Portuguese League of American Football kicks off season with Founders Tournament
The Portuguese League of American Football (LPFA) will kick off in November with a brand new tournament.
Dubbed the Founders Tournament, to commemorate the eight teams who founded American football in Portugal, the competition will feature eight teams including one team from Spain and culminate with a championship final on December 23.
For the past two years, the LPFA has launched the regular season in November culminating with the championship final in April. This year, the format has changed with the Founders Tournament marking the start of the American football season with the regular season starting in January now.
In addition to the top seven teams in Portugal, the new tournament will also feature a team from Spain.
The Algarve Sharks, Porto Mutts, Lisboa Devils, Lisboa Navigators, Paredes Lumberjacks, Braga Warriors, Cascais Crusaders and the Black Towers from Spain will all vie for the Founders Tournament title.
Founders Tournament Schedule
Game 1 – November 17 – Algarve Sharks @ Porto Mutts
Game 2 – November 18 – Lisboa Devils @ Lisboa Navigators
Game 3 – November 24/25 – Paredes Lumberjacks @ Braga Warriors
Game 4 – November 24/25 – Black Towers @ Cascais Crusaders
Game 5 – December 1/2 – Winner of Game 1 VS Winner of Game 2
Game 6 – December 1/2 – Loser of Game 1 VS Loser of Game 2
Game 7 – December 8/9 – Winner of Game 3 VS Winner of Game 4
Game 8 – December 8/9 – Loser of Game 3 VS Loser of Game 4
Game 9 – December 23 in Braga – Winner of Game 5 VS Winner of Game 7 (FINAL)
The LPFA regular season will kick off in January and the championship final of the seven team league will be held in May, 2019.
A second tier league – Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Americano (CNFA) – will play nine-man football and include the Black Knights, Évora Eagles and the newly-formed Tagus Lions, from Lisbon.
