Today's Tidbit... John Heisman and the Prolate Spheroid

We all have our favorite football stories, and here's one of mine. It does not involve a great play or a great player, but a great point about football's rules, specifically the rule that defined the nature of the ball itself.

Rugby ball ad in Foot-Ball Rules and Referee's Book. American Intercollegiate Association. Boston: Wright & Ditson. 1883.

Americans used the popular Lilywhite rugby ball imported from England when football began. Then, a presentation at the 1892 rules meeting convinced the powers to adopt the American-made Spalding Model J as the official ball.

Model J football ad in Camp, Walter. Spalding’s 1893 Official Foot Ball Guide. New York: American Sports Publishing. 1893.