1986 NAFL season (Jayverse)

The 1986 NAFL season was the 27th Regular Season of the North American Football League.

Major rule changes

 * Players are prohibited from wearing apparel, equipment, or other items that carry commercial names, names of organizations, or any type of personal message unless they get specific permission from the league.
 * If the offensive team commits a dead ball foul during the last two minutes of a half, the clock will start at the snap.
 * If an offensive player fumbles the ball and it goes forward and out of bounds, the ball is returned to that team at the spot of the fumble.
 * If an offensive player fumbles the ball in the field of play and it goes out of bounds in the opponent's end zone, the ball is given to the defensive team at the spot of the fumble (this rule would be changed in 1991 to result in a touchback).
 * A limited system of instant replay was adopted to aid officiating. A replay official in a booth would decide what plays to review and make the final ruling, regardless of the current score or the amount of time left in the game. The replay official communicated with the game officials via radio transmitters. However, there was no time limit on how long the replay official could review a play and this led to long game delays (this was a major reason why the system was eventually repealed in 1992 and not brought back until a more comprehensive replay system with time limits were established in 1999).

New Referee
Dick Hantak was promoted to referee. Fred Silva was then assigned as a swing official instead of his own crew.

Putting Football back to Kansas City
After Failing to Make the Post Season in Franchise History, The Baltimore Colts relocate to Kansas City, MO and became the Kansas City Colts after Kansas City took a Year off from having an NAFL Team in this league, However the Colts are planning to get RB Bo Jackson to play Football in the Fall and Baseball in the Spring despite he played for the Kansas City Monarchs of MLB.

The Rookie Draft
Hamilton Tiger-Cats draft Leslie O'Neal (DE) from Oklahoma State as the Top Draft Choice in the 1986 NAFL Draft, the Boston Patriots took 2nd in the Rookie Draft and select SMU RB Reggie Dupard, The Chicago Bears went 3rd in the Rookie Draft to get RB Neal Anderson from Florida, The Washington Sentinels take Marcus Koch (DE) from Boise State as the 4th Choice in the Rookie Draft, The Atlanta Falcons get Pick #5 to draft DT Tony Casillas from Oklahoma, The St. Louis Gunners get their 6th pick to draft Michigan STate LB Anthony Bell, Western Michigan LB John Offerdahl was chosen as the 7th pick in the NAFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins, Montreal gets LB Matt Finlay from Easstern Michigan as the 8th pick in the NAFL Draft, Temple G John Rienstra gets chosen as the 9th pick to the Pittsburgh Steelerrs and to Round out the Top 10, The San Francisco 49ers draft LB Pat Swilling from Georgia Tech

Other Picks taken in the 1986 NAFL Draft are

Birmingham Vulcans draft Jon Hand (DE)

New York Giants draft Eric Dorsey (DE)

Las Vegas Gamblers draft Tim Green (LB)

Memphis Steamers draft Jim Everett (QB)

Winnipeg Bombers draft Brian Belway (T)

Detroit Lions draft Chuck Long (QB)

Dallas Texans draft Mike Sherrard (WR)

New Orleans Saints draft Jim Dombrowski (G)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Paul Nastasiuk (RB)

Calgary Stampeders draft Kent Warnock (DE)

New York Jets draft Mike Haight (G)

Buffalo Bills draft Will Wolford (T)

Minnesota Vikings draft Gerald Robinson (DE)

Cleveland Browns draft Webster Slaughter (WR)

San Diego Destroyers draft James Fitzpatrick (T)

Houston Oilers draft Ernest Givins (WR)

Kansas City Colts draft Bo Jackson (RB)

Cincinnati Chargers draft Joe Kelly (LB)

Southern California Sun draft Kenneth Davis (RB)

Seattle Orcas draft John Wiliams (FB)

Green Bay Packers draft Robbie Bosco (QB)

Saskatchewan Roughriders draft Rueben Mayes (RB)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Keith Byars (RB)

Edmonton Elks draft Blaine Schmidt (G)

Jacksonville Sharks draft Robert Thompson (WR)

Chicago Bears draft Sam Mills (LB)

St. Louis Gunners draft Ray Brown (G)

San Francisco 49ers draft John Taylor (WR)

Los Angeles Rams draft Tom Newberry (G)

New York Giants draft Erik Howard (DT)

Milwaukee Mustangs draft Darryl Sampson (CB)

New Orleans Saints draft Dalton Hilliarrd (RB)

Milwaukee Mustangs draft Seth Joyner (LB)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Paul Osbaldiston (K)

Denver Broncos draft Steve Wallace (T)

Cleveland Browns draft Pepper Johnson (LB)

Sacramento Condors draft Kent Hull (C)

Kansas City Colts draft Dino Hackett (LB)

Cincinnati Chargers draft David Fulcher (S)

Green Bay Packers draft Tim Harris (LB)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Clyde Simmons (DE)

Washington Sentinels draft Mark Rypien (QB)

St. Louis Gunners draft Vai Sikahema (RB)

Miami Dolphins draft Charles Haley (DE)

San Francisco 49ers draft Brent Jones (TE)

Saskatcheawn Roughriders draft Glenn Harper (P)

Final Standings
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles (12-4), Baltimore Colts (10-6), New York Giants (8-8), Montreal Alouettes (6-10), Washington Redskins (5-11), New Jersey Generals (4-12)

NFC Central: Pittssburgh Steelers (10-6), Green Bay Packers (9-7), Chicago Bears (9-7), Dallas Cowboys (8-8), Minnesota Vikings (6-10), Cleveland Browns (4-12)

NFC Mountain: Salt Lake City Pioneers (13-3), Denver Broncos (13-3), Saskatchewan Roughriders (11-5), Edmonton Eskimos (10-6), Calgary Stampeders (8-8), Boise Steelheads (8-8)

NFC West: Portland Loggers (8-8), San Francisco 49ers (8-8), Tokyo Samurai (8-8), Honolulu Hawaiians (6-10), Reno Rhinos (6-10), Las Vegas Gamblers (6-10), Los Angeles Rams (4-12)

CFC East: Halifax Schooners (13-3), London Monarchs (10-6), Boston Patriots (9-7), Ottawa Northmen (8-8), New York Empire (8-8), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-11)

CFC Central: Buffalo Bills (11-5), Cincinnati Bengals (10-6), Indianapolis Checkers (10-6), Toronto Argonauts (9-7), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-8), Detroit Lions (4-12)

CFC South: Birmingham Vulcans (9-7), Miami Dolphins (8-8), Houston Oilers (7-9), Memphis Grizzlies (6-10), New Orleans Breakers (4-12), Atlanta Falcons (4-12)

CFC West: San Diego Chargers (15-1), Phoenix Firebirds (10-6), Oakland Invaders (8-8), Seattle Jets (7-9), British Columbia Cardinals (7-9), Sacramento Raiders (6-10), Los Angeles Express (4-12)

Playoffs
Halas Cup Quarterfinal

Saskatchewan Roughriders 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 17

Denver Broncos 34, Portland Loggers 21

Grey Cup Quarterfinal

Buffalo Bills 27, Phoenix Firebirds 17

London Monarchss 38, Birmingham Vulcans 3

Halas Cup Semi-Final

Philadelphia Eagles 34, Saskatchewan Roughriders 28

Denver Broncos 44, Salt Lake City Pioneers 35

Grey Cup Semi-Final

Buffalo Bills 23, Halifax Schooners 17

San Diego Chargers 30, London Monarchs 28

Halas Cup Final

Philadelphia Eagles 41, Denver Broncos 21

Grey Cup Final

San Diego Chargers 23, Buffalo Bills 3

27th World Series of Pro Football (at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, CA)

San Diego Chargers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 19

The 1987 NAFL All-Star Game (at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA)

National All-Stars 56, Continental All-Stars 24

Awards
League MVP: Dan Marino (QB - Honolulu Hawaiians)

Playoff MVP: Mark Harris (QB - San Diego Chargers)

Offensive POTY: Dan Marino (QB - Honolulu Hawaiians)

Defensive POTY: Sam Mills (LB - London Monarchs)

Offensive ROTY: Herschel Walker (RB - Montreal Alouettes)

Defensive ROTY: John Offerdahl (LB - Miami Dolphins)