Israeli Football League

History

The IFL was founded in the summer of 2005 by a group of Israelis who wanted to play tackle American football. The first season, played without pads or an official governing body, began in the Fall of 2005. In 2007, the league began fully equipped play under the umbrella of American Football in Israel (AFI), and Israel Bowl I was held in 2008.

The IFL is sponsored by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his family.

Currently in Israel there is only one American football stadium, the Kraft Family Stadium, all other games are played in soccer stadiums when available.

The league currently plays eight-on-eight football with hopes to expanding to eleven-on-eleven, due to there currently being 450 players divided up among the 10 teams.

2007–08 season

The inaugural season of the IFL, with regulation pads and staff, witnessed a surprisingly high level of play for a first-year tackle league. There were four teams in the league for the 2007–08 season: the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions, the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs, the Dancing Camel Hasharon Pioneers, and the Mike's Place Tel Aviv Sabres. In the championship game, Israel Bowl I, the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions defeated the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs in overtime.

Final Standings:

1. Jerusalem Lions 7-1
2. Haifa Underdogs 6-3
3. Hasharon Pioneers 3-6
4. Tel Aviv Sabres 1-7

Playoffs:

Awards:

2008–09 season

The league grew to five teams with the addition of another team in Jerusalem (The Blue Sun Music Kings), while the Dancing Camel Pioneers moved to a new home in Modi'in. The Pioneers defeated the defending champion Lions, 32–26, after two overtimes, in Israel Bowl II.

Final Standings:

1. Modiin Pioneers 7-1
2. Haifa Underdogs 6-2
3. Jerusalem Lions 5-3
4. Jerusalem Kings 1-7
5. Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres 1-7

Playoffs:

Awards:

2009–10 season

After growing from four to five teams the previous year, the IFL expanded to seven teams for the 2009–10 season with the addition of two new teams, the Beer Sheva Black Swarm and the Judean Rebels. The schedule grew, as well, as each team was scheduled to play 10 regular season games followed by playoffs. The teams who finished the regular season in first through sixth place qualified for the playoffs. The Tel Aviv Sabres defeated the Jerusalem Lions in Israel Bowl III.

Final Standings:

1. Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres 9-1
2. Jerusalem Kings 6-4
3. Jerusalem Lions 6-4
4. Judean Rebels 6-4
5. Haifa Underdogs 4-6
6. Modiin Pioneers 4-6
7. Beersheva Black Swarm 0-10

Playoffs:

Awards:

2010–11 season

With eight teams in the I.F.L., the league was split into two divisions: the North Division, consisting of the Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres, the newly relocated Tel Aviv Pioneers, the Haifa Underdogs, and the expansion Herzliya Hammers; and the South Division, consisting of the Jerusalem Lions, the Jerusalem Kings, the Judean Rebels, and the Be'er Sheva Black Swarm. Each team played a home-and-away series against each of its division rivals and one game against each team in the other division for a total of ten regular season games. The top team in each division got an automatic bye into the semi-finals, with the number two seed in each division hosting the number three seed in a "wild-card" game, and the last team in each division missing the playoffs. In the North Division, the Sabres clinched the bye and in the semis beat the Pioneers, who had beaten the Hammers in the first round. In the South division, the Rebels beat the Black Swarm in the first round and then beat the Lions in the semis in an unforgettable comeback, coming back from an 18-point deficit with 7:40 to go in the game. Rebels QB and League M.V.P. Alex Swieca took the winning score in himself with just sixteen seconds left. The Rebels defeated the Sabres in Israel Bowl IV by a score of 32–30, having almost let the Sabres complete a comeback of their own.

Final Standings:

1. Jerusalem Lions 9-1
2. Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres 8-2
3. Judean Rebels 8-2
4. Tel Aviv Pioneers 7-3
5. Herzliya Hammers 3-7
6. Beersheva Black Swarm 3-7
7. Haifa Underdogs 1-9
8. Jerusalem Kings 1-9

Playoffs:

Awards:

2011–12 season

Two additional teams joined the league: The Petah Tikva Troopers joined the South Division and the Northern Stars joined the North Division. Media coverage grew as the league gained popularity throughout the country. In the playoffs the 5th-seeded Haifa Underdogs routed the defending champion Judean Rebels but were beaten by the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Sabres in the semis. The Tel Aviv Pioneers defeated the Jerusalem Kings in the wild-card round, and proceeded to rout the previously undefeated Jerusalem Lions behind a record-setting performance by running back Ilan Bielas.

Israel Bowl V was a Tel Aviv derby. The Sabres took a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter, but had no answer to Pioneers RB Ilan Bielas, who lead his team to a 28-22 lead in the 2nd quarter, and the half ended with a tie game. The 3rd quarter was a scoreless affair, setting the table for a back-and-forth 4th quarter with the teams alternating scores, and setting up a final Pioneer drive with 1 minute remaining and the Sabres ahead by 2. An unfortunate miscommunication between QB Itay Ashkenazi and RB Koby Nimrod lead to a Pioneer fumble, which the Sabres pounced on to clinch their 2nd crown.

Final Standings:

1. Jerusalem Lions 10-0
2. Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres 9-1
3. Tel Aviv Pioneers 7-3
4. Judean Rebels 7-3
5. Haifa Underdogs 6-4
6. Jerusalem Kings 4-6
7. Hatikva Hammers 3-7
8. Beersheva Black Swarm 3-7
9. Northern Stars 1-9
10. Petah Tikva Troopers 0-10

Playoffs:

Awards:

2012-13 season

The league expanded to 11 teams as the Rehovot Silverbacks became the newest expansion franchise. The division format was left behind in favor of a simple schedule in which every team played every other team once. The Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres became the first team in IFL history to go undefeated throughout the regular season and post-season, as they loaded up on talent and barreled their way through the schedule. The wild card round saw both underdog teams come out victorious, including the Kings' Hail Mary pass to beat the Hammers. In the semifinals, the Sabres crushed the Kings and the Rebels upset the Pioneers in 100+ degree heat. The Sabres and Rebels went toe-to-toe in Israel Bowl VI, but the Sabres pulled away midway through the third quarter, and held on for their second straight title.

Final Standings:

1. Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres 10-0
2. Tel Aviv Pioneers 9-1
3. Ramat Hasharon Hammers 8-2
4. Jerusalem Lions 6-4
5. Judean Rebels 5-5
6. Jerusalem Kings 5-5
7. Haifa Underdogs 5-5
8. Beersheva Black Swarm 4-6
9. Petach Tikva Troopers 2-8
10. Northern Stars 1-9
11. Rehovot Silverbacks 0-10

Playoffs:

Awards:

2013-14 season

The 2013-2014 saw a regime change for the IFL as Betzalel Friedman took over as commissioner. The IFL expanded to play nine-on-nine instead of eight-on-eight and implemented a foreign-player limit for the first time. The Tel Aviv/Jaffa Sabres left the league after walking off of the field in a game against the Judean Rebels in protest of the refereeing. They were handed a postseason ban for their walk-off and subsequently folded. The Judean Rebels coasted through the regular season virtually unchallenged and the Hammers got off to a strong start as well, but both top-seeded teams were upset in the semifinals; the Rebels were out-muscled by a fierce Pioneer defense and the Hammers lost an overtime thriller to the Lions. Israel Bowl VII provided to be the most lopsided Israel Bowl ever as the Pioneers steamrolled the Lions 80-28.

Final Standings:

1. Judean Rebels 9-0
2. Ramat Hasharon Hammers 7-2
3. Jerusalem Lions 7-2
4. Tel Aviv Pioneers 6-3
5. Petach Tikva Troopers 5-4
6. Haifa Underdogs 4-5
7. Jerusalem Kings 4-5
8. Beersheva Black Swarm 2-7
9. Northern Stars 1-8
10. Rehovot Silverbacks 0-9

Playoffs:

Awards:

2014-15 season

The Judean Rebels finished the regular season undefeated for the second straight season, behind the highest scoring offense (PPG) in IFL history, as well as the second best defense (PPG) in IFL history. This time they were able to ride their dominance through to a championship in Israel Bowl VIII, beating the Tel Aviv Pioneers by a score of 20-10.

Final Standings:

1. Judean Rebels 9-0
2. Tel Aviv Pioneers 8-1
3. Haifa Underdogs 6-3
4. Ramat Hasharon Hammers 5-4
5. Jerusalem Lions 5-5
6. Petach Tikva Troopers 3-6
7. Mazkeret Batya Silverbacks 3-7
8. Beersheva Black Swarm 3-7
9. Jerusalem Kings 0-9

Playoffs:

Awards:

The Israel Bowl

The Israel Bowl is the IFL championship game. See above for a list of Israel Bowl winners.

League records