1905 Fairmount vs. Washburn football game
Encyclopedia
The 1905 Washburn vs. Fairmount football game was a college football
game between Fairmount College (now called the Wichita State University
Shockers
) and the Washburn Ichabods
played on December 25, 1905. The game was played in Wichita, Kansas
. It is unclear if the game was considered "regular season", "post season", or "exhibition" in classification.
for Fairmount. The head coach for Washburn that season was John H. Outland
, but since he was officiating it is likely that the coaching duties fell to assistant coach (and next year's head coach) Garfield Weede
. The game ended in a 0–0 tie.
The experiment was considered a failure. Football legend John H. Outland
officiated the game and commented, "It seems to me that the distance required in three downs would almost eliminate touchdowns, except through fakes or flukes." The Los Angeles Times
reported that there was much kicking and that the game was considered much safer than regular play, but that the new rule was not "conducive to the sport."
to discuss rule changes to make the game safer. As a result of that meeting, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later named the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA), was formed and several other rule changes were made to improve safety for players, including the addition of the forward pass
.
concluded that "the first forward pass
es were thrown at the end of the 1905 season in a game between Fairmount and Washburn colleges in Kansas." According to Nelson, Washburn completed three passes, and Fairmount completed two.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game between Fairmount College (now called the Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
Shockers
Wichita State Shockers
The Shockers are the athletic teams at Wichita State University, who compete in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. Wichita State is well known for its fan support and its baseball program, which has the highest winning percentange of any college baseball team over the past 31 years...
) and the Washburn Ichabods
Washburn Ichabods
Washburn University men's athletic teams are known as the Ichabods and the women's teams are called the Lady Blues...
played on December 25, 1905. The game was played in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. It is unclear if the game was considered "regular season", "post season", or "exhibition" in classification.
Game play
Fairmount college was coached by Willis BatesWillis Bates
Willis S. "Billy" Bates was an American football and basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at Auburn University , Fairmount College—now Wichita State University , and Southwestern College in Kansas , compiling a career record of 84–52–12...
for Fairmount. The head coach for Washburn that season was John H. Outland
John H. Outland
-External links:...
, but since he was officiating it is likely that the coaching duties fell to assistant coach (and next year's head coach) Garfield Weede
Garfield Weede
Dr. Garfield W. Weede was a college football, track & field coach and athletic director in the United States. He was one of the first college coaches to "break the color line" and allow racial integration among his players.-Playing career:Garfield Weede played football at the University of...
. The game ended in a 0–0 tie.
Safer but not "conducive"
Both teams had played a previous game that same season. What made the game unique was that it was a test of a proposed rule of play. During the game, each team's offense was only allowed three downs instead of four to earn a new first down.The experiment was considered a failure. Football legend John H. Outland
John H. Outland
-External links:...
officiated the game and commented, "It seems to me that the distance required in three downs would almost eliminate touchdowns, except through fakes or flukes." The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that there was much kicking and that the game was considered much safer than regular play, but that the new rule was not "conducive to the sport."
Impact
Three days later, 62 schools met in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to discuss rule changes to make the game safer. As a result of that meeting, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later named the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA), was formed and several other rule changes were made to improve safety for players, including the addition of the forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
.
First forward pass
In his history of the sport of football, David M. NelsonDavid M. Nelson
David Moir Nelson was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, author, and authority on college football playing rules...
concluded that "the first forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
es were thrown at the end of the 1905 season in a game between Fairmount and Washburn colleges in Kansas." According to Nelson, Washburn completed three passes, and Fairmount completed two.
See also
- 1905 college football season1905 college football seasonThe 1905 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Chicago and Yale Bulldogs football as national champions.-Rule experiment:...
- History of American footballHistory of American footballAmerican football can be traced to early versions of rugby football and association football. Both games have their origin in varieties of football played in Britain in the mid-19th century, in which a football is kicked at a goal and/or run over a line....
- List of historically significant college football games