The 2023 ELF season was the third season of the European League of Football, a professional American football league based in Europe. Seventeen teams from nine different countries participated.[1][2] The season started on June 3rd, 2024, and concluded with the ELF Championship Game at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena Duisburg, Germany on September 24, 2023.[3] Rhein Fire won the title, beating Stuttgart Surge 53-34.
The teams are divided into three conferences of 5 or 6 teams. Each team plays 12 games during the regular season. The winner of each conference, as well as the next best 3 teams, regardless of conference, qualify for the playoffs.[4]
11 of the 12 teams from the 2022 season are competing in 2023, and are joined by 6 new expansion teams: Fehérvár Enthroners, Helvetic Guards, Milano Seamen, Munich Ravens, Paris Musketeers and Prague Lions. The only team not returning for the new season is the Istanbul Rams.[2]
The Leipzig Kings were removed from the league after week 6. This came after a two week saga, which include the Kings suggesting they will "most likely have to stop competing in the European League of Football"[5] after their loan requested was denied by the league[6] and cancelling the week 6 home match with Prague Lions.[7] The Kings would later announce their withdrawal from the league on July 11, 2023.[8] A day later the ELF announced that the Kings will be taken out of the league for the remainder of the 2023 season and their license to participate in the European League of Football was "withdrawn", but would like to accept the team back for the 2024 season, if a suitable new owners will be found.[9]
Like last season, there is a limit of 4 non-European foreign players per roster, and two on the field at the same time. Players who are dual citizens of the U.S. and an EU-member country are not counted towards that limit in keeping with the Bosman ruling. There is also a limit of 6 European foreigners per roster, down from 8 the previous season.[12] Brazilian players do not count towards the import quota.[13] For the 2023 season, the active rosters consist of 53 players, the gameday rosters of 46 players, while the practice squad was increased to 12 players.[14]
The schedule for the 2023 season was released on January 27, 2023 without any specific times and venues.[25] In Week 10, all teams are on bye due to the 2023 European Championship of American football.
Source: europeanleague.football
C - Clinched conference title Q - Clinched playoffs
In case ties inside and between the conferences have to be broken, the rules are:[113]
The wildcard games were played on September 09 and 10, the semifinals on September 16 and 17, and the final was held on September 24, 2023 in Duisburg, Germany.
at PSD Bank Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
at Gazi-Stadion auf der Waldau, Stuttgart, Germany
at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg, Germany
at Generali Arena Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Source: [1]
ELF All-Stars announced for 2023 | ELF
The following players invited to the NFL’s International Combine, assigned to NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), signed or drafted by CFL team or signed with the UFL team following their involvement with the ELF in 2023:
The following players were invited to the NFL’s International Combine:
The following players signed with a CFL team:
The following players were drafted bya CFL team:
Selected games are available on free TV in most of the participating countries. For the Austrian and German market, the league's main broadcasting partner is ProSiebenSat.1 Media. In Germany ProSieben MAXX and their online-streaming service ran.de airs games on Saturday and Sunday. All games are also available worldwide on ELF Gamepass.