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Early history of American football

Part of the American football series on
History of American football

• Origins of American football

Early history of American football
First game
Walter Camp
First pro player
First pro league
Modern history of American football

• Close relations:

Medieval football
Old division football
Rugby football
Association football
Canadian football

Black players in professional American football
Homosexuality in American football
Concussions in American football
Rugby union comparison
Rugby league comparison
Canadian football comparison
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
Years in American football

NFL season-by-season
College football season-by-season

The early history of American football can be traced to early versions of rugby football and association football. Both games have their origin in varieties of football played in Britain in the mid–19th century, in which a football is kicked at a goal or run over a line, which in turn were based on the varieties of English public school football games.

American football resulted from several major divergences from association football and rugby football, most notably the rule changes instituted by Walter Camp, a Yale University and Hopkins School graduate considered to be the "father of gridiron football". Among these important changes were the introduction of the line of scrimmage, of down-and-distance rules and of the legalization of interference.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, gameplay developments by college coaches such as Eddie Cochems, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Parke H. Davis, Knute Rockne, John Heisman, and Glenn "Pop" Warner helped take advantage of the newly introduced forward pass. The popularity of college football grew in the United States for the first half of the 20th century. Bowl games, a college football tradition, attracted a national audience for college teams. Boosted by fierce rivalries and colorful traditions, college football still holds widespread appeal in the United States.


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