Emirates American Football League

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The Emirates American Football League is an American Football non-professional league for amateurs based in the United Arab Emirates.

History[edit]

Founded in 2012 by former Canadian Football League player Dustin Cherniawski, James Babb and couple Patrick Campos and Julie Teperow from the now defunct American Football Academy in Dubai,[1] the organization promoted itself as a channel of American Football in the U.A.E by "providing a safe and structured environment where players from ages 8 and up can engage in full contact American Football."[2]

It is currently the only organization supporting and promoting American football in the U.A.E. It conducts training and conditions sessions for players but also hosts an annual tournament called the 'Desert Bowl'.

Desert Bowl[edit]

The Desert Bowl is the annual American football tournament held by the league. In a regular season, various teams regularly play matches against each other. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the teams play against each other in a single-elimination playoffs tournament called the Desert Bowl.

Teams[edit]

The EAFL consists of 7 active teams;

  1. Dubai Stallions
  2. Dubai Barracudas
  3. Al Ain Desert Foxes
  4. Abu Dhabi Capitals
  5. Abu Dhabi Scorpions
  6. Dubai Sand Vipers
  7. Abu Dhabi Wildcats

Venues[edit]

Matches for the league are played at various venues, spread across the U.A.E; past and current venues include :

  1. Dubai Sevens
  2. Dubai Sports City
  3. Zayed Sports City

Practices for the league have been held primarily at Dubai American Academy for the 2017-2018 season.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Desert Ball: American football in the UAE". edgardaily.com. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  2. ^ EAFL. "EAFL | A message from the EAFL". eafl.ae. Retrieved 2018-03-17.