ootball was changing from its ancestor, rugby, by leaps and bounds in the 1880s, as has been mentioned in earlier parts of this series. The year 1883 was busy with two conventions that modified the rules of the game. The rulebook was starting to take form as sections were added to organize the rules. Before this, the rules were listed in no particular order and with no particular organization to them. For instance, the coin toss or "toss-up of captains" was listed as rule 39 in the original 1876 rules. Rules on kicks were scattered willy-nilly throughout the list. Rule numbers 1, 2, 3, 29, 30, 36, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 49, 50, 55, and 56 all pertained to kicks and punts. Rules on scoring, tackling, etc., were sprinkled in between in the lists of the 1870s and early 80s.

Continued...