The New England Football League (NEFL) is a semi-professional American football league based in Salisbury, Massachusetts, and is a Non-profit Corporation founded by Thomas Torrisi. It is the largest semi-professional league in New England, and has been one of the biggest leagues in the United States. The NEFL was founded in 1994 and was also known as the Greater Lawrence Men's Football League. In 2025, the league added a number of new teams expanding back to its historic 3 level format.
From 2013-2019, the NEFL has had single-A, AA Conferences, and AAA Conferences, with annual promotion and relegation among Conferences based on game results, so that the best teams work their way toward the higher levels. From 2021-2023 the league featured A and AA. In 2025 the league returned to its multi-level format with the addition of a number of new teams, featuring A, AA, and AAA conferences. In 2026 the league expects to add several more teams to the existing conferences, as well as adding a spring conference, which would play a shorter schedule prior to the traditional NEFL season kickoff.
The league provides competitive football for adult players. It is a "working man's league", as most players have regular jobs during the week. Teams practice on weeknights and play virtually all games on weekends. Players are not paid for their participation, but they often pay up to $200 to be on the team's roster. The league runs from July through September, followed by single-elimination championship tournaments within each Conference. Each team can dress up to 65 players.
The league is unrelated to the original NEFL, which operated from 1964 to 1969.William J. Ryczek. Connecticut Gridiron: Football Minor Leaguers of the 1960s and 1970s, McFarland & Company, 2014.
The 2025 NEFL season finished with three league champions in AAA, AA and A; the Rhode Island Riptide won the Maritime (A) Conference by defeating the New London Silverbacks 28-0, their third NEFL Championship (2011, 2023). The Windsor (CT) Flyers won the North Atlantic Conference (AA), their first in program history in the NEFL, by beating the Haverhill Hitmen 28-14. The top level Colonial Conference (AAA) championship was won by the New England Bombers by defeating the Boston Bandits 26-16.
League history The New England Football League was founded in 1994 by League President and Director of Marketing, Tom Torrisi, Chairman Matt Brien, Commissioner Bob Oreal, Vice-President and Treasurer John Motta and Secretary Christine Torrisi. It started its 1994 season with four teams. By 1997, the number of teams tripled to twelve; in 2002, the league had at least one team in each New England state, and started its three-conference alignment with three different skill levels, one for each conference. The 2006 was the first season with at least 30 teams, making the NEFL one of the largest semi-pro football leagues in the country. Following the 2020 covid-era the league contracted to as few as 7 teams, but has since grown back to 22 teams for the summer 2026 season across all three conferences. In 2026, the league also hosted its inaugural spring season with 7 teams.
The League is distinguishable from numerous other semi-pro leagues by features like its annual All-Star Game, Independent Board of Directors, and its 30+ years of continuous operation. A by-product of the league's lengthy history is the New England Football League Hall of Fame which honors noteworthy participants in NEFL history.
Game rules The NEFL describes its rule set as "modified NCAA rules". Most rules are adopted from the NCAA rulebook, but there are also a few NFL rules and NEFL-specific rules. Games use a free-running clock until five minutes left in either half or overtime, at which time the clock stops according to NFL rules. Game time is usually kept by an official on the field, but for some games is kept on the scoreboard by a paid, uniformed official operating it.
Current teams
Colonial Conference (AAA) (2026)
TeamStadiumCity/AreaNortheast BullsFalcon FieldMeriden, ConnecticutNew York BearsJoseph St. Lawrence Sports ComplexHillburn, New YorkValley GeneralsDerby High SchoolDerby, ConnecticutBoston BanditsWest Roxbury High SchoolBoston, MassachusettsBrooklyn PharaohsBrookville ParkBrooklyn, New York
North Atlantic Conference (AA) (2026)
TeamStadiumCity/AreaNew England BombersBraintree High SchoolBraintree, MassachusettsMiddleboro CobrasBattis FieldMiddleborough, MassachusettsGlens Falls GreenjacketsEast FieldGlens Falls, New YorkTroy City TitansDurfee High SchoolFall River, MassachusettsHaverhill HitmenVeterans Memorial StadiumHaverhill, MassachusettsConnecticut TarheelsCoginchaug Regional High SchoolBraintree, MassachusettsGranite State DestroyersSt. Anselm CollegeManchester, New HampshireRhody RavensMacomber StadiumMeriden, Connecticut
Maritime Conference (A) (2026)
TeamStadiumCity/AreaVermont RavensBurlington High SchoolBurlington, VermontCumberland CoyotesTucker FieldCumberland, Rhode IslandMetro West Golden BadgersFoley StadiumWorcester, MassachusettsMass TsunamiHolyoke High SchoolSpringfield, MassachusettsHartford Blue DevilsColt ParkHartford, ConnecticutConnecticut BruinsOsgood ParkNew Britain, ConnecticutGranite State DestroyersSt. Anselm CollegeManchester, New HampshireConnecticut WolvesOld Killingly High School FieldDanielson, ConnecticutNew Hampshire PhoenixWelch Baseball FieldsRaymond, New HampshireMiddlesex County LonghornsManning FieldLynn, Massachusetts
2025 Teams
Colonial Conference (AAA) (2025)
TeamStadiumCity/AreaNew England BombersBraintree High SchoolBraintree, MassachusettsMiddleboro CobrasBattis FieldMiddleborough, MassachusettsGlens Falls GreenjacketsEast FieldGlens Falls, New YorkBoston BanditsWest Roxbury High SchoolBoston, MassachusettsMill City EaglesLawrence High SchoolLawrence, MassachusettsGranite State DestroyersSt. Anselm CollegeManchester, New Hampshire
North Atlantic Conference (AA) (2025) TeamStadiumCity/AreaWindsor FlyersRockville High School FieldVernon, ConnecticutHaverhill HitmenHaverhill StadiumHaverhill, MassachusettsMass. WarriorsNikitas FieldFitchburg, MassachusettsRhode Island RaptorsTucker FieldCumberland, Rhode IslandMiddlesex County LonghornsWoburn High SchoolWoburn, Massachusetts
Maritime Conference (A) (2025) TeamStadiumCity/AreaRhode Island RiptideStebbins Field at Cranston StadiumCranston, Rhode IslandNew London County SilverbacksNew London High SchoolNew London, ConnecticutNew England Black PanthersAmerican International CollegeSpringfield, MassachusettsVermont RavensBurlington High SchoolSouth Burlington, VermontMetro-west Golden BadgersDaly Field Athletics ComplexBoston, Massachusetts
2024 Teams TeamStadiumCity/AreaGlens Falls GreenjacketsEast FieldGlens Falls, New YorkMiddleboro CobrasBattis FieldMiddleborough, MassachusettsNew England BombersAlumni Stadium at Braintree High SchoolBraintree, MassachusettsRhode Island RiptideStebbins Field at Cranston StadiumCranston, Rhode IslandSouthern Vermont StormStorm StadiumBennington, VermontWorcester WildcatsCommerce Bank Field at Foley StadiumWorcester, MassachusettsVermont RavensSouth Burlington High SchoolSouth Burlington, Vermont
2023 Teams
North Atlantic Conference (AA) (2023) TeamStadiumCity/AreaGlens Falls GreenjacketsEast FieldGlens Falls, New YorkMass WarriorsWayland High SchoolWayland, MassachusettsMiddleboro CobrasBattis FieldMiddleborough, MassachusettsWestern Mass Blitzin BearsRoberts Sports ComplexHolyoke, MassachusettsWorcester WildcatsCommerce Bank Field at Foley StadiumWorcester, Massachusetts
Maritime Conference (A) (2023) TeamStadiumCity/AreaConnecticut ReapersCrosby High School FieldWaterbury, ConnecticutNew England BombersAlumni Stadium at Braintree High SchoolBraintree, MassachusettsRhode Island RiptideStebbins Field at Cranston StadiumCranston, Rhode IslandVermont RavensSouth Burlington High SchoolSouth Burlington, Vermont
League champions +Annual League Champions Based on ConferenceYearTeamAAAAAA1994Lawrence Lightning1995North Shore Rage1996Massachusetts Havoc1997Massachusetts Havoc1998Lowell Nor'easter1999Lowell Nor'easter2000Seacoast HawksLowell Nor'easter2001Southern Maine Raging BullsBoston Bandits2002Connecticut ThunderVermont Ice StormLowell Nor'easter2003Seacoast HawksNew England StarsBoston Bandits2004Hampton HurricanesConnecticut ThunderLowell Nor'easter2005Rhode Island RaptorsSeacoast HawksBoston Bandits2006Notre Dame CobrasNorth Attleboro RenegadesBoston Bandits2007Leominster RazorbacksWhaling City ClippersMiddleboro Cobras2008Tri City ChargeWhaling City ClippersMiddleboro Cobras2009Connecticut SpartansNew Hampshire WolfpackTri City ChargeLowell Nor'easter2010Seacoast HawksConnecticut PanthersWestern Mass WarriorsLowell Nor'easter2011Rhode Island RiptideNew Hampshire WolfpackConnecticut Bearcats2012Connecticut BearcatsCape Cod SeadogsSouth Shore OutlawsWestern Mass Warriors2013Central Mass SabercatsPioneer Valley KnightsConnecticut Panthers2014Brass City BrawlersRhode Island WardogsConnecticut Panthers2015Port City VipersSomerville RampageBoston Bandits2016Mass State WolverinesSouth Coast OutlawsWestern Connecticut Militia2017Southern Vermont StormMass State WolverinesConnecticut Panthers2018Seacoast WarhawksWorcester WildcatsBoston Bandits2019Connecticut BrawlersWorcester WildcatsMarlboro Shamrocks2020Green Valley BlackhawksBoston Bandits2021Hartford ColtsWestern Mass Blitzin Bears2022Mass WarriorsWestern Mass Blitzin Bears2023Rhode Island RiptideGlens Falls Greenjackets2024 Middleboro Cobras2025Rhode Island RiptideWindsor FlyersNew England Bombers
External links Official league website
References