JstProgress

So I was recently thinking about a popular American institution, and how it’s evolved over the years. Most of us aren’t all that familiar with the history, but football is the most popular sport and one of the most popular forms of entertainment in our country. I just thought it would be interesting to look at what the rules used to be.

Walter Camp is looked as the father of American football, and he borrowed from historically European sports; Rugby and Soccer. Most of us would agree he improved on the foundation of those two sports. The rules were first documented in 1876. In 1882 Camp also introduced the system of downs. After first allowing three attempts to advance the ball five yards, in 1906 the distance was changed to ten yards. The fourth down was added in 1912. The game was so brutal that many colleges banned the game. Reportedly, there were nearly 180 serious injuries and 18th deaths. In 1905 President Theodore Roosevelt called upon Harvard, Princeton and Yale to save the sport. The schools met and reform was agreed upon. A second meeting, attended by more than 60 other schools formed the NCAA. This committee also came to legalize the forward pass, which lead to a redesign of the ball. Locking arms by teammates, in effort to “clear” the field was banned. The length of the game was shortened, and the neutral zone was established.

Football players didn’t start wearing helmets until they began to don leather helmets in 1893, but the NFL didn’t require helmets until the 1940’s. The face mask was recommended for players by the NFL in 1955.

The NFL merged with another professional football league, the AFL, in 1970. The league has expanded, like the other major professional sports. Did you know the NFL started with eight teams? There are now 32 teams. Teams have relocated, some have folded. They’ve changed the length of the season, and they’re considering doing so again in the near future. The league has restructured its post season numerous times.

When they realized technology could help the officials, they adapted instant replay (1986). They dropped instant replay because the majority of owners and coaches felt it didn’t improve the game (1992). Then over time, as technology has advanced, the use of instant replay was reinstituted and its use has grown (1999).

The very basics of the game have changed over the years, including the field and the scoring system. Did you know a touchdown was originally worth four points, and a field coal was worth five? They moved the field goal posts to the back of the end zone, as it proved to be too dangerous where it stood previously.

Rules have continued to change, to the dismay of many, but in large part, they’ve done so to protect their investment (see: quarterbacks). There’s also been a need to adapt the rules, as players have become bigger, stronger and faster.

The financial setup has changed over time. Until the 1960’s, the majority of profits were made from the gate revenue, generated by selling game tickets. At one time, owners feared that airing the games on television for free was a threat, and fans would stay home instead of heading out to the stadium. In 1961, Commissioner Pete Rozelle convinced the owners as well as Congress, that a revenue-sharing system would best serve the league. The salary cap wasn’t instituted over 30 years later, in 1994.

Look at how much the game has changed in over 140 years. It’s remarkable, and inspiring. The game wouldn’t have survived without changing the rules. Now it’s the most popular sport in America, by far. The league’s next television deal is worth nearly $5 billion a year. All because the league allowed itself to evolve, and didn’t allow itself to be stuck with a set of rules, that worked for a time, but couldn’t work over the long haul.

Brilliant, right? Wonder if we could learn anything here.