How many times have you come across the debate of which is better – NFL vs CFL? Players from North America have an avenue with this MGM bonus code to choose between the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). The NFL happens in the US while CFL is played in Canada.
Aside from the NFL and CFL, you can also choose to place your bet on other popular pro and collegiate US and Canadian sports. To top it off, you can also take advantage of Fanduel Sportsbook offers, with these you can claim bonuses as you also access features such as live streaming various NFL and CFL events. But with all the popularity between the two, which league reigns supreme? What differences are there between the two?
- Players Salary
Football is all about money and the major difference comes in the salaries where NFL players are paid more than those in CFL. In the 2017 season, for example, an average NFL player’s yearly salary was around $2.7 million. On the other hand, A CFL player’s average yearly salary in 2018 was C$96,857. This leads to many CFL players looking for second jobs during the offseason to add to their income.
To put it into perspective, the highest-paid player in the NFL in 2020 is Patrick Mahomes who is paid an average annual salary of $45 million. The highest-paid player in CFL in 2019 was Jamaal Westerman with an average annual salary of C$109,000.
- Size of Field
The fields’ dimensions vary in the NFL and CFL. For the NFL field, the dimensions are 100 by 53 1/3 yards. The middle line is placed at 50 yards. CFL field, on the other hand, has its dimensions at 110 by 65 yards with the middle line placed at 55 yards.
There is also a key difference in the end zones. For NFL, the end zone is 10 yards deep while in CFL, the end zone is 20 yards deep. This takes the entire NFL field to 120 yards while the CFL field to 150 yards.
- Number of Downs
The NFL will have four downs while CFL will have three downs. The three downs in CFL help strike a balance between the offense and defense.
- Number of Players
NFL requires 22 players to be on the field (11 players per team). On the other hand, CFL has a total of 24 players in the field (12 players per team). On the defensive side, CFL will have two halfbacks and safety while you have two safety positions in the NFL (free safety and strong safety)
- Scores
The scores on both leagues are the same but an exception strikes in. When the kicking team in CFL misses a field goal or when they punt the football with the other team catching it and not running out of the end zone, a single point is awarded. CFL will also award a point if the ball is out of bounds via the end zone.
- Time Rules & Timeouts
In the NFL, each team will have three timeouts per half and the teams will also be given a two-minute warning at the end of every half. CFL has two timeouts per game and the teams are only allowed to use one timeout during the three-minute warning given in the second half.
