# 2023 LFA season

The 2023 LFA season is the eight season of operation (seventh season of play) of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. The regular season began on 4 March and will end on 14 May, with the playoffs beginning on 20 May and ending with the Tazón México VI, on 10 June in Chihuahua City.

## Preseason events
### Expansion

Three new teams joined the league for the 2023 season: Caudillos de Chihuahua (based in Chihuahua City), Jefes de Ciudad Juárez (based in Ciudad Juárez) and Reds de la Ciudad de México (based in Mexico City). The three teams were part of Fútbol Americano de México, but after the league folded in September 2022, they joined the LFA.

### Stadium changes

* Raptors will play in the Estadio José Ortega Martínez after playing in the FES Acatlán during 2022.
* Reds will play in the Estadio ITESM CCM, after initially announcing that they would be playing at the Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo", already used by Mexicas.
* Reyes will play in the Fortaleza Azul, with capacity for 5,000 seated spectators, after playing in the Estadio Tres de Marzo during 2022.

## Coaching changes
### Off-season

* Galgos: Héctor del Águila replaced Guillermo Ruiz Burguete as the team's head coach.
* Gallos Negros: Rubén Contreras replaced Félix Buendía as the Gallos' head coach.

### In-season

* Jefes: Randall Mendoza replaced Lorenzo Gathers as the Jefes' head coach.
* Fundidores: On 10 April, Jorge Valdez replaced Carlos Strevel and Carlos Mendoza as the Fundidores' head coach and defensive coordinator.
* Gallos Negros: On 15 April, Juan Carlos Maya replaced Rubén Contreras as the Gallos' head coach.

## Teams

| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Head coach |
| Caudillos | Chihuahua City, Chihuahua | Estadio Olímpico de la UACH | 22,000 | Federico Landeros |
| Dinos | Saltillo, Coahuila | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 16,000 | Javier Adame |
| Fundidores | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Estadio Banorte | 10,057 | Carlos Strevel |
| Galgos | Tijuana, Baja California | Estadio Caliente | 27,333 | Héctor del Águila |
| Gallos Negros | Querétaro City, Querétaro | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | 4,600 | Rubén Contreras |
| Jefes | Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua | Estadio 20 de Noviembre | 5,000 | Randall Mendoza |
| Mexicas | Iztacalco, Mexico City | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | 6,000 | Héctor Toxqui |
| Raptors | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | Estadio José Ortega Martínez | 3,700 | Guillermo Gutiérrez |
| Reds | Tlalpan, Mexico City | Estadio ITESM CCM | 2,500 | Raúl Rivera |
| Reyes | Zapopan, Jalisco | Fortaleza Azul | 5,000 | Ernesto Alfaro |

## Regular season
### Standings

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, PF = Points For, PA = Points against
Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesionalvte :
| Pos | Team | GP | W | L | PF | PA | Stk | Qualification |
| 1 | Caudillos | 10 | 10 | 0 | 362 | 188 | W10 | Advance to Semi-finals |
| 2 | Dinos | 10 | 7 | 3 | 285 | 252 | L1 | Advance to Semi-finals |
| 3 | Reyes | 10 | 7 | 3 | 272 | 250 | W2 | Advance to Wild Card |
| 4 | Reds | 10 | 6 | 4 | 260 | 189 | L2 | Advance to Wild Card |
| 5 | Fundidores | 10 | 6 | 4 | 297 | 237 | W3 | Advance to Wild Card |
| 6 | Galgos | 10 | 5 | 5 | 214 | 216 | W1 | Advance to Wild Card |
| 7 | Raptors | 10 | 4 | 6 | 203 | 228 | L3 |
| 8 | Mexicas | 10 | 3 | 7 | 178 | 216 | W1 |
| 9 | Gallos Negros | 10 | 1 | 9 | 166 | 364 | L1 |
| 10 | Jefes | 10 | 1 | 9 | 201 | 295 | L4 |
| Tiebreakers |||||||||
| 1. Head-to-head 2. Points against 3. Average between points scored and points against 4. Best net points in common games 5. Best net points in all games 6. Coin toss |||||||||
Source: LFA

### Schedule

* Times shown in Mexico Central Standard time (UTC–6).
Week 1 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Gallos Negros | 14–42 | Reyes | Fortaleza Azul | 4 March | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Raptors | 14–24 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 4 March | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
| Galgos | 24–6 | Mexicas | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | 5 March | 12:00 | Claro Sports |
| Caudillos | 20–12 | Jefes | Estadio 20 de Noviembre | 5 March | 14:00 | Claro Sports |
| Reds | 31–15 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | 5 March | 18:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 2 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Dinos | 7–32 | Reds | Estadio ITESM CCM | 11 March | 13:00 | TVC Deportes |
| Reyes | 23–16 | Raptors | Estadio José Ortega Martínez | 11 March | 17:00 | AYM Sports |
| Mexicas | 17–14 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | 11 March | 17:00 | Claro Sports/AYM Sports |
| Galgos | 16–51 | Caudillos | Estadio Olímpico de la UACH | 11 March | 19:00 | AYM Sports |
| Fundidores | 28–21 | Jefes | Estadio 20 de Noviembre | 12 March | 14:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 3 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Mexicas | 13–17 | Reyes | Fortaleza Azul | 18 March | 17:00 | TVC Deportes/Claro Sports |
| Reds | 7–25 | Caudillos | Estadio Olímpico de la UACH | 18 March | 19:00 | Claro Sports |
| Jefes | 22–26 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 18 March | 20:00 | AYM Sports |
| Raptors | 13–27 | Galgos | Estadio Caliente | 19 March | 13:00 | AYM Sports/Claro Sports |
| Gallos Negros | 31–34 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | 19 March | 18:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 4 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Galgos | 25–36 | Reds | Estadio ITESM CCM | 25 March | 13:00 | |
| Jefes | 22–31 | Raptors | Estadio José Ortega Martínez | 25 March | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Caudillos | 42–34 | Mexicas | Estadio MCA Jaime Labastida | 25 March | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
| Dinos | 33–7 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | 26 March | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Reyes | 7–31 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | 26 March | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 5 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Caudillos | 48–14 | Reyes | Fortaleza Azul | 1 April | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Raptors | 15–0 | Mexicas | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | 1 April | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Reds | 36–21 | Jefes | Estadio 20 de Noviembre | 2 April | 14:00 | Claro Sports |
| Gallos Negros | 13–47 | Galgos | Estadio Caliente | 2 April | 18:00 | Claro Sports |
| Fundidores | 31–38 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 3 April | 19:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 6 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Reyes | 14–8 | Galgos | Estadio Caliente | 14 April | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
| Gallos Negros | 3–34 | Reds | Estadio ITESM CCM | 15 April | 13:00 | |
| Dinos | 19–29 | Caudillos | Estadio Olímpico de la UACH | 15 April | 19:00 | Claro Sports |
| Fundidores | 14–21 | Raptors | Estadio José Ortega Martínez | 16 April | 12:00 | Claro Sports |
| Mexicas | 27–33 | Jefes | Estadio 20 de Noviembre | 16 April | 14:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 7 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Reds | 3–18 | Mexicas | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | 22 April | 13:00 | Claro Sports |
| Jefes | 28–35 | Reyes | Fortaleza Azul | 22 April | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Raptors | 35–12 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | 22 April | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Galgos | 10–33 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 22 April | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
| Caudillos | 33–25 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | 23 April | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 8 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Raptors | 16–33 | Reds | Estadio ITESM CCM | 29 April | 13:00 | |
| Fundidores | 24–8 | Mexicas | Estadio Jesús Martínez "Palillo" | 29 April | 15:00 | Claro Sports |
| Dinos | 33–31 | Reyes | Fortaleza Azul | 29 April | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Gallos Negros | 13–47 | Caudillos | Estadio Olímpico de la UACH | 29 April | 19:00 | Claro Sports |
| Galgos | 27–0 | Jefes | Estadio 20 de Noviembre | 30 April | 14:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 9 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Fundidores | 40–13 | Galgos | Estadio Caliente | 5 May | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
| Reyes | 42–37 | Reds | Estadio ITESM CCM | 6 May | 13:00 | |
| Caudillos | 39–36 | Raptors | Estadio José Ortega Martínez | 6 May | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Jefes | 30–37 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | 6 May | 17:00 | Claro Sports |
| Mexicas | 21–38 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 6 May | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
Week 10 :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Dinos | 34–55 | Fundidores | Estadio Banorte | 11 May | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
| Jefes | 12–28 | Caudillos | Estadio Olímpico de la UACH | 13 May | 19:00 | TBD |
| Reds | 10–17 | Galgos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | 13 May | 20:00 | Claro Sports |
| Mexicas | 34–6 | Raptors | Estadio José Ortega Martínez | 14 May | 12:00 | Claro Sports |
| Reyes | 47–22 | Gallos Negros | Estadio Olímpico de Querétaro | 14 May | 15:00 | Claro Sports |

## Playoffs
### Playoff bracket

| Wild Card | Wild Card | Wild Card | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Tazón México VI | Tazón México VI | Tazón México VI |
| | | | 1 | Caudillos | 34 | | | |
| 4 | Reds | 10 | 5 | Fundidores | 20 | | | |
| 5 | Fundidores | 17 | | | | 1 | Caudillos | 10 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Dinos | 0 |
| | | | 2 | Dinos | 17 | | | |
| 3 | Reyes | 15 | 3 | Reyes | 10 | | | |
| 6 | Galgos | 3 | | | | | | |

### Results

Wild Card :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Galgos | 3–15 | Reyes | Estadio Tres de Marzo | May 20 | 17:30 | Claro Sports |
| Fundidores | 17–10 | Reds | Estadio ITESM CCM | May 21 | 13:00 | Claro Sports |
Semifinals :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Fundidores | 20–34 | Caudillos | Estadio Olímpico Universitario de la UACH | May 27 | TBD | Claro Sports |
| Reyes | 10–17 | Dinos | Estadio Francisco I. Madero | May 26 | TBD | Claro Sports |
Tazón México VI :
| Away | Score | Home | Venue | Date | Time | TV |
| Caudillos | 10–0 | Dinos | Estadio Olímpico Universitario de la UACH | June 10 | TBD | Claro Sports |

## Tazón México VI

The Tazón México VI was held on 10 June 2023 at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario José Reyes Baeza in Chihuahua City. The Caudillos became LFA champions, after beating the Dinos by a score of 10–0.

## Awards
### Players of the week

The following were named the top performers during the 2023 season:
| Week | MVP of the Week | Offensive Player of the Week | Defensive Player of the Week |
| 1 | Tavares Martin Jr. WR (Reyes) | Eldridge Massington WR (Galgos) | Javier Dyer DE (Caudillos) |
| 2 | Jeremy Johnson QB (Caudillos) | Marco Durán QB (Reds) | Anthony Patrick LB (Reyes) |
| 3 | Aaron McCallister RB (Fundidores) | Erick Niño QB (Dinos) | David Richardson DB (Galgos) |
| 4 | Brandon López QB (Mexicas) | Denzel Strong RB (Reds) | Jorge Revuelto DB (Caudillos) |
| 5 | Juwan Manigo WR (Caudillos) | Jeremy Johnson QB (Caudillos) | Jordan Cry LB (Raptors) |
| 6 | David Perkins QB (Jefes) | Eduardo Retana WR (Raptors) | Leondre Crosby LB (Caudillos) |
| 7 | Bruno Márquez QB (Raptors) | Juwan Manigo WR (Caudillos) | Joshua Donaldson DB (Caudillos) |
| 8 | Shannon Patrick QB (Reyes) | Devin Heckstall WR (Reyes) | Emilio Castillón LB (Fundidores) |
| 9 | Juwan Manigo WR (Caudillos) | Shannon Patrick QB (Reyes) | Salvador Cabrera DB (Reyes) |
| 10 | Aaron McCallister RB (Fundidores) | Shelton Eppler QB (Fundidores) | Shuan Funnye DL (Reyes) |