Snap before ready to play

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Ever is a long time. For a very long time that was strictly R's responsibility--starting with when they stopped having team A's snapper put the ball down at the linesman's spot. But it's good they gave that to U, who had more free time once subs stopped having to report to him--and even more free time in 5+ crews when they gave the 25 sec. clock to the BJ.

My 1939 rulebook (the earliest I've been able to find ... I collect these) doesn't say one way or another (no mechanics section at all). My 1947 book has a brief mechanics section but doesn't include this, and in the rule it just says "the official". Ditto 1949 and 1952. 1955 specifies spotting the ball as a duty of the umpire.

Does anyone have a copy (or link to) the Waynesburg / Fordham game in 1939 - we could look and see.

In any case, I would still hope you might refrain from saying the NCAA has a problem with a rule since you've not seen a game in quite a while. Maybe?

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Does anyone have a copy (or link to) the Waynesburg / Fordham game in 1939 - we could look and see.

Well, found some video of Pitt/Fordham from 1937.

Pitt at Fordham Football 1937 Polo Grounds (Part One) - YouTube



Edit: Or perhaps better yet, Princeton/Yale from 1910. Watch about 30 seconds into the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcfoKTjHhIA



Looks like the official in the backfield spots the ball (and winds the clock).

[CT1]

Originally Posted by Suudy

Or perhaps better yet, Princeton/Yale from 1910. Watch about 30 seconds into the video.

Interesting way to mark a field in the Chicago-Michigan clip.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by CT1

Interesting way to mark a field in the Chicago-Michigan clip.

That's why they call it a "gridiron"

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

That's why they call it a "gridiron"

No, it was called that before the lengthwise lines were added -- actually even before the crosswise lines were put down. When it was proposed to the rules committee for the 1882 season that lines be added every 5 yards to judge the line to gain, I forgot who said it would look like a gridiron. The lengthwise lines came in decades later with some rules restricting the advance of the ball by run or pass. The field could use them again, to judge the FBZ by.

They could've eliminated half the yard lines in 1912 when the distance to gain was increased to 10 yds., but they haven't. Heck, a lot of fields were still marked with an X at the center of the 40 yd. lines for many decades after the kickoff was no longer required to be from its center.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

No, it was called that before the lengthwise lines were added -- actually even before the crosswise lines were put down. When it was proposed to the rules committee for the 1882 season that lines be added every 5 yards to judge the line to gain, I forgot who said it would look like a gridiron. The lengthwise lines came in decades later with some rules restricting the advance of the ball by run or pass. The field could use them again, to judge the FBZ by.

They could've eliminated half the yard lines in 1912 when the distance to gain was increased to 10 yds., but they haven't. Heck, a lot of fields were still marked with an X at the center of the 40 yd. lines for many decades after the kickoff was no longer required to be from its center.

Bob, Robert would know. It was there in 1882.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Heck, a lot of fields were still marked with an X at the center of the 40 yd. lines for many decades after the kickoff was no longer required to be from its center.

Whadda mean, "were"? A majority of the fields I call on still have the X.