A recent national poll indicates that roughly half of Canadian Football League (CFL) followers are in favor of proposed rule adjustments, while a majority believe that altering the CFL to resemble the American game is not currently appropriate. CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston unveiled a set of rule modifications to be phased in within the next two years.
Starting in 2026, the CFL will discontinue awarding a single point for field goals, punts, or kickoffs that clear or exit the end zone. Additionally, a 35-second automatic play clock will replace the current 20-second window after officials signal a play.
By 2027, the playing fields will shrink from 110 yards to 100 yards, the end zones will reduce from 20 to 15 yards, and the goalposts will be relocated from the goal line to the back of the end zones. A survey conducted by Winnipeg-based Probe Research on 1,230 Canadian adults from October 6 to 14 revealed that 30% of participants were aware of the forthcoming rule adjustments.
According to the poll, 11% of Canadians actively follow the CFL by either attending games or watching them on television, while an additional 29% occasionally tune in or check scores. Conversely, 60% of Canadians do not engage with the CFL at all.
Among those surveyed who are casual or dedicated fans, 42% expressed support or partial support for the proposed rule changes, with 20% opposing them. Notably, 37% did not offer an opinion on the modifications. Opposition to the alterations was notably higher in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers draw significant live audiences.
A supplementary survey of 448 adults from Manitoba indicated a higher level of opposition within the province, with 45% disliking the impending rule changes. Fans who follow the CFL were most in favor of the new 35-second play clock at 62%, while 59% approved of eliminating the single-point award for balls passing through the end zone.
The survey disclosed slightly less favorability towards other proposed changes, with 55% supporting shorter end zones, 54% in favor of relocating the goalposts, and 53% backing the reduction of the field to 100 yards. Moreover, 64% of CFL followers believed that now is not the optimal time to introduce NFL-like rule changes, and 42% stated they would cease watching CFL games if the modifications were implemented.
Additionally, 50% of CFL enthusiasts opined that watching the CFL is less engaging than the NFL, while 59% believed that the proposed changes would enhance the excitement of the Canadian game. Probe Research’s Curtis Brown highlighted the CFL’s delicate balance between tradition and innovation with the rule adjustments, emphasizing the challenge of pleasing both new audiences and loyal fans.
The Canadian Football League declined to comment on the survey findings. The national survey was conducted using an online provider, with a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points for a comparable random sample of 1,230 Canadians. Moreover, a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points was applied to the subsample of 448 Manitobans. Probe Research ensured the sample’s representativeness by applying minor statistical weighting based on age, gender, and geographic region.