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The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States and the highest professional level of American football in the world.[1] It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before adopting its current name for the 1922 season. After initially determining champions through end-of-season standings, a playoff system was implemented in 1933 that culminated with the NFL Championship Game. Following an agreement to merge the NFL with the rival American Football League (AFL) in 1966, the Super Bowl was first held in 1967 to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues and has remained as the final game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970. After the merger, all AFL Championship Games and records were included in NFL record books, and the teams have been divided between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).[2]
Since 2002, the league has consisted of 32 teams based across the United States. Each NFL season since 2021 has started with a three-week preseason in August, followed by the 18-week regular season which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference (four division winners and three wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament that culminates in the Super Bowl, which is contested in February and is played between the AFC and NFC conference champions.
Early years (1920–1932)
Early championships between 1920 and 1932 were awarded to the team with the best won-lost record, initially rather haphazardly, as some teams played more or fewer games than others, or scheduled games against non-league, amateur or collegiate teams; this led to the 1920 title being determined during a league meeting after the season,[3] the 1921 title being decided on a controversial tiebreaker,[4] a disputed 1925 title,[5] and the scheduling of an impromptu 1932 indoor playoff game.[6]
| Season | No. of teams |
Champion | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 14 | Akron Pros[a] | [7] |
| 1921 | 21 | Chicago Staleys[b] | [8] |
| 1922 | 18 | Canton Bulldogs | [9] |
| 1923 | 20 | Canton Bulldogs | [10] |
| 1924 | 18 | Cleveland Bulldogs | [11] |
| 1925 | 20 | Chicago Cardinals[c] | [12] |
| 1926 | 22 | Frankford Yellow Jackets | [13] |
| 1927 | 12 | New York Giants | [14] |
| 1928 | 10 | Providence Steam Roller | [15] |
| 1929 | 12 | Green Bay Packers | [16] |
| 1930 | 11 | Green Bay Packers | [17] |
| 1931 | 10 | Green Bay Packers | [18] |
| 1932 | 8 | Chicago Bears[d] | [19] |
- ^ No official standings were recorded for the 1920 season and teams played games against opponents outside of the league. The championship was awarded to Akron Pros during the league meeting on April 30, 1921.[3]
- ^ The Chicago Staleys defeated the Buffalo All-Americans on a controversial tiebreaker to decide the 1921 league championship.[4]
- ^ The Chicago Cardinals were awarded the 1925 championship controversially because the Pottsville Maroons had been suspended from the NFL for playing an exhibition game against a group of Notre Dame All-Stars.[5]
- ^ The Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans finished with identical win–loss records, tying for first place in the 1932 season. To solve the tie, a playoff game was held between the two, counting towards the regular-season total. Chicago won the game and the championship while Portsmouth's loss dropped them to third place, behind the Green Bay Packers.[6]
1933–1959
In 1933, the teams were divided between the Eastern Division and Western Division. This became the American and National conferences in 1950 after absorbing the rival All-America Football Conference (AAFC), then the Eastern and Western conferences in 1953. The two division/conference regular season champions then played in the NFL Championship Game. If two teams tied for the division/conference championship at the end of the regular season, then a one-game playoff was played to determine who would advance to the NFL Championship Game.[20][21]
- ^ The 1941 Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers in a one-game playoff.
- ^ The 1943 Washington Redskins defeated the New York Giants in a one-game playoff.
- ^ The 1947 Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in a one-game playoff.
- ^ The 1950 Cleveland Browns defeated the New York Giants in a one-game playoff.
- ^ The 1950 Los Angeles Rams defeated the Chicago Bears in a one-game playoff.
- ^ The 1952 Detroit Lions defeated the Los Angeles Rams in a one-game playoff.
- ^ The 1957 Detroit Lions defeated the San Francisco 49ers in a one-game playoff.
War with the AFL (1960–1969)
The rival American Football League (AFL) began play in 1960 with its own Eastern and Western divisions and AFL Championship Game. Following an agreement to merge the NFL with AFL, the Super Bowl was first held at the conclusion of the 1966 season to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues. The NFL then established a four-team postseason tournament in 1967, and the AFL did the same in 1969.[49]