Israel Football League: Difference between revisions
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== Season History == |
== Season History == |
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=== 2006-2007 Season === |
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The second season of the IFL was set to kick off in the fall of 2006 after the league went into the summer break. However, instead of continuing under the league's previous format, it was decided that the league would concentrate on playing with full equipment and moved under the umbrella of American Football in Israel (AFI), the sport's official governing body in the country. The unification was accomplished thanks to the initiative of IFL leader Ofri Becker and AFI President Steve Leibowitz. |
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=== 2007-2008 Season === |
=== 2007-2008 Season === |
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The inaugural season of the IFL, with regulation pads and staff, witnessed a surprisingly high level of play for a first-year tackle league. There were four teams in the league for the 2007-2008 season: the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions, the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs, the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers, and the Mike's Place Tel Aviv Sabres. In the championship game, Israel Bowl I, the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions defeated the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs in overtime. |
The inaugural season of the IFL, with regulation pads and staff, witnessed a surprisingly high level of play for a first-year tackle league. There were four teams in the league for the 2007-2008 season: the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions, the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs, the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers, and the Mike's Place Tel Aviv Sabres. In the championship game, Israel Bowl I, the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions defeated the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs in overtime. |
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Revision as of 15:59, 28 February 2010
| File:IFL-logo.JPG Israeli Football League logo | |
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| No. of teams | 7 |
| Country |  Israel |
| Most recent champion(s) | Modi`in Pioneers |
| Official website | Official Site |
The Israel Football League was founded in the Summer of 2005 by a group of Israelis who wanted to play tackle American football. The first season, played without pads or an official governing body, began in the Fall of 2005. In 2007, the league began fully-equipped play under the umbrella of American Football in Israel (AFI), and Israel Bowl I was held in 2008.
Thanks to the generosity of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the IFL is sponsored by the Kraft Family.
Season History
2007-2008 Season
The inaugural season of the IFL, with regulation pads and staff, witnessed a surprisingly high level of play for a first-year tackle league. There were four teams in the league for the 2007-2008 season: the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions, the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs, the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers, and the Mike's Place Tel Aviv Sabres. In the championship game, Israel Bowl I, the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions defeated the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs in overtime.
2008-2009 Season
The league grew to five teams with the addition of another team in Jerusalem (The Blue Sun Music Kings), while the Dancing Camel Pioneers moved to a new home in Modi'in. The Pioneers defeated the defending champion Lions, 32-26, after two overtimes, in Israel Bowl II.
2009-2010 Season
After growing from four to five teams the previous year, the IFL expanded to seven teams for the 2009-2010 season with the addition of two new teams, The Beer Sheva Black Swarm and The Judean Rebels. The schedule grew, as well, as each team is scheduled to play 10 regular season games followed by playoffs, which lead to Israel Bowl III. The teams who finish the regular season in first through sixth place qualify for the playoffs.
IFL Champions
| Season | Champion | Runner Up | Israel Bowl | Venue | Date | League MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-2006 | Haifa Underdogs | Tel Aviv Pioneers | * | Baptist village, Petah Tikva | June 23, 2006 | Niv Medlinger (Haifa) |
| 2007-2008 | Jerusalem Lions | Haifa Underdogs | I | Kraft Stadium, Jerusalem | March 28, 2008 | Moshe Horowitz (Jerusalem) |
| 2008-2009 | Modi'in Pioneers | Jerusalem Lions | II | Kraft Stadium, Jerusalem | April 3, 2009 | Assaf Katz (Modiin) |
| 2009-2010 | TBD | TBD | III | Kraft Stadium, Jerusalem | March 26, 2010 | TBD |
* 2005-6 season played with partial equipment
List of Teams
| Team | City | Home Field | Year Accepted into League |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Real Housing" Haifa Underdogs | Haifa | Yoqneam Stadium | 2005 |
| "Papagaio" Jerusalem Kings | Jerusalem | Kraft Family Stadium | 2008 |
| "Big Blue" Jerusalem Lions | Jerusalem | Kraft Family Stadium | 2007 |
| "Dancing Camel" Modi'in Pioneers | Modi'in | Emek Beit She'an Soccer Field, Modi'in | 2005 |
| "Mike's Place" Tel Aviv Sabers | Tel Aviv | Kiryat Shalom, Tel Aviv | 2005 |
| Be'er Sheva Black Swarm | Be'er Sheva | Be'er Sheva | 2009 |
| Judea Rebels | Judea | Kraft Family Stadium | 2009 |
League Format
In the 2005-2006 season, each team played 8 regular-season games and the top two teams battled for the championship.
In 2007-2008, each team played 9 regular-season games: 4 at home, 4 away games and 1 neutral site game. The playoffs consisted of 3 games. A game between 2nd and 3rd place in the regular-season IFL standings determined who faced the 1st place team in Israel Bowl I. The second game of the playoffs was held between the 4th place team in the standings and the losing team from the 1st playoff game. In Israel Bowl I, which was held at Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem, the 1st place team in the regular season standings faced the winner of the 1st playoff game.
The Israel Bowl
The Israel Bowl is the IFL championship game. See above for a list of Israel Bowl winners.
The Becker Trophy
Mr. Ofri Becker, one of the original founders of the Israel Football League and currently a referee in the IFL, donated the trophy which is named in his honor. It resides in the city of the reigning Israel Bowl champions until it returns to Kraft Family Stadium for the next Israel Bowl.