News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Several months after baseball made its official entry into Israel, the Israel Football League is beginning its first season of American-style tackle football. This time it is the Tel Aviv Sabers, instead of its baseball counterpart the Lightning, that are playing on local fields. Eighty players have joined the Sabers and three other teams, along with women's teams who also are planning a season.

Baseball failed in its initial year to spark interest among Israelis, who considered the game complicated and boring. Several Israelis also have shied away from football after seeing several players suffering from injuries. However, league founder Steve Leibowitz is confident that the league will succeed.