(WHTM) – Pennsylvania will be home to three football teams in 2024, The Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Harrisburg Stampede of the American Indoor Football (AIF.)

This isn’t the first time that Harrisburg has hosted a football team.

The Stampede, who started in 2009, were originally with the American Indoor Football Association before moving to the Southern Indoor Football League. Over their tenure, before suspending operations on Dec. 30, 2014, they were also a part of the Professional Indoor Football League.

But what are the differences between the AFL and the NFL?

Field Differences

The most noticeable difference is that the AFL is played inside (although some NFL teams play in a domed stadium.)

The larger differences include the AFL field being 50 yards shorter than the NFL’s field which is 100 yards.

Quarters are still 15 minutes in the AFL, but instead of a 15-minute halftime, the AFL has a 30-minute halftime.

The goalposts are also different as the AFL posts are nine feet wide and fifteen feet high. The NFL’s goalposts are eight and a half feet wide and ten feet tall.

Behind the AFL goalposts is a rebound net and that’s exactly what it is used for. If a field goal is missed a player can catch the ball before it hits the ground and attempt to return the kick.

The nets are not only for kicks as quarterbacks can throw the ball off the net for a receiver to catch for a touchdown.

The AFL field also doesn’t have “out of bounds” lines as the out of bounds is a wall that the players have to stay within.

Arena Football League Field compared to National Football League Field

Game Rules

In the NFL, when an offense gets to fourth down they usually have to punt the ball but in the AFL punting is illegal.

AFL teams have three options; get the first down, score a touchdown, or attempt a field goal.

AFL teams can score on a kickoff. This occurs due to the short field as kickoffs are from the goal line.

A “deuce” occurs if the kicker can kick the ball through the goalposts on a kickoff which results in two points.

Other than the “Deuce” the NFL and AFL have the same scoring rules:

  • Touchdown = Six Points
  • Extra Points = One Point
  • Field Goal = Three Points
  • Safety = Two Points
  • Extra Point = One Point
  • Two Point Conversion = Two Points

If the game is tied in the AFL it also goes to overtime but the AFL overtime rules aren’t the same as the NFL.

In the AFL each team will get possession of the ball and start on the other team’s 20-yard line.

If each team scores and is still tied it goes to a second overtime which is the same as the first overtime, and the third overtime is also the same as the ones prior.

If the game gets to a fourth overtime or farther, a team scores that scores a touchdown must go for a two-point conversion.