Chinese National Football League

The AFLC was founded in 2013 by Chris McLaurin,[2] a former football player for the University of Michigan Wolverines. McLaurin, working in Chongqing at the time, helped to organize a group of locals and expatriates who were interested in football into the Chongqing Dockers, whose first season was profiled by the New Republic in The Year of the Pigskin.[3] After organizing the Dockers and building relationships with other football clubs that were beginning to pop up around the country, McLaurin organized a meeting of the original eight AFLC teams in Shanghai to form the league (also attended by former Michigan and NFL running back Mike Hart). The first AFLC season featured two divisions: the Beijing Cyclones, Shanghai Titans, Shanghai Warriors and Tianjin Pirates in the East, and the Chongqing Dockers, Chengdu Mustangs, Guangzhou Tigers and Hong Kong Warhawks in the West. Not all of the early teams were accepted into the league, such as the Suzhou Blue Knights, who still play non-conference games with league teams. The 2013 season culminated in the first AFLC Championship Game at Luwan Stadium in Shanghai on January 12, 2014, and saw the Dockers defeat the Warriors 24-16[4] to capture the first AFLC Championship.

In 2014, the League expanded to 12 teams, shrank slightly to 10 teams in 2015, and in 2016 features 14 teams in three divisions. In 2017, the league expanded once again to feature 18 teams playing in 4 divisions. In addition, Chris McLaurin stepped down from the commissioner role and the AFLC named Datong Wang as his successor. Chris McLaurin went on to consult various football organisations in China, including the NFL, Nike Sports Camps and Fosun Group. In 2018, the League expanded once again to twenty teams in four divisions, and expanded to a twelve team playoff, with 4 division champions earning first round byes.

The 2016 AFLC regular season saw fourteen franchises with over 800 players competing in a four-game regular season from August through November.

The 2016 AFLC playoffs began on November 26, and feature the following teams:[5]

• November 26: Shanghai Nighthawks def. Shanghai Warriors, 28-14
• November 27: Guangzhou Tigers def. Hong Kong Warhawks, 20-8
• December 3: Chengdu Pandaman def. Guangzhou Apache, 26-16
• December 4: Shanghai Titans def. Chongqing Dockers, 38-6
• December 17/18: Shanghai Nighthawks def. Chengdu Pandaman, 20-14
• December 17/18: Shanghai Titans def. Guangzhou Tigers, 24-23

The 2016 AFLC Championship Game was be held on January 14, 2017 in Shanghai. The Shanghai Titans won their first ever American Football League of China championship, defeating the Shanghai Nighthawks 28-6.

The 2017 AFLC regular season will see eighteen teams competing in a four-game regular season from August through November.

The 2017 AFLC playoffs began on November 25 or 26, and featured the following teams:

• November 25: Shanghai Nighthawks(A) def Beijing Iron Brothers (H) 50–20
• November 25: Shanghai Titans (H) def Mountain City Fury (A) 36–0
• November 26: Shanghai Warriors(A) def Hong Kong Warhawks (H) 42–3
• November 26: Chengdu Pandaman(H) def Foshan Tigers (A) 28–21
• Semifinals: Shanghai Nighthawks @ Shanghai Titans
• Semifinals: Shanghai Warriors @ Chengdu Pandaman

The 2018 AFLC regular season had twenty teams competing in a four-game regular season from August through November. The AFLC expanded their playoff format from eight teams to twelve, with the four division champions earning first round byes, and the 2nd and 3rd place finishers from each division qualifying for the first round.

The 2018 AFLC playoffs began on November 17 and 18, and featured the following teams:

• November 17/18: Foshan Tigers(H) def Xi'an Panthers (A) FF
• November 17/18: Mountain City Fury (H) def Hong Kong Cobras (A) 38-7
• November 17/18: Shanghai Warriors(H) def Tianjin Pirates (A) FF
• November 17/18: Wuhan Berserkers (A) def Taiyuan Troops (H) 54-0
• Quarterfinals: Shanghai Titans(H) def Foshan Tigers (A) 24-8
• Quarterfinals: Beijing Barbarians(H) def Mountain City Fury (A) 39-0
• Quarterfinals: Shanghai Warriors(A) def Hong Kong Warhawks (H) 26-21
• Quarterfinals: Chengdu Pandaman(H) def Wuhan Berserkers (A) 34-28
• Semifinals: December 15: Shanghai Titans (H) def Beijing Barbarians (A) 32-6
• Semifinals: December 15: Shanghai Warriors (A) def Chengdu Pandaman (H)
• Final: January 12 : Shanghai Warriors def Shanghai Titans 40-34

• AFLC Website: http://www.aflcfootball.com
• AFLC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChineseAmericanFootballAssociation
• AFLC on Weibo: http://www.weibo.com/u/5284926923