

^ The Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans finished with identical win–loss records, tying for first place in the 1932 season.^ The Chicago Cardinals were awarded the 1925 championship controversially because the Pottsville Maroons had been suspended from the NFL for playing an exhibition game against a group of Notre Dame All-Stars.^ The Chicago Staleys defeated the Buffalo All-Americans on a controversial tiebreaker to decide the 1921 league championship.The championship was awarded to Akron Pros during the league meeting on April 30, 1921. ^ No official standings were recorded for the 1920 season and teams played games against opponents outside of the league.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.Įarly championships between 19 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, the 1921 title being decided on a controversial tiebreaker, a disputed 1925 title, and the scheduling of an impromptu 1932 indoor playoff game. 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.

Since 2002, the league has consisted of 32 teams based across the United States. 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). 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 initially determining champions through end-of-season standings, a playoff system was implemented in 1933 that culminated with the NFL Championship Game.
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It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before adopting its current name for the 1922 season. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.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. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League.

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