The American 7s Football League (A7FL) is an American semi-professional league which plays a seven-man version of full contact football. Founded in 2014, its games are played without helmets or hard-shell pads as an effort to reduce the potential of head injuries resulting from helmet-to-helmet contact. It primarily attracts semi-professional football players seeking opportunities to stay in shape during spring.
Kicking the football (kickoffs, punts, field goals) is not part of the A7FL rules. Instead of a kickoff, a 3-on-1 throw off will occur. On kickoffs and punts, three ‘throwing’ players will throw to one receiver. There are no snaps from center. The quarterback starts the play with the ball in his hands. Games are played on narrow fields of 37 yards (the distance between one set of hash marks and the furthest sideline away). This to accommodate fewer players on the field on each team. A7FL games are played between two seven-man teams; teams are, additionally, required to cap their rosters at 35 active players.
The A7FL has plans to expand to 32 teams in the future.