Eastern Australian Football League - Format

Format

Each team plays the four teams in the league once during the regular season, with home field alternating every other year. Because of travel costs and scheduling constraints, some matches are played in neutral sites. In further cases, three teams will gather in one site and play each other in "lightning" format (two 20-minute halves as opposed to four quarters), with points counting towards the EAFL premiership table. In 2012, scheduling conflicts and miscommunication caused three teams -- Baltimore/Washington, Boston, and North Carolina -- to only play two league games, while Philadelphia and New York played a full four-match schedule. Though there was concern over whether that would affect who won the premiership, New York's 4-0 record negated any controversy that the odd schedule would have.

The ladder follows the traditional AFL format of four points for a win, two for a draw, and none for a loss. If two or more teams are level on points, the tie is broken by points percentage (PF/PA * 100)

In addition to regular season matches, there have been several tournaments held where some or all of the clubs gather at one field and play two matches in "lightning" format. In 2009, Philadelphia and Baltimore each hosted tournaments that amounted to a round robin series between the five EAFL teams. The series, which included two full length games for EAFL points, was won by the New York Magpies, who went 4-0. Since then, Philadelphia and Baltimore/Washington have alternated hosting a tournament which has included at least three EAFL clubs. In 2010, Philadelphia hosted a tournament that included Florida in place of Boston. None of the games in 2010 tournament were for EAFL points. The 2011 tournament, played on the infield at Rosecroft Raceway, saw one official EAFL match (Baltimore/Washington v Boston), and other "lightning" matches including the Hawks, Magpies, and Redbacks. The 2012 Philly Footy Festival saw the Hawks host New York, Baltimore/Washington, and a representative side from the Ontario Australian Football League.