National Football League
Current season, competition or edition: 2016 NFL season
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| Formerly | American Professional Football Conference (1920) American Professional Football Association (1920–1921) |
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| Sport | American football |
| Founded | August 20, 1920 |
| Inaugural season | 1920 |
| Commissioner | Roger Goodell |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | New York City, U.S. |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Denver Broncos (3rd title) |
| Most titles |
Green Bay Packers (13 titles) |
| TV partner(s) |
CBS Fox NBC ESPN NFL Network Telemundo |
| Official website | NFL.com |
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL's 17-week regular season runs from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.
The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. The Super Bowl is among the biggest club sporting events in the world and individual Super Bowl games account for many of the most watched television programs in American history, all occupying the Nielsen's Top 5 tally of the all-time most watched U.S. television broadcasts by 2015. The NFL's executive officer is the commissioner, who has broad authority in governing the league.
| POS | AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Patriots | Bengals | Texans | Broncos |
| 2nd | Jets | Steelers | Colts | Chiefs |
| 3rd | Bills | Ravens | Jaguars | Raiders |
| 4th | Dolphins | Browns | Titans | Chargers |
| POS | NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West |
| 1st | Redskins | Vikings | Panthers | Cardinals |
| 2nd | Eagles | Packers | Falcons | Seahawks |
| 3rd | Giants | Lions | Saints | Rams |
| 4th | Cowboys | Bears | Buccaneers | 49ers |
- List of Super Bowl champions (1966–present)
- List of NFL champions (1920–69)
- National Football League All-Decade Teams
- National Football League controversies
- National Football League franchise moves and mergers
- National Football League records
- National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
- NFL Europe
- NFL Films
- USA Football
- Steroid use in American football
- "Constitution and Bylaws of the National Football League" (PDF). 2006. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014.
- Zimmer, John; Marini, Matt, eds. (2013). Official 2013 National Football League Record & Fact Book (PDF). New York: National Football League. ISBN . Archived from the original on October 11, 2013.
- "2013 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League" (PDF). National Football League. 2013. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014.
- "2011-20 NFL/NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement" (PDF). National Football League. August 4, 2011. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014.
- Official website
- Pro Football Reference – historical stats of teams, players and coaches in the NFL
Wikipedia