Comments on: How Did the Pigskin Get Its Shape? http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/design/2012/10/how-did-the-pigskin-get-its-shape/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:50:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: S. Greene http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/design/2012/10/how-did-the-pigskin-get-its-shape/#comment-323 S. Greene Sun, 14 Oct 2012 03:06:50 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/design/?p=1715#comment-323 In the 1840's Princeton used a pig's bladder sometimes covered with leather for a football. In 1858, round balls were used in football games similar to those that would be used when the first football rules were passed in England in 1863 by the London Football Association. Most likely this was the type of ball used in America's first intercollegiate football game, Princeton at Rutgers, on November 6, 1869. Starting as early as 1874 but adopted by most colleges around 1877, American football adopted a "watermelon" looking ball as used in England for Rugby Union football. The Targum newspaper of Rutgers College proclaimed in 1877, “Suits were immediately provided for the eleven and an imported Rugby foot-ball procured. Thus the team was better equipped than any other were at Rutgers…” The ball kept getting smaller over time but kept its oblong shape. In 1934, the "prolate spheroid" ball was adopted by rule. This was the "modern" football we've come to know. But at the same time, football lost something -- the drop kick. It became very difficult to drop, bounce and kick a ball that had become too sleek. Drop kicking was in vogue up until 1934 in football because the larger, slightly less oblong ball could be dropped and kicked with more of a consistent bounce. Doug Flutie ended his NFL career with a successful drop kick of an extra point. It was the first successful drop kick in the NFL in over 60 years. In the 1840′s Princeton used a pig’s bladder sometimes covered with leather for a football. In 1858, round balls were used in football games similar to those that would be used when the first football rules were passed in England in 1863 by the London Football Association. Most likely this was the type of ball used in America’s first intercollegiate football game, Princeton at Rutgers, on November 6, 1869.

Starting as early as 1874 but adopted by most colleges around 1877, American football adopted a “watermelon” looking ball as used in England for Rugby Union football.

The Targum newspaper of Rutgers College proclaimed in 1877, “Suits were immediately provided for the eleven and an imported Rugby foot-ball procured. Thus the team was better equipped than any other were at Rutgers…”

The ball kept getting smaller over time but kept its oblong shape. In 1934, the “prolate spheroid” ball was adopted by rule. This was the “modern” football we’ve come to know. But at the same time, football lost something — the drop kick. It became very difficult to drop, bounce and kick a ball that had become too sleek. Drop kicking was in vogue up until 1934 in football because the larger, slightly less oblong ball could be dropped and kicked with more of a consistent bounce.

Doug Flutie ended his NFL career with a successful drop kick of an extra point. It was the first successful drop kick in the NFL in over 60 years.

]]> By: Moshe Feder http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/design/2012/10/how-did-the-pigskin-get-its-shape/#comment-305 Moshe Feder Fri, 05 Oct 2012 22:13:12 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/design/?p=1715#comment-305 The ball used in Australian Rules Football has a similar shape -- it's a bit larger and fatter -- and what I always find amazing when I see a game is that the players are able to DRIBBLE it as they run! The ball used in Australian Rules Football has a similar shape — it’s a bit larger and fatter — and what I always find amazing when I see a game is that the players are able to DRIBBLE it as they run!

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