History Of The Game
1.The Beginning
Football started in England sometime during the 19th century. When a soccer player decided to kick up the soccer ball and run with it. Although it was against the rules other soccer players thought it was a good idea, therefore getting rugby.
The sport became very popular and finally got to the U.S. It was played in most north-eastern colleges until Harvard and Yale Universities met in Massachusetts to formalize the rules. Instead of using a round ball they decided to make an egg shaped ball. The colleges also changed the name from rugby to football. To finish the meeting the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) was made to preside the new American sport.
Football was still very much like rugby. It did not change much until a series of three years starting in 1880. A Yale player Walter Camp eventually got the IFA to change some rules to make a similar football game. For that, Camp is known as the Father of American Football.
2.Nationalizing
Football went professional in the twentieth century. Pro teams started to organize and form. College sports at that time fell under the new National College Athletic Association (NCAA). The rules of professional football were taken from the collegiate organizers' guidelines.
By 1920 there was more than 10 pro teams in the United States. They decided to meet in Canton, Ohio. They formed the American Professional Football Association (APFA) which later became the National Football League (NFL). The rules again began to change to form one of the U.S.A.'s favorite past times.
3.Football Today
Football has come a long way from the protesting college students that wanted to play something more fun. The rush of fans coming into the stadiums paying an extensive amount of money to watch a game has increased players salaries by millions of dollars. It is watched every year by thousands of fans on TV nationwide. The changes have formed the most popular kid and adult sport... FOOTBALL!