Today's Tidbit... Walter Camp And The 1924 Rule Changes

Walter Camp was part of the 1924 rules committee that adjusted football rules, as he had been since the 1876 Intercollegiate Football Association meeting that established American football’s first rules. Football changed dramatically during that time, with Camp promoting fundamental changes to the game and acting as the editor and spokesperson for the rule-making process.

Walter Camp in 1925 (National Portrait Galler)

Although many disagreed with one rule or another over the years, the 1924 rules were among the most troublesome because several rules were contradictory or opened loopholes for undesirable tactics. Back then, the rules committee solicited input from coaches, officials, and others and then convened to design and write the new rules. Depending on the year, the committee obtained feedback on the rules and made changes, but there came a point when they moved ahead with the final version. The rules were a detachable insert within Spalding’s football guide.