American football in Bulgaria
American football in Bulgaria is young but growing: there is a national championship with the Bulbowl final, teams in Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Shumen and Stara Zagora, kids' flag football, and clubs playing in international leagues. The Sofia Bears have been part of the story from the start.
The beginnings
- 1991 – Bulgaria's first American football team, the Sofia Lions, is formed at the National Sports Academy, with sports journalist Marin Rusev as president. The Santa Barbara Eagles and the Ukrainian champions Atlants play exhibition games in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.
- 1995–1998 – the Capitals and the Sofia Predators appear in Sofia, the Brothers in Plovdiv. The first Sofia Trophy tournament is played and the first federation is founded. On 5 February 1997 the Sofia Lions become the country's first legally registered club.
- Without equipment and in hard years for the country, those first teams do not last, but their veterans later start the Bears.
- 2007 – Team Sofia is founded on 3 May, the first team in Bulgaria to play in full equipment.
- 2010 – the team becomes the Sofia Bears.
- 2011–2016 – games in Serbia and across the Balkans, up to the Serbian Third League title in 2016.
The national championship and the Bulbowl
The Bulgarian American Football Championship is run by the Bulgarian American Football Federation, and its final is called the Bulbowl. The first edition was in 2018. The Sofia Bears have played six finals and won five: 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
In recent seasons the championship has included the Sofia Knights, Varna Sharks, Black Sea Pirates (Burgas), Shumen Brewers and Zagora Titans (Stara Zagora), alongside the Bears. Every game and standing: Results.
International leagues
- Serbian Arena League – 2011 (runners-up)
- Serbian Third League – 2015 and 2016 (champions in 2016)
- Balkan American Football League (BAFL) – 2013 and 2014 (runners-up)
- Balkan Football League (BFL) – 2023, 2024 and 2025
- Danube American Football League (DAFL) – 2026, its first edition (semi-finalists)
Every title: Honours and history.
Flag football
Flag football is the no-contact version, played by children and adults alike. The Bears were Bulgarian flag football champions in 2011 and 2012, and today they also coach a kids' team from age 5. From 2028, flag football is an Olympic sport too. The rules: American football rules for beginners.
From 2010 to 2015 the national flag football championship was played as a series of tournaments: the Griffin Bowl in Blagoevgrad, the Sofia Cup, the Bulgaria Cup, the Vitosha Cup, the Federation Cup and the Seven Hills Cup in Plovdiv. The Sofia Hawks, Sofia Warriors, Blagoevgrad Griffins, Plovdiv Wolves and teams from Pleven and Silistra took part, often alongside two Bears teams. Every game: Results.
How to start
In Sofia you can play American football with the Bears without any experience: your first 3 practices are free, and practices are run in Bulgarian and English. Join the Bears.
