American Football
Though seemingly random, huddles can have several forms. In American football, the huddle originated before the first collegiate football game in 1869. Before the 1890s, football players didn’t form huddles; they instead discussed the play far enough from the other team that they could not be overheard. As American football became more organized and formalized, so too did the huddle. Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania is often credited with first using an official huddle in 1926 against the University of Pennsylvania. Before the huddle, players used hand signals to communicate plays. Lafayette's coach decided to have players use huddles to prevent the UPenn players from learning their plays. Due to the use of the huddle Lafayette was able to win 35-10. Another instance of its use was when the huddle was formed by Paul Hubbard, a deaf player who went to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. To avoid having the other team see his sign language between plays, he and his team huddled to conceal the signs.
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