The
National Football League (NFL) is a professional
American football league in the United States and the highest
professional level of American football in the world.[1] It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before adopting its current name for the 1922 season. After initially determining champions through end-of-season standings, a playoff system was implemented in 1933 that culminated with the
NFL Championship Game. Following an
agreement to merge the NFL with the rival
American Football League (AFL) in 1966, the
Super Bowl was first held in 1967 to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues and has remained as the final game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970. After the merger, all AFL Championship Games and records were included in NFL record books, and the teams have been divided between the
American Football Conference (AFC) and the
National Football Conference (NFC).[2]
Since 2002, the league has consisted of 32 teams based across the United States. Each NFL season since 2021 has started with a
three-week preseason in August, followed by the
18-week regular season which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one
bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference (four division winners and three
wild card teams) advance to the
playoffs, a
single-elimination tournament that culminates in the Super Bowl, which is contested in February and is played between the
AFC and
NFC conference champions.
Early years (1920–1932)
Early championships between 1920 and 1932 were awarded to the team with the best won-lost record, initially rather haphazardly, as some teams played more or fewer games than others, or scheduled games against non-league, amateur or collegiate teams; this led to the 1920 title being determined during a league meeting after the season,[3] the 1921 title being decided on a
controversial tiebreaker,[4] a
disputed 1925 title,[5] and the scheduling of an impromptu
1932 indoor playoff game.[6]
^No official standings were recorded for the 1920 season and teams played games against opponents outside of the league. The championship was awarded to
Akron Pros during the league meeting on April 30, 1921.[3]
^The
Chicago Bears and the
Portsmouth Spartans finished with identical win–loss records, tying for first place in the 1932 season. To solve the tie, a
playoff game was held between the two, counting towards the regular-season total. Chicago won the game and the championship while Portsmouth's loss dropped them to third place, behind the
Green Bay Packers.[6]
1933–1959
In 1933, the teams were divided between the Eastern Division and Western Division. This became the American and National conferences in 1950 after absorbing the rival
All-America Football Conference (AAFC), then the Eastern and Western conferences in 1953. The two division/conference regular season champions then played in the NFL Championship Game. If two teams tied for the division/conference championship at the end of the regular season, then a
one-game playoff was played to determine who would advance to the NFL Championship Game.[20][21]
Season
No. of teams
Division/Conference champion
NFL Championship Game
Ref.
Eastern Division (1933–1949) American Conference (1950–1952) Eastern Conference (1953–1959)
Western Division (1933–1949) National Conference (1950–1952) Western Conference (1953–1959)
The rival
American Football League (AFL) began play in 1960 with its own Eastern and Western divisions and AFL Championship Game. Following an
agreement to merge the NFL with AFL, the
Super Bowl was first held at the conclusion of the 1966 season to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues. The NFL then established a four-team postseason tournament in 1967, and the AFL did the same in 1969.[49]
The
AFL–NFL merger between the two leagues was completed before the 1970 season. The teams were divided between the
American Football Conference (AFC) and the
National Football Conference (NFC). The two conference playoff champions then played in the Super Bowl to determine the NFL champion.[70]
^
abcdefghijPrior to
1975, there were no official seeds, because the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation of division winners instead of regular season records.
^
abcdefghijkThis conference top seed hosted the third-seeded team in the divisional playoff round rather than the last-seeded
wild card team because, prior to
1990, two teams from the same division could not meet during this postseason round.
^Despite having the same record as the
Los Angeles Rams, the
Minnesota Vikings clinched the 1975 NFC top seed by winning the point rating system tiebreaker.
^Despite having the same record as the
Dallas Cowboys, the
Los Angeles Rams clinched the 1978 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Pittsburgh Steelers, the
San Diego Chargers clinched the 1979 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Philadelphia Eagles, the
Dallas Cowboys clinched the 1979 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^Despite having the same record as the
Philadelphia Eagles, the
Atlanta Falcons clinched the 1980 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^A player's strike shortened the 1982 regular season to 9 games, the divisions were temporarily suspended, and eight teams from each conference qualified for a special 16-team playoff tournament.
^Despite having the same record as the
Miami Dolphins, the
Los Angeles Raiders clinched the 1983 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Miami Dolphins, the
Los Angeles Raiders clinched the 1985 AFC top seed by virtue of having a better record against common opponents.
^Despite having the same record as the
Chicago Bears, the
New York Giants clinched the 1986 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^A player's strike shortened the 1987 regular season to 15 games.
^Despite having the same record as the
Buffalo Bills, the
Cincinnati Bengals clinched the 1988 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^1990 was the first regular season in which each team was given a
bye week.
^Each team was given two bye weeks in 1993 instead on one.
^Despite having the same record as the
Houston Oilers, the
Buffalo Bills clinched the 1993 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Green Bay Packers, the
San Francisco 49ers clinched the 1997 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^In the wake of the
September 11 attacks in 2001, a number of games were rescheduled.
^Despite having the same record as the
Tennessee Titans, the
Oakland Raiders clinched the 2002 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
St. Louis Rams, the
Philadelphia Eagles clinched the 2003 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^Despite having the same record as the
Green Bay Packers, the
Dallas Cowboys clinched the 2007 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Carolina Panthers, the
New York Giants clinched the 2008 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Denver Broncos, the
New England Patriots clinched the 2014 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as both the
Cincinnati Bengals and the
New England Patriots, the
Denver Broncos clinched the 2015 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season games against both teams.
^Game was officially rendered as
Super Bowl 50 in
Western Arabic numerals instead of "Super Bowl L" in Roman numerals.
^Despite having the same record as the
Pittsburgh Steelers, the
New England Patriots clinched the 2017 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Minnesota Vikings, the
Philadelphia Eagles clinched the 2017 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better record against common opponents.
^Despite having the same record as the
Los Angeles Chargers, the
Kansas City Chiefs clinched the 2018 AFC top seed by virtue of having a better division record.
^Despite having the same record as both the
Green Bay Packers and the
New Orleans Saints, the
San Francisco 49ers clinched the 2019 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season games against both teams.
^Despite having the same record as the
Kansas City Chiefs, the
Tennessee Titans clinched the 2021 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the
Green Bay Packers clinched the 2021 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
Listed below is the current schedule of division match-ups for the next few upcoming regular seasons, based on the three-year intra-conference and four-year inter-conference rotations in place since 2021. In each year, besides the home and away games against their three division rivals, all four teams in each division listed at the top will play one game against all four teams in both of the divisions to which it has been assigned — one from the AFC, the other from the NFC. Each team will also play an additional inter-conference "17th game" from another division based on the prior season's standings, with the AFC team hosting it in odd years and the NFC team hosting it in even years. This table also lists the sites of the regular season games that are planned to be held outside the United States as part of the
NFL International Series, as well as the sites and US TV networks of the corresponding
Super Bowls.
Current listing of International Series games are based on extant contracts. The league stated in 2017 that it was using "inventory management" to wait until current agreements expire before potentially expanding the series, particularly into
Germany.[125] The current agreement with
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in
London runs through 2027.[126] Germany will host four games between 2022 and 2025, two each in
Allianz Arena,
Munich and
Deutsche Bank Park,
Frankfurt, starting with Munich.[127] The NFL expanded their partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London until 2029.[128] On December 13, 2023, the league announced that an additional international game in 2024 will be held at
Arena Corinthians in
São Paulo, Brazil. And the league plans to hold up to 8 international games beginning in 2025.[129]
Carroll, Bob; Gershman, Michael; Neft, David; Thorn, John (August 4, 1999). Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League.
William Morrow.
ISBN978-0062701749.
Specific
^Jozsa, Frank P. (2004). Sports Capitalism: The Foreign Business of American Professional Leagues.
Ashgate Publishing. p. 270.
ISBN978-0-7546-4185-8. Since 1922, [the NFL] has been the top professional sports league in the world with respect to American football
The
National Football League (NFL) is a professional
American football league in the United States and the highest
professional level of American football in the world.[1] It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before adopting its current name for the 1922 season. After initially determining champions through end-of-season standings, a playoff system was implemented in 1933 that culminated with the
NFL Championship Game. Following an
agreement to merge the NFL with the rival
American Football League (AFL) in 1966, the
Super Bowl was first held in 1967 to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues and has remained as the final game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970. After the merger, all AFL Championship Games and records were included in NFL record books, and the teams have been divided between the
American Football Conference (AFC) and the
National Football Conference (NFC).[2]
Since 2002, the league has consisted of 32 teams based across the United States. Each NFL season since 2021 has started with a
three-week preseason in August, followed by the
18-week regular season which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one
bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference (four division winners and three
wild card teams) advance to the
playoffs, a
single-elimination tournament that culminates in the Super Bowl, which is contested in February and is played between the
AFC and
NFC conference champions.
Early years (1920–1932)
Early championships between 1920 and 1932 were awarded to the team with the best won-lost record, initially rather haphazardly, as some teams played more or fewer games than others, or scheduled games against non-league, amateur or collegiate teams; this led to the 1920 title being determined during a league meeting after the season,[3] the 1921 title being decided on a
controversial tiebreaker,[4] a
disputed 1925 title,[5] and the scheduling of an impromptu
1932 indoor playoff game.[6]
^No official standings were recorded for the 1920 season and teams played games against opponents outside of the league. The championship was awarded to
Akron Pros during the league meeting on April 30, 1921.[3]
^The
Chicago Bears and the
Portsmouth Spartans finished with identical win–loss records, tying for first place in the 1932 season. To solve the tie, a
playoff game was held between the two, counting towards the regular-season total. Chicago won the game and the championship while Portsmouth's loss dropped them to third place, behind the
Green Bay Packers.[6]
1933–1959
In 1933, the teams were divided between the Eastern Division and Western Division. This became the American and National conferences in 1950 after absorbing the rival
All-America Football Conference (AAFC), then the Eastern and Western conferences in 1953. The two division/conference regular season champions then played in the NFL Championship Game. If two teams tied for the division/conference championship at the end of the regular season, then a
one-game playoff was played to determine who would advance to the NFL Championship Game.[20][21]
Season
No. of teams
Division/Conference champion
NFL Championship Game
Ref.
Eastern Division (1933–1949) American Conference (1950–1952) Eastern Conference (1953–1959)
Western Division (1933–1949) National Conference (1950–1952) Western Conference (1953–1959)
The rival
American Football League (AFL) began play in 1960 with its own Eastern and Western divisions and AFL Championship Game. Following an
agreement to merge the NFL with AFL, the
Super Bowl was first held at the conclusion of the 1966 season to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues. The NFL then established a four-team postseason tournament in 1967, and the AFL did the same in 1969.[49]
The
AFL–NFL merger between the two leagues was completed before the 1970 season. The teams were divided between the
American Football Conference (AFC) and the
National Football Conference (NFC). The two conference playoff champions then played in the Super Bowl to determine the NFL champion.[70]
^
abcdefghijPrior to
1975, there were no official seeds, because the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation of division winners instead of regular season records.
^
abcdefghijkThis conference top seed hosted the third-seeded team in the divisional playoff round rather than the last-seeded
wild card team because, prior to
1990, two teams from the same division could not meet during this postseason round.
^Despite having the same record as the
Los Angeles Rams, the
Minnesota Vikings clinched the 1975 NFC top seed by winning the point rating system tiebreaker.
^Despite having the same record as the
Dallas Cowboys, the
Los Angeles Rams clinched the 1978 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Pittsburgh Steelers, the
San Diego Chargers clinched the 1979 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Philadelphia Eagles, the
Dallas Cowboys clinched the 1979 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^Despite having the same record as the
Philadelphia Eagles, the
Atlanta Falcons clinched the 1980 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^A player's strike shortened the 1982 regular season to 9 games, the divisions were temporarily suspended, and eight teams from each conference qualified for a special 16-team playoff tournament.
^Despite having the same record as the
Miami Dolphins, the
Los Angeles Raiders clinched the 1983 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Miami Dolphins, the
Los Angeles Raiders clinched the 1985 AFC top seed by virtue of having a better record against common opponents.
^Despite having the same record as the
Chicago Bears, the
New York Giants clinched the 1986 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^A player's strike shortened the 1987 regular season to 15 games.
^Despite having the same record as the
Buffalo Bills, the
Cincinnati Bengals clinched the 1988 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^1990 was the first regular season in which each team was given a
bye week.
^Each team was given two bye weeks in 1993 instead on one.
^Despite having the same record as the
Houston Oilers, the
Buffalo Bills clinched the 1993 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Green Bay Packers, the
San Francisco 49ers clinched the 1997 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^In the wake of the
September 11 attacks in 2001, a number of games were rescheduled.
^Despite having the same record as the
Tennessee Titans, the
Oakland Raiders clinched the 2002 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
St. Louis Rams, the
Philadelphia Eagles clinched the 2003 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
^Despite having the same record as the
Green Bay Packers, the
Dallas Cowboys clinched the 2007 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Carolina Panthers, the
New York Giants clinched the 2008 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Denver Broncos, the
New England Patriots clinched the 2014 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as both the
Cincinnati Bengals and the
New England Patriots, the
Denver Broncos clinched the 2015 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season games against both teams.
^Game was officially rendered as
Super Bowl 50 in
Western Arabic numerals instead of "Super Bowl L" in Roman numerals.
^Despite having the same record as the
Pittsburgh Steelers, the
New England Patriots clinched the 2017 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Minnesota Vikings, the
Philadelphia Eagles clinched the 2017 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better record against common opponents.
^Despite having the same record as the
Los Angeles Chargers, the
Kansas City Chiefs clinched the 2018 AFC top seed by virtue of having a better division record.
^Despite having the same record as both the
Green Bay Packers and the
New Orleans Saints, the
San Francisco 49ers clinched the 2019 NFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season games against both teams.
^Despite having the same record as the
Kansas City Chiefs, the
Tennessee Titans clinched the 2021 AFC top seed by virtue of winning their head-to-head regular season game.
^Despite having the same record as the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the
Green Bay Packers clinched the 2021 NFC top seed by virtue of having a better conference record.
Listed below is the current schedule of division match-ups for the next few upcoming regular seasons, based on the three-year intra-conference and four-year inter-conference rotations in place since 2021. In each year, besides the home and away games against their three division rivals, all four teams in each division listed at the top will play one game against all four teams in both of the divisions to which it has been assigned — one from the AFC, the other from the NFC. Each team will also play an additional inter-conference "17th game" from another division based on the prior season's standings, with the AFC team hosting it in odd years and the NFC team hosting it in even years. This table also lists the sites of the regular season games that are planned to be held outside the United States as part of the
NFL International Series, as well as the sites and US TV networks of the corresponding
Super Bowls.
Current listing of International Series games are based on extant contracts. The league stated in 2017 that it was using "inventory management" to wait until current agreements expire before potentially expanding the series, particularly into
Germany.[125] The current agreement with
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in
London runs through 2027.[126] Germany will host four games between 2022 and 2025, two each in
Allianz Arena,
Munich and
Deutsche Bank Park,
Frankfurt, starting with Munich.[127] The NFL expanded their partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London until 2029.[128] On December 13, 2023, the league announced that an additional international game in 2024 will be held at
Arena Corinthians in
São Paulo, Brazil. And the league plans to hold up to 8 international games beginning in 2025.[129]
Carroll, Bob; Gershman, Michael; Neft, David; Thorn, John (August 4, 1999). Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League.
William Morrow.
ISBN978-0062701749.
Specific
^Jozsa, Frank P. (2004). Sports Capitalism: The Foreign Business of American Professional Leagues.
Ashgate Publishing. p. 270.
ISBN978-0-7546-4185-8. Since 1922, [the NFL] has been the top professional sports league in the world with respect to American football