American football originated as a college club sport controlled by the players. Initially, the game did not have coaches, especially professional ones, so it developed a tradition against coaches, players on the sidelines, or fans instructing players during the game. Prohibitions against coaching from the sideline made their way into the rulebook in 1892, accompanied by a 15-yard penalty.

Of course, sometimes coaches could not help themselves and violated the rule. A story often told on the banquet circuit described a coach whose team had problems on offense, turning over the ball or committing a penalty for every successful play. Frustrated, the coach yelled instructions to his quarterback.
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