Sport American football Inaugural season 2005 | Founded 2005 | |
 | ||
Formerly Hungarian American Football League (MAFL) Founder Hungarian Federation of American Football (MAFSZ) No. of teams 6 (HFL)
9 (Division I)
9 (Division II) | ||
The Hungarian Football League (HFL) is the top tier national american football competition in Hungary organized by the Hungarian Federation of American Football (MAFSZ). The competition was formerly called Hungarian American Football League (MAFL) (Hungarian: Magyarországi Amerikai Futballcsapatok Ligája), the top tier as MAFL Division I and the second tier as MAFL Division II; since 2012 the top tier is HFL, the 2nd tier is MAFSZ Division I and the 3rd tier is MAFSZ Division II.
Contents
History
The Hungarian American Football League (MAFL) began in 2005 under the guidance of the Hungarian Federation of American Football (MAFSZ) with 4 teams (Budapest Wolves, Győr Sharks, Debrecen Gladiators, Nagykanizsa Demons. The game rules are the standard gridiron football (NCAA) rules. The first winner of the first Hungarian Bowl became the Wolves.
In the next 2 years the Wolves participated only in the Austrian league, this 2 years has been won by the Sharks. In 2006 eight teams participated, in 2007 the championship had been split into two divisions (6 teams at Division I and 9 at Division II).
In 2008 the Wolves returned, and they won 3 more championships undefeated. In 2009 totally 26 teams participated so Division III had been introduced (this year 5+12+9 teams have been played in the three tiers). In 2010 they returned into the 2 tier format.
In 2011 MAFSZ restructured the championship format with the introduction of Hungarian Football League (HFL) which intended to be an international competition with the top 4 Hungarian teams and 4 from abroad. Division I and Division II became the 2nd and 3rd tier competitions, which were played in the spring season. The HFL was scheduled at tall season but only 3 teams were willing to participated, so in 2011 the Hungarian Bowl was cancelled.
In 2012 the HFL finally started, and this year the Budapest Wolves suffered their first ever defeat against a Hungarian team (against Budapest Hurricanes), but in the final Wolves defeated the Hurricanes. However in 2013 the Hurricanes, in 2014 the Újbuda Rebels and in 2015 the Bratislava Monarchs defeated the Wolves in the Hungarian Bowl. The 2015 season was the only one when a foreign team participated, and with the Monarchs' win the official Hungarian champion were the HFL runners-up Wolves.
In 2016 the Miskolc Steelers became the first team in HFL history which is a non-capital city and participated in the finals, and they won the trophy as well, becoming the 6th team to win HFL in the 6 years' HFL history.
Hungarian Bowl
The Hungarian Bowl is the Championship Game of the Hungarian American Football League. Between 2005 and 2010 it was the final of the MAFL Division I. In 2011 the new top-tier championship HFL has been postponed, no Hungarian Bowl took place, the Fall Bowl was an unofficial championship. Since 2012 the Hungarian Bowl is the final of the Hungarian Football League.
Pannon Bowl
The Pannon Bowl is the MAFSZ's second tier championship game that was first played in 2007.
Duna Bowl
The Duna Bowl is the third-tier championship game of the MAFSZ.
Blue Bowl
In 2006, the MAFSZ created the Blue Bowl, the national cup game.