Changes

The NFL does not operate a minor league system nor does it have working arrangements with any other football league (such as the [[Canadian Football League]]) for player development.  A player may be drafted (or, if not drafted, sign as an undrafted free agent) once the player has been out of high school for three seasons.  A player may declare himself eligible for the draft and is permitted a window whereby he can revoke his decision, except if the player has signed with a sports agent the decision is irrevocable.

The NFL does not operate a minor league system nor does it have working arrangements with any other football league (such as the [[Canadian Football League]]) for player development.  A player may be drafted (or, if not drafted, sign as an undrafted free agent) once the player has been out of high school for three seasons.  A player may declare himself eligible for the draft and is permitted a window whereby he can revoke his decision, except if the player has signed with a sports agent the decision is irrevocable.

Teams play 17 regular season games (eight at home and eight on the road with the 17th game alternating each year home and away) over 18 weeks, with each team receiving a "bye" week roughly in the middle of the season, comprised of:

Teams play 17 regular season games (eight at home and eight on the road with the 17th game alternating each year home and away) over 18 weeks, with each team receiving a "bye" week roughly in the middle of the season, comprised of:

*Six games in a home-and-home against the other three teams in its division (the final week of the season features only divisional matchups),

*Six games in a home-and-home against the other three teams in its division (the final week of the season features only divisional matchups),

The season generally begins on the Thursday after [[Labor Day]] and concludes the week after [[Christmas]].  Most games are played on Sunday, with one or more games played on Monday and on Thursday as well.  Games are not played on Friday or Saturday during most of the season due to federal laws prohibiting NFL games competing with high school or college games; the league will play some Saturday games once the college football season ends and has very rarely played on Friday.  It does not play games on Wednesday and did not on Tuesday, though in 2020 and 2021 some games were moved to Tuesday due to COVID-related issues involving one or both teams.

The season generally begins on the Thursday after [[Labor Day]] and concludes the week after [[Christmas]].  Most games are played on Sunday, with one or more games played on Monday and on Thursday as well.  Games are not played on Friday or Saturday during most of the season due to federal laws prohibiting NFL games competing with high school or college games; the league will play some Saturday games once the college football season ends and has very rarely played on Friday.  It does not play games on Wednesday and did not on Tuesday, though in 2020 and 2021 some games were moved to Tuesday due to COVID-related issues involving one or both teams.

At season's end, seven teams from each conference (the winners of each division and three "wild-card" teams which are the teams in each conference with the best record among non-division winners), or 14 teams total, make the playoffs.  The remaining 18 teams, in strict reverse order of finish, receive the first 18 picks in each of the seven rounds of the subsequent NFL Draft (the NFL does not use a "lottery" system like the [[NBA]]), which can be freely traded between teams subject to league rules (or, if a team is disciplined for conduct, can be forfeited).  Teams are also awarded "compensatory" picks for players who sign as free agents with other teams; the picks are awarded at the end of rounds 3-6 depending on the salary paid to the former player.  Also in an attempt to create "racial diversity" in the higher ranks of franchise management, teams who lose minority staff to other teams (as either head coaches or general managers) are awarded picks (third round, after free agent compensatory picks) for two consecutive years for one person, or three consecutive years for two or more persons.

At season's end, seven teams from each conference (the winners of each division and three "wild-card" teams which are the teams in each conference with the best record among non-division winners), or 14 teams total, make the playoffs.  The remaining 18 teams, in strict reverse order of finish, receive the first 18 picks in each of the seven rounds of the subsequent NFL Draft (the NFL does not use a "lottery" system like the [[NBA]]), which can be freely traded between teams subject to league rules (or, if a team is disciplined for conduct, can be forfeited).  Teams are also awarded "compensatory" picks for players who sign as free agents with other teams; the picks are awarded at the end of rounds 3-6 depending on the salary paid to the former player.  Also in an attempt to create "racial diversity" in the higher ranks of franchise management, teams who lose minority staff to other teams (as either head coaches or general managers) are awarded picks (third round, after free agent compensatory picks) for two consecutive years for one person, or three consecutive years for two or more persons.