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 and will compete for the title at the Championship Game in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena Duisburg, Germany on September 24, 2023.
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.
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.
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" after their loan requested was denied by the league and cancelling the week 6 home match with Prague Lions. The Kings would later announce their withdrawal from the league on July 11, 2023. 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league for the remainder of the 2023 season and their license to participate in the European League of Football was "withdrawn", but would like to accept the team back for the 2024 season, if a suitable new owners will be found.
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. Brazilian players do not count towards the import quota. 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.
Coaching changes
Regular season
Schedule
The schedule for the 2023 season was released on January 27, 2023 without any specific times and venues. In Week 10, all teams are on bye due to the 2023 European Championship of American football.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Results
Standings
C - Clinched conference title
Q - Clinched playoffs
In case ties inside and between the conferences have to be broken, the rules are:
Number of wins
Head-to-head matchup
Points difference in head-to-head matchups
Points scored at away games of head-to-head matchups
Total points difference
Total points scored
Point scored at away games
Coin toss performed by the Commissioner or a person (e.g., a prominent sportsmen) determined by the Commissioner
Play-offs
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.
Wildcard
Berlin Thunder 03, Frankfurt Galaxy 20
Panthers Wrocław 14, Stuttgart Surge 37
Semi Finals
Rhein Fire 42, Frankfurt Galaxy 23
Stuttgart Surge 40, Vienna Vikings 33
Championship Game
Stuttgart Surge 34, Rhein Fire 53
Attendance
Statistical leaders
Awards
MVP of the Week
Broadcasting
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.