The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL's regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC. The league is headquartered in New York City.
The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. The Super Bowl is among the biggest club sporting events in the world and individual Super Bowl games account for many of the most watched television programs in American history, all occupying the Nielsen's Top 5 tally of the all-time most watched U.S. television broadcasts by 2015. The NFL's executive officer is the commissioner, who has broad authority in governing the league.
The team with the most NFL championships is the Green Bay Packers with 13 (nine NFL titles before the Super Bowl era, and four Super Bowl championships afterward). The current NFL champions are the Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
The NFL is divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is further divided into four divisions: North, South, East, and West. The AFC is made up of 16 teams, organized into four divisions of four teams each. The NFC is made up of 16 teams, organized into four divisions of four teams each. The two conferences are made up of a total of 32 teams, with each team playing a 16-game schedule.
The NFL playoffs begin in January, following the conclusion of the regular season. The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament, consisting of six teams from each conference: the four division winners and two wild card teams. The wild card teams are the two teams in each conference with the best record that did not win their division. The playoffs culminate with the Super Bowl, which is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC. The Super Bowl is usually held on the first Sunday in February, and is played at a neutral site that is determined through a bidding process.
The NFL has a salary cap, which is a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on player salaries. The salary cap is based on a percentage of the league's revenue, and is determined each year by the NFL's Management Council. The league also has a minimum salary, which is the lowest amount that a player can be paid.
The NFL has a number of rules and regulations that are designed to ensure the safety of its players. These rules include limits on contact during practice, the use of protective equipment, and the prohibition of certain techniques that are deemed to be dangerous. The league also has a number of programs in place to address player safety, including the NFL's Head, Neck, and Spine Committee and the NFL's Concussion Protocol.
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