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116-572: The Chicago Rush are a professional arena football team based in Chicago, Illinois . Founded in 2001, the team qualified for the playoffs 11 out of 12 seasons and won one AFL championship, ArenaBowl XX in 2006. During their history, the Rush won five divisional titles and competed in the AFL Conference Championship six times, including four consecutive appearances from 2004 to 2007. They also had

232-418: A touchdown , but stops after an extra point or two-point conversion attempt. If a quarter ends as a touchdown is scored, an untimed conversion attempt takes place. The play clock is 30 seconds, starting at the end of the previous play. In all arenas, the final minute of the period is measured in tenths of a second. Prior to the 2018 season, during the final minute of the fourth quarter, the clock stopped if

348-512: A "dead" player may participate on kickoffs, or as long snapper or holder. In 2006, the AFL changed its substitution rules such that free substitutions were allowed on all kickoffs. The most significant change was the introduction of free substitution , the so-called " Elway Rule". Previously, AFL coaches were limited to one substitution per position per quarter. From 2007 to 2019 and come 2024 , coaches can substitute players at will. The rationale

464-435: A 15-minute halftime ( ArenaBowl has a 30-minute interval). Teams are allowed three timeouts per half, and two per overtime period if regulation ends tied. Teams must use a timeout if there's an injury inside a half-minute left in regulation or overtime; exception applies to when team has no timeouts, and this occurs, they're granted an extra timeout. The clock stops for out-of-bounds plays, incomplete passes, or sacks only in

580-460: A Chapter 11 reorganization on August 26.[21] Less than two months after the announcement, and a few weeks after the suspension forced the dissolution of af2, the Arizona Rattlers and Orlando Predators defected to Arena Football 1, a startup league consisting mostly of former af2 teams. The 16-team league expects to expand to "24 to 30" teams prior to the start of their inaugural 2010 season, and

696-650: A certain level of stability, however. The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) began in 2001 and was the most successful league in the early 2000s. The Indoor Football League (IFL) began in the autumn of 2008 when two already-established leagues (the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football ) chose to merge into a single organization. The IFL's expansion model has been based less on establishing new teams and more on acquiring existing teams from other leagues. The IFL has 16 teams as of 2024. Other, regional leagues include Champions Indoor Football (CIF),

812-554: A championship in any sport since the 1937–38 Chicago Blackhawks . In 2007, the team won the American Conference Central Division with a record of 12–4. D'Orazio was the team's quarterback and Bobby Sippio, in his first full season with the Rush caught 125 passes for 1,742 yards and 53 passes. After the season, Sippio would sign with the Kansas City Chiefs . They defeated the L.A. Avengers on June 9, 2007 in

928-479: A color commentator. This section contains all records, awards, and honors acquired by Rush players in individual seasons. Career records weren't included as not all players spent career with Rush Arena football Three leagues have played under official arena football rules: the Arena Football League , which played 32 seasons in two separate runs from 1987 to 2008 and 2010 to 2019; arenafootball2 ,

1044-499: A few team names and logos owned by outside parties, in a December 2009 bankruptcy auction. Shortly after the purchase, AF1 adopted the Arena Football League name, and the AFL relaunched in 2010 . The "iron man" rule, requiring at least six of the eight players to play on both offense and defense, was dropped, but most other past AFL rules remained unchanged. The relaunched league saw franchises return and renewed interest, but by

1160-507: A field that was identical in size to a standard North American ice hockey rink, 200 by 85 feet (61 m × 26 m). This resulted in the field being 50 yards long (half of the length of a standard American football field) with eight-yard end zones (which may, if necessary, be curved in the end zones as hockey rinks are), and the field being slightly over half as wide as a standard football field. Foster adopted short-pile artificial turfs (which were then standard) such as AstroTurf for

1276-417: A hockey rink; this is much like some Canadian football fields where the end zones can be cut off by a track). Each sideline has a heavily padded barrier, with the padding placed over the hockey dasher boards. The goalpost uprights are 9 feet (2.7 m) wide, and the crossbar is 15 feet (4.6 m) above the playing surface. Taut rebound nets on either side of the posts bounce any missed field goals back into

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1392-466: A major network television broadcasting contract with NBC , and eventually launched an official minor league , af2 , beginning in 2000. This effort basically served two purposes: one as a developmental league for the AFL, and as a place where former collegiate players could develop while at the same time learning and becoming accustomed to the unique arena rules, and secondly as a pre-emptive way of shutting out potential new indoor football competitors (this

1508-575: A member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the AFL. After the 2013 season, the Rush announced that their operations were suspended and were no longer part of the Arena Football League. The team's roster was liquidated in a dispersal draft. The current Rush will begin play in 2025 and are owned by Grammy Award-nominated music producer Ernest "Tuo" Clark. The Rush made its AFL debut in 2001. The team played its home games at

1624-741: A more modern venue as well as the league's desire for a larger market led to the move to the New York City area, despite two failed past attempts in the region: the New York Knights ( 1988 ) and the New York CityHawks ( 1997 – 1998 ), both of which played at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan . The team was purchased by Charles Wang , who was also the Islanders' majority owner. The Arena Football organization did award an af2 franchise to Iowa for

1740-463: A new ownership group that had acquired the league's trademarks and social media accounts announced another revival of the league, which began play in 2024. On May 12, 2024, kicker Melissa Strother made an extra point while playing for the Washington Wolfpack , making her the first female player to score a point in the league. Other indoor football leagues have been formed, without the use of

1856-527: A non-traditional (spring-summer) season, was in operation in 1983–1985. When the USFL ceased operations, Foster saw his opportunity. He staged a "test" game in Rockford, Illinois in 1986 and put together a four-team league for a "demonstration season" in the spring of 1987, with games televised on ESPN . Foster had to adopt a field that would fit within the smaller playing surfaces found in most arenas and thus created

1972-618: A professional arena football team based in the New York metropolitan area . The Dragons participated in the Arena Football League 's (AFL) National Conference as a member of the Eastern Division . The team was founded in 1995 as the original iteration of the Iowa Barnstormers , and relocated to New York in 2001 . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded. They played in

2088-402: A punt striking the ceiling. The end zones were slightly shorter—eight yards instead of the standard ten (coincidentally, the eight-yard endzone length is the standard in modern indoor football). While several attempts to create a true indoor football game have been made since shortly after American football was developed, the first version to meet with relatively widespread success and acceptance

2204-516: A season. Wide receiver Reggie Gray finished the year with the most catches (130) and receiving yards (1,969) in franchise history, and tied the Rush record with 53 total touchdowns. Bobby Sippio held the old records. Chicago defeated the Dallas Vigilantes at Allstate Arena in the first round of the playoffs, but the Rush season ended the following week, falling to the Arizona Rattlers in

2320-595: A small field was actually played outdoors at the original open-air Madison Square Garden . Using nine-man sides , Pennsylvania defeated Rutgers 10–0 at the annual meeting of the Amateur Athletic Union on January 16, 1889. The first documented indoor football game was an exhibition between the Springfield YMCA Training School and a Yale Senior Class team played on December 12, 1890, at Madison Square Garden II . James Naismith scored

2436-571: A three- or four-point stance at the start of the snap. Two defenders serve as linebackers , called the Mac and the Jack. The Mac may blitz from the side of the line opposite the offensive Tight End. The Jack's role has changed after new rules set in place by the league in 2008. The Jack cannot blitz, but under new, more defense-friendly rules, the Jack Linebacker may roam sideline to sideline within five yards of

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2552-471: A time from a 21-man active roster. Before 2007, players played both offense and defense except for the Quarterback , Kicker , and Offensive Specialist (Wide Receiver/Running Back combination) and two Defensive Specialists (Defensive Backs). If a player enters and leaves, from the moment he leaves the player is considered "dead" and cannot return to play until the designated time is served. Exception:

2668-543: A touchdown for Springfield, though Yale won the exhibition 16–10. The following day a second exhibition game was played, with Pennsylvania defeating Rutgers 20–12. The field at Madison Square Garden measured 260 feet (79 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide. The first documented indoor regulation football games were those played at the Chicago Coliseum in the late 1890s. The first such game matched Michigan against Chicago on Thanksgiving Day 1896. The match

2784-540: A year during the 1930s; the stadium stopped hosting games in 1940 and did not resume hosting football games until 1961. In the 1960s, the Boardwalk Bowl , a post-season game involving small college teams, was contested at the convention center. The Bowl was an attempt to make Atlantic City more of a year-round resort in the pre-gambling era as opposed to a single-season one (the Miss America Pageant , also held at

2900-471: Is 17,000 square feet (1,600 m )). The scrimmage area is 50 yards (46 m) long (unlike the field in NFL which is 100 yards (91 m) long), and each end zone is approximately 8 yards deep, two yards less than the standard 10 yards. Depending on the venue in which a game is being played, the end zones may be rectangular (like a basketball court) or, where necessary because of the building design, rounded (like

3016-433: Is ahead after one possession wins. If the teams are tied after each has had a possession, true sudden death rules apply thereafter. Each overtime period is 15 minutes, and continues from the ending of the previous overtime period until the tie is broken. All overtimes thereafter are true sudden death; no games can be tied. This includes both games of all semifinal series. New York Dragons The New York Dragons were

3132-555: Is in negotiations with at least seven other teams from the AFL to join, including the Tampa Bay Storm and the San Jose Sabercats([22] and [23]). The New York Dragons are not to be part of AF1. The following Dragons players were named to All-Arena Teams: The following Dragons players were named to All-Ironman Teams: The following Dragons players were named to All-Rookie Teams: The following players coached or played in

3248-403: Is kicked off from the goal line, to start the halves and odd overtimes, or after any score. The team with the ball is given four downs to gain ten yards or score. Punting is illegal because of the size of the playing field, however, a field goal that either misses wide (therefore bouncing off the nets surrounding the goalposts) or falls short, may be returned. Thus an impossibly long field goal

3364-449: Is most recently known as American Indoor Football (AIF) went through three names and two ownership changes in its first three seasons. Several other indoor leagues have been announced without ever actually commencing play, or operating only briefly with a handful of teams. Some were claimed attempts to form a second "major" league of indoor football while others were strictly efforts to form a new "minor" league. A few leagues have achieved

3480-434: Is played exclusively indoors, in arenas usually designed for either basketball or ice hockey teams. The field is the same width 85 feet (26 m) and length 200 feet (61 m) as a standard NHL hockey rink, making it approximately 30% of the dimensions of a regular American gridiron football field , and 19% of a Canadian gridiron football field (the total playing area, including the end zones of an Arena football field

3596-402: Is suspending league operations indefinitely. Several teams commented that they were still pursuing arena football in 2010 with the possibility of using the financially independent arenafootball2.[2] Despite this, several of the league's creditors have filed papers to force a Chapter 7 liquidation if the league does not do so voluntarily.[20] This request was granted on August 7, though converted to

Chicago Rush - Misplaced Pages Continue

3712-413: Is tantamount to a punt in other football variants. A receiver jumping to catch a pass needs to get only one foot down in bounds for the catch to be ruled a completed catch, just as in college football . Practically, this means that one foot must touch the ground before the receiver is pushed into the boards by an opposing player. Passes that bounce off the rebound nets remain "live." Balls that bounce off

3828-469: The 2001 season also called the Barnstormers , but that team folded after that season (only to be brought back in 2008). The Barnstormers were noted for their unique uniforms, which in keeping with the aviation theme included the depiction of goggles on the helmets, wings on the shoulders of the jerseys, and propellers on the pants legs. The primary figures in the original Iowa organization were Jim Foster ,

3944-542: The 2008 season. On November 1, 2000, it was announced that the Iowa Barnstormers had relocated to New York as the Dragons. The Dragons' logo and uniforms were designed by Chris Trevas who is a full-time Star Wars artist . Nassau Coliseum, where the franchise relocated, is generally regarded as one of the most marginal venues currently used in major American professional sports, and is often proposed for replacement, so

4060-583: The Allstate Arena (formerly known as the Rosemont Horizon), the same venue previously used by the Chicago Bruisers , one of the four original Arena Football League teams. The Rush have made the playoffs every year in the franchise's short history, and so far, they have made one ArenaBowl appearance. Mike Hohensee was the franchise's first coach, and he remained the Rush's only coach until becoming

4176-467: The Allstate Arena . Injuries allowed Russ Michna to become the team's starter over Bonner. Harrell, Donovan Morgan, and Travis LaTendresse would all post 1,000-yard receiving seasons. En route to an 11–5 season, Chicago locked up the conference's top seed and home field advantage for the entire playoffs. It was the first time Chicago had home field advantage and the Rush had never lost a home playoff game, going 3–0. The Grand Rapids Rampage drew Chicago in

4292-825: The American Arena League (AAL) and National Arena League (NAL). Both CIF and the AAL were formed by mergers of existing leagues. The CIF was formed from a merger of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League and the Lone Star Football League in 2015. The AAL was formed in late 2017 as the combination of three leagues that each played one season: the Can-Am Indoor Football League , Arena Pro Football , and Supreme Indoor Football . Champions Indoor Football merged with

4408-498: The Dallas Desperados 60–47, but fell in the semifinals to the Arizona Rattlers 46–35. In 2003, the AFL expanded from 14 games to 16. Dicken was the team's quarterback, but missed time after breaking his jaw in the middle of the season. Antonio Chatman broke Rush franchise records for All-Purpose and Return Yards. He caught 123 passes for 1,636 yards and 29 touchdowns. On special teams, he netted 2,062 return yards and got into

4524-699: The Eastern Division of the National Conference, and played their home games at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York . Their last coach was Weylan Harding . The team was based in suburban Uniondale, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum , former home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . The team's mascot was Sparky the Dragon, who is also mascot for

4640-628: The New York Islanders . The franchise played in Des Moines, Iowa from 1995 to 2000 , as the Iowa Barnstormers . The team had been successful in Iowa, having reached the ArenaBowl in 1996 and 1997 . From 1995 to 1997, the team's starting quarterback was Kurt Warner , who moved up to the National Football League in 1998 and became an NFL MVP and Super Bowl winning quarterback. The need for

4756-464: The Texas Terror . It also set a record for the most points scored in one game (167). On Saturday, February 11, 2006, the Dragons won against the expansion team Utah Blaze 84–81 on the road and they made AFL history for the second-most points scored in one game with 165. On July 8, 2008 a group of investors, led by Steve Silva, announced they are buying the team from Charles Wang . With the purchase

Chicago Rush - Misplaced Pages Continue

4872-646: The Utah Blaze and June 15 versus the San Antonio Talons ) will be played at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford, Illinois , which hosted the first "test game" for the AFL in 1986. One week before the season opener, the new ownership group introduced the team's new logo and uniforms, which removed the gray from the logo and replaced it with red. In May 2013, David Staral Jr. bounced a check needed to secure Allstate Arena for two upcoming home games. Upon

4988-504: The " World Series of Pro Football ." The games were played on a 70-yard by 35-yard dirt field but otherwise adhered to outdoor rules. Poor attendance led to the tournament being discontinued after two years. The Chicago Bears of the National Football League hosted an experimental game against their crosstown rivals, the Cardinals , after the 1930 NFL season , at the indoor Chicago Stadium . Two years later, poor weather conditions led to

5104-545: The "deuce": if a kickoff goes through the uprights, the kicking team receives two points. This rule had previously been in effect in the IFL and the NAL . The league also instituted the rouge / single , as used in the CFL , whereby, on a kickoff, the kicking team receives one point if the receiving team fails to bring the ball out of its own end zone. After scoring a touchdown, the scoring team has

5220-429: The 10-yard line after any touchdown, if they want to. Any kickoff that goes through the uprights is scored as a "deuce", or two points. Four offensive players must be on the line of scrimmage at the snap ; one of the linemen must declare himself the tight end . One offensive player may be moving forward at the time of the snap as long as he has not yet crossed the line of scrimmage. Three defensive players must be in

5336-611: The 1–13 Dallas Vigilantes and then closed out the year on the road losing to the Spokane Shock . It cost the team a chance at the division title and forced the team to go on the road for the playoffs. The team ended the regular season at 10–6, and lost to the Milwaukee Iron in the playoffs. The Rush celebrated its 10th season in 2011. Bob McMillen replaced Mike Hohensee to become the team's second head coach in team history, and Russ Michna returned at quarterback. Chicago finished

5452-461: The 3-0 Los Angeles Avengers , facing off against Tony Graziani and the league's top ranked offense. Dameon Porter sealed the win with a key interception at the goal line with one minute left to play. The victory turned around the Rush season. But to make the postseason, Chicago needed to defeat the Indiana Firebirds on the final day of the regular season, the Rush won 46–43, in overtime. For

5568-613: The AFL playoffs as the #3 seed in the American Conference. They won the conference semifinal over the Los Angeles Avengers 52–45, but ended up losing the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual ArenaBowl XIX Champion Colorado Crush in overtime, with a final score of 49–43. That game became known as the "Confetti Game", due to an arena employee firing a confetti cannon prematurely, when

5684-454: The AFL signed with NBC from 2003–06, the Rush was one of the most prominently featured teams during the national NBC broadcasts as well as playoff games and the majority of Chicago's games moved to Sunday afternoons. A few of the games not picked up by NBC remained on FSN Chicago until 2006. Beginning in the 2007 season, the AFL began a TV partnership with ESPN and FSN Chicago went under and Comcast SportsNet Chicago took its place. Once again

5800-471: The AFL's erstwhile developmental league , which played 10 seasons from 2000 through 2009; and the China Arena Football League , which played two abbreviated seasons in 2016 and 2019 but was not directly affiliated with the now-defunct AFL. A 2024 reboot of the Arena Football League uses the original league's rulebook with minor variations. Through the late 1990s, the Arena Football League was

5916-616: The Bears hosting the 1932 NFL Playoff Game against the Portsmouth Spartans (now the Detroit Lions ) at the stadium. A dirt and tanbark field measuring 80 yards long (60 yards plus two ten-yard end zones ) and 45 yards wide was constructed on the arena's floor. The Chicago Stadium games were notable for introducing several rule changes, including the introduction of hash marks to keep play away from spectators who were seated next to

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6032-603: The Chicago Rush were purchased by a group, headed by Julee White of Testarossa Entertainment, but the purchase was terminated by the AFL three months later due to the ownership's failure to meet league obligations. On February 7, 2013, the Rush were purchased by Star Rush Football, LLC, an ownership led by private-equity firm manager David Staral Jr. Weeks later, they finalized a deal with Allstate Arena in Rosemont to play all but two home games. The other two home games (June 8 against

6148-484: The Eastern Division of the National Conference. They were coached by former Barnstormer defensive back Weylan Harding . In the 2006 season Weylan Harding became the winningest Arena Football league coach in his first two seasons as a coach, winning twenty games throughout the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The Dragons had one of the biggest stars in the Arena Football League , in quarterback Aaron Garcia . Garcia has

6264-615: The National Conference Championship Game. Arizona advanced to ArenaBowl XXIV , but lost to the Jacksonville Sharks in the championship. For the Rush, it marked the sixth time in franchise history the team had advanced to the AFL Conference Championships. The 2012 season marked the AFL's 25th season and number 11 for the Rush. The ownership group, Chicago Gridiron LLC, declared bankruptcy before

6380-560: The Rush defeated the Orlando Predators , 69–61, to give Chicago their first Arena Bowl title. Quarterback Matt D'Orazio was Offensive Player of the Game, wide receiver/defensive back Dennison Robinson took Defensive Player of the Game honors, and fullback/linebacker Bob McMillen was named the Ironman of the Game. With the win, the Rush became the first team with a losing regular-season record to win

6496-616: The Rush managed to pull off key upsets. In the Wild Card Round, the Rush defeated the fourth-seeded Nashville Kats 55–47. In the Divisional Round, Chicago managed to pull off a huge upset by taking down the defending champion Colorado Crush , 63–46. In the Conference Championship they upset the second-seeded San Jose SaberCats 59–56, giving the Rush their first ArenaBowl appearance in franchise history. In ArenaBowl XX ,

6612-454: The Rush were not featured as often as they had been with ESPN and NBC, averaging between 2 and 3 telecasts a year on NFL Network in 2010 and 2011, but were shutout from the national spotlight in 2012. Occasionally region games air on CSN and WGN's CLTV , and all AFL games are streamed for free online through UStream . Online Radio and TV Broadcasts were handled by former Chicago Bruisers Broadcaster Les Grobstein in 2010 through 2013 without

6728-448: The Rush were widely featured during the national ESPN telecasts on Monday nights and Sunday afternoons. The regional telecasts went to Comcast SportsNet. From 2001 to 2008, the Rush games were broadcast by Tom Dore and former Chicago Bears offensive lineman James "Big Cat" Williams . The radio deals bounced between 670 The Score and ESPN Radio 1000. When the Rush returned in 2010, the AFL signed its TV deal with NFL Network , but

6844-600: The X cup (formerly Legends Cup and Lingerie Bowl), the LFL played a variant of indoor rules with most of its games in indoor stadiums, although a few teams experimented with playing in outdoor stadiums. The league's brief foray into Australia was played in outdoor stadiums; these teams nevertheless played under indoor football rules. All other women's leagues play on outdoor fields with outdoor rules; there have been several other attempts to form indoor women's football leagues, but none have made it to play. As its name implies, arena football

6960-438: The center, likewise began as an attempt to extend the season beyond Labor Day). The Atlantic Coast Football League played its inaugural championship game at the convention center in 1962, but the game only drew 2,000 fans and the game would thereafter move to the home stadium of the team with the best regular season record. The Philadelphia -based Liberty Bowl game, which had been played at Municipal Stadium from 1959 to 1963,

7076-466: The defensive team for two points. Coaches are given two challenges per game, as in the NFL; to challenge, they must throw their red flag before the next play. If the play stands as called after review, the challenging team loses a timeout. If a team wins both challenges used, a third is granted. Video review is automatic in the final half-minute of regulation, all overtime periods, and all scoring plays and turnovers. A game has four 15-minute quarters with

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7192-529: The divisional finals. They then played the San Jose SaberCats for the conference final, yet they came up short losing 61–49. In 2008, the Rush made a free agency splash by signing AFL legends Sherdrick Bonner and Damian Harrell . The Rush opened its 2008 campaign against the defending ArenaBowl XXI champion San Jose Sabercats . Chicago convincingly defeated the Sabercats 70–47 in front of 15,409 fans at

7308-468: The divisional round. The Rampage finished the regular season 6–10 but stunned the Rush and 14,338 fans 58–41. The Rampage would lose a week later to the Sabercats at the HP Pavilion . In 2009, the Arena Football League suspended operations to refinance and restructure its business plan. After a one-year layoff, the AFL and Chicago Rush returned in 2010 with a single entity model. On December 10, 2009, it

7424-540: The end of the 2017 season, almost all of the league's teams had either folded or moved to other leagues, with only the Philadelphia Soul having existed prior to 2016. Five expansion teams, all in the Mid-Atlantic United States , were established over the next two years, before the league announced after the 2019 season that it was dissolving in a second Chapter 7 bankruptcy. However, on February 1, 2023,

7540-435: The end zone seven times. Chicago also signed DeJuan Alfonzo early in the season from the Indiana Firebirds . Alfonzo would be with the team until 2010. Chicago also signed FB/LB Bob McMillen , who would play with the team until 2007 and became the Rush's head coach in 2011. After starting the season 0–3, the Rush finished 8–5 and got into the playoffs as a Wild Card Team. After the team's 0-3 start, Chicago squared off against

7656-454: The expansion franchise in Pittsburgh in order to use the expansion fees to help pay off the debts and infuse enough cash into the league to hold the 2010 season.[19] In early August 2009, numerous media outlets began reporting that the AFL was folding permanently and would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The league released a statement on August 4 announcing that while the league is not folding, it

7772-673: The fewest schedule conflicts (only competing with touring stadium rock concerts). The spring schedule has since been adopted by virtually all other professional indoor leagues as of 2010. Within a year of the AFL kicking off, its first challenger, the World Indoor Football League formed. The WIFL planned to play a schedule with six teams beginning in summer of 1988 with its own set of indoor-inspired rules, including an unusual system that would have eight men on offense and seven men on defense. Despite having backing from former NFL players, veteran coaches, and singer John Mellencamp ,

7888-501: The field (much like modern indoor football), while goal posts were moved to the goal line. To compensate for the smaller field, teams were "penalized" 20 yards upon crossing midfield. (The Bears' official Web site goes further and claims that field goals were outlawed for the 1932 game.) In 1930, the Atlantic City Convention Center constructed a nearly full-size indoor football field, and used it for one to three games

8004-399: The field because of its ability to be easily rolled up when the arena is being used for other sports. Foster adopted a modified version of eight-man football . He also mandated a one-platoon system that required at least six players to play on both offensive and defensive downs. This had the added desirable effect of limiting team payrolls. There were numerous other rules designed to help

8120-547: The field of play and allow the ball to remain live; the rebound nets were the only part of the patent that was upheld until it expired. As a result, some non-AFL arena leagues that formed after the patent expired like the National Arena League have used rebound nets, while other leagues such as the Indoor Football League and American Indoor Football opt to not use them. The first demonstration of football on

8236-402: The field of play. The ball is "live" when rebounding off these nets or their support apparatus. The entire goalframe and goalside rebound net system is suspended on cables from the rafters. The bottom of the two goalside rebound nets are 8 feet (2.4 m) off the playing surface. Each netframe is 32 feet (9.8 m) high by 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. A player is not counted as out of bounds on

8352-661: The first time in franchise history, Chicago did not win a playoff game, and fell in the Wild Card Game to the New York Dragons 48–45. After the season, Chatman went to the NFL, signing with the Green Bay Packers . In 2004, the Rush signed Raymond Philyaw as its franchise quarterback. Philyaw was known for his efficiently and record touchdown-interception ratio, a crucial stat in the AFL, where turnovers are key. In 2004, Philyaw threw just four interceptions. Chicago started

8468-463: The fourth quarter sealed the deal. Spokane went on to win another playoff game. The league has announced that the Rush did not sign a two-year commitment form to play in 2014 or 2015, thus will sit out until further notice. The team's roster was liquidated in a dispersal draft. In October 2023, the revived AFL announced the return of the Chicago Rush for the 2025 season. However, the revival ceased operations and that league's surviving eight teams made

8584-448: The game was extended due to a defensive penalty on the final play. After a ten-minute delay to clean the confetti, the Rush were able to tie the game on the untimed down, forcing the overtime period. In 2006, despite their first losing record of 7–9, the Rush got into the playoffs, receiving the #5 seed in the American Conference. In the off-season, signed former Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Bishop and Matt D'Orazio to fight to be

8700-480: The head coach of the Philadelphia Soul in 2011. One year after, Hohensee left the Soul to coach the Iowa Barnstormers. In their inaugural year (2001), the Rush finished the regular season 7–7 and won their first playoff game, beating the Orlando Predators 41–26, but lost to the eventual ArenaBowl XV champion Grand Rapids Rampage 53–21. The team featured young players that would become Rush fixtures and fan favorites in

8816-520: The honor of most touchdown passes in a game (11), and second most touchdown passes in a season (104 in 2001). Through his 10-year career, he has thrown over 800 touchdown passes. The Dragons set the league record for most points in a game, scoring 99 against the Carolina Cobras on July 7, 2001, surpassing the previous record of 91, which had been set by the New Jersey Red Dogs in 1997 against

8932-498: The improvement of the situation with regards to a venue has been fairly minimal to this point. In late September 2004, Islanders' ownership announced an ambitious project to renovate the Coliseum, surrounding it with housing units and construction of an adjacent tower, resembling a lighthouse , at a total cost of over $ 200 million (US). Since then, the lighthouse has been taken out of the design plan. The New York Dragons had competed in

9048-575: The inventor of Arena Football , and Kurt Warner , the quarterback who went on to play for the St. Louis Rams and win both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl XXXIV MVP. Aside from the league's desire to re-enter the New York market, another major reason cited for the team's relocation was the inadequacy of their Des Moines venue, the Iowa Veterans Memorial Auditorium , also known as "The Barn". Most of

9164-431: The jump to the newly-formed Arena Football One leaving the Rush's future up in the air. The following Rush players were named to All-Arena Teams: Note: Statistics are correct through the end of Week 1 the 2013 Arena Football League season . The Chicago Rush originally had games broadcast on the now defunct Fox Sports Net Chicago during its first two seasons from 2001–02 with mostly Saturday night telecasts. When

9280-418: The largest market in the AFL. The team was intended to become members of the third incarnation of the Arena Football League , but due to their collapse and their eight surviving teams jumping to the new Arena Football One , the Rush's membership is on hold. They are the second incarnation of the Chicago Rush team to play Area football. The original team played at the Allstate Arena from 2001 to 2013. They were

9396-523: The last half-minute of regulation or overtime (there is only a half-minute warning , as opposed to the two-minute warning in the XFL /NFL and the three-minute warning in the CFL) or because of penalties, injuries or timeouts . The clock also stops for any change in possession, until the ball is marked ready for play; for example, aside from the final half-minute of regulation or overtime, time continues to run down after

9512-490: The league administrators and team owners had allowed player salaries and other costs to rise to the point where the league and many of the teams were losing a substantial amount of money. Late in the summer of 2009, with the team owners unable to agree on a plan for making the league viable again the AFL announced that it was folding, eventually putting its assets up in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. The developmental af2, however, played its 2009 season as scheduled. Most of

9628-449: The league canceled its 1988 season, folded half of its franchises (including Mellencamp's), and made an unsuccessful bid for the remaining three teams to join the AFL; the WIFL never played a single game. In 1990, Foster patented the rules of arena football, meaning that only persons authorized by him could use his rules and his name for the sport. While the AFL asserted throughout the 1990s that

9744-403: The league had actively promoted for 20 seasons, and that the change took away a key component of what made arena football a distinctive sport. The iteration of the league that began play in 2024 restored the "ironman" rules at the beginning of the season. After the league reorganized, the league abandoned ironman play and restored free substitution; unlike in 2007, the reason for the 2024 change

9860-484: The league's inaugural season, and Terrell Owens joining the following year ( Michael Vick was also announced as a player midseason but would not play). FCF suspended operations following the 2022 season. The best-known indoor women's football league is the X League (formerly known as the Legends Football League, and Lingerie Football League ). Known for its scantily-clad players and its signature event,

9976-454: The line of scrimmage and drop into coverage once the Quarterback pump fakes . (Before this rule, the Jack could not drop back into coverage until the ball is thrown or the quarterback is no longer in the pocket , and the Jack had to stay within the box designated by the outside shoulders of the offensive line , the line of scrimmage, and five yards back from the line of scrimmage.) The ball

10092-433: The line of scrimmage, while defensive linemen were hindered by restrictions that prevented them from using certain techniques to penetrate the offensive line. Quarterbacks and placekickers were exempt from the one-platoon system, allowing two key scoring positions to be more specialized. The AFL also adopted the USFL's concept of playing in the late spring and summer, since this is when most hockey and basketball arenas have

10208-424: The new Arena Football League prior to 2024. Fan Controlled Football launched in 2021 following an interactive format inspired by video games, with "power-ups" and fans voting on plays. It generally targeted a higher caliber of player than the typical indoor league, with outdoor football veterans such as Johnny Manziel , Robert Turbin , Quinton Flowers , Quinn Porter , Shawn Oakman and Josh Gordon playing in

10324-459: The news, the AFL took over control of the franchise. Staral later pleaded guilty to Federal bankruptcy and wire fraud charges for concealing that he was undergoing bankruptcy proceedings while in negotiations to buy the team. 2013 Playoffs: Rushed out of Spokane On August 1, 2013 the Rush traveled to Spokane, Washington to play the 14-4 Spokane Shock in the first round of the AFL playoffs. They lost to Spokane, 69–47. Three costly turnovers in

10440-410: The offense and ensure high-scoring games: To further an offensive passing advantage over the defense, Foster also imposed strict restrictions on the defensive formation, mandating that all defenses were required to play a 3-2-Monster formation with three defensive linemen, two linebackers, two cornerbacks, and one safety. Linebackers were not permitted to blitz and were required to stay in boxes behind

10556-425: The offensive team had the lead and did not advance the ball past the line of scrimmage. This prevented the "victory formation" (the offensive team merely kneeling down), or running other plays that are designed solely to exhaust the remaining time rather than to advance the ball downfield. This rule was eliminated in the interest of player safety. In the first overtime , each team gets one possession to score. Whoever

10672-460: The only league playing any variant of the sport designed for indoor play. A clarification limiting the scope of its patent allowed for competing indoor football leagues (sometimes known as arena leagues ) to use the same size field and most other aspects of the game. Arena football is distinguished from the other indoor leagues by its use of large rebound nets attached to the side of each goalpost, which keep any missed field goal or overthrown ball in

10788-465: The option of attempting a four-point conversion (akin to the three-point conversion seen in the UFL and its predecessors) from the opponent's ten-yard line, alongside the existing extra point and two-point conversion options. The rule was carried over as part of a pre-launch merger with Champions Indoor Football . Teams may go for two points from the 2.5-yard line, three from the 5-yard line, or four from

10904-498: The padded walls that surround the field are "live"; the end zone walls were not live until the 2006 season. Come 2025 gunners must line up on their own 20-yard line on kickoffs, with one receiving player fielding from the end zone. The scoring is the same as in the NFL with the addition of a drop kick field goal worth four points during normal play or two points as a post-touchdown conversion . Blocked extra points and turnovers on two-point conversion attempts may be returned by

11020-564: The patent covered virtually every aspect of the game (from the 50-yard field to the eight-man format), a 1998 lawsuit ( Arena Football League v. Professional Indoor Football League ) established that the patent specifically covered the rebound net feature, meaning that competitors could not use this aspect of the rules. However, under provisions of U.S. patent law , Foster's patent expired on March 27, 2007, enabling competitors to use rebound nets (at least as originally envisioned, without other innovations that he may have patented). The AFL signed

11136-612: The rebound nets at the ends of the field. Like the AFL, their playing seasons are entirely or primarily outside the traditional fall/early winter season of the outdoor sport so as not to be competing with it directly for fan support. Since the first such league, the Professional Indoor Football League, began play in the 1998, there has often been a pattern of instability. Each off-season has seen teams jumping from league to league. In addition, leagues have annually merged, changed names, and separated. The organization that

11252-478: The regular season with a 13–5 record and finished first in the Central Division. It was the most regular season wins in Rush history, breaking the 2007 team's 12-4 mark. Defensive back Vic Hall broke AFL record for interceptions in a season with 15, doing it as a rookie. The Rush defense led the league in points allowed (46.3 per game) and broke league records for the most turnovers (56) and interceptions (42) in

11368-669: The season started and abandoned the team. The league stepped in and ran the Rush during the 2012 season. Chicago began the year with a 70–48 home victory against the Tampa Bay Storm on March 10 at Allstate Arena. In 2012, the Rush re-signed quarterback Russ Michna , the franchises all-time leading passer, 2011 Second Team All-Arena WR Reggie Gray and 2011 AFL Defensive Player of the Year DB Vic Hall , jack linebacker Kelvin Morris , and offensive lineman T.J. Watkins. On November 12, 2012,

11484-574: The seats in this venue were located directly along the sidelines as is typical of high school sports venues. The Barnstormers organization constantly lobbied for the construction of a better facility during their time in Des Moines, to no avail. In 2005, the Wells Fargo Arena opened in Des Moines, directly across from what the locals call "Vets", as part of the newly expanded Iowa Events Center . A new Barnstormers af2 franchise began play there in

11600-402: The sidelines unless he is pushed into or falls over the sideline barrier. This rule was put in place before the 2006 season. Before that time, a sideline with only a small amount of space (typically 6" to 12") existed between the sideline stripe and the barrier which would provide the space for a ball carrier to step out of bounds before hitting the sideline barrier. Each team fields 8 players at

11716-482: The team would change its uniforms, logo, and colors. The team also announced that the Dragons will continue to play in the Nassau Coliseum despite rumors that the Dragons would move to Manhattan and play their games at Madison Square Garden . On September 23, 2008, the Dragons announced their new logo and color scheme. The old colors of red and yellow were replaced by green and grey. The Dragons official mascot

11832-410: The team's starting quarterback, and D'Orazio got the game. During the regular season, Chicago started the year at 0–2, but during the season, the Rush picked up defensive back Jeremy Unertl and offensive specialist Bobby Sippio . Both made huge impacts on their respective sides of the ball. With a 5–9 record, the Rush won its last two games of the regular season to get a playoff spot. In the playoffs,

11948-456: The team. Also on the roster was wide receiver Samie Parker , Thaddeus Coleman , and kicker Chris Gould . Chicago returned to the field on April 2, 2010 on the road against the Iowa Barnstormers . The game was broadcast on the NFL Network and Chicago won 61–43. The Rush began the season 4–0 and were in first place in the division at 10–4. However, the team lost its last two games, first to

12064-430: The teams made a sustainable profit and the team owners were eager to see the league continue for another year. However, with the AFL owning 50.1% of the af2, it would fold if the AFL folded. At the end of the 2009 season, a gathering of af2 and remaining AFL team owners set out to form their own organization, originally known as Arena Football 1 (AF1). AF1 went on to purchase all assets of the original AFL and af2, except for

12180-465: The year 4–0, its best start in franchise history. The Rush won the Central division with an 11–5 record. They won their first-round game 59–49 over the Orlando Predators , but they fell in the semifinals to the eventual ArenaBowl XVIII champion San Jose SaberCats 49–35. Chicago led early in the game, but Philyaw tore his ACL on a scramble, and the Rush could not overtime the injury. In 2005, they went to

12296-546: The years to come, such as quarterback Billy Dicken , Joe Douglass , Damien Porter and Jamie McGourty, and Riley Kleinhesselink, Cedric Walker, and Anthony Ladd. In 2002, the Rush won the Central division with a 9–5 record and received a bye in the playoffs. Dicken returned at quarterback and Chicago added Antonio Chatman who was named to the All-Rookie team as the team's main wide receiver and return man. Chicago added defensive linemen John Moyer and James Baron . They defeated

12412-413: Was "the first collegiate game of football played under a roof." Adding to the novelty, as daylight turned to darkness, the field inside the Coliseum was lit with electric lighting. With seven acres of floor space, the sprawling Coliseum is believed to have not needed any compromises to accommodate an American football field. According to a newspaper account, the field grew dark in the second half, and play

12528-466: Was a dragon named Sparky , who is also the mascot of the NHL 's New York Islanders . On December 14, 2008, the Arena Football League announced it would cancel the 2009 season, but hoped to return in 2010. On July 20, 2009, Sports Business Journal reported that the AFL owed approximately $ 14 million to its creditors and were considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Owners were also exploring

12644-580: Was announced that the Rush would be returning for 2010 under new ownership as a member of Arena Football 1 . The ownership obtained the rights to the name after a court auction granted the AF1 control of the AFL's assets. Two months later, the AF1 decided to adopt the former Arena Football League name. The 2010 Rush roster would feature many new faces. However, former Rush players quarterback Russ Michna , jack linebacker/wide receiver DeJuan Alfonzo , and linemen Joe Peters , Robert Boss , and Beau Elliot rejoined

12760-556: Was devised by Jim Foster , a former executive of the United States Football League and the National Football League . He devised his game while watching indoor soccer , another game derived from a sport played outdoors. He worked on the game in the early 1980s, but put any plans for full development of it on hold while the United States Football League, an attempt to play traditional American football in

12876-405: Was especially important as the 2007 expiration of Foster's patent on the rebound nets approached). At times over forty teams participated in this league, almost uniformly in cities which also had minor league ice hockey teams and hence suitable arenas. Shortly before the end of 2008, the Arena Football League announced that it would not be playing a 2009 spring season. During the previous few years,

12992-424: Was halted for ten minutes to discuss whether play should continue. Play was resumed, and the lights were finally turned on after Michigan scored a touchdown. The press proclaimed the experiment in indoor football to be a success: One thing at least was settled by the game, and that is, that indoor football is literally and figuratively speaking a howling success. The men had no trouble in catching punts, and football

13108-434: Was in part to justify salary cuts that were required when a previous commissioner—Lee Hutton, who was ousted in the reorganization —made promises to cover higher salaries but had no revenue to fund such promises (since under ironman, a player would fill the roles of what would have otherwise been two roster spots, justifying their higher price compared to a one-way player in other indoor leagues). The league also instituted

13224-560: Was moved into the Convention Center in 1964 for the contest between Utah and West Virginia . The game drew just over 6,000 fans, though, and the Liberty Bowl moved to Memphis the next year, where it has remained. Unlike modern indoor football, the size of the playing surface and hence the rules were essentially the same as in the standard outdoor game, with rules updated to deal with contingencies for what could happen indoors, such as

13340-504: Was played on its merits, without the handicaps of a wet field or a strong wind. Toward the end of the second half it got very dark, and the spectators were treated to a novelty in the shape of football by electric light." Although both critically and commercially successful, the Coliseum was destroyed in a fire less than two years after its opening, and its replacement could not accommodate an American football field. Later, at Madison Square Garden in 1902 and 1903, there were games known as

13456-455: Was that free substitution would improve the overall quality of football in the league by giving coaches the freedom to put their best players on the field for every play of the game, and that teams would be able to select from a wider player talent pool when building their rosters. Traditionalists, however, believed the rule changes were the beginning of the removal of the " ironman " (two-way offense and defense) style of play of arena football that

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