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PFL (Poland) Power Ranking Before Easter Break
We’re basically a quarter of the way through the Polska Futbol Liga (PFL) regular season after last weekend. As the league takes a break and players head home for Easter, it’s the perfect time to launch First Down Magazine’s first PFL Power Ranking.
Last week gave us some really interesting matchups. We witnessed a shootout between the Lowlanders Białystok and Silesia Rebels, the Eagles steamrolling the Kings on their own field, an important OT win for the Jaguars, and...
Apr 17, 2025
Revenge, Redemption, or Reckoning? A Hero’s Journey
The European League of Football is a breeding ground for some of the most competitive athletes in the world—men who, for the simple love of the game, are willing to sacrifice their bodies without the need for large contracts, full stadiums, or sponsorship deals. Most of the homegrown talent in the ELF double as teachers, doctors, tradesmen, and other working professionals, while the A-imports often hold part-time jobs during the offseason and find ways to coach and stay conne
Apr 17, 2025
BAFA Premiership Week 1 Power Ranking
The top end of our first-ever power ranking from Britain almost writes itself, with last year’s finalists both recording sizable shutout wins on the road to kick off their respective 2025 campaigns. As reigning champions—retaining the vast majority of that championship squad, including star QB Dee Williams, and having not recorded a regular season defeat since July 2023—the London Warriors are the clear choice at #1. However, considering that defeat came at the hands of a Bri
Apr 16, 2025
Badalona Dracs Return to Spanish Bowl After Dominating Osos Rivas in the second Semi-Final
The most decorated team in LNFA history secured their spot in the championship with a commanding 33-13 victory and now aims to reclaim supremacy against LG OLED Black Demons.
Badalona, June 13, 2025 – The Badalona Dracs left no room for doubt. With precise execution and a relentless defense, the Catalan squad defeated Osos Rivas 33-13 in the Spanish National Football League (LNFA) semifinals, booking their ticket to their 19th championship appearance—their first since 2021
Apr 16, 2025
Las Rozas Black Demons on their way to three-peat in Spain
The team from northwest Madrid made a statement after rolling over the Terrassa Reds, who you may remember as the surprise team of the year. The Black Demons won easily at home 35-0 to continue their quest to achieve a three-peat.
Apr 15, 2025
CNFA (Romania) Week 1 Power Rankings
First Down Mag is now covering the Romanian CNFA too, make sure you're up to date with this one too!!
Apr 15, 2025
OTHER NEWS
UNION JACK CLASSIC
Wembley Stadium has staged just about everything football has to offer. On Saturday, it added another chapter to its history: College Football. Kansas and Arizona State crossed the Atlantic for a Week 3 matchup that brought the sights, sounds and spectacle of a fall Saturday in America to the heart of London.
LONDON BECOMES THE CENTER OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
For one Saturday in September, London became the center of the College Football world.
The British capital is hardly a
2 days ago
The Pioneers: NFL Europe and the League That Dared to Cross an Ocean
Long before the NFL played regular season games in London, Munich, or Madrid, it tried something far bolder: building entire professional franchises on European soil.
In July 1989, NFL owners approved the creation of the World League of American Football, a genuinely transatlantic experiment and the first time the league had ever tried to plant a professional, developmental version of itself outside North America. When the WLAF kicked off on March 23, 1991, ten teams took th
4 days ago
Italian Football League News You Can Use #1
With the conclusion of the tackle football seasons in Italy, "News You Can Use" - the most beloved and imitated column - returns to First Down Mag, bringing you all the latest updates on Italian football.
From the first to the third division, and from North to South, here is everything you need to know about roster moves and the latest news from the world of Italian gridiron.
Here is the first batch of news from the Italian football scene. Enjoy the read.
Cameren Grodhaus
4 days ago
İTÜ HORNETS — INTERVIEW WITH HEAD COACH AHMET ÖZMEN
We've now won four championships in the university league, and in that arena we've long been a college team playing football at the very top level. In past years, though, as a club we struggled to carry that success over to the pro league. Even though the 2022 pro semifinal was a huge blow for us, I'd say it was the game that fueled our ambition and made us more determined than any other. But reducing the four championships won over the last two years — across both the pro an
Sep 15
2026 GFL Power Rankings — Week 18 Update
Biggest Takeaway
As the GFL season moves toward the postseason, the league has started to separate into clear tiers. At the top, three teams have consistently looked like the strongest championship threats.
Dresden Monarchs/Potsdam Royals/Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
The Dresden Monarchs, Potsdam Royals, and Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns have separated themselves from the rest of the GFL.
These are clearly the three strongest teams in the league and the teams best positioned to ma
Sep 11
BELICHICK’S TAR HEELS WIN THE AER LINGUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL CLASSIC
DUBLIN DRESSES UP FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL AGAIN
Throughout the week, Dublin’s streets were dressed in TCU purple and unmistakable Carolina Blue, and long before kickoff it felt as though the Horned Frogs held a slight advantage in the stands.
Close to 10,000 fans had travelled from Texas, filling the pubs of Temple Bar and much of the city centre with TCU colours. In total, more than 14,000 supporters made the trip from the United States for this year’s Classic. Fewer than in
Sep 4
FLORIAN BIERBAUMER INTERVIEW - “Seikovits and I played rock-paper-scissors to decide…”
“Seikovits and I played rock-paper-scissors to decide…”
Florian Bierbaumer is one of the star players of the Vienna Vikings. The Graz native, who carries the nickname “Cheat Code”, recently had to take an enforced break due to an ankle injury but used the time to try out new things alongside his recovery.
The former NFL hopeful looked back on his AFLE season so far exclusively with First Down Magazine, spoke about his experience as a co-commentator, his collaboration with f
Aug 13
IFL Teams Get Their Grades!
With the IFL having wrapped up its 2026 season about a month ago — featuring the Guelfi Firenze victory over the Panthers Parma in Ferrara—the final bell has rung, and it is time to grade the teams in the top league.
This article reviews the season for the nine teams competing in the First Division of Italian Football.
Which teams made the grade, which ones have work to do before the new term, and which ones failed?
Guelfi Firenze: A
The Italian Football League’s model te
Aug 6
SUPERSERIEN TAKEAWAYS 2026
Tyresö gets it’s championship
After a lot of years of being the dark horse to win the prestigious SM-Guld, the Tyresö Royal Crowns can finally call themselves Champions of Sweden upsetting #1 seed Carlstad and #3 seed Stockholm in the semis and final respectively.
This team had arguably no weakness and only finished in the #4 seed by having a game overturned and losing to both SMM and Calrstad with only one score each during the regular season.
While the semi against the C
Jul 16
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