History of American Football

Historical Overview Offensive Line Play



In his book The Story of Football (1965), Robert Leckie points out that in the 1870's, one last bottleneck remained to be opened before football could become inimitable American. It concerned the "offside". The word, as used at that time, did not apply to the present violation occurring when a man on either team crosses into enemy territory before the ball is snapped. Instead it was a word the British used to describe a player who got ahead of his own ball carrier or kicker. It is what Americans now call blocking or interference tactics which were highly illegal in the early Rugby days (Leckie, 1965).





1896

The American's liked the idea of helping the ball carrier along. They often bumped into opposing player as though by accident. In 1879, Princeton used two players to escort the ball carrier during a game against Harvard, thus, the offensive line gets its start (Leckie, 1965).



Because one of the offensive forwards in a scrimmage was. allowed to pass the ball back with his foot, he became known as the "Snapper back." Later, because he played in the center of seven forwards or “rushers”, he became known as the “center”. Since the defensive rushers were permitted to attack him as he passed the ball with his foot actually squirting it back by sudden pressure on its end, he needed protection from his own rushers at either side of him. Because, in effect they "guarded" the center, they became known as guards. It was inevitable, of course, that the rushers at either extreme would be called "end men" and then simply ends, and because the men between the ends and the guards had the best position for making tackles, the eventually earned the name of tackle (Leckie, 1965). Offensive line play, as spelled out in American Football and told by Walter Camp (1891), would consist of seven positions: a Center or Snap Back, two Guards, two Tackles and two Ends (p. 22).









In, The History of American Football (1956), Allison Danzig that in 1880, the rugby scrummages became scrimmage, and the quarterback made his appearance with a new method of putting the ball into play. Instead of the ball being tossed in between two packs of rushers, or forwards, who sought to heel it out (hit it backward with the heel) to their own back in the rugby "scrum", the procedure of a scrimmage was adopted for putting the ball into play. This procedure was accomplished by the snap back or center (Danzig, 1956).






In its early days of interference, players were permitted to grab hold of their runners anywhere they could and pull, push or yank the ball carrier along in any direction that would make the ball advance. In a rule established in 1876, stated that holding, carrying, and backward passing of the football would be permitted; this led to rushing as opposed to soccer.






Legal use of hands and arms by player of the side in possession of the ball; the player in the middle of the group, in attempting to obstruct an opponent, is keeping his hands together and his arms close to his body.

Legal use of arms by the player on the side in possession of the ball. Player No. 2 is attempting to obstruct an opponent in keeping his arms close to his body.


Legal use of body in blocking: the player on the right has thrown his shoulder against his opponent's thigh, to block him away from the play, but is not using his hands or arms.



In Football Facts and Figures (1945), Dr. L.H. Baker, wrote that Princeton, in 1879, was the first team to use interference with the ball carrier, but here the interferes were located on each side and not in front of the ball carrier (1879 Interference is legalized). This was called "guarding the runner". Since little was known about it, the use of interference was carried on in a desultory way, and to avoid possible penalty complications, interferers did not use their hands and arms. It was not until 1884 that interferes would be sent ahead of the ball (Baker, 1945).

is hands or arms.







According to Walter Camp in his book American Football (1891), offensive lineman should possess certain qualities because, during that time, football players would play both offense and defense. In the early years of football, the qualities that a coach should look for in a football player were as follows:



The End or Rusher

The end rusher must get into condition early. Unless the end rusher does, he cannot handle the work that must fan to his share, and the effect of a poor performance by the end is to produce disorder at once in the proportion of work of the tackles and half¬backs. When his own side has possession of the ball, his play, like that of any other man, must be governed by the character of the intended move, and the knowledge of what this move will be is conveyed to him by the signal. The nearer the play is to the end, the greater is the assistance he can render. There is no limit to the amount of work an end may perform in this direction. A good end should be able to toss his man back so that he cannot interfere with the play. The end is responsible for the area from the outside of the line to the sideline to the touch line. (Camp, 1891, p. 43)



The Tackle

While blocking may not be the most important duty, it is certainly the one which will bear the most cultivation in the tackles of the present day, for the ones who are really adept in it are marked exceptions to the general ran. The real accomplishment of a tackle depends upon the man's unflagging perseverance and study. A good defensive lineman cannot possibly be blocked every time in the same way, a good defensive lineman will soon become aware of the method and will be able to avoid the attempt. Dashing violently against a defensive lineman just as he is starting to work once or twice, and then he will make a false start to draw this charge and easily slip by the man.



In blocking for a run, the case is very different and depends upon the point of assault. If the run is to be made around the right end, for instance, by the left half back, the right tackle must block very slowly and long. That is, he must not dash up to his man the instant the ball is snapped and butt him aside, for the runner will not be near enough to derive any advantage from this, and the opponent and runner until the latter puts on steam to circle, when it his duty to engage his man sharply, and thus let the runner pass. In blocking for an inside run upon his own side, he should turn his man out or in, as the case may be just as the runner reaches the opening, being particularly careful not to make the break to early, lest the opponent reach the runner before he comes to the opening (Camp, 1891, p. 34).



The Guard

A man, who is slow, while it requires less agility than that of the tackle, can never satisfactorily fill the position of guard. When his own side has the ball, the guard must block sharply until the quarter has time for receiving the ball, and, at any rate, to begin the motion of the pass. The blocking of a guard is much less exciting in its requirements than that of the tackle. Not that he must not block with equal certainty, but the act requires no such covering of two men as often happens in the case of a tackle. The guard forms closely towards the center, and then follows his man out if he moves out, but only as far as he can go, and still be absolutely certain that the opponent cannot pass between him and the snap back.



When blocking for a run, (of course much depends upon where the opening is to be made), and a guard must be governed accordingly. A guard may not move about so freely and must face his man more squarely then a tackle, for the guard must protect the quarterback first, while the tackle considers the half only. Previous to the snap back's playing the ball, it is the duty of the guards to see that their individual opponents do not succeed in either kicking the ball out from the snap back's hand or otherwise interfering with the play.



This is quite an important feature, and a center should always feel that he is upon either hand a steady and wide-awake assistant who will neither be caught napping nor allow any unfair advantage to be taken of him (Camp, p. 26).



The Center or Snap Back

The man who may be selected to fill the important position of center rush must be a man of sense and strength. Brain and brawn are here at their highest premium. Putting the ball into play at the right time, and properly, is a great achievement, but it does not free the center rush from all other obligations.



During early progress anew snap back usually sends the ball against his own legs, or, if he manages to keep him out of the way, is upset by his opponent for his pains. It is no child's play to hold a ball out at arm's length on the ground in front of one and roll it back so that it passes between one's feet, and still preserve a good balance in spite of sudden push of a hundred and eighty-pound opponent. But that is just what a center has to do each time the ball is down and belongs to his side. The first thing to teach a center is to stand on his feet against any amount of jostling. Then he must learn to keep possession of the ball until ready to play it. The most finished and experienced centers have a way of playing the ball just as they are half straightening as though to meet a charge from the front.



As to holding the ball, some centers prefer to take it by the end, while others roll it on its side. The ball can be made to rise for the quarterback if sent on end, whereas if played upon its side it lies closer to the ground. A center ought to practice putting the ball into play with either hand until he is proficient with both hands.



A coach should see to it that his center has a variety of men to face, some big, some tricky, and some ugly. If any old players come back to help the team in the way of coaching and among them are some counter rushers, they can do no better work than by donning a uniform and playing against the "Varsity" center. (Camp 1891)



The Flying Wedge, 1890 Bettman Archive







As Walter Camp wrote in 1891, a football team for the purpose of advancing the ball or repelling the attack of the opponents it has proved advisable for a Captain to divide his eleven men into general divisions: the forwards (Offensive Line) and backs (Camp, p. 18).







In the early years of football the rule that governed the number of players on the line of scrimmage fluctuated; 1895, seven players must be on the line of scrimmage until the ball is snapped; 1896, rule again changes stating at least five players shall be on the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped; 1903, rule changes again state that now the number of players on the line of scrimmage could be either seven or five under certain conditions. Then finally in 1910, the rules committee changes for the last time the number of players on the line of scrimmage to seven prior to the snap of the football. This rule change of 1910 has remained unchanged to the present day.




The introduction of the scrimmage line as stated in the book, The History of American Football, Its Great Teams, Players, and Coaches (Danzig, 1956), established the principle of possession of the ball, a tremendously important principle that, more than anything else, differentiates rugby from American football. When in 1880, a new rule is formed stating at least eleven players on a side and a scrimmage line established; the latter change eliminated the rugby scrum and aligned the teams on either side of the ball.







Football in America was never so unnecessarily rough as it was in the beginning. After 1888, when the low tackle became legal, the boys came up with a whole series of bone-wrenching, mass momentum plays. The hauling, heaving and gouging drew a public outcry. Eventually the rules were changed, protective helmets were worn (Photograph of Princeton and Cornell in 1903) and the game was somewhat tamed.

Parke Davis wrote of the significance of this change in the 1926 Football Guide. He said, “The most important incident in the evolution of the game in the late eighteen seventies was the introduction of the modem scrimmage in the place of the rugby ‘scrum’ (p. 15). The tacticians of the period perceived the vast improvement which could be obtained if a method were established of putting the ball in play that it would give to one side its undisturbed possession and thereby permit a strategic and tactical possession and thereby permit a strategic and tactical preparation to advance it (Davis 1926).



In 1883, four current methods of scoring were written into the rules book, touchdown, point after, field goal and safety.



John Heisman, famous coach and one of the inventive minds of football wrote in 1932 in the Yale Princeton football program, “Camp’s scrimmage plan gave the ball into possession of the center and he alone could put it into play with a snap-back. This control of the ball made it possible for the offensive team to plan plays in advance, and the use of signals by the quarterback made for better team play”. (Davis, 1926)