2023_European_League_of_Football_season

2023 European League of Football season

Sports season

The 2023 ELF season is the third season of the European League of Football, a professional American football league based in Europe. Seventeen teams from nine different countries will participate^[1]^[2] and will compete for the title at the Championship Game in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena Duisburg, Germany on September 24, 2023.^[3]

Location of ELF teams

Western Conference
Central Conference
Eastern Conference

Quick Facts League, Sport ...

2023 ELF season

League	European League of Football
Sport	American Football
Duration	June 3, 2023 – September 24, 2023
Number of games	94 + 5 playoff games
Number of teams	17
Total attendance	428,631
Season MVP	Jadrian Clark (Rhein Fire)
Conference Champions
Western Conference champions	Rhein Fire
Central Conference champions	Stuttgart Surge
Eastern Conference champions	Vienna Vikings
2023 Championship Game
Date	September 24, 2023
Venue	Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg
Champions	Rhein Fire (1st title)
Finals MVP	Jadrian Clark (Rhein Fire)
Seasons
← 2022 2024 →

Format

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]

Teams

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league for the remainder of the 2023 season and their license to participate in the European League of Football was "withdrawn", but would like to accept the team back for the 2024 season, if a suitable new owners will be found.^[9]

More information Team, City ...

Team	City	Conference	Stadium	Capacity	Head coach
Barcelona Dragons	Barcelona/Terrassa	Central	Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa	11,500	Gabriel Sánchez
Berlin Thunder	Berlin	Eastern	Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark	19,708	Johnny Schmuck
Cologne Centurions	Cologne	Western	Südstadion	11,748	Christos Lambropoulos
Cologne Centurions	Cologne	Western	Sportpark Höhenberg^{[upper-alpha 1]}	8,343	Christos Lambropoulos
Fehérvár Enthroners	Székesfehérvár	Eastern	First Field	3,500	Jaime Hill
Frankfurt Galaxy	Frankfurt am Main	Western	PSD Bank Arena	12,542	Thomas Kösling
Hamburg Sea Devils	Hamburg	Western	Stadion Hoheluft	11,000	Charles "Yogi" Jones
Hamburg Sea Devils	Hamburg	Western	Volksparkstadion^{[upper-alpha 2]}	57,000	Charles "Yogi" Jones
Helvetic Guards	Zürich/Wil	Central	Lidl Arena Wil	6,048	Norm Chow
Milano Seamen	Milano	Central	Velodromo Maspes-Vigorelli	7,500	Stefan Pokorny
Munich Ravens	Munich/Unterhaching	Central	Alpenbauer Sportpark	15,053	John Shoop
Leipzig Kings^{[upper-alpha 3]}	Leipzig	Eastern	Bruno-Plache-Stadion	12,321	John Booker
Panthers Wrocław	Wrocław	Eastern	Stadion Olimpijski	11,000	Dave Christensen
Paris Musketeers	Paris	Western	Stade Jean-Bouin	20,000	Marc Mattioli
Prague Lions	Prague	Eastern	eFotbal Arena	5,037	Dan Disch
			Sportovní centrum Hostivař^{[upper-alpha 4]}
			Atletický stadion Slavia Praha^{[upper-alpha 5]}
Raiders Tirol	Innsbruck	Central	Tivoli Stadion Tirol	16,008	Kevin Herron
Rhein Fire	Düsseldorf/Duisburg	Western	Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena	31,514	Jim Tomsula
Stuttgart Surge	Stuttgart	Central	Gazi-Stadion auf der Waldau	11,408	Jordan Neuman
Vienna Vikings	Vienna	Eastern	Hohe Warte Stadium	5,500	Chris Calaycay
			Generali Arena^{[upper-alpha 6]}	17,500
			Football-Zentrum Ravelin^{[upper-alpha 7]}	1,200

Two home game
First home game of the season
Leipzig Kings were removed from the league after week 6
One game
One game
First home game of the season, one playoff game
Last home game of the season

Rosters

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.^[10] Brazilian players do not count towards the import quota.^[11] 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.^[12]

Coaching changes

More information Team, Outgoing coach ...

Team	Outgoing coach	Manner of departure	Notes	Date of vacancy	Incoming coach	Date of appointment	Source
Cologne Centurions	Frank Roser	Resigned		September 7, 2022	Kahlil Carter	October 11, 2022	^[13]^[14]
Barcelona Dragons	Andrew Weidinger	Mutual agreement	Signed with Rhein Fire as OC	September 13, 2022	Gabriel Sánchez	September 15, 2022	^[15]^[16]
Panthers Wrocław	Jakub Samel	Resigned	Stayed with team as sports director	September 20, 2022	Dave Christensen	November 18, 2022	^[17]^[18]
Leipzig Kings	Fred Armstrong	Fired		September 21, 2022	John Booker	September 28, 2022	^[19]^[20]
Cologne Centurions	Kahlil Carter	Resigned		March 17, 2023	Christos Lambropoulos (interim)	March 17, 2023	^[21]
Prague Lions	Zach Harrod	Resigned		July 27, 2023	Dan Disch	July 29, 2023	^[22]

Regular season

Schedule

The schedule for the 2023 season was released on January 27, 2023 without any specific times and venues.^[23] In Week 10, all teams are on bye due to the 2023 European Championship of American football.