American football came into existence in the late 19th century. The game originally included a mixture of rules and gameplay from ruby and soccer, but as time went on the game developed its own unique flavour.

Even though it was deemed to be a hazardous sport by many people, the rules of American football have been reworked on several occasions by various athletic clubs and leagues to make the sport safer. Therefore, the game of American football (also known as gridiron) has not always been played the same way. The method of scoring has remained somewhat unchanged, however there have been a few modifications over the sport’s history:

• Type of Ball - The utilization of a round ball is a characteristic that distinguished the first days of gridiron. However this type of ball was difficult to pick up or be carried. This meant that instead of running with the ball to the score zone, players would bat the ball with their hands and heads or kick it with their feet. Oblong balls soon replaced the round ones to allow easier handling.

• Number of Players – When gridiron begun in the 1800’s, each team could have up to 25 players on the field. This was eventually limited to 11 as there were safety concerns with this number.

• Scrums - Another feature that characterised the early history of gridiron was the scrum. This is a rugby feature that is used to restart the game if the ball has gone out of play. In a scrum, the teams huddle together and try to get possession of the ball. Scrums were ultimately substituted with the much more organised snaps (also known as a “pass from the centre”).

Tell us about your favourite game of gridiron in the comments!