League of American Football

League of American Football
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2018 LAF season
Formerly Russian Championship
Sport American football
Founded 1991 / 2002 / 2016
Director Viktor Ivanov
No. of teams 11
Country Russia and Kazakhstan
Most recent
champion(s)		 Moscow Spartans (1st title)
Most titles Moscow Patriots (14 titles)
TV partner(s) LAF Network
Official website https://www.laf.amfoot.ru

League of American Football (LAF) is the highest level of American football played in Russia, previously known as Russian American Football Championship.

There are 11 teams in two divisions participating in the league.[1]

History

American football came into the Soviet Union in late 1980s. The first official games were played in 1989 when American high school all-star teams from Oklahoma played exhibition games against local teams, following a failed attempt to have college football bowl game be played in Moscow (known as the Glasnost Bowl). In the same year the very first game between Russian teams was played.[2]

In 1991, the Soviet Championship was founded. The league became the Russian Championship in 1992 as the country collapsed. The league was suspended in the turmoils of the dissolution of the USSR.[2]

The Russian Championship was founded again in 2002. The league has been growing ever since.[2]

In 2016 it was reorganized as The League of American Football, LAF in short.

Teams in 2018

This is the participants teams in the recent season:[3]

Central Division
  
Ural Division
  • Astana Wolves
  • Perm Steel Tigers
  • Chelyabinsk Tanks
  • Ekaterinburg Ural Lightnings

List of Champions

Год Champion Runner-up 3rd Place
1991
(USSR
Championship)		 Moscow Bruins Moscow Swans Kharkov Atlants
Aktau Caspian Sphinxes
1992 Moscow Bruins Krasnoyarsk Siberian Devils Krasnoyarsk Siberian Bruins
1993 Moscow Bruins Krasnoyarsk Siberian Devils Moscow Eagles
1994
2002[4] Moscow Patriots Moscow Bruins
2003[5] Moscow Patriots Moscow Bruins Moscow Tanks — Astrakhan Gladiators
2004[6] Moscow Patriots Moscow Bruins Moscow Tanks — Astrakhan Gladiators
2005 Moscow Patriots
2006[7] Moscow Patriots Moscow Black Storm Moscow Tanks
2007[8] Moscow Patriots Moscow Tanks
2008 Moscow Patriots Moscow Tanks
2009 Moscow Patriots
2010 Moscow Patriots Moscow Red Falcons
2011 Moscow Patriots Moscow United
2012 Moscow Patriots Chelyabinsk Scouts
2013 Moscow Black Storm Saint Petersburg Griffins
2014 Moscow Patriots Astrakhan Gladiators
2015[9] Saint Petersburg Griffins Moscow Patriots
2016 Moscow Patriots Moscow Spartans
2017 Moscow Patriots Saint Petersburg Griffins
2018 Moscow Spartans Moscow Patriots

References

  1. ↑ Ilya Kravtsov: Kaliningrad to Vladivostok: Season In Review American Football International
  2. 1 2 3 Ilya Kravtsov: Hockey Pads to the FAFR: The History of American Football in Russia American Football International
  3. ↑ http://laf.amfoot.ru/?r=team/complist&comp=101
  4. ↑ Американский футбол . — Спорт-Экспресс от 1.10.2002
  5. ↑ Американский футбол . — Спорт-Экспресс от 22.10.2003
  6. ↑ Американский футбол . — Спорт-Экспресс от 25.10.2004
  7. ↑ Американский футбол . — Спорт-Экспресс от 29.09.2006
  8. ↑ Американский футбол . — Спорт-Экспресс от 15.10.2007
  9. ↑ Питерские «Грифоны» стали чемпионами России
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