Today's Tidbit… 1876 IFA Rule #36: Kickoff

This is #36 in a series covering football's original 61 rules adopted by the Intercollegiate Football Association in 1876. We review one rule each Friday.

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Rule 36 was among those in which the IFA modified the existing Rugby Union rule, though it is unclear why they did so. The rule is quite simple:

Rule 36: Kick-off is a place kick from the center of the field, and cannot count as a goal. The opposite side must stand at least ten yards in front of the ball until it has been kicked. (If the ball pitch in touch it shall be brought back and kicked off again.)

The rule tells us the kickoff occurred from the center line or midfield on the 110-yard field. It remained until 1912 when football adopted a 100-yard long field, and the kickoff shifted to the kicking team’s 40-yard line.