1980 NAFL season (Jayverse)

The 1980 NAFL season was the 21st Regular Season of the North American Football League.

Major Rule Changes

 * A ten-second runoff will be implemented when a team commits the following actions to conserve time within the last minute of either half or overtime:
 * Fouls by either team that prevents the snap (e.g. false start, encroachment, etc.)
 * Intentional grounding
 * Illegal forward pass thrown from beyond the line of scrimmage
 * Throwing a backward pass out of bounds
 * Spiking or throwing the ball in the field of play after a down has ended, except after a touchdown
 * Any other intentional foul that causes the clock to stop.
 * Any excess time-out taken for injuries by either team.

Teams can take a time-out (if available) to prevent the runoff.


 * Players are prohibited from striking, swinging, or clubbing to the head, face, or neck. The personal foul could be called whether or not the initial contact was made below the neck.
 * A "Guidelines for Captains" section was added to the rules.

New Referee
The league added a 20th officiating crew, promoting Bob McElwee to referee. The league previously had 25 crews in 1976 (when the league expanded to 50 teams) and 1977. After referee Bernie Ulman retired after the 1977 season, the league used only 48 crews for the 1978 and 1977 season, requiring all 48 of them to be on hand for the weekly workload of 16 games.

Oakland Raiders announce future move to Honolulu in defiance of NAFL vote
In 1979, Raider owner Al Davis announced his intention to move the Raiders to Honolulu. Negotiations between Davis and the Oakland Coliseum regarding potential improvements to the facility came to an end in February 1980. At the NFL's annual meeting on March 10, 1980 following Honolulu hosting the Pro Bowl, team owners voted 22-0 against allowing the move, with the Raiders not participating and five teams abstaining. Davis announced he would ignore the vote and move the team anyway.

The Raiders played the entire 1980 season in Oakland. At a Monday Night Football game against the Boston on December 1, 1980, Raider fans protested by entering the Oakland Coliseum five minutes after the start of the game and holding up signs stating "Save Our Raiders" at each half's 2-minute warning. By some estimates, “almost two-thirds” of the Coliseum's seats had been empty at the game's kickoff.

The announced move was involved in four lawsuits: the Aloha Stadium Commission sued the NAFL charging antitrust violations, the NFL sued the Raiders charging breach of contract, Raider season ticket holders filed a class-action lawsuit, and the City of Oakland filed for eminent domain of the team.

In May 1982, a jury ruled that the NAFL had violated antitrust law by attempting to prevent the move. In April 1983, after the team's first season in Honolulu, a separate jury awarded the Raiders $35 million in damages.

However Oakland will not get an NAFL team until 1986 as the league expands to 56 Teams.

Rookie Draft
The Montreal Beavers got their first pick in the 1980 NAFL Draft to get DE Doug Scott from Boise State, The Houston Oilers got their 2nd Choice in the draft to select WR Lam Jones from Texas and the New Orleans Saints get their 3rd pick to select Stan Brock (T) from Colorado

Other Selections chosen in the 1980 NAFL Draft

Edmonton Elks draft Dan Kearns (DT)

San Francisco 49ers draft Earl Cooper (RB)

Denver Broncos draft Rulon Jones (DE)

St. Louis Gunners draft Curtis Greer (DE)

Oakland Raiders draft Marc Wilson (QB)

Chicago Bears draft Otis Wilson (LB)

Final Standings
NFC East: New York Giants (10-8), Philadelphia Eagles (9-9), Washington Redskins (9-9), Baltimore Colts (8-10), Montreal Alouettes (5-13)

NFC Central: Chicago Bears (12-6), Minnesota Vikings (11-7), Cleveland Browns (10-8), Green Bay Packers (7-11), Pittsburgh Steelers (7-11)

NFC Mountain: Edmonton Eskimos (13-5), Salt Lake City Pioneers (11-7), Saskatchewan Roughriders (11-7), Calgary Stampeders (7-11), Denver Broncos (7-11)

NFC West: Portland Loggers (13-5), Las Vegas Gamblers (10-8), Dallas Cowboys (9-9), San Francisco 49ers (8-10), Los Angeles Rams (7-11)

CFC East: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (12-6), Ottawa Northmen (11-7), Boston Patriots (9-9), New York Empire (9-9), Halifax Schooners (8-10)

CFC Central: Cincinnati Bengals (14-4), Toronto Argonauts (10-8), Detroit Lions (7-11), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-11), Buffalo Bills (4-14)

CFC South: Birmingham Vulcans (11-7), Miami Dolphins (9-9), Atlanta Falcons (8-10), Memphis Grizzlies (8-10), Houston Oilers (5-13)

CFC West: Phoenix Firebirds (12-6), British Columbia Cardinals (10-8), Seattle Jets (8-10), Los Angeles Chargers (7-11), Sacramento Raiders (7-11)

Playoffs
Halas Cup Quarterfinal

Salt Lake City Pioneers 51, Chicago Bears 24

New York Giants 23, Saskatcheawn Roughriders 15

Grey Cup Quarterfinal

Phoenix Firebirds 42, Toronto Argonauts 17

Ottawa Northmen 38, Birmingham Vulcans 9

Halas Cup Semi-Final

Salt Lake City Pioneers 33, Portland Loggers 21

Edmonton Eskimos 38, New York Giants 31

Grey Cup Semi-Final

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 42, Phoenix Firebirds 34

Ottawa Northmen 45, Cincinnati Bengals 10

Halas Cup Final

Edmonton Eskimos 38, Salt Lake City Pioneers 28

Grey Cup Final

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 44, Ottawa Northmen 34

21st World Series of Pro Football (at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, AB)

Edmonton Eskimos 48, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 47

NAFL All-Star Game (at The Astrodome in Houston, TX)

National All-Stars 23, Continental All-Stars 3

Awards
League MVP: Joe Theismann (QB - Hamilton Tiger-Cats)

Playoff MVP: Joe Theismann (QB - Hamilton Tiger-Cats)

Offensive POTY: Joe Theismann (QB - Hamilton Tiger-Cats)

Defensive POTY: Bill Bergey (LB - Edmonton Eskimos)

Offensive ROTY: William Miller (RB - Saskatchewan Roughriders)

Defensive ROTY: Donald Smalls (LB - Birmingham Vulcans)