The Philippine Tackle Football League (PTFL), formerly known as ArenaBall Philippines (ABP), was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

league in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The last champions were the Wolves which won their second title and the Bandits held the most titles, winning four seasons.

History

Season 1

The league was inaugurated on December 12, 2009, by Bernardo “Dodi” A. Palma at the

University of Santo Tomas Field The University of Santo Tomas Athletic Field and Open Spaces, located at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, is a National Cultural Treasure as declared by the National Museum of the Philippines.

. In April 2010, the first official game of the league's first season was played at the

Marikina Sports Complex The Marikina Sports Center, also known as Marikina Sports Park and formerly known as Rodriguez Sports Center, is a sports complex located in Marikina, at the corner of Shoe Avenue and Sumulong Highway in Metro Manila, Philippines. History Prior t ...

. The inaugural season was contested by four teams; the Bandits, Barracudas, Juggernauts and the Wolves. The first season started initially with a 7-on-7 format utilizing 3 offensive linemen on offense. The first champions of the league were the Bandits. The Bandits'

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

and team captain, Will Yeh, was named

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

of the first season.

Season 2

In season two, the league switched to a 9-on-9 format. The Barracudas disbanded and were replaced by The Rebels. The Bandits won its second championship beating the Juggernauts at the ArenaBowl 14–6. The Juggernauts'

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Paul Reyes was named MVP of the 2011 season.

Season 3

By season 3, the league had moved onto the standard 11-on-11 format. The Bandits and Juggernaut once met again at the championships in season 3 with the Bandits taking their third consecutive league championships scoring 25–8. The MVP of the 2012 season once again came from the Juggernauts, Johnny Babaran who plays as a running back.

Season 4

The Bandits also won the 2013–14 season, again by beating the Juggernauts; 14–6.

Season 5

In season 5, the Vanguards joined the league and the Wolves became the first team other than the Bandits to win the championship, which the former won over the later with the score 16–0. The Wolves' wide receiver, Ivan Klaric was named MVP of the 2014–15 season.

Season 6

Matches of Season 6 took place at the

PhilSports Complex The Philippine Institute of Sports Complex (also known as the PhilSports Complex) is a national sports complex of the Philippines. It is located in Meralco Avenue in Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is where the offices of the Philippine Sp ...

. The Tigers and Renegades were the new two teams to join the league. The league has also been rebranded as the Philippine Tackle Football League (PTFL). The PTFL also has managed to strike a deal with Asian Television Content Corp. to air its games at

IBC 13 Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is a Philippine state broadcaster owned by the Government Communications Group under the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS). The IBC, along with sister media companies People's Television N ...

. The Tigers withdrew midseason. By early December 2015, it was reported that all five teams of the league withdrew following a dispute regarding a canceled game and the financing of the league. A game was canceled reportedly following a $250 payment to Bernardo “Dodi” Palma, President of the league. The players of the teams were also reportedly the one who pays the expenses of the league despite sponsorship funds received by the league. The five teams decided to hold two canceled games and the championships outside the league's auspices. Manila Wolves defeated the Manila Bandits at the final championship held at the Acacia field in Manila in December 2015 under the banner "Super Bowl I". The league folded in December 2015. It was succeeded by the Philippine-American Football League which was organized in 2016.

Teams

*Bandits (Season 1–6) *Barracudas (Season 1) *Juggernauts (Season 1–5) *Knights *Rebels (Season 2–5) *Renegades (Season 6) *Wolves *Vanguards (Season 5–6)

League winners and runners-up

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

PFTL Official WebsiteOfficial Website as ArenaBall Philippines
Sports leagues established in 2009 2009 establishments in the Philippines 2015 disestablishments in the Philippines Defunct American football leagues American football in the Philippines Sports leagues disestablished in 2015