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American football emerged in the latter half of the 19th century in the United States with the first rules being set down in 1876. It evolved from the sports of rugby and football, most notably formed by Yale graduate Walter Camp who introduced rules such as the line of scrimmage, the forward pass, as well as created the quarter-back and centre positions. However, the most important change Camp added to the game was the system of ‘downs’, the basis of the territorial aspect of the game that governs the rules of possession.

The sport almost met its end early on thanks to the danger to the players. There were many injuries and deaths before rules were adjusted to make gameplay safer. Officials changed the number of players in the scrimmage line, introduced a neutral zone and banned players from creating barriers by interlocking arms. The changes were successful and are the last major introductions to the game to date.

The professional game started in the 1920s with the present-day National Football League (NFL) being one of the most recognisable sports leagues on the planet and Super Bowl, the annual championship game, being the biggest annual sporting event. The sport is also hugely popular across colleges in the US where teams play to packed out stadiums in pursuit of their Conference title.

It wasn’t until the 1980s when American football first became popular in Great Britain with teams cropping up across universities and in towns and cities. The sport is now enjoyed by thousands around the country.

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History of American Football