New England Football League

The New England Football League (NEFL) is a semi-professional American football league out of Salisbury, MA and owned by Thomas Torrisi.[1] It is the largest semi-professional league in the region.[2] The NEFL was founded in 1994 and was also known as the Greater Lawrence Men's Football League.[3] It currently consists of 37 teams with about 2,000 players playing in 3 different classifications (A, AA, AAA) with at least two teams based in each of the six New England states.[2][4] The league provides competitve football for adult players. It is a "working man's league" as most players have regular jobs during the week.[5][6] Teams practice on weeknights and play on the weekends, most games on weekends.[2] Players don't get paid for their participation, but they often pay $200 to be on the team's roster.[2][6] The league runs from spring until October.[6] Each team can dress up to 55 players.[7]

League History

The New England Football League was founded in 1994 by League President and Director of Marketing, Tom Torrisi, Chairman Matt Brien, Commissioner Bob Oreal, Vice-President and Treasurer John Motta and Secretary Christine Torrisi.[2] It started its 1994 season with only four teams. By 1997 number of teams tripled to twelve. And in 2002, the league had at least one team in each New England state. Also in that year the league started its three conference alignment with three different skill levels, one for each conference. The 2006 was the first season with at least 30 teams playing in the league making it one of the largest semi-pro football leagues in the country.

Game Rules

The NEFL uses what they refer to as modified NCAA rules[3]. Most of the rules are adopted from the NCAA rule book. But there are a few NFL rules and some rules specific to the NEFL that have been adopted.

Current Teams

Currently the NEFL has 38 teams playing in 3 different skill levels (conferences) with at least two teams based in each of the six New England states.[8]

Colonial Conference (AAA)

Team Stadium City/Area
Metro Division
Bay State Renegades Hanlon Field at Medway High School Medway, Massachusetts
Boston Bandits Scagnoli-Nihill Playing Field at Boston English High School Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Lowell Nor'easter Cawley Memorial Stadium Lowell, Massachusetts
Mill City Maulers Veterans Memorial Stadium Lawrence, Massachusetts
New England Hawks Landry Stadium Amesbury, Massachusetts
Southern Maine Raging Bulls Deering High School Stadium Portland, Maine
Suburban Division
Connecticut Bearcats Riccitelli Field at Sheehan High School Wallingford, Connecticut
Connecticut Thunder Montville High School Montville, Connecticut
Middleboro Cobras Battis Field Middleborough, Massachusetts
Ocean State Vipers Cranston Stebbins Stadium Cranston, Rhode Island
Whaling City Clippers Walsh Field[9] New Bedford, Massachusetts
Worcester County Wildcats Commerce Bank Field at Foley Stadium Worcester, Massachusetts

North Atlantic Conference (AA)

Team Stadium City/Area
Pioneer Division
Central Mass Fury Community Field Leicester, Massachusetts
Leominster Razorbacks Doyle Field[10] Leominster, Massachusetts
North Shore Generals Manning Field (Lynn, MA) and Bishop Fenwick High School (Peabody, MA) North Shore, Massachusetts
Weymouth Sharks Weymouth High School Weymouth, Massachusetts
Continental Division
Connecticut Gamblers Plainfield Rams Football Complex Plainfield, Connecticut
Metrowest Colonials Wayland High School Metro West Boston, Massachusetts
Middletown Spartans Palmer Field Middletown, Connecticut
South Shore Outlaws[11] Massachusetts Maritime Academy[11] South Shore, Massachusetts[11]
Federal Division
Kennebec Valley Tigers Jay High School Jay, Maine
Manchester Devils Gill Stadium Manchester, New Hampshire
Notre Dame Cobras Notre Dame Field Alfred, Maine
Tri-City Charge Spaulding Field Rochester, New Hampshire
Patriot Division
Monadnock Marauders Monadnock Regional High School Swanzey, New Hampshire
Southern New England Rage Alumni Field Mansfield, Massachusetts
Southern Vermont Storm Spinelli Field Bennington, Vermont
Western Mass Warriors Roberts Field Holyoke, Massachusetts

Maritime Conference (A)

Team Stadium City/Area
Independent Division
Central Vermont Rampage Applejack Field Manchester, Vermont
New Hampshire Wolfpack Martins Field Concord, New Hampshire
Southern New Hampshire Beavers Coach Korcoulis Field Hollis, New Hampshire
Vermont Ravens Tarquinio Rec. Field Barre, Vermont
United Division
Northern Berkshire Kings Hoosac Valley High School Field Adams, Massachusetts
Pioneer Valley Indians Boys & Girls Club Field Chicopee, Massachusetts
Southern Connecticut Sting Fitch High School Groton, Connecticut
New London High School New London, Connecticut
Tri-County Fightin' Sprites Koinonia Field Thompson, Connecticut
Woonsocket Wardogs Barry Field Woonsocket, Rhode Island

League champions

Annual League Champions Based on Conference[3]
Year Team A AA AAA
1994 Lawrence Lightning
1995 North Shore Rage
1996 Massachusetts Havoc
1997 Massachusetts Havoc
1998 Lowell Nor'easter
1999 Lowell Nor'easter
2000 Seacoast Hawks Lowell Nor'easter
2001 Southern Maine Raging Bulls Boston Bandits
2002 Connecticut Thunder Vermont Ice Storm Lowell Nor'easter
2003 Seacoast Hawks New England Stars Boston Bandits
2004 Hampton Hurricanes Connecticut Thunder Lowell Nor'easter
2005 Rhode Island Raptors Seacoast Hawks Boston Bandits
2006 Notre Dame Cobras North Attleboro Renegades Boston Bandits
2007 Leominster Razorbacks Whaling City Clippers[9] Middleboro Cobras
2008 Tri City Charge Whaling City Clippers Middleboro Cobras
2009 Connecticut Spartans New Hampshire Wolfpack Tri City Charge Lowell Nor'easter
2010 Seacoast Hawks Connecticut Panthers Western Mass Warriors Lowell Nor'easter
2011 Rhode Island Riptide New Hampshire Wolfpack Connecticut Bearcats
2012 Connecticut Bearcats Cape Cod Seadogs South Shore Outlaws[11] Western Mass Warriors
2013 Central Mass Sabercats Pioneer Valley Knights Connecticut Panthers
2014 Brass City Brawlers Rhode Island Wardogs Connecticut Panthers
2015 Port City Vipers Somerville Rampage Boston Bandits 28

References

  1. "Experian Commercial Risk Database". Proquest. 2015-11-20. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Love of the game drives semipro football players - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
  3. 1 2 "New England Football League - Champions". www.semiprofootball.org. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  4. "SEMIPRO FOOTBALL: Middletown Spartans are ready to play; kick-off '10 season Sat.". www.middletownpress.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  5. Gasper, Christopher L. (2004-08-29). "Blue-collar bruisers". Boston.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  6. 1 2 3 "Semipro football players in it for love of the game - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
  7. COLLINS, ED. "Foundation set for South Coast Outlaws semi-pro football team". southcoasttoday.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  8. "Semi-pro Wolfpack plays for the love of the game". Union Leader. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  9. 1 2 THOMAS, BUDDY. "McCann has Clippers 'D' primed for title game". southcoasttoday.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  10. "Razorbacks are best kept secret in Leominster | September 18, 2009 | www.leominsterchamp.com | Leominster Champion". www.leominsterchamp.com. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Correspondent, Rob Duca. "SOUTH COAST OUTLAWS: The boys are back in town". Wicked Local Wareham. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
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