An illustration of an Oneida Football Club game played at Boston Common in Boston, c. 1862-1865
First played
1862; 162 years ago (1862) in Boston
Characteristics
Contact
Yes
Type
Team sport Outdoor
Equipment
Football ball
Venue
Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Presence
Country or region
United States
Olympic
No
World Championships
No
Paralympic
No
Obsolete
Yes
Part of the American football series on the
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Walter Camp
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The Boston game, also known as the Boston rules, was an early code of football developed by the Oneida Football Club,[1] formed in 1862 and considered by some historians as the first formal "football" club in the United States.[2][3][4][5] Rules allowed carrying and kicking and is considered the first step to the codification of rules for association football, rugby football, or American football.[6] After Oneida disbanded, former members established the Harvard University Football Club, which continued to play football under those rules.[2][7]
The rules were also the code used in the first (of two) 1874 games between Harvard and McGill Universities.[1][8][9][2]
Nevertheless, after the series vs McGill, the Harvard players were so enthusiastic about rugby football that they decided to embrace the game, leaving the Boston Game behind.[2][10] The establishment of the Intercollegiate Football Association in 1876 would be a further step in the transition from rugby to American football.[7][2]
^ abNo Christian End! The Beginnings of Football in America By PFRA Research (Originally Published in The Journey to Camp: The Origins of American Football to 1889 (PFRA Books)
^ abcdeTHE BOSTON GAME article by Michael T. Geary at academia.edu
^Cite error: The named reference allaway was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^An Historical Sketch of the Oneida Football Club of Boston: 1862-1865 by Winthrop S. Scudder - Library of the University of Wisconsin
^Remembering the first high school football games By Bob Holmes on The Boston Globe, November 21, 2012
^The Boston Game: Origins of Football
^ abCite error: The named reference harvbook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Foot Ball", clipping from The Boston Post, May 16, 1874, p. 3
^Harvard Yearly Results: 1873-1874 at cfbdatawarehouse.com (archived, 2014)
^Cite error: The named reference athl was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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