AFA/AFN POWER RATING EXPLANATION:
Please note the following rules concerning the AFA/AFN
power ratings:

• Teams must have played a minimum of THREE games (excluding any forfeit victories) against QUALIFIED opponents before appearing in the rating. See the next bullet point for a definition of non-qualifying opponents.
  
  
• Games against foreign teams, all-star teams, college teams, prison teams, or military teams are NOT included; however, Canadian teams that participate in a U.S. league ARE included.
  
  
• Forfeit victories are NOT included in a team's winning percentage. Only games won on the field are included as valid victories.
  
  
• Forfeit losses ARE included in a team's winning percentage. If a team forfeits a game, then their won/loss record suffers.* Forfeit victories/losses are NOT included in a team's opponent winning percentage. Only games won/lost on the field are included as valid games when calculating the opponents' winning percentage.
  
  
• Non-league games ARE included. Non-league games include pre-season, mid-season, and post season games played between two teams from different leagues. Non-league games may also be referred to as non-conference, pre-season, or exhibitions. Non-league games are defined as those contests played under regulation rules and conditions with referees, scoreboard, fans in the stands, regulation sized field, etc. Scrimmages are defined as "glorified practices" between two teams, and are NOT included. Scrimmages have nonregulation rules or conditions such as no special teams, no tackling of quarterbacks, etc. Why are non-leagues games counted? The semi-pro level is similar to the NCAA in the fact that there are numerous individual leagues across the nation whereas the NFL is one big league. In the NCAA, nonleague games count. If the University of Michigan plays Notre Dame in a non-league game. The game counts. Likewise, semi-pro non-league games are treated similarly.

AFN POWER RATING DISCLAIMER:
PLEASE NOTE: The AFN Power Ratings is NOT a poll or ranking. The word poll or ranking infers an opinionated listing of teams ordered from best to worst. This is NOT the purpose of the AFN Power Ratings. The word ratings simply implies that team earn points based upon their schedule and on field performance, and teams are listed in order of these points earned. The word ratings does NOT imply that teams are listed in order from best to worst.

These power ratings do NOT represent a poll of players/coaches/fans/media/etc. These ratings are based solely on numbers ... wins, losses, points scored, and points relinquished. Intangibles that may influence an opinionated poll (such as team tradition, coaching/player experience, game/field/weather conditions, injuries, new player signings, home field advantage, etc.) are NOT taken into consideration for these ratings.

These power ratings are NOT intended to necessarily predict the outcome of a head-to-head match-up. These ratings measure the strength of a team based upon its won/loss record, its opponents' won/loss records, and its point margin in relation to teams that it has competed against. The ratings measure a team's strength based upon the teams that it has played against ... it does NOT necessarily measure the strength of a team against ALL teams in the nation since many teams/ leagues do not have any sort of cross-over or interleague play.