Evolving out of the two sports soccer and rugby, the game of American Football became one of the most popular sports in America. Gaining favor over soccer, rugby began to shape the rules of the modern game of football.
Rules of the game
In 1869, the first set of rules for the game were written by Walter Camp, who became known as the father of the game. Through the years, the rules were changed as the game changed to become the American Football of modern times.
The year 1892 brought about the making of professional players
Football became a major attraction, being played between athletic area clubs. The competition between clubs became very intense and a player, William (Pudge) Heffelfinger, was paid $500 to play in a game. The game was won when Heffelfinger ran 35 yards to gain a touchdown after a fumble of the opposite team.
As time progressed, it became more regular to sign up players for a full season’s games and paying them to play. In 1896, the first fully professional team played a two-game season.
American Football and American Culture
Even though baseball is called the American national pastime, American Football is by far the most popular sport. In certain parts of America, football is revered as a religion and can also be linked to national holidays. The Super Bowl might be the best-known event in American Football and is considered a national holiday.
New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving Day are two more holidays for traditionally watching football games.