Agreed Phil. Most boring outcome of the playoffs in terms of the teams I wanted to see in the superbowl but cant really argue against them being the 2 best teams. Hopefully next season we see some change!
As far as I understand it, the AFL started as a sort of Kerry Packer split from the NFL, but then they sorted themselves out and all came under the NFL umbrella, and the teams were split into NFC and AFC.
When they were split, both parts cover N, E, S, W so it's not a regional split.
- How were the teams for each decided? - Did AFL teams largely end up in the AFC? - Are there any rule differences in the two leagues, or are they essentially the same thing but with different teams? - Why didn't they all just come under the NFL and not be split out into AFC and NFC?
Most of the teams stayed with their original conferences, some have since moved across, such as Seattle who used to play in AFC West with Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos. They moved across to NFC when there some expansion teams moved and they realigned to make 8 divisions of 4. Before that some had 5 teams and others had 4
Both conferences play to the same rules
There was still quite a distrust between the two leagues, and the first few Superbowl's were before the two leagues actually merged
So there's no real difference now? It's just like it there'd been a split in football 50 years ago and say Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Spurs played in one league, and Arsenal, Man Utd, Newcastle, Villa in another Premier League but never met apart from a final between the winners of each at the end of the season?
So there's no real difference now? It's just like it there'd been a split in football 50 years ago and say Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Spurs played in one league, and Arsenal, Man Utd, Newcastle, Villa in another Premier League but never met apart from a final between the winners of each at the end of the season?
Do players move between the two?
It is all under the umbrella of the NFL just separated into the two conferences. Players are traded between both conferences. They are collectively share the revenue etc
Take the Bristol Streets trophy - one competition, but separated into 2 conferences - North and South. The two 'conference' winners will play at Wembley in the 'Superbowl'
It's mostly to create an extra stage of the competition, really. The games this last Sunday were what we would call semi finals but they are badged as AFC and NFC conference finals. No differences at all in rules, there are many games between teams from different conferences.
So there's no real difference now? It's just like it there'd been a split in football 50 years ago and say Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Spurs played in one league, and Arsenal, Man Utd, Newcastle, Villa in another Premier League but never met apart from a final between the winners of each at the end of the season?
Do players move between the two?
it's kinda like that but you'd also have teams playing teams from the other league as well as their own done in as complicated a way as possible
it's something like this
6 games are played against the other 3 in your division 4 games against the 4 teams from another division in your conference 2 games against teams from the other 2 divisions in your conference 4 games against the 4 teams from a division in the other conference 1 game against another team from the other conference but not from the division in the line above this one
so in the regular season you play teams in your division all the time, others in your conference fairly regularly and those in the other conference occasionally
some games are decided randomly, others based on rankings from the last season
9 games are home, 8 away in one conference, 8 home and 9 away in the other. this alternates year to year
there are no rule differences as they're all 1 league but there are differences between NFL, college and the Canadian leagues
Anyone but Kansas at this point, can’t see any of the remaining teams beating them though
I think it hinges on how much the Chiefs have to put into stopping Saquon Barkley. If they can do that and cover the other possible plays, they win. If they leave too many holes in doing it, the Eagles have a chance.
Anyone but Kansas at this point, can’t see any of the remaining teams beating them though
I think it hinges on how much the Chiefs have to put into stopping Saquon Barkley. If they can do that and cover the other possible plays, they win. If they leave too many holes in doing it, the Eagles have a chance.
The way we struggled to stop Cook at the weekend, the thought of Barkley is scary.
So there's no real difference now? It's just like it there'd been a split in football 50 years ago and say Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Spurs played in one league, and Arsenal, Man Utd, Newcastle, Villa in another Premier League but never met apart from a final between the winners of each at the end of the season?
Do players move between the two?
They didn't used to have inter-conference games during the regular season but that changed a few years ago. According to a Wiki article "Using the 2023 regular season schedule as an example, each team in the AFC West played against every team in the AFC East and NFC North."
I wouldn’t put it past the Eagles winning this one. The number 1 defence in the league and Barkley is pretty phenomenal for their offense. I hope so anyway.
So there's no real difference now? It's just like it there'd been a split in football 50 years ago and say Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Spurs played in one league, and Arsenal, Man Utd, Newcastle, Villa in another Premier League but never met apart from a final between the winners of each at the end of the season?
Do players move between the two?
They didn't used to have inter-conference games during the regular season but that changed a few years ago. According to a Wiki article "Using the 2023 regular season schedule as an example, each team in the AFC West played against every team in the AFC East and NFC North."
they've had interconference games since the merger in 1970
So there's no real difference now? It's just like it there'd been a split in football 50 years ago and say Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Spurs played in one league, and Arsenal, Man Utd, Newcastle, Villa in another Premier League but never met apart from a final between the winners of each at the end of the season?
Do players move between the two?
They didn't used to have inter-conference games during the regular season but that changed a few years ago. According to a Wiki article "Using the 2023 regular season schedule as an example, each team in the AFC West played against every team in the AFC East and NFC North."
they've had interconference games since the merger in 1970
Then I’ve been mis-informed. I thought it came in in the ‘90s.
Comments
As far as I understand it, the AFL started as a sort of Kerry Packer split from the NFL, but then they sorted themselves out and all came under the NFL umbrella, and the teams were split into NFC and AFC.
When they were split, both parts cover N, E, S, W so it's not a regional split.
- How were the teams for each decided?
- Did AFL teams largely end up in the AFC?
- Are there any rule differences in the two leagues, or are they essentially the same thing but with different teams?
- Why didn't they all just come under the NFL and not be split out into AFC and NFC?
Both conferences play to the same rules
There was still quite a distrust between the two leagues, and the first few Superbowl's were before the two leagues actually merged
good article on wiki - AFL–NFL merger - Wikipedia
Do players move between the two?
Take the Bristol Streets trophy - one competition, but separated into 2 conferences - North and South. The two 'conference' winners will play at Wembley in the 'Superbowl'
it's something like this
6 games are played against the other 3 in your division
4 games against the 4 teams from another division in your conference
2 games against teams from the other 2 divisions in your conference
4 games against the 4 teams from a division in the other conference
1 game against another team from the other conference but not from the division in the line above this one
so in the regular season you play teams in your division all the time, others in your conference fairly regularly and those in the other conference occasionally
some games are decided randomly, others based on rankings from the last season
9 games are home, 8 away in one conference, 8 home and 9 away in the other. this alternates year to year
there are no rule differences as they're all 1 league but there are differences between NFL, college and the Canadian leagues