A changing landscape ahead of the new season As the next FFFA Division 1 season approaches, French American football is entering a period of transition. Between relegations, promotions and roster changes, the league will not look the same as it did last year. Several familiar faces are gone, while new projects are stepping into the spotlight. New teams in, old heads out The 2025 season highlighted a clear competitive gap at the bottom of the standings. The Cougars de Saint

Last weekend kicked off the 32nd LNFA season, and it's a very special one after the first NFL regular season game in Spanish history:  For those who don't know, Spain is the first league to kickoff the European calendar each year. And while we don't have the National Football League (NFL), we do have its Spanish counterpart: the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (LNFA). This is a very special season after the first NFL regular season game in the history of the country, while

Preseason football is rarely about answers. It is about clues. Across Portugal, the LPFA’s preseason games offered something far more valuable than results: a glimpse into how teams are thinking, building, and positioning themselves for a season that promises little margin for error. With a limited preseason schedule and every snap used as an evaluation tool, preparation may decide championships long before kickoff weekend. From controlled defensive battles to flashes of of

American Football continues to make news with our friends across the pond, and there is a lot to cover this offseason. Shortly after the end of the 2025 European League of Football (ELF) season, there was an outcry from ownership for better transparency and a more democratic style of league management. Team owners became frustrated with ELF CEO Zeljko Karajica at the helm. Money was not coming in, sponsors were not paying up, and the entire league reeked of a potential coll

So, as we reach the halfway point of the British University American Football season as Week 8 has come to a close, what better time to look back on the first seven weeks of BUCS American and highlight the teams that have surprised us and those whose first half of the season has left us bewildered.  National Premiership: When comparing the 25/26 and 24/25 seasons in the National Premiership, there are some striking similarities. Leeds Beckett struggles to maintain the grip

This fifth issue of our monthly magazine dedicated to Italian football has a lot on the table, from the National Tackle team's final match of the calendar year to the presentation of the new Italian Football League. There's a lot of news to report, especially regarding the IFL sidelines, with both confirmed players and new arrivals. Italy loses against Canada in Milan, losing the first Gridiron Nations Championship On November 9th, Italy and Canada took to the field at the

BLACK KNIGHTS RE-SIGN COACHES MUTIC ANS ISAACSON The Örebro Black Knights have extended their HC Branko Mutic throughout the 2026 season. Last year’s Coach of the Year is coming off the back of a stellar campaign that saw the Black Knights compete for the #1 seed up until the final week of the season, where they lost to the eventual champion Carlstad Crusaders. Mutic, who is also the Offensive Line Coach for the swedish national team and a former Offensive Lineman himself,

1. Edinburgh Napier Knights (2-0) Last year's Scottish champions have continued true-to-form this year so far. A big 35-0 win in week 2 over Stirling cemented the Knights as contenders once again, with a well-rounded offensive performance leading the way. They added a second shutout last weekend, with a 53-0 victory against Heriot-Watt. Napier’s offense has an arsenal of weapons at its disposal, from the veteran offensive line to a number of under-19 graduates in the receiv

In this fourth installment of updates related to Italian football, the focus is on the European Championship which saw the Blue Team among the participants in the Final Four and the first rumors about the 2026 season. As we are getting closer and closer to the start of the season, here’s some more about the tricolore movement, and so much has happened all around Italian Football during this month, so let’s get into it with a little bit of tomato sauce on top...

SM FINAL 2026 IN CARLSTAD In 2026, the Superserien final (SM Final) will once again be played in Sola Arena in Carlstad! As the swedish federation, SWE3, announced, the Crusaders home town has won the bid for the second year running for hosting both the men’s and women’s finals. With the Crusaders being reigning back-to-back champions in both leagues, it will for sure be an advantage to have home field advantage should they make it that far...

After two years, the European Championship comes to a close with the first ever Final Four in Germany. The home team, after ten years, will host a huge event in continental Tackle Football, coming back after a ban arrived as a result of problems with the old IFAF management. They will face Austria, the defending champions and the favourites to win it all. In the other semifinal, Finland, the National Team with more continental wins than any other country, will face Italy, c

The landscape of British University American Football is one in constant flux, as players come and go through graduation or moving universities, teams rise and fall, and there is always a story to be told about every team that takes part in what we call Uniball. My name is Chris Tebbutt, or if you know me from the British American Football world, Tebbs, and I have been covering the glorious sport of Uniball for half a decade now, and these are the top narratives to follow co

Division One: Redemption’s Roar? When it comes to the Southern Division One leagues, the South stands out as the one that will be the most hotly contested, with the Hertfordshire Hurricanes and Oxford Lancers both gunning for glory in the Division that has been their home for a while but the additions of Oxford Brookes fresh off their Division 2 Southern Championship last year and former Premiership side in the University of East Anglia (UEA) Pirates making the move from th

A new chapter for American football in Germany is unfolding at Taufkirchen. Designed to help young athletes improve their skills, gain knowledge, and experience true player development, this camp brings together passion, structure, and opportunity in one of Bavaria’s fastest-growing sports communities. Why Taufkirchen? The Sports Park Freiham has earned a strong reputation within the German football community. The area is modern, vibrant, and filled with restaurants, shops,

So much has happened in Italian Football during the last month, as the Italian Football League has started its Silly Season and the Blue Team, both in Tackle and in Flag Football, has achieved great successes and points of departure at both youth and senior level. There's as much meat on the fire in this issue as an Easter Monday or August 15th barbecue, so let's not waste any time and get into the third summary of Italian football brought to you by First Down Mag. ...

OSLO VIKINGS RETURN … TO NORWAY! After two years in Sweden, the former norwegian serial champions have announced their return to their home country.In their first year in Superserien, the Vikings (surprinsingly) reached the Semis where they lost to the later champion Carlstad Crusaders and fielded the Leagues MVP in Linebacker Will Sewell Jr. Though after the departure of former HC Derek Mann they couldn’t replicate the success of their inaugural season in 2025! Now they wi

The Championship Game of the best league in European football wasn’t just a battle for the crown, it was a story of how a nearly unstoppable force fell at the final hurdle. Ladies and gentlemen, for the last time this summer, we gather to talk about our beloved football. So let’s do it justice. Two of the finest teams in Europe faced off, but as we all know, sport can be a cruel affair,  there can only be one winner. From the opening whistle, it felt like a balanced matchup.

The teams still standing in this incredible postseason weren’t just playing football, they were battling with heart, resilience, and sheer determination, each moment fueled by the dream of keeping their season alive. Every drive, every play, and every hit carried the weight of their ambitions, as they fought to make sure they would earn the right to step onto the grandest stage of them all: the ELF Championship Game...

Another edition of the Portuguese American Football League has come to an end, once again capped off by a televised final. It was a season of plot twists, revenge stories, and new stars who stepped onto the stage and shone brightly. And we’ve now gathered all their grades.   Top of the Class Lisboa Devils – A The Devils did exactly what was expected of them: reach the final. With major reinforcements like Jordan Vieira  and Chris Thelasco , plus a culture of consistency bui

The sun is setting on another British American Football season, and a rematch for the ages is the final treat before the 2025 season enters the history books and the 25/26 British University American Football season can be born out of its ashes. A new playoff format for those competing in Divisions 1 & 2 means that no teams from those divisions will be loading their car with pads and helmets to take the field at the home of British American Football at Butts Park in Coventry