Factoid Feast XII: Happy 55-Yard Line Elimination Day
As discussed in Factoid Feasts I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI, my searches through football history sometimes lead to topics too important to ignore but too minor to Tidbit. Such nuggets are factoids, three of which are shared today.
Happy 55-Yard Line Elimination Day
On this day, in the year nineteen hundred and twelve, American football eliminated its 55-yard line, making the field 100 yards long rather than 110. The rule makers also added end zones to the field to allow forward passes to be thrown over the goal line without resulting in a touchback. Previously, the field had endlessly deep "in goal" areas, though endlessly deep areas were pretty short in some stadiums where. Key stadiums such as the Polo Grounds could not fit the 110-yard field with two 10-yard end zones, leading to the rule makers shortening the playing field.
Canadian football had a 110-yard field and 55-yard or center line from nearly the beginning; at least it was in their 1884 rule book. They also had rugby’s endless ‘in touch’ area until they added end zones in 1929 when they also legalized the forward pass.
Cotton Helmets
Many early football helmets were made of canvas or moleskin, plain weave fabrics generally made of cotton. At the time, football prohibited using hard substances in football gear, so moleskin headgear padded with felt was the best available.
Several decades later, when plastic helmets arrived on the scene, they used a plastic called Tenite, whose building block was cellulose derived from softwoods and cotton. Looking to capitalize on cotton protecting the heads of American youth, the National Cotton Council inserted ads extolling cotton’s protective properties in the country's sports page over the next decade.
Prohibiting the Forward Pass by Men on the Line of Scrimmage
Football adopted many forward-passing-related rules in 1906 that seem strange today. One was to prohibit players on the line of scrimmage at the snap from throwing forward passes.
To my knowledge, teams have never consistently employed plays in which someone on the line of scrimmage tossed the pea downfield, but the rule makers did not know that in early 1906.
I'm deep into the research for my next book about the early forward pass, and it is clear that the 1906 rulemakers did not have a clear vision for how teams would employ the pass. Other rules allowed the linemen to go downfield without penalty, and there was no pass interference initially, so many early passing plays saw linemen encircle and block for receivers while downfield.
Since 1910, everyone on the line of scrimmage has been able to throw forward passes, though few teams take advantage of that opportunity.
If you enjoy Football Archaeology, become of free subscriber, and if you love Football Archaeology, become a paid subscriber for $5/month or $50/year.
You can also support the site by donating a coffee or buying one of my books:
The creation of the end zone is almost as important as the legalization of the forward pass. Before there was an EZ, defenses could stack along the goal line. But with the EZ, defenses had to loosen up to account for the pass. Upshot: easier scoring and a better game.