TV viewers ever for a championship game in English Canada.

Many teams either updated their stadiums or built new ones. The Montreal Alouettes added seats to their stadium. The BC Lions got a new retractable roof at BC Place. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved to a brand new stadium in 2013. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats also got a new stadium.

In 2014, the Ottawa Redblacks started playing. This brought the league back to nine teams. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved back to the West Division. The Ottawa Redblacks play in a newly renovated stadium.

Jeffrey Orridge was commissioner from 2015 to 2017. During this time, the Toronto Argonauts got new owners and moved to BMO Field. The Saskatchewan Roughriders also got a new stadium.

Randy Ambrosie became commissioner in 2017. He played in the CFL himself. He started a plan called CFL 2.0 to grow the league internationally. This included working with football leagues in Mexico and Europe. The CFL held special tryouts for players from these countries.

In 2020, the CFL cancelled its season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time the Grey Cup was not played since 1919. The league returned in 2021 with a shorter season.

In 2023, the Montreal Alouettes found new ownership with Quebec media leader Pierre Karl Péladeau. In 2024, Randy Ambrosie announced he would retire in 2025. Stewart Johnston became the new commissioner in April 2025.

CFL Teams

BC Lions

Calgary Stampeders

Edmonton Elks

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Toronto Argonauts

Ottawa Redblacks

Montreal Alouettes

The CFL has nine active teams, divided into two divisions: East and West.

Past CFL Teams

The CFL has had other teams in the past, including some from the United States.

How the CFL Season Works

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

The CFL season has three main parts:

• A short pre-season in late May to early June.
• An 18-game regular season from early June to late October.
• A six-team playoff tournament in November, ending with the Grey Cup.

Pre-season Games

Team training camps start about a month before the first regular season game. The pre-season schedule is two weeks long. Each team plays two games against teams from their own division.

Regular Season Games

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

A popular week in the CFL season is the Labour Day Classic. This happens over the Labour Day weekend. Teams with long-standing rivalries play each other. For example, Toronto plays Hamilton, and Edmonton plays Calgary. The next week, these teams play each other again. The Saskatchewan–Winnipeg rematch is called the Banjo Bowl.

The league gives points for game results: two points for a win, one for a tie, and none for a loss. If teams have the same points, there are rules to decide who ranks higher.

Playoffs

The playoffs happen in November. The top team from each division gets a direct spot in the division final and a week off. The second-place team plays the third-place team in a division semifinal. Sometimes, a fourth-place team with a better record than a third-place team from the other division can "cross over" and play in the other division's playoffs.

The winners of the semifinals play the first-place teams in the division finals. The two division champions then play each other in the Grey Cup game. The Grey Cup is usually held on the third Sunday of November.

The Grey Cup

The Grey Cup

The Grey Cup is the name of both the CFL championship game and the trophy given to the winning team. It is the second-oldest trophy in North American professional sports. The Grey Cup game is held in a different Canadian city each year.

The Toronto Argonauts have won the Grey Cup the most times, with 19 wins. The Grey Cup is Canada's biggest yearly sports event. Many fans travel from all over the country to attend the game and the week of celebrations leading up to it.

CFL Awards

After the Grey Cup game, the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player and Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian are chosen. Other awards, like the Most Outstanding Player, are given out at a special ceremony before the Grey Cup game. This ceremony is shown on TV. The Coach of the Year Award is given out later. An All-Star Team is also chosen each year.

CFL on TV and Radio

Watching in Canada

In Canada, CFL games are mainly shown on TSN. Its French-language channel, RDS, shows games for the Quebec area. Games are often on Thursday to Saturday evenings in the summer. In the fall, they switch to more Saturday and Sunday afternoon games. TSN has a tradition of showing a "Friday Night Football" game every week.

Since 2024, CTV also broadcasts some CFL games, including the Grey Cup. This brings CFL games back to regular TV for the first time since 2007. The current TV deal with TSN, CTV, and RDS lasts until the 2026 CFL season.

Watching Outside Canada

In the United States, CBS Sports Network broadcasts many CFL games. Other games are available for streaming on CFL+.

ESPN Brasil shows CFL games live in Brazil. BT Sport also shows CFL games in Britain and Ireland. In Mexico, MVS Comunicaciones broadcasts one game a week.

Listening on Radio

CFL teams have deals with local radio stations to broadcast their games. TSN Radio has the rights to the Grey Cup. Sirius XM Canada also broadcasts CFL games on satellite radio.

Players and Their Pay

Salary Cap

The CFL has a "salary cap," which is a limit on how much money teams can spend on player salaries each year. For 2025, the salary cap is about $6,062,365. This helps keep the league fair for all teams. The lowest a player can be paid is $70,000 per year.

Teams also have a cap on how much they can spend on their football operations staff (coaches, scouts, etc.). This limit is $2,500,000.

Player Types

Players in the CFL are called by different names based on where they are from:

• Nationals: These are Canadian citizens who meet certain rules, like living in Canada for a certain time or playing at a Canadian university.
• Americans: These are players who are not Canadian citizens, mostly from the United States.
• Globals: These are players from any other country who are not Canadian or American citizens.

National players usually join the CFL through the CFL Draft. Global players also have their own special drafts. American players are often found through "negotiation lists." Each team can list up to 45 players they want to sign who haven't played in the CFL before.

Roster Rules

Teams have rules about how many players they can have on their active roster (players who can play in a game). As of 2021, a team must have two quarterbacks, two Global players, and a maximum of 20 American players. The total active roster must be between 44 and 45 players. Teams also have a "practice squad" for extra players who train with the team but don't play in games.

Player Representation

CFL players are part of the Canadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA). This group works to protect players' rights and interests.

CFL Draft

The CFL Draft is where CFL teams pick eligible Canadian players (usually from Canadian or American universities). The draft usually happens in May and has eight rounds. Before the draft, there's a CFL Combine (like a tryout camp) where players show off their skills.

CFL Commissioners

The commissioner is the head of the CFL. Here's a list of past and present commissioners:

Future CFL Teams?

The CFL sometimes thinks about adding new teams. Places like the Maritimes (eastern Canada), Quebec City, and Saskatoon have shown interest. However, these cities often need new stadiums that meet CFL standards.

Atlantic Schooners (Halifax)

There have been talks about a team in Halifax, Nova Scotia, called the Atlantic Schooners. The CFL has played exhibition and regular-season games in the Maritimes before. A group called Schooners Sports and Entertainment was working to bring a team to Halifax. They even announced the team name in 2018. But in 2023, this group stopped trying to get a team.

Quebec City Team?

Quebec City has also shown interest in a CFL team. They have hosted exhibition games. However, the Montreal Alouettes team has the rights for all of Quebec. So, any new team would need to work with them first.

Saskatoon Team?

Saskatoon has also expressed interest. But the Saskatchewan Roughriders are already seen as the team for the whole province. Also, Saskatoon doesn't have a large enough outdoor stadium for a CFL team.

Mexico Team?

Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has suggested playing some regular season games in Mexico. He also wants to work with Mexican football leagues to develop players. The CFL has held special tryouts and a draft for Mexican players. While there's no plan for a Mexican team right now, the league is looking to grow its global connections.

Images for kids

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  Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo looks down field with the ball during the 2005 Grey Cup game against the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place.

See also

In Spanish: Canadian Football League para niños