A new-look football league that plays 7 on 7 with no helmets or hard-shell pads is taking shape with a combine in Elizabeth.

The 2021 A7FL season, which begins on April 11, will expand through New Jersey, Baltimore, Florida, and southern California.

“It's an awesome game, people identify with this, they’ve played without pads at some point in their life exactly like this,” says president and commissioner Ryan DePaul. “This is American culture. This is the way we play football."

The combine was held at the Todd Bowles Sports Complex, named for the Elizabeth native who used to coach the New York Jets, and is now the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A combine is where players perform physical and mental tests in front of other coaches and staff.