Today's Tidbit... Jim Thorpe Kicks from the Sideline

Still of kicking from the sideline from Jim Thorpe - All American.

The image above is a great football image despite not being a football image in the strict sense. It is a Hollywood still from Jim Thorpe - All American, so the pictured kicker is Burt Lancaster, not Jim Thorpe.

I like the image because it shows an element of football that disappeared almost ninety years ago with the introduction of hash marks. As noted in the past, until hash marks appeared on the field, scrimmage plays began wherever the previous play ended unless the previous play ended with the ball going out of bounds. In those instances, the next play started 15 yards in from the sideline. However, if the previous play ended with the ball carrier downed near and inside the sideline, the next play started wherever the ball carrier had been downed.