1906 College Football Season - Rules

Rules

The American Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee met at the Murray Hill Hotel in New York City beginning January 12, 1906, to create measures “for squelching brutality and all forms of unnecessary roughness.” Numerous changes were made, the primary one being the legalization of the forward pass. Various persons are given credit for the suggestion. Georgia Tech coach John Heisman had seen the play attempted in 1895 in a Georgia vs. North Carolina game, and lobbied for its legalization starting in 1903. John C. Bell, Sr., and Dr. J. William White were later credited with designing rules that would permit a pass, yet still be acceptable to a majority on the rules committee. Among the other rule changes made for the '06 season included:

1. Length of game reduced from 70 minutes to two halves of 30 minutes each.
2. The two teams would be separated by a neutral zone (the length of the ball) at the line of scrimmage.
3. Team had to gain 10 yards in 3 plays rather than 5 yards for a first down (see 1905 Fairmount vs. Washburn football game).
4. Hurdling was penalized.
5. Offensive linemen had to drop back five yards behind scrimmage if not moving forward.
6. Field marked with lines every five yards.
7. A fourth official added to enforce the rules.

Even with the approval of a forward pass, the rules for American football in 1906 were still significantly different than the ones of a century later, as many of the present rules (100 yard field, four downs to gain ten yards, 6-point touchdown and 3-point field goal) were adopted in 1912. The rules in 1906 were:

• Field 110 yards in length
• Kickoff made from midfield
• Three downs to gain ten yards
• Touchdown worth 5 points
• Field goal worth 4 points
• Forward pass legal, but subject to penalties:

Although a forward pass was made legal, that play in 1906 was still a risky business, because an incomplete attempt would result in stiff penalties — 15 yards back from the spot from which the pass was thrown on first or second down. If the defense committed a foul, the 15 yard penalty didn't apply to the offense, but the defending team was not penalized either. In addition, a pass could not be caught more than 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, nor beyond the goal line (the end zone had not yet been invented). The passing game in the west (typified by St. Louis University) was closer to today's version than that in the east; the quarterback would fire the ball directly to an open receiver. The style used by Yale and Harvard, recounted later by a referee of the day, Lt. H. B. Hackett, was "the ball is thrown high in the air and the runner who is to catch it is protected by several of his teammates forming an interference for him.".

Not everyone was impressed with the improved version of college football, particularly in California. "I do not believe the present experiment in American college football can survive," said the President of the University of California, Jack Wheeler. He added, "In my opinion, the whole country will within five years be playing the Rugby game."