Canadian Major Football League
SportCanadian football
Founded1999
No. of teams15 (as of 2021 season;
AFL and NFC)
CountriesCanada
Most recent
champion(s)		GTA All Stars
Most titlesCalgary Wolfpack (4)
TV partner(s)Local TV stations
Related
competitions		Alberta Football League, Manitoba Football League and Northern Football Conference

The Canadian Major Football League (CMFL) is the national governing body for semi-pro canadian football (formally known as the Canadian Senior Football League), dedicated to advocating for the promotion of Canadian senior football.

The CMFL was formed in 1999 by the Alberta Football League (AFL) and Manitoba Football League (MFL) in attempt to crown the amateur national champion of Canada, and replaced the Canadian Senior Intermediate championship game. Since 2002 the game has been played between the AFL and Northern Football Conference (NFC) league champions. The two leagues cooperate but remain legally separate entities.[1]

Trophy

The participating teams compete for the Sid Forster Memorial Trophy, emblematic of the Canadian Major Football Championship. The permanent trophy was provided by the NFC in memory of long-time Sudbury Spartans head coach and Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Sid Forester,[2] who died in 1994. The trophy stays in possession of the game winner for the year following their victory.

Rules

CMFL games are played under the host conference Canadian amateur rules.

When the AFL hosts

  • Three downs
  • One yard line of restraint
  • Cut block rule to include; running backs only, within the tackle box, 5 yards deep, on blitzing players though A and B gap, no engaged blitzing player may be cut.

When the NFC hosts

  • Four downs
  • Zero yard line of restraint
  • Cut block rule to include: The Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Tackle Football, which is blocking below the waist is allowed anywhere within the close line play area, which by rule is 2 yards on either side of the line of scrimmage and between the tackles.

Forster Memorial Trophy Games

YearAFL teamScoreNFC team
1999Calgary Wolfpack36-28Thunder Bay Storm (MFL)
2000Winnipeg Mustangs (MFL)14-42Oakville Longhorns
2001^Calgary Thunder0-25Winnipeg Mustangs (MFL)
Calgary Wolfpack0-41Oakville Longhorns
2002Calgary Wolfpack46-54Oakville Longhorns
2003Calgary Wolfpack39-28Oakville Longhorns
2004Calgary Wolfpack27-40Milton Marauders
2005Calgary Wolfpack20-14Tri-City Outlaws
2006Calgary Wolfpack29-43Oshawa Hawkeyes
2007Edmonton Stallions10-59Sault Ste. Marie Steelers
2008Calgary Wolfpack35-7Tri-City Outlaws
2009Edmonton Stallions6-65[3]Sault Ste. Marie Steelers
2010Lloydminster Vandals0-32Sault Ste. Marie Steelers
2011Calgary Wolfpack14-31Tri-City Outlaws
2012Lloydminster Vandals25-19Toronto Titans
2013Calgary Gators28-50[4]Montreal Transit
2014Calgary Wolfpack26-49Montreal Transit
2015Calgary Gators38-39GTA All-Stars
2016Fort McMurray Monarchs59-45[5]GTA All-Stars
2017Calgary Gators17-18[6]GTA All-Stars
2018Fort McMurray Monarchs22-17GTA All-Stars
2019Calgary Wolfpack0-28[7]GTA All-Stars
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021
2022Cold Lake Fighter Jets35-18[8][9]GTA All-Stars
2023Cold Lake Fighter Jets7-11[10]GTA All-Stars

* Home team in bold.
 ^ In 2001 the MFL champion Winnipeg Mustangs beat the AFL champion Calgary Thunder 25-0. The 3rd Place AFL team, the Calgary Wolfpack, traveled to Ontario to play the NFC champion and defending Canadian champion Oakville Longhorns.

Champions

Forster Memorial Trophy appearances[11]
Team League Wins Losses Total Last won
Calgary WolfpackAFL47112008
GTA All Stars[lower-alpha 1]NFC4482023
Oakville LonghornsNFC3142002
Sault Ste. Marie SteelersNFC3032010
Cold Lake Fighter Jets[lower-alpha 2]AFL2242022
Montreal TransitNFC2022014
Fort McMurray MonarchsAFL2022018
Tri-City OutlawsNFC1232011
Winnipeg MustangsMFL1122001
Milton MaraudersNFC1012004
Oshawa HawkeyesNFC1012006
Calgary GatorsAFL033
Edmonton StallionsAFL022
Calgary ThunderAFL011
Thunder Bay StormMFL011

* Active franchise in bold.

  1. ↑ Including one game as the Toronto Titans.
  2. ↑ As the Lloydminster Vandals.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2015 CMFL Agreement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-06.
  2. ↑ "Sidney Forster Class of 2001".
  3. ↑ "Sault Steelers win second CMFL championship". YouTube.
  4. ↑ "Calgary Gators @ Transit 2013 09 28". YouTube.
  5. ↑ "TSN Original Documentary - The Fort McMurray Monarchs". YouTube.
  6. ↑ "Calgary Gators @ GTA All-Stars". YouTube.
  7. ↑ "Calgary Wolfpack @ GTA All Stars". YouTube.
  8. ↑ "𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 GTA All Stars at Cold Lake Fighter Jets".
  9. ↑ "2nd Half of the National Championship is underway!".
  10. ↑ "National Championship — Cold Lake Fighter Jets @ GTA All Stars".
  11. ↑ "Canadian Men's Senior Football Championship; Sid Forster Memorial Trophy".
  12. ↑ "Lloydminster Vandals re-brand, move to Cold Lake".
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