Belgian Football League
The Belgian american Football League (BFL) is the professional sports league for American football in Belgium. The league currently consists of fourteen teams from Belgian cities and regions and one team from Luxembourg. The league is divided into two conferences — the Flemish american Football League (FFL) and Ligue Francophone de Football Amercain de Belgique (LFFAB). At the end of each regular season, three teams from each conference play in the BFL playoffs, a six-team single-elimination tournament that culminates with the championship game, known as the Belgian Bowl.[2]
Season's History
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Current season
2011 Regular Season schedule
The BFL schedules two games at one location for saving on transportationcosts for referees and the costs of renting an ambulance and first aid responders. Half of the time, teams are playing virtually at home but actually play at the hosting team's homefield due to these costsaving measures.
- (*)Tournai phoenix gave forfait for the entire 2011 season. The games Tournai played became null and void, as if they were never played.
2011 Regular Season standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
- clinched seed to the playoffs
- (*)Tournai phoenix gave forfait for the entire 2011 season. The games Tournai played became null and void, as if they were never played.
- (**) La Louvière Wolves and Dudelange Dragons did not participate this season.
2011 Post Season
| Belgian Bowl XXIV |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| BBA |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
14 |
| WFT |
7 |
7 |
0 |
6 |
20 |
|
| Date |
June 4 |
| Stadium |
Sportpark De Schorre |
| City |
Oostende |
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The BFL uses the American college football rules: (2011/2012 NCAA Rulebook). These differ from the popular professional league of the USA, the NFL. The officials are organised in the Belgian american football officials committee (BAFOC).
The conferences
The BFL is divided into a Dutch speaking conference and a French speaking conference, based on the northern Flemish Community and the southern French Community of Belgium. These two communities intermingle in the territory of Brussels, two teams based in Brussels play in the Dutch (FFL) and one team plays in the French (LFFAB). The LFFAB has one team from Luxembourg, the Dragons. The conferences are important for the championship game because they determine who will participate in the play-offs. Teams only play interconference games in the play-offs.
Teams
There are 16 BFL teams. The La Louvière Wolves are on hold. New teams must be located 20 km from a existing team. This rule does not apply for Brussels.
| Team |
City/Area |
Founded |
Head Coach |
Website |
| Flemish american Football League, FFL, Flemish Community |
| Antwerp Diamonds |
Antwerp, BE |
1989 |
Sergio Borra |
Diamonds |
| Bornem Titans |
Bornem, BE |
2004 |
Filip Merckx |
Titans |
| Brussels Black Angels |
Brussels, BE |
1989 |
Georgy Baudart |
Black Angels |
| Brussels Bulls |
Brussels, BE |
2005 |
Lesley Moreels |
Bulls |
| Ghent Gators |
Ghent, BE |
1999 |
Roald Piqueur |
Gators |
| Leuven Lions |
Leuven, BE |
1986 |
|
Lions |
| Limburg Shotguns |
Leopoldsburg, BE |
2008 |
Chase Curren |
Shotguns |
| West Flanders Tribes |
West Flanders, BE |
1989 |
Andy Brutyn |
Tribes |
| Ligue Francophone de Football Amercain de Belgique, LFFAB, French Community |
| Andenne Bears |
Andenne, BE |
2002 |
Didier Smeyers |
Bears |
| Brussels Tigers |
Brussels, BE |
1998 |
Pascal DeCoo & Alexandre DeConinck |
Tigers |
| Charleroi Cougars |
Charleroi, BE |
1993 |
Marc Gosset |
Cougars |
| Ottignies Fighting Turtles |
Ottignies, BE |
2008 |
Mo Jablonka |
Turtles |
| *Dudelange Dragons* |
Dudelange, LUX |
1993 |
Marc Watry |
Dragons |
| *La Louvière Wolves* |
La Louvière, BE |
2005 |
Thibaut Dubois |
Wolves |
| Liège Monarchs |
Liège, BE |
1986 |
Luis Iglesias Alvarez |
Monarchs |
| Tournai Phoenix |
Tournai, BE |
1986 |
Vincent Gadenne |
Phoenix |
Team Locations
Location of the teams in the Belgian Football League
West Flanders Tribes is a fusion of two teams, the Izegem Redskins and the Ostend Seminoles. Both the homefields were inherited in the new fusion team Tribes.
BFL Records
- Most National Championships:
-
- 8 West Flanders Tribes (2000, 2001, 2006-2011)
- Most appearances in a National Championship:
-
- 9 West Flanders Tribes (1999-2001, 2006-2011)
- Most consecutive National Championships:
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- 6 West Flanders Tribes (2006-2011)[8]
- Most consecutive appearances in a National Championship:
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- 6 West Flanders Tribes (2006-2011)
- Most consecutive Appearances in the playoffs:
-
- 10 Brussels Black Angels (2001-2011)
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- 50 West Flanders Tribes (27 Februari 2007 - 4 June 2011)[9]
- Longest streak no losses:
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- 53 West Flanders Tribes (21 May 2006 - 4 June 2011)
- Most consecutive perfect seaons:
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- 4 West Flanders Tribes (2008-2011)
- Most consecutive unbeaten seasons:
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- 5 West Flanders Tribes (2007-2011)[10]
See also
External links
References
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