CFL rules vs NFL: What is the difference? Rules and format explained

The 2024 CFL kicks off on Thursday, June 6 and the premiere gridiron event in Canada has its familiarity with the USA's NFL in terms of most rules. However, there are some key regulation differences between the leagues.

Major differences between NFL and CFL regulations, rules

#1. CFL fields are bigger than NFL fields

In the CFL, the playing surface is measured at 110 x 65 yards in dimension with the midfield line at 55 yards, with the end zone 20 yards deep on each side. Meanwhile, the NFL fields are 100 x 53 1/3 yards in length and breadth with the midfield line at the 50-yard line. The end zones in the NFL are 10 yards deep. Hence, CFL fields are 150 yards long while the NFL is 120 yards long.

Furthermore, the goalposts in the CFL are not placed at the front of the end zone, unlike the NFL. This works out rather evenly for kickers in both leagues since the distance for a field goal is generally the same, barring the wider breadth accounted on a CFL field.

#2. CFL allows 12 players from each team on the field

In the CFL, a team can field 12 players during a play, totaling 24 players from both sides. However, the NFL allows 11 players on the field from each team, adding up to 22 players during in-game action.

Generally, there are no tight ends used positionally in the CFL but instead, there are two slot receivers during offensive plays. For defense, the Canadian pro league uses two defensive halfbacks and a safety, while the NFL has two different safeties.

#3. CFL rules allow three downs in possession

In the NFL, teams in possession area allowed four downs to get to a first down. However, in the CFL, teams are given three downs to gain 10 yards. Notably, the CFL still follows the original football norm of the three downs when the sport was founded in the 19th century. However, the NFL tweaked the rules in 1912.

#4. CFL games have only two timeouts during a match

While CFL and NFL games last 60 minutes and are divided into four quarters, the former allows teams two timeouts during a match and they cannot use both in the final three minutes. Meanwhile, an NFL game has three timeouts per team in each half.

Also, in the CFL, the game clock stops at the three-minute warning during the second and fourth quarters and after that, the clock always stops when a play is dead.

#5. CFL has one-point plays

In the NFL, two points are the least a team can score during a play (via a safety). However, through a rouge, the CFL allows one-point scores for a team. A kicking team is awarded a rouge if they either miss a field goal or punt the ball, and the receiving team cannot get the ball out of their end zone.

Otherwise, a team can score a rouge if the ball passes through the end zone and goes out of bounds without being touched on a missed field goal or punt.