How Football Became Football: 150 Years of the Game’s Evolution

How Football Became Football traces football’s evolution from a version of rugby played before a handful of friends to a spectacle played in packed stadiums before television audiences of 100 million or more. Organized by era, How Football Became Football shows how football’s rules, tactics, and equipment shifted over time, as did its coaching, officiating, and fan behavior. Richly illustrated and written in a fun, engaging manner, readers learn why maul-ins, puntouts and quarterback kicks disappeared from the game, as well as how helmets, end zones, hash marks, and penalty flags became part of football. Walter Camp, Paul Brown, and Sid Gillman receive their due, while revealing the roles played by Frank Birch, John Lockney, and other lesser-known men who impacted the game. How Football Became Football provides a thoroughly researched and humorous look at how football became the game we know and love today.