Hungarian American Football League
# Hungarian American Football League

The Hungarian Football League (HFL) is the top tier national American football competition in Hungary, organized by the Hungarian Federation of American Football (MAFSZ). The competition was formerly called Hungarian American Football League (MAFL) (Hungarian: Magyarországi Amerikai Futballcsapatok Ligája), the top tier as MAFL Division I and the second tier as MAFL Division II; since 2012 the top tier is HFL, the 2nd tier is MAFSZ Division I and the 3rd tier is MAFSZ Division II.

## History

The Hungarian American Football League (MAFL) began in 2005 under the guidance of the Hungarian Federation of American Football (MAFSZ) with 4 teams (Budapest Wolves, Győr Sharks, Debrecen Gladiators, Nagykanizsa Demos. The game rules are the standard gridiron football (NCAA) rules. The first winner of the first Hungarian Bowl was the Wolves.

In the next 2 years, the Wolves participated only in the Austrian Football League 3rd tier. These 2 years were won by the Sharks. In 2006, eight teams participated. In 2007, the championship had been split into two divisions (6 teams at Division I and 9 at Division II).

In 2008, the Wolves returned, and they won 3 more championships undefeated. In 2009, 26 teams participated so Division III had been introduced (this year 5, 12, and 9 teams have been played in the three tiers). In 2010, they returned into the 2 tier format.

In 2011, MAFSZ restructured the championship format with the introduction of Hungarian Football League (HFL), which was intended to be an international competition with the top 4 Hungarian teams and 4 from abroad. Division I and Division II became the 2nd and 3rd tier competitions, which were played in the spring season. The HFL was scheduled as a fall season but only 3 teams were willing to participate, so in 2011, the Hungarian Bowl was canceled.

In 2012, the HFL finally started, and this year the Budapest Wolves suffered their first-ever defeat against a Hungarian team (against Budapest Hurricanes), but in the final, the Wolves defeated the Hurricanes. However, in 2013, the Hurricanes, in 2014 the Újbuda Rebels, and in 2015 the Bratislava Monarchs defeated the Wolves in the Hungarian Bowl. The 2015 season was the only one when a foreign team participated, and with the Monarchs' win, the official Hungarian champion was the HFL runners-up Wolves.

In 2016, the Miskolc Steelers became the first non-capital city team in HFL history to participate in the finals, and they won the trophy as well, becoming the 6th team to win HFL in the 6 years' HFL history. In 2017, the Cowbells won the trophy, being technically the 7th team to win the HFL, but as they are the successor of Újbuda Rebels, they are the first team to win 2 HFL trophies.

## Hungarian American Football League System

| Season | HFL | Division I | Division II | Division III | Cup |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2005 | | I. Hungarian Bowl | | | |
| 2006 | | II. Hungarian Bowl | | | I. Blue Bowl |
| 2007 | | III. Hungarian Bowl | I. Pannon Bowl | | |
| 2008 | | IV. Hungarian Bowl | II. Pannon Bowl | | |
| 2009 | | V. Hungarian Bowl | III. Pannon Bowl | I. Duna Bowl | |
| 2010 | | VI. Hungarian Bowl | IV. Pannon Bowl | | |
| 2011 | (Fall Bowl) | V. Pannon Bowl | II. Duna Bowl | | |
| 2012 | VII. Hungarian Bowl | VI. Pannon Bowl | III. Duna Bowl | | II. Blue Bowl |
| 2013 | VIII. Hungarian Bowl | VII. Pannon Bowl | IV. Duna Bowl | | |
| 2014 | IX. Hungarian Bowl | VIII. Pannon Bowl | V. Duna Bowl | | |
| 2015 | X. Hungarian Bowl | IX. Pannon Bowl | VI. Duna Bowl | | |
| 2016 | XI. Hungarian Bowl | X. Pannon Bowl | VII. Duna Bowl | | |
| 2017 | XII. Hungarian Bowl | XI. Pannon Bowl | VIII. Duna Bowl | | |

## Champions

| Season | Division I | Division II | Division III |
| - | - | - | - |
| 2005 | ARD7 Budapest Wolves | — | — |
| 2006 | Győr Sharks | — | — |
| 2007 | Győr Sharks | Budapest Cowboys | — |
| 2008 | Budapest Wolves | Nyíregyháza Tigers | — |
| 2009 | Budapest Wolves | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | Újbuda Rebels |
| 2010 | Budapest Wolves | Miskolc Steelers | — |
| Season | HFL | Division I | Division II |
| 2011 | — | Nyíregyháza Tigers | Budapest Hurricanes |
| 2012 | Budapest Wolves | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | Budapest Cowboys |
| 2013 | Budapest Hurricanes | Budapest Cowboys | Újpest Bulldogs |
| 2014 | Újbuda Rebels | Újpest Bulldogs | Miskolc Renegades |
| 2015 | Bratislava Monarchs | Eger Heroes | Gladiators |
| 2016 | Miskolc Steelers | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | Budapest Eagles |
| 2017 | Budapest Cowbells | Fehérvár Enthroners | Nyíregyháza Tigers |
| 2018 | Budapest Cowbells | Szombathely Crushers | Eger Heroes |
| 2019 | Fehérvár Enthroners | Szombathely Crushers | Miskolc Renegades |

## Championship Games

### Hungarian Bowl

The Hungarian Bowl is the Championship Game of the Hungarian American Football League. Between 2005 and 2010 it was the final of the MAFL Division I. In 2011, the new top-tier championship HFL was postponed, no Hungarian Bowl took place, and the Fall Bowl was an unofficial championship. Since 2012, the Hungarian Bowl has been the final of the Hungarian Football League.

**Hungarian Bowl results**

| No. | Season | Winner | Opponent | Score |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| I | 2005, MAFL | ARD7 Budapest Wolves | Debrecen Gladiators | 46–0 |
| II | 2006, MAFL | Győr Sharks | Debrecen Gladiators | 7–6 |
| III | 2007, MAFL Div I | Győr Sharks | Debrecen Gladiators | 42–12 |
| IV | 2008, MAFL Div I | Budapest Wolves | Budapest Cowboys | 20–14 |
| V | 2009, MAFL Div I | Budapest Wolves | Győr Sharks | 16–12 |
| VI | 2010, MAFL Div I | Budapest Wolves | Nyíregyháza Tigers | 58–0 |
| Fall Bowl | 2011 | Budapest Wolves | Nyíregyháza Tigers | 28–0 |
| VII | 2012, HFL | Budapest Wolves | Budapest Hurricanes | 65–21 |
| VIII | 2013, HFL | Budapest Hurricanes | Docler Wolves | 28–24 |
| IX | 2014, HFL | Újbuda Rebels | Docler Wolves | 19–9 |
| X | 2015, HFL | Bratislava Monarchs | Budapest Wolves | 55–34 |
| XI | 2016, HFL | Miskolc Steelers | Budapest Cowbells | 19–16 |
| XII | 2017, HFL | Budapest Cowbells | Miskolc Steelers | 14–10 |
| XIII | 2018, HFL | Budapest Wolves | Miskolc Steelers | 34–30 |
| XIV | 2019, HFL | Fehérvár Enthroners | Kiev Capitals | 14-12 |
| XV | 2021, HFL | Budapest Wolves | Fehérvár Enthroners | 18–7 |
| XVI | 2022, HFL | Fehérvár Enthroners | Budapest Wolves | 31–24 |

**Hungarian Bowl Statistics**

| Position | Team | Champions | Runners-up |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1. | Budapest Wolves | 7 (2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2021) | 4 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2022) |
| 2. | Budapest Cowbells | 2 (2014, 2017) | 2 (2008, 2016) |
| 3. | Fehérvár Enthroners | 2 (2019, 2022) | 1 (2021) |
| 3. | Győr Sharks | 2 (2006, 2007) | 1 (2009) |
| 5. | Miskolc Steelers | 1 (2016) | 2 (2017, 2018) |
| 6. | Budapest Hurricanes | 1 (2013) | 1 (2012) |
| 7. | Bratislava Monarchs | 1 (2015) | |
| 8. | Debrecen Gladiators | | 3 (2005, 2006, 2007) |
| 9. | Nyíregyháza Tigers | | 1 (2010) |
| 9. | Kiev Capitals | | 1 (2019) |

### Pannon Bowl

The Pannon Bowl is the MAFSZ's second-tier championship game that was first played in 2007.

**Pannon Bowl results**

| No. | Season | Winner | Opponent | Score |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| I. | 2007, Division II | Budapest Cowboys | North Pest Vipers | 45–0 |
| II. | 2008, Division II | Nyíregyháza Tigers | Zala Predators | 36–20 |
| III. | 2009, Division II | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | Zala Predators | 10–0 |
| IV. | 2010, Division II | Miskolc Steelers | | no playoffs |
| V. | 2011, Division II | Nyíregyháza Tigers | Békéscsaba Raptors | 42–7 |
| VI. | 2012, Division I | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | Békéscsaba Raptors | 34–3 |
| VII. | 2013, Division I | Budapest Cowboys | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | 12–6 |
| VIII. | 2014, Division I | Újpest Bulldogs | Miskolc Steelers | 43–36 |
| IX. | 2015, Division I | Eger Heroes | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | 19–16 |
| X. | 2016, Division I | Dunaújváros Gorillaz | Gladiators AFC | 28–8 |
| XI. | 2017, Division I | Fehérvár Enthroners | Budapest Eagles | 28–7 |
| XI. | 2018, Division I | Szombathely Crushers | Szekszárd Bad Bones | 17-7 |
| XI. | 2019, Division I | Szombathely Crushers | Eger Heroes | 32-0 |

### Duna Bowl

The Duna Bowl is the third-tier championship game of the MAFSZ.

**Duna Bowl results**

| No. | Season | Winner | Opponent | Score |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| I. | 2009, Division III | Újbuda Rebels | Jászberény Wolverines | 33–0 |
| II. | 2011, Division II | Budapest Hurricanes | Újpest Bulldogs | 56–14 |
| III. | 2012, Division II | Budapest Cowboys | Újbuda Rebels II | 33–7 |
| IV. | 2013, Division II | Újpest Bulldogs | Újbuda Rebels II | 41–6 |
| V. | 2014, Division II | Miskolc Renegades | Budapest Hurricanes II | 38–21 |
| VI. | 2015, Division II | Debrecen Gladiators | Szekszárd Bad Bones | 21–14 |
| VII. | 2016, Division II | Budapest Eagles | Fehérvár Enthroners | 35–13 |
| VIII. | 2017, Division II | Nyíregyháza Tigers | Szombathely Crushers | 17–7 |
| VIII. | 2018, Division II | Eger Heroes | SDabas Sparks | 42-20 |
| VIII. | 2019, Division II | Miskolc Renegades | Tatabánya Mustangs | 40-38 |

### Blue Bowl

In 2006, the MAFSZ created the Blue Bowl, the national cup game.

**Blue Bowl results**

Table of Results :

| Season | Winner | Loser | Score |
| - | - | - | - |
| 2006 | ARD7 Budapest Wolves | Debrecen Gladiators | 63–20 |
| 2012 | Budapest Cowboys | Újpest Bulldogs | 13–6 |

## Teams

| HFL teams Budapest Cowbells (2012–) Budapest Wolves (2012–) Fehérvár Enthornes (2018–) Kyiv Capitals (2019-) Győr Sharks (2012–) Miskolc Steelers (2015–) | Division I teams Budapest Titans Budapest Wolves 2 Budapest Cowbells 2 Dabas Sparks Dunaújváros Gorillaz (HFL: 2017–2018) Eger Heroes (HFL: 2016–2017) DEAC Gladiators Nyíregyháza Tigers (HFL: 2013, 2015–2016, 2018) Szombathely Crushers | Division II teams Budapest Eagles (HFL: 2018) CFS Guardians Diósd Saints Eger Heroes 2 Jászberény Wolverines Kaposvár Hornets Miskolc Renegades Pécs Legioners Rebells Oldboys Szombathely Crushers 2 Tatabánya Mustangs VSD Rangers |
| - | - | - |
