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Bob Princeton has been given credit of establishing the first rudimentary rules of football around 1867. But the first rules were to simply advance the ball past the opposing team using whatever means necessary. This early game of football evolved into a brutal sport. At the same time, Harvard began playing football on the first monday of the school year. This event came to be known as "Bloody Monday" due to the brutality of the game. In early football every school had different rules. For instance, a touchdown had different values on different fields. What was standard was there were fifteen men on each side. Today it is eleven. There were only three downs to maintain possession. Today there are four. Punching and gouging were legal. Tackling below the waist was not allowed but tackling around the neck was. Four to five men locking arms to create a human wall with the ball carrier behind them was a common practice in early football. "Piling" on a ball carrier was standard and was the cause of fifteen deaths from 1899 to 1902 prompting Congress to almost ban the sport entirely. This brought about changes that made the sport of football more safe for the players. Punching and gouging were no loner tolerated. The locking of arms were banned. "Piling" on players were outlawed. Shortly thereafter, standardized rules would be implemented throughout the country spearheaded by football legend "Pop" Warner. Football would then truncheoned itself into what we see today as modern football. (Scott Menzel)

Modern American football grew out of a match between McGill University of Montreal, and Harvard University in 1874. At the time, Harvard students are reported to have played the Boston Game - a running code - rather than the FA-based kickinggames favored by US universities. This made it easy for Harvard to adapt to the Rugby-based game played by McGill and the two teams alternated between their respective sets of rules. Within a few years, however, Harvard had both adopted McGill's rugby rules and had persuaded other US university teams to do the same. In 1876, at the Massasoit Convention, it was agreed by these universities to adopt most of the Rugby Football Union rules.

In 1880, Yale coach Walter Camp, devised a number of major changes to the American game, beginning with the reduction of teams from 15 to 11 players, followed by reduction of the field area by almost half, and; the introduction of the scrimmage, in which a player heeled the ball backwards, to begin a game. These were complemented in 1882 by another of Camp's innovations: a team had to surrender possession if they did not gain five yards after three downs (i.e. successful tackles).

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The ball must be advanced ten or more yards within four set plays (downs). If the ball does not advance ten yards, it is relinquished to the opposing team.

In outdoor football it is 11 men versus 11 men. In indoor/Arena football it is either seven on seven or eight on eight.

When thrown, the ball must be thrown behind the line of scrimmage; a penalty is assessed if it is thrown in front of the line of scrimmage.

Scoring is achieved three ways - a team advances the ball into the endzone for a touchdown (six points), with either an extra point kicked or the ball advanced again into the endzone for a two-point conversion. A field goal (three points) can be kicked between the uprights of the goalpost. Or the opposing defense can down the ball-carrier in his own endzone or force the ball to be fumbled out of the endzone for a safety, worth two points.

Certain types of hits are illegal - helmet-to-helmet, block in the back (usually enforced on kick returns), below the knees (sometimes called cut-blocking), or pass interference (the defender hits the receiver while making no effort to find and catch the ball himself).

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The Ivy League schools (Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Brown, Rutgers, Dartmouth) were all playing some form of what they called football as early as the 1820s. A game between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869 is widely considered the first College Football game. Rules were standardized in the 1870s, and the first professional teams sprang up in the 1890s.

The oldest team in the NFL is the Arizona Cardinals, who were founded in Chicago in 1898. The Packers are actually only the second oldest team in the league, having been founded in 1919 and then joining the NFL in 1921. The Cardinals and Chicago Bears both played in the NFL's inaugural 1920 season.

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Continue Learning about General History

When were teams used in football?

Football started out without teams when it was first created in 1870. Teams were used 20 years later in 1890.


What are the differences between the National League Conference and the American League Conference in American football?

First of all, you are confusing the terms national league and American league used in baseball with football. Replace the word league with football. NFL has the National Football Conference and American Football Conference. There really is no difference, the difference is very similar to the differences between the American League and National League in baseball. Both Conferences are at the same level of play, play for the world championship with one team represting each (league in baseball, conference in football) in the final round of the playoffs, and in both baseball and football, each team plays the majority of games in their own (league in baseball, conference in football), but still plays a few of their games against teams from the other league or conference. These conferences were created after the NFL merged with a competing top-level league in 1970, the AFL (American Football League). All teams in the NFC are either expansion teams created after the merger, or were in the NFL before the merger. In the AFC, three teams that were in the NFL moved to the AFC the year of the merger so both conferences would have the same number of teams. Other than those three teams, all AFC teams were in the AFL or are expansion teams created after the merger.


Which was invented first American football or English Football?

English Football


Who was the first professional football player?

The first player to be paid for playing football was William Heffelfinger who was paid $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association in a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club in 1892.


When did American football league start?

The American Football League first played games in 1960.

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Liverpool are the first team ever to get cheerleaders In American football, it was the Baltimore Colts.


How many football teams are in the American Conference of the NFL?

The American Football League (now known as the American Football Conference or AFC) is a conference in the National Football League which currently holds 16 teams.


How long have the Pittsburgh Steelers been playing football?

Since 1933, they are one of the first teams in the American Football League.


What kind of football shirt's do Toffs offer?

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What teams begin with S?

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How many American football teams were there in 1950?

34


American football teams in England?

As of 2013 there are no American Football teams in England. Once a year two teams from the NFL travel to England and play at Wembley stadium. There are rumors that the NFL wants to expand into Europe though.


How many players do American football teams have?

Close to 100


When were teams used in football?

Football started out without teams when it was first created in 1870. Teams were used 20 years later in 1890.


Which sport do the Colts and the Titans play?

The Colts and the Titans are two different American Football sports team based in America. Both the teams are one of the leading teams of American Football.


What teams did Michael Jackson support?

British Football: Exeter City FC American Football: Steelers


How many football teams are there in the national football league?

The league currently consists of 32 teams from American cities and regions, divided evenly into two conferences - the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC) - of four four-team divisions.