The NFL Schedule in Detail The NFL's scheduling method assures that every club from every division in the opposing conference plays every other team once every four years. The 32-team league is divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Within each conference there are three divisions: North, South, and West. Teams within the same division will play each other twice during the regular season, while those in different divisions only meet once. The winner of each division qualifies for the playoffs, which include a championship game to determine a national champion. There is no formal draft system in place to assign players to teams. General managers may have input into the selection of some players, but most are given final authority by their clubs to make these decisions. In addition to selecting new players, coaches must also decide who will be playing on each team. Coordinators plan the offense and head coaches direct the defense. Coaches are usually named to their positions after the season starts. However, if a coach is unable to lead his team through the first few games, then a replacement will be sought after. Sometimes these replacements take over before the start of the season or at any time during the year. If this occurs, the coach will usually give his reasons for leaving his post. It is common for head coaches to change teams every few years.