China Arena Football League 2016-2019

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China Arena Football League / Arena Football League Global Logo [5]

CAFL 2016

PWLTPFPAPct
*Beijing Lions55002741841.000
*Qindao Clipper5320205204.600
Shanghai Skywalkers5320271206.600
Guangzhou Power5230186184.400
Shenzhen Naja5230222215.400
Dalian Dragon Kings505098263.000

Reference: [1]

DateHome TeamAway Team
5th Place
06.11.19Shenzhen Naja46Dalian Dragon Kings30
3rd Place
06.11.19Shanghai Skywalkers57Guangzhou Power52
Final
06.11.19Beijing Lions35Qingdao Clipper34

Reference: [2-4]

CAFL 2017-2018

There was no CAFL season in 2017 & 2018 and the League was brought back as a Weekend Tournament in 2019

CAFL 2019

PWLTPFPAPct
*Wuhan Gators33002861.000
*Beijing Lions3210366.667
Shenyang Black Rhinos31201222.333
Shanghai Legend3030042.000

References: Compiled from Results in :[8-9]

DateTimeHome TeamAway Team
3rd Place Game
08.12.201911:00 AMShenyang Black Rhinos18Shanghai Legend6
Championship
08.12.201911:00 AMWuhan Gators30Beijing Lions22

Reference: [5;10-11]

Report

The Inaugural China Arena Football League season took place in 2016. There were six teams, playing a five-game schedule, with a playoff round featuring first v second, third v fourth and fifth v sixth. Beijing Lions finished top of the regular season with a 5-0 record and beat Qingdao Clipper (3-2) 35-34 in the Final. In the third place playoff, Shanghai Skywalkers (3-2) won 57-52 against Guangzhou Power (2-3), whilst Shenzhen Naja (2-3) consigned Dalian Dragon Kings (0-5) to the wooden spoon with a 46-30 victory

Wuhan Gators won all 3 Championship Tournament Round-Robin matches in 2019 to finish top of the table, and earn a place in the Championship Game against Beijing Lions who won their other two matches. Shanghai Legend finished bottom, losing all their matches and played against Shenyang Black Rhinos in the 3rd Place Playoff. [4-5]

In the 3rd Place Playoff, the Shenyang Black Rhinos won again against the Shanghai Legend, after both teams came out guns blazing, scoring on their opening drives. [6]

The Championship Game proved an epic struggle, with Wuhan Gators sending their fans home happy, coming from behind to beat the defending Champions, Beijing Lions 30-22. The Lions had taken a 22-14 lead after an amazing catch and run by Wide Receiver Devin Jones, but the Gators came right back, with tournament MVP Jarred Evans leading the team to a tieing score. In Overtime QB Evans found WR Shida Wang, who outfought the defender, in tight coverage, for the score. The Two-Point Conversion was successful, leaving the Gators 30-22 up, and the there were wild celebrations in the Wuhan camp after the Lions were unable to respond on their next drive. [7]

Wuhan Gators – China Arena Football League 2019 Team Photo [10]

About

The China Arena Football League was started in 2016 by the Arena Football League, which introduced the novel 8v8 Arena/Indoor version of American Football in 1986. The CAFL was part of an ambitious Global Expansion plan by the AFL, although it lasted only one season.

It was brought back by the AFL in 2019, and the first preseason matches went ahead as scheduled despite reports on the AFL website that it was filing for bankruptcy on November 27, 2019.

The China Arena Football League Championship Tournament, held over one weekend, took place on 6-8 December 2019.

China Arena Football League 2019 Championship Medal [10]

References

Websites

[1] Arena Fan (2016) China Arena Football League Standings [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20161107032211/http://www.arenafan.com/statistics/?page=standings&league=4 [Accessed 31 August 2019]

[2] Morninghof, Mick (2016) Beijing Wins CAFL Bowl on Final Play [Internet] Available from: http://caflfootball.com/beijing-wins-cafl-china-bowl-on-final-play/ [Accessed 31 August 2019]

[3] Morninghof, Mick (2016) Shanghai Takes Third With 57-52 Win [Internet] Available from: http://caflfootball.com/shanghai-takes-third-with-57-52-win/ [Accessed 31 August 2019]

[4] Morninghof, Mick (2016) Naja Finish at .500 With 46-30 Win Over Dalian [Internet] Available from: http://caflfootball.com/shanghai-takes-third-with-57-52-win/ [Accessed 31 August 2019]

[5] China Arena Football League (2019) CAFL 2019 Competition Breakdown! [Internet] Available from: http://caflfootball.com/cafl-2019-competition-breakdown/ [Accessed 3 December 2019]

[6] China Arena Football League | Facebook (2019) Post, November 13, 2019: ” Final Score from Shenyang: Beijing 28 Shenyang 0 “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/CAFLFootball/posts/2768277399901933 [Accessed 3 December 2019]

[7] China Arena Football League | Facebook (2019) Post, November 22, 2019: ” Final Score in Wuhan: Gators 40 Shanghai 0 “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/CAFLFootball/posts/2791563504239989 [Accessed 3 December 2019]

[8] China Arena Football League | Facebook (2019) Post, December 6, 2019: ” Half way through Match Play and Day 1 of the CAFL Championship Tournament and here are the scores: “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/CAFLFootball/posts/2823067901089549 [Accessed 10 December 2019]

[9] China Arena Football League | Facebook (2019) Post, December 6, 2019: “ The first day is complete and here is how the teams finished in day 1 of Match Play of the CAFL 2019 Championship Tournament. “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/CAFLFootball/posts/2823301561066183 [Accessed 10 December 2019]

[10] China Arena Football League | Facebook (2019) Post, December 8, 2019: ” The Shenyang Black Rhinos take home the 3rd Place OF THE CAFL 2029 Championship Tournament with an 18-6 win over the Shanghai Legends. “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/CAFLFootball/posts/2827977440598595 [Accessed 10 December 2019]

[11] China Arena Football League | Facebook (2019) Post, December 8, 2019: ” What an epic battle as the CAFL 2019 Tournament Championship Game gave fans all that they could ask for as the Wuhan Gators came from behind in regulation to tie the score and take the game to overtime to defeat the 2016 champions Beijing Lions 30-22.  “ [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/CAFLFootball/posts/2827996027263403 [Accessed 10 December 2019]

[12] Arena Football League (2019) Official Statement [Internet] Available from: https://www.arenafootball.com/article/nov27-statement [Accessed 3 December 2019]

Images

[13] China Arena Football League (2019) CAFL-AFLG Logo [Internet] Available from: http://caflfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cafl-aflg-1.png [Accessed 3 December 2019]

[14] China Arena Football League (2019) CAFL 2019 Competition Medal [Internet] Available from: http://caflfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CAFL-2019-Competition-Medal-768×768.png [Accessed 10 December 2019]

[15] China Arena Football League | Facebook Page (2019) Photo December 8, 2019: “What an epic battle as the CAFL 2019 Tournament Championship Game ” [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/CAFLFootball/photos/pcb.2827996027263403/2827995430596796/?type=3&theater [Accessed 10 December 2019]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Peter Comerford.

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American & World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 11 December 2019
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019
You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.

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