4 Down Canadian Football

Watched both games last night. Now I know why people in the East watch their NFL.

It was that way in ontario when I played hs ball.

All other rules, where proper, but we used four downs. It was a major gripe for me as a student and even then I felt that they should have let us learn to play 3 downs.

I remember asking our coaches about it and they gave me the excuse that hs teams couldn't produce a first down. It just seems so silly. If you want an athlete to develop they have to be challenged. They should let our kids play our game, our way, and they will learn to succeed with 3 downs.

I could only hope that someone with the pull to do so manages to change this.

A lot of Minor Football teams in Ontario and some HS teams use four downs but still Canadian rules otherwise. I don't have a problem with that as it gives the offences more game experience at a time when the children are learning the game. It can be a problem when the teams are mismatched, but blow outs happen with 3 down as well. I have watched my Grand Children play Canadian rules 4 down football and the only real apparent difference is less punting.

But 4 downs in the CFL would mean some teams would never give up the ball. But, the way some games have been played this year, 4 downs would at least liven things up and allow some teams to score 20 points. (New rule: all games in Ottawa to played with 4 downs). lol

What about those of us that watch both and can watch different types of games in both? Both the CFL and NFL are “mine”. :wink: Oh, BTW, I can’t believe the mistakes NFL guys make with the money they make, the ratio of skill/amount of money a player makes, CFL players easily win on that one, hands down, CFL players should be making at least 5 times the amount of mistakes per game compared with NFL players. Even the RedBlack players. :wink: Actually the RBs are a decent team and Burris has cost them a few games this year I would say. Along with some bad play calling and dropsies.

Yes, to make it easier a handicap system using 4 downs is ok for certain teams and games. :wink:

I’ll have to check those other school’s fields out. I couldn’t believe it when we pulled up to Brebeuf yesterday - it was really nice. They also had a big new electronic scoreboard and a decent sized grand stand that held about 300 fans or so and a press box with a camera stand on top all newly built that you can see in this picture I took yesterday. Really nice. (Heck of a lot better than my high school days - lol)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10522439_10203293945602680_7466330317521343770_n.jpg?oh=aa6ec7c44df1e31f968793b3cc000ef4&oe=54C05A3B&__gda__=1421423198_5421b8076c3539d89acb9640ad8bf658

Way better than mine as well Travel, I remember playing on fields that about a quarter or more of the field was dirt and clumped up, not even raked, that's how I badly sprained an ankle and was out most of the year in grade 12.

Correct. As I posted before all BC High School ball is 4 down US rules based on the NFHS rule book…and on the US sized field as well.

The BIG concern I have after watching yesterday's high school game were these scary injuries.

Four minutes into the game - a delay for 25 minutes for this with an ambulance being called to take this player to hospital after being strapped to a board and immobilized.

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10641280_10203289440610058_4187497682537254989_n.jpg?oh=0c57c95d7c3325cab9b7fbc86c1a8c81&oe=54C536C1

And then half way through the 3rd quarter - this - similar thing all over again. Waiting 15-20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. By then because of the lengthy delays and one team up 35 - 0 they called the game.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10609552_10203294220089542_1779617934624689434_n.jpg?oh=8cf2d7f0f453c666eca540052db9ad7a&oe=54C0D98F&__gda__=1418188130_68fdb5d0a1d6fca8908f84542fd57fff

Even though my nephew was fine and not one of the injured I could clearly see that my sister and her husband who were at the game were having second thoughts about allowing their son to play such a sport. Last week's game also had a player taken away in an ambulance with what ended up being bruised vertebrae. Hopefully the two players taken away yesterday by ambulance are not seriously hurt.

But it has to be scary for a parent and I completely understand why many would not want their kids playing football these days.

I personally find hockey scarier than football and would put my kid in football before hockey. Hockey is more undisciplined and with the boards and helmets not as good as football, you go crashing into those boards lookout and as well the speeds players can go skating and then reaching back for a pass and whammo. And use of sticks and high cross checking from behind in one's neck area, scary.

Funny thing is I got hurt a lot playing baseball, no pads and balls bouncing on the infield into your head, got one like that playing shortstop and my eye was so swollen and red I could barely see out it, well I'll take the sprains and a broken wrist I got playing football and hockey any day.

Hope the injured kids are OK.
While these fields look nice and maintain well, grass is a much safer option for hard landings. I know it's not practical because of weather, and you can argue grass/mud makes footing worse, but I'll take grass any day.
Too bad no real grass fields in the CFL these days.

I’d suggest that 20 years ago you’d be right but not any more. A newer field turf surface (newer = no more than five years old) is safer and better to play on then natural grass. The little black pebbles that are injected into the surface provide an extraordinary cushion for players on those “hard landings” (if the field is properly maintained) and the field in general is truer, more consistent and better for players and officials…and remains so during rain or snow, which grass definitely does not…the fields in the photo look pretty new.

The old “astroturf” fields were horrible but they’ve come a long way since then.

And the field they were playing on yesterday was very cushy. I cut across the corner of the endzone once and was very impressed with how nice it felt. And it was completely loaded with those black rubber pellets as you could see those occasionally pop up as the ball took big bounces along the field.

I see your points…the new fields are more “cushy” as you walk on them, but that cush has an end point when a 200+ pound body hits it and high speed. The base is still hard, while soil has a some give. I’d also argue that while the surface is truer, cleats still tend to stick more than a grass field and that give is the difference between a sprained and broken ankle. Of course on a muddy grass field you can slip and fall, lol.

It would be interesting to see 4 downs on a Canadian size field. Also with the 2 less players like in the US, I bet the game would be wide open lots of offense.

no way. with canadian climate grass fields can’t be maintained in canada unless you have tons of money. public and highschool grass fields are often bumpy, with divets dead grass hard dirt. field turf any day

But if the Argos move to BMO, they will be playing on grass!!

Except when they are in the end zones - which apparently will be artificial turf. Either the retractable seats will roll over that turf - or is taken up and laid down every time the retractable seats are moved in and out. (Not sure exactly what the plan is.)

More on 4 down High School in BC…

"…Canadian rules football was played in High Schools in Vancouver until 1947. In that year, a major change took place in that the ruling body of B.C. high school sports adopted the rules of the National Federation of State High Schools for 11-man football. To this day, the change is still not well understood by provincial associations east of B.C. The “American? versus “Canadian? rules debate has been a passionate discussion for decades. However, at the time, the decision was a logical one for British Columbia. The change coincided with the development of football at the University of British Columbia.

When U.B.C. Football was born there was no Western Intercollegiate Athletic Union in existence. U.B.C. played north-south against American colleges in the Pacific Northwest, all of whom played under American college rules. Since high school players went on to play at U.B.C. or American colleges, it made sense to use the American rules. To this day, high school coaches prefer these rules, not because they are “American?, but because of the 11-man and 4-down elements. Also, high schools in B.C. play many exhibition games annually against American high schools…"

Mystery solved…maybe. I still think it’s a bit crazy but with all fields set for US ball, not much chance of changing that now.

With one less player it is easier to build a team and the 4-down allows more opportunity to develop the team on offense. I do think the latter has meant a greater focus on the run-game as to the pass-game and has contributed to the development of RBs as opposed to QBs and receivers.

Given the expense of a football program and that it vanished from many schools in BC (returned at a few recently) often means only the biggest schools with long-term history can support football - and they don’t want to change what has been working for them.

It's an easier game to coach I would say, 4 downs and 11 players than 3 downs and 12 players and high school coaches don't have the time of Canadian university programs or CFL programs so I can understand their liking these rules. Plus the kids probably like it since it's more American, that has to be simply a plus, and ones looking for a US scholarship can say on their resume they have played American rules, at least some. Another plus.

Teams that win in the NFL now are pass first and the stars are the receivers whereas at one time the running backs were the main stars. No longer as a general rule. Having a threat to run is needed in both 3 and 4 down ball but passing is what wins games along with a strong defence. The actual running game isn't as important IMHO, in either 4 or 3 down ball.