Rugby and football share many characteristics. They are intensely physical games, they require catching and running with a ball and they are played on similar surfaces. American football evolved from rugby in England during the early 19th century, according to Homefootball.org.
Rugby
Rugby's beginnings have been linked to the story of a school boy in 1823. According to Rugbyrugby.com, William Web Ellis, 16, attended school in England and was enjoying a game of soccer. Instead of kicking the ball, he picked it up and started running. His peers were amazed at the possibilities of this new game and adopted the sport of rugby. RugbyRugby.com explains that this story has been deemed a legend but with a small amount of truth in it. The game at Rugby School in this era was a combination of soccer and rugby. Players were not allowed to handle the ball unless it was in the air. The ball handler could kick the ball to a teammate or attempt to score a goal. The 1840s saw running with the ball become a rugby standard. By the 1870s, rugby clubs existed in various parts of England and in the U.S.colonies.
Rugby's Influence on Football
Football descended from an an ancient Greek game called harpaston. In this game, players could score points by advancing the ball across the goal line by kicking it, carrying it or throwing it to another player, according to Homefootball.org. Boundaries did not exist at this time. The defensive team's job was to do almost anything they could to stop the offense from scoring. The same Rugby School that gave birth to rugby also played a major role in football's creation. After running with the ball became popular at the Rugby School, the 1830s saw the creation of goal posts with a cross-bar. One way to score at this time was to kick the ball over the cross-bar with a drop kick or place kick. Touching the ball to the playing surface after crossing the goal line is the first semblance of the modern six-point touchdown.
American Football
The first official football game in the United States took place Nov. 6, 1869, when Rutgers University played Princeton University. By 1873, the Intercollegiate Football Association was formed and consisted of Yale, Rutgers, Princeton and Columbia universities. They decided that 15 players were the maximum that each team could have on the field at one time. Walter Camp helped create the modern 11-man rule a few years later. He also introduced the concept of downs. The offensive team initially had three tries to move the ball five yards forward. It became 10 yards in 1906. A few years later, four downs were allowed. The game's dangers were causing some schools to drop out of competition. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt helped form the NCAA and made the forward pass legal and banned teammate from arm-locking as a blocking technique.
Football and Rugby Today
American football is played all over the United States. Collegiate football features some of the best players in the nation and some eventually go on to professional careers in the National Football League. Rugby is also played in the United States at the collegiate level. In Great Britain, rugby players have been able to play professionally in Rugby Union since 1995.
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