Rutgers Beats Princeton: The Birth of College Football
Rutgers beat Princeton 6-4 on November 6, 1869, in what is recognized as the first intercollegiate football game. The rules resembled soccer more than modern American football: 25 players per side, no carrying the ball, and goals scored by kicking through posts. The field was about 120 yards long. Rutgers students removed a gate from a fence to use as goalposts. Princeton used teamwork and 'dribbling' passes; Rutgers relied on a larger, more physical squad. The game drew about 100 spectators. Princeton won the rematch a week later. A proposed third game was canceled when faculty intervened, worried the students were neglecting their studies. The sport evolved rapidly: Walter Camp introduced the line of scrimmage and downs system in the 1880s, transforming a rugby-like game into the distinctly American sport played today.
November 6, 1869
157 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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Princeton University
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New Brunswick, New Jersey
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Rutgers College
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1869 college football season#First football game e
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College of New Jersey
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New Brunswick, New Jersey
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Rutgers University
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Princeton University
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1869 college football season
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College football
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