Overview
The leading professional American football league in Europe, with clubs from a dozen countries.
The European League of Football is the top professional American football competition in Europe. Founded in 2021 with eight German and Central European clubs, it has grown to include sides from Germany, Austria, Poland, Spain, Italy, France, Hungary, Ireland and beyond.
Clubs play a twelve-game summer season split into conferences, with a playoff ending in the ELF Championship Game. Rosters mix European players with a limited number of American imports, and the league has become the main professional destination for European players.
Season Format
Recent Champions
Most recent first. Seasons still in progress are marked.
History
The ELF launched in 2021 after the collapse of NFL Europe in 2007 had left the continent without a professional league for well over a decade. It grew quickly by absorbing established clubs from national leagues such as the German GFL and the Austrian AFL.
The league has an ongoing relationship with the NFL through the International Player Pathway programme, and several ELF players have moved on to NFL practice squads.
Governance
The ELF is a privately owned league operating independently of the national federations, though it coordinates with IFAF on the international calendar.