The 1874 Harvard vs. McGill football game was a two-game series between the Harvard Crimson and the McGill Redmen held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 14 and 15, 1874.[1][2]
First "Boston rules" football game played in the United States
The second game, played under the rugby rules. Harvard players at left, in white shirts
With the first game being played under the Harvard's "Boston game", the second one was the first rugby-style football game played in the United States.[3] It used three periods or "games" and ended in a scoreless tie.[4][5]
On October 20, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules. Before this meeting, each school had its own set of rules and games were usually played using the home team's own particular code. At this meeting, a list of rules, based more on association football than on rugby football, was drawn up for intercollegiate football games.[3]
Harvard, which played the Boston game, a version of football that allowed carrying, refused to attend this rules conference and continued to play under its own code. While Harvard's voluntary absence from the meeting made it hard for them to schedule games against other American universities, it agreed to a challenge to play McGill University, from Montreal, Canada, in a two-game series.
After the two games in Cambridge, Harvard travelled to Montreal to play a third match
The McGill team traveled to Cambridge to meet Harvard. On May 14, 1874, the first game, played under Boston rules, was dominated by Harvard, which lead 3–0 after only 22 minutes when the game was ended.[3][6] The next day, the two teams played under "McGill" rugby rules to a scoreless tie.[3] The first game featured a round ball instead of a rugby-style oblong ball.[6] McGill used a bladder covered by leather instead of a rubber ball as did Harvard, which was much more difficult to kick.[7] There were about 500 attendees, most of whom were students.[2] This series of games represents an important milestone in the development of the modern game of American football.[1][8] A similar game was played a year later between Harvard and Tufts establishing this as the first game between two American colleges played under rules used in today's version of American football.
At this time, the try was not used in American Football. The try would later evolve into the score known as the touchdown. In late 1874, the Harvard team traveled to Montreal to play McGill in rugby, and won by three tries in front of 2,000 spectators.[9][10][11]
^ ab"THIS DATE IN HISTORY: First football game was May 14, 1874". mcgill.ca. 2012-05-14. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
^ ab"THIS DATE IN HISTORY: First football game was May 14, 1874". mcgill.ca. McGill University News. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
^ abcd"No Christian End!" (PDF). The Journey to Camp: The Origins of American Football to 1889. Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
^"Foot Ball". Boston Post. May 16, 1874. p. 3. Retrieved March 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abParke H. Davis. Football, the American intercollegiate game. p. 64.
^"Out-Door Sports". Boston Post. May 11, 1874. p. 4. Retrieved March 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Parke H. Davis '93 On Harvard Football". Princeton Alumni Weekly. 16: 583. March 29, 1916 – via Google books.
^MacDonald, D.A.L. (November 27, 1970). "Montreal's Cup Float recalls how McGill started grid mania". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
^"Early Football". San Jose Evening News. November 13, 1915. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
^MacDonald, D.A.L. (December 22, 1933). "McGill and Harvard Have Been Rivals for 59 Years". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1874 Harvard vs. McGill football game.
January 07, 2023
1874, harvard, mcgill, football, game, game, series, between, harvard, crimson, mcgill, redmen, held, cambridge, massachusetts, 1874, first, boston, rules, football, game, played, united, statesthe, second, game, played, under, rugby, rules, harvard, players, . The 1874 Harvard vs McGill football game was a two game series between the Harvard Crimson and the McGill Redmen held in Cambridge Massachusetts on May 14 and 15 1874 1 2 First Boston rules football game played in the United StatesThe second game played under the rugby rules Harvard players at left in white shirtsMcGill Redmen Harvard Crimson0 31 TotalMcGill 0 0Harvard 3 3DateMay 14 1874Season1873StadiumJarvis FieldLocationCambridgeFirst rugby football game played in the United StatesMcGill Redmen Harvard Crimson0 0123 TotalMcGill 000 0Harvard 000 0DateMay 15 1874Season1873StadiumJarvis FieldLocationCambridgeWith the first game being played under the Harvard s Boston game the second one was the first rugby style football game played in the United States 3 It used three periods or games and ended in a scoreless tie 4 5 A Princeton vs Rutgers football game had been played five years earlier in 1869 but under a variation of England s The Football Association rules closer to contemporary soccer than American football Overview EditOn October 20 1873 representatives from Yale Columbia Princeton and Rutgers met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules Before this meeting each school had its own set of rules and games were usually played using the home team s own particular code At this meeting a list of rules based more on association football than on rugby football was drawn up for intercollegiate football games 3 Harvard which played the Boston game a version of football that allowed carrying refused to attend this rules conference and continued to play under its own code While Harvard s voluntary absence from the meeting made it hard for them to schedule games against other American universities it agreed to a challenge to play McGill University from Montreal Canada in a two game series After the two games in Cambridge Harvard travelled to Montreal to play a third match The McGill team traveled to Cambridge to meet Harvard On May 14 1874 the first game played under Boston rules was dominated by Harvard which lead 3 0 after only 22 minutes when the game was ended 3 6 The next day the two teams played under McGill rugby rules to a scoreless tie 3 The first game featured a round ball instead of a rugby style oblong ball 6 McGill used a bladder covered by leather instead of a rubber ball as did Harvard which was much more difficult to kick 7 There were about 500 attendees most of whom were students 2 This series of games represents an important milestone in the development of the modern game of American football 1 8 A similar game was played a year later between Harvard and Tufts establishing this as the first game between two American colleges played under rules used in today s version of American football At this time the try was not used in American Football The try would later evolve into the score known as the touchdown In late 1874 the Harvard team traveled to Montreal to play McGill in rugby and won by three tries in front of 2 000 spectators 9 10 11 See also Edit1873 college football season 1874 college football season History of rugby union in the United StatesReferences Edit a b THIS DATE IN HISTORY First football game was May 14 1874 mcgill ca 2012 05 14 Retrieved 2015 11 19 a b THIS DATE IN HISTORY First football game was May 14 1874 mcgill ca McGill University News 14 May 2012 Retrieved 18 December 2021 a b c d No Christian End PDF The Journey to Camp The Origins of American Football to 1889 Professional Football Researchers Association Retrieved 2010 01 26 Foot Ball Boston Post May 16 1874 p 3 Retrieved March 29 2015 via Newspapers com DeLassus David Harvard Yearly Results College Football Data Warehouse Archived from the original on 2014 07 28 Retrieved August 22 2014 a b Parke H Davis Football the American intercollegiate game p 64 Out Door Sports Boston Post May 11 1874 p 4 Retrieved March 29 2015 via Newspapers com Parke H Davis 93 On Harvard Football Princeton Alumni Weekly 16 583 March 29 1916 via Google books MacDonald D A L November 27 1970 Montreal s Cup Float recalls how McGill started grid mania The Montreal Gazette Retrieved August 22 2014 Early Football San Jose Evening News November 13 1915 Retrieved August 22 2014 MacDonald D A L December 22 1933 McGill and Harvard Have Been Rivals for 59 Years The Montreal Gazette Retrieved August 22 2014 Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1874 Harvard vs McGill football game Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1874 Harvard vs McGill football game amp oldid 1129892000, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
