Stars Football League
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| CEO | Peter Hulthwaite |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Miami Ironmen (2013) |
| Official website | starsfootballleague.com |
The Stars Football League (SFL) was an American football league that operated primarily in Florida from 2011 to 2013. The league was headquartered in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Its inaugural season began June 30, 2011 with two teams; the league phased two more teams into the schedule over the course of the 2011 season to finish the season with four teams (two in Florida, one in Louisiana and one traveling team). It played the 2012 season with three teams, all based in Florida, and the 2013 season with four teams.
Originally intended to be a more or less national league on par with the contemporary United Football League, a lack of investor interest, anemic attendance and low budgets prevented the league from reaching its intended goals.
The league followed standard American football rules, with two exceptions. Field goals of over 50 yards were awarded four points instead of three, as in NFL Europe. The league also offered a three-point conversion from ten yards, just as the XFL did in its playoffs. These rule changes were intended to help teams that fall behind in a game to catch up more quickly. The league did not use instant replay (the league never acquired a television contract, making instant replay impossible). The league also will use a slightly shorter play clock.
Teams were restricted to 35 or 36 players on each roster, with any person 18 years of age or older eligible to play. Its level of play could be classified somewhere between minor league and semi-professional; players were compensated between $100 and $500 per game, on par with most indoor football leagues, but had to pay their own travel expenses for away games.
The League awarded charter memberships to eight cities in seven states. Teams were awarded to Las Vegas Nevada, Little Rock Arkansas, Pontiac Michigan, New Orleans Louisiana, Mobile Alabama, Charleston South Carolina along with Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale Florida. For reasons unknown the Las Vegas Gamblers, Little Rock Ironmen, Charleston Admirals and the Mobile Gladiators never made it to play; the Ironmen, in particular, have been the subject of repeated relocations (the SFL has indicated the Ironmen club would play in Little Rock, then Bradenton, Florida, then Cleveland, Ohio, before finally beginning play in 2013 nominally representing Miami, Florida and sharing a stadium with Fort Lauderdale).
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