... 1873 the number was reduced to 20, in 1876 to 15, and in 1880 to 11, where it has remained fixed to the present time. Unlike its counterpart in American sports, baseball, the game of football has a history of constant rule changes. The field itself has been reduced in length from 120 yards exclusive of end zones, to the current 100 yards. The ball was once completely round, then became a spheroid which is now 21 1/4 to 21 1/2 inches around the middle. At one time atouchdown counted 2 points and a field goal 5. Now a touchdown is 6 points and a field goal 3. Most of the rule changes of football have been designed for two reasone: to maintain a balance between the offense and defense, and to foster the safety of the players. By 1906, the game was extremely rough, and many injuries and some ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now