Israeli Football League
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The Israeli Football League was founded in the Summer of 2005 by a group of Israelis who wanted to play full contact American football in Israel. The first season began in the Fall of 2005 and the Israbowl (Israel's answer to the Super Bowl) was held in June 2006.
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[edit] Season History
[edit] 2005-2006 Season
The first season of the IFL was held with three teams in the league: the Haifa Underdogs, the Tel Aviv Pioneers, and the Tel Aviv Sabres. The regular season ended with Haifa in first place, the Pioneers in second, and the Sabres last. Israbowl I was held on June 23, 2006 at Haifa defeated the Pioneers by the score of 37-14.
[edit] 2006-2007 Season
The second season of the IFL was set to kick off in the fall of 2006 after the league went into the summer break after what was without doubt the biggest tackle football event ever in Israel - Israbowl I. Instead of the league's regular format, it was decided that the league would concentrate on playing with full equipment and uniting with the Jerusalem flag football league sponsored by Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots.
[edit] 2007-2008 Season
Although the season is yet to come, anticipation is high around footballers in Israel for the new season that is supposed to be with four teams, two from the greater Tel Aviv area, one from Haifa, and one from Jerusalem.
[edit] List of Champions
| Season | Champion | Runner Up | Israbowl | Venue | Date | League MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-2006 | Haifa Underdogs | Tel Aviv Pioneers | 1 | Kfar Ha Baptistim | June 23, 2006 | Niv Medlinger (Haifa) |
| 2006-2007 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2007-2008 | Jerusalem A.F.C. | Haifa Underdogs | 2 | Kraft Stadium, Jerusalem | March 28, 2008 | n/a |
| 2008-2009 | tbd | tbd | 3 | Kraft Stadium, Jerusalem | tbd | tbd |
[edit] List of Teams
| Club | City | Home Field |
|---|---|---|
| Haifa Underdogs | Haifa | Ein Ha Shofet Stadium |
| Jerusalem A.F.C | Jerusalem | Kraft Family Stadium |
| Hasharon Pioneers | Hasharon | Baptist Village |
| Tel-Aviv Sabers | Tel Aviv | Kiryat Shalom Training Facility |
[edit] Expansion Possibility
With only four teams in the current league, expansion is expected to occur in the future. Rishon LeZion, Beersheba, and Kfar Saba all have some sort of football program and are contenders for IFL Expansion which has yet to set a date for the above to happen.
[edit] League Format
The League Format for the 2005-2006 season was such: Each team played 8 regular-season games and the top two teams battled for the championship in the Israbowl. The current format is one that each team plays 9 regular-season games: 4 at home, 4 away games and 1 neutral site game. The playoffs consist of 3 games: A game between 2nd and 3rd place in the IFL standings which will determine who will get to play in the Israbowl against the 1st place team. The second game of the playoffs will be held between the 4th place team in the standings and the losing team from the 1st playoff game. the game will be held at Kraft Familly Stadium on march 28th 2008 at 10:00 am. Following the second playoff game will be the Israbowl which will be held at Kraft Familly Stadium in Jerusalem on March 28th 2008 at 13:00 pm between the 1st place team in the regular season standings and the winner of the 1st playoff game.
[edit] The Israbowl
The Israbowl is the title game in the IFL, as the Super Bowl in the NFL's championship games. The name comes from the word Israel and the obvious connection to the Super Bowl.
[edit] The Becker Trophy
Israel's answer to the Lombardi Trophy was donated to the league by one of the founders, Mr. Ofri Becker.
