Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER H FOOT-BALL IN AMERICA THE rules governing American foot-ball are an outgrowth or development of the English Rugby foot-ball game, the very name of which at once recalls to every reader the well-beloved "Tom Brown." The credit of introducing these rules among our colleges belongs really to Harvard, who had learned them from the Canadians and were at the outset won by the superior opportunities offered by the new game for strategy and generalship as well as for clever individual playing. After Harvard had played for a year or two with our northern neighbors, Yale was persuaded to adopt these English rules, and in 1876 the first match between two American college teams under the Rugby Union rules was played. Since that time the code has undergone many changes, the greater number being made necessary by the absolute lack of any existing foot-ball lore or tradition on American soil. The English game was one of traditions. "What has been done can be done; what has not been done must be illegal," answered any question which was not fully foreseen in their laws of the game. For the first few years our college players spent their time at conventions in adding rules to settle vexed problems continually arising, to which the English rules offered no solution. In this way the rules rapidly multiplied until the number was quite double that of the original code. Then followed the process of excision, and many of the old English rules which had become useless were dropped. Until the last few years the foot-ball lawmakers changed but two or three rules a year. The method of making alterations has also been perfected. In order to avoid the petty dissensions incident to contests so recent that the wounds of defeat were yet tender, a Rules...
