The Continental Football League was established in 1965 and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). The formation of the league was announced on February 6, 1965. The league was primarily formed by minor-league teams.
The league originally adopted a "professional" appearance. Teams were sorted into two divisions and each team had a 36-man roster with a five-man "taxi" squad. The rules were primarily those of the NFL except that a "sudden death" overtime period was employed to break ties, which was not part of the NFL during the regular season at that time.
Lack of a consistent television contract, as well as medicore attendance, caused a number of franchises to fold or defect during and after the conclusion of the 1969 season, making the end of the COFL all but inevitable.
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