By Ed White
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA (Reuters) -The Canadian Football League is fighting fan unhappiness over upcoming rule changes that traditionalists say betray the Canadian version’s proud differences from the better-known U.S. game, ahead of the championship game on Sunday.
The CFL presented the upcoming rule changes for 2026 and 2027 in September. They reduce the length of the Canadian field, move the goalposts to the back of the end zone, and tweak other elements.
Canadian patriotism has surged since U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Canada this year as the “51st state.” During the April federal election campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s embrace of the ice-hockey-themed phrase “elbows up” toward the U.S. helped him win a surprise reelection for his Liberal Party.
The American anthem has been booed at hockey games, and millions of Canadians supported baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays in their World Series run. Now, Canadian football is stirring patriotic feelings.
‘BLINDSIDED BY RULE CHANGES’
“Everyone who supports this league was blindsided by these substantial rule changes without any consultation with the fans or the players,” said Patrick Land of Winnipeg, who moderates a Facebook group against the changes.
“Considering the current political climate with the USA, the CFL is guilty of bad timing and being tone-deaf to what it means to be Canadian. We don’t like the idea of the Americanization of our game.”
Fans of Canadian football have flocked to Winnipeg for a days-long festival leading to Sunday’s game.
They are quick to reject any characterization of their sport as merely a version of American football. Many of the rugby-derived elements of the game developed jointly between Canada’s McGill University and Harvard University in the 1870s.
Canada’s football field is longer and wider than that in the U.S., the goalposts are at the front of the end zone rather than at the back, and the end zone is deeper, creating more touchdown opportunities. There are 12 players per side, rather than 11. Most importantly, Canadian football allows teams only three downs to achieve a 10-yard gain, as opposed to the American four downs, forcing them to be aggressive.
CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston acknowledged the backlash on Friday, but said the general reception was positive.
“I did not do enough to emphasize something very important: our unwavering commitment to the Canadian game. So let me be clear. We are three downs, 12 players, unlimited motion, 65 yards wide. And huge end zones,” said Johnston.
Canadian football has often suffered from low attendance in the biggest cities and struggled to gain the TV revenue that funds the National Football League. The rule changes were meant to attract new fans.
But an Angus Reid survey published on Tuesday showed that half of regular fans and three-quarters of hardcore CFL fans did not like the changes.
“For the league’s gamble to pay off, it must not alienate those who support it already, while trying to draw in new fans. It’s a risky bet,” the pollster said.
(Reporting by Ed WhiteEditing by Rod Nickel)
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