FOOTBALL IN AMERICA, as in Eng land, is of different varieties, but by far the most prominent is the game played in the col leges. This type ,is the outgrowth of the Eng lish Rugby and still possesses points of similar ity to the game from which it was derived. Association football is played in and around some of the mill towns where the foreign popu lation predominates, and previous to 1870 a mongrel kind of football made up of a com bination of Association and Rugby had some vogue, and was the original form of the sport in America.
The type, however, known as American foot ball suggests now only one variety and that is the one mentioned above as prevailing in col leges and universities. This sport draws to each of its chief annual contests from 25,000 to 40,000 spectators. During its season, which consists of October and November, it tempo rarily eclipses all other athletics In interest. For this reason it is the money maker in col lege athletics, in a great number of universities the receipts from the football contests prac tically supporting the other athletic branches throughout the year.
This sport, developed as it now stands, was originally introduced into American colleges by Harvard, whose team, having visited Canada and played under the Canadian rules, became enamored of the style of the English Rugby, and, although in 1875, as a matter of considera tion for her ancient rival, Yale, Harvard agreed to compromise between what was then known as American football and English Rugby, in the next year, 1876, both teams adopted the Rugby .Union rules as they stood at that day. Unfortunately for the peace of mind of the legislators, but probably fortunately in another way, in that the final result was the develop ment of still another distinct type of football, there were no traditions in America regarding the English Rugby code and what was for bidden by letter was accepted as barred, whereas anything that was not thus distinctly prohibited the American player thought was perfectly legitimate. Contentions arose over the interpre
tation of the rules and these discussions led to conventions, and, in the settlement of the problems arising, the rules rapidly multiplied, until in a few years there were more than twice the original number. While this was happen ing, some of the old English rules apparently became dead letters and were, therefore, dropped. When captains and players attended any of these conventions it was only human that they should contend for possible advan tages for their own teams rather than for the improvement of the game as a sport and this led to the appointment of an advisory commit tee of graduates In their hands was placed the matter of rules to this extent, that yearly they met and recommended changes which were then submitted to an intercollegiate association for discussion and usually for approval. This lasted as long as there was an intercollegiate association or league of colleges indulging in football. This league finally dissolved and for the season following there were two codes of rules in existence adopted by two different sets of universities. This was wholly unsatisfactory and led to the intervention of the University Athletic Club of New York. This dub selected football enthusiasts and asked from them a recommendation as to a code of rules. These gentlemen met and framed such a code, which was then adopted by the various colleges throughout the country. This method of pro cedure lasted for several years, even after the dissolution of the University Athletic Club, and it is from this body that the football rules emanated, until at the end of the season of 1905 a general conference of colleges not repre sented upon the Rules Committee appointed seven delegates with whom the old committee amalgamated, forming a new committee of 14. This committee made the rules for 1906 and introduced what was known as the 10-yard rule, which practically did away with the old mass plays that had caused the game to become too contracted.