EFL Elite to start in 2014

In 2014 EFAF will restructure the European club competitions. The new flagship competition within the EFAF club competitions will be the "Big6 Europe" which consists of a pool of six teams that will play for the Eurobowl.

This new EFL Elite ("Big6 Europe") complements the existing system of EFAF club competitions of EFL, EFAF Cup and regional contests. As before, the national champions or other clubs from countries that are represented in the "Big6" annually will be able to take part in the EFL. The EFL will lead to a newly installed „EFL Bowl“ final game, in which the EFL champion will be crowned. The EFL champion will earn the right to challenge the last-placed team of the EFL Elite in a relegation play-off game to contest for a spot in the EFL Elite for the upcoming season.

In the EFL Elite "Big6 Europe" the six teams in two groups of three initially will play a round-robin system. The winners of the two groups advance to the Eurobowl final game. The team with the worse record of the two last-placed teams in each group will have to defend the spot in EFL Elite "Big6" against the EFL champion. However, certain criteria must be met by a team, potentially to be promoted into the EFL Elite. Among other things there are minimum requirements in terms of marketing, which will be executed by the participating clubs in joint initiatives.

The competition will be supported by EFAF, the logistics of the competitions will be conducted by the participating clubs themselves, and their national associations, if these wish to participate in the marketing. For the 2014 season, all quarterfinal winners of the 2013 EFL season already have confirmed their participation in the EFL Elite and to be charter members in the new EFL Elite organisation. Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna, Swarco Raiders Tyrol (both from Austria), Calanda Broncos (Switzerland) and Berlin Adler (Germany) will be the first four of the EFL Elite clubs. Two additional Clubs will be added, one of them most likely the 2013 German national Championship.

The new EFL Elite "Big6 Europe" is deemed to offer a true sporting challenge to the top clubs in Europe. With the cooperation of the clubs in the field of marketing, there are effects to be expected, which should be reflected in a broad media presence and a stable financing of the league. Since participating clubs benefit directly on the success of marketing, it is expected that all of the ambitious clubs in Europe will declare membership in the "Big6" as one of their top priorities in the future.