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- The Alliance of American Football kicks off play this Saturday.
- The league sports eight teams competing in a 10-week season, with teams made up of former pros and college standouts.
- There’s no predicting the league’s future, but for fans looking for a new way to interact with the sport they love, or just in need of some February football, it’s well worth checking out.
There’s good news for football fans who were wondering what they’d do with their weekends now that the NFL postseason is in the books — this Saturday, the Alliance of American Football will kick off its inaugural season with four games.
While there’s no telling how far the AAF will make it as a league, it’s a compelling story to follow, and for football fans, should at least provide some solid action for those still craving the sport.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about the AAF before kickoff this weekend.
What is the AAF?
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The AAF is the Alliance of American Football — a spring football league kicking off Saturday. For any football fans already feeling the post-Super Bowl blues coming on, it should be a perfect fix.
What are the basics of the league?
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The AAF consists of eight teams making up two conferences:
- Eastern Conference: Atlanta Legends, Birmingham Iron, Memphis Express, Orlando Apollos
- Western Conference: Arizona Hotshots, Salt Lake Stallions, San Antonio Commanders, San Diego Fleet
The teams will play a 10-game season leading to a four-team playoff.
What are the rules?
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Regular NFL viewers won’t be caught too off guard by the rules the AAF has implemented, but the league has made a few changes to the football fans are most familiar.
Kickoffs no longer exist, with teams instead merely starting with the ball at their 25-yard line at the start of a half or after a score. If teams need to attempt an onside kick, they’ll have the chance to convert a fourth-and-12 from their 28-yard line.
There are no extra points, with two-point conversion attempts instead following every touchdown.
Additionally, games will employ a ninth official, who will be in charge of real-time replays, with the power to call penalties the refs on the field missed — a feature the Saints might have appreciated in the NFC Championship.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- Betting on Week 1 of the AAF is a once in a lifetime opportunity — here are our best bets for the new league
- The familiar names and odds to win the championship for each of the 8 teams in the AAF, the spring pro football league that makes it debut on Saturday
- Gronk brushes off question about his future, but his answer could be a clue that he has already decided to retire
Source: Business Insider