Russian American Football Championship (Russian: Чемпионат России по Aмериканскому Футболу, romanized: Chempionat Rossii po Amerikanskomu Futbolu) is the highest level of American football played in Russia originally founded in 1991, previously known as the League of American Football (LAF; Russian: Лига Американского Футбола, romanized: Liga Amerikanskogo Futbola, ЛАФ).
There are 11 teams in two divisions participating in the league.[1] Since 2020 season the Eastern European Super League serves as the highest league of American football in Russia.[citation needed]
History
American football came into the Soviet Union in late 1980s. The first official games were played in 1989 when American high school all-star teams from Oklahoma played exhibition games against local teams, following a failed attempt to have college footballbowl game be played in Moscow (known as the Glasnost Bowl). In the same year the very first game between Russian teams was played.[2]
In 1989, the Moscow Bears were first formed team and represented the Russia national American football team. In 1991, the Soviet Championship was founded and the league became the Russian Championship in 1992 as the Soviet Union collapsed. However the league was soon suspended in the turmoils of the dissolution of the USSR. The Moscow Bears national team was reformed later in 1992 and Russian Football Championship league later re-organized.[2]
The Russian Championship was founded again in 2002. The league has been growing ever since.[2]
In 2016 it was reorganized as The League of American Football, LAF in short. But in 2019 the league was re-organized as Russian Championship.[citation needed]
