The Hungarian Football League (HFL) has taken a different approach to the post season.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the HFL was last time held in 2019 with six teams and a “standard” regular season, a wild-card playoff round, semi-finals and championship final. Since there are only four teams in 2021, the Hungarian American Football Federation decided, in cooperation with the teams, to arrange as many games as possible.
The Cowbells could not make it to the second round Photo: László Tenk
As a result, this year the regular season has two rounds. In the first, the four teams played against each other once. The squad that finished last would be eliminated and this year it was the Budapest Cowbells.
The three advancing teams are the Fehérvár Enthroners (2-0), the Győr Sharks (1-1), and the Budapest Wolves (0-2). These three will take the results they reached against each other and face one another for the second time in the next round. However, those teams who were hosts in the first round will be visitors and vice versa.
The Enthroners are one win away from the Hungarian Bowl Photo: László Tenk
The Fehérvár Enthroners are in the best position. Although the defending champions have two away games, they only need one win to make it to the Hungarian Bowl. The Győr Sharks will have only one home game, while the Budapest Wolves will host both of their opponents. The first game will be on the 12th of June when the Győr Sharks will host the Fehérvár Enthroners.