Attention all football fanatics, Sunday game day can still be your thing even though the NFL season is over. Chris Ebersol has created for us the Alliance of American Football. The AAF is a new football league which debuted on Feb. 9 of this year and can be viewed every Saturday and Sunday on CBS and the CBS Sports network. Bill Polian (former NFL general manager of the Buffalo Bills) has also had a helping hand in the creation of this new form of football. Alongside them are Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, former NFL players as executive and head of player relations. This league is set to be complementary to the NFL and help showcase the talent of individuals who haven’t had the opportunity to really be seen as prospects.
The AAF will consist of eight teams from eight different cities who will play a 10-game season.
- Arizona Hotshots
- Atlanta Legends
- Birmingham Iron
- Memphis Express
- Orlando Apollos
- Salt Lake Stallions
- San Antonio Commanders
- San Diego Fleet
Unlike the NFL, the AAF is going to be different when it comes to how the game will be played. The players will not be allowed a chance for an extra point after the scoring of a touchdown, instead the ball will be placed at the 2-yard line and the team will automatically have to try for a 2-point conversion. Also in the AAF there will be no kickoffs therefor the ball will be placed at the 25-yard line at the start of each new possession. This rule was set in place due to the kickoffs being dangerous for players in regards to injuries. Another difference is a shorter play clock, the AAF wants to help reconnect the fans with the more action packed type of football we used to have. The play clock will be set to 30 seconds instead of 40. The goal for the league is to speed up action on the field so the AAF will not be having commercial breaks either and will only break when it naturally occurs in the game which will make games last usually under 150 minutes.
This league will look to be a game changer. The AAF has a strong goal in mind and a growing fan base to keep it going. Go ahead and check it out and maybe even go to a few games this year! With the Alliance of American football, Sunday game day can still be Sunday game day!