Portal:Canadian football/Intro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Canadian football is a form of football played chiefly in Canada in which two teams of twelve players each compete for territorial control of a field of play 110 yards (100.6 m) long and 65 yards (59.4 m) wide, attempting to advance a prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's end zone. In Canada, the term "football" is used to refer to Canadian football and American football collectively, or either sport specifically, depending on the context. The two sports have some shared origins and are closely related; there are, however, significant differences: see comparison of Canadian and American football for details.

Rugby football in Canada had its origins in the early 1860s, and over time, the unique code known as Canadian football developed. Both the Canadian Football League (CFL), the sport's only major professional league, and Football Canada, the governing body for amateur play, trace their roots to 1884 and the founding of the Canadian Rugby Football Union. Several currently active teams have similar longevity.

The CFL's Grey Cup championship is the country's single largest sporting event and is watched by nearly one third of Canadian television households. Amateur play is widespread at junior, high school, collegiate, and senior levels: the Canadian Junior Football League and Quebec Junior Football League are large leagues for players aged 18-22, many post-secondary institutions compete in Canadian Interuniversity Sport for the Vanier Cup, and senior amateur leagues have grown in popularity in recent years. Great achievements in the sport are enshrined in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.