Today's Tidbit... Coaching One Player During Timeouts

American football originated as a college club sport controlled by the players. Initially, the game did not have coaches, especially professional ones, so it developed a tradition against coaches, players on the sidelines, or fans instructing players during the game. Prohibitions against coaching from the sideline made their way into the rulebook in 1892, accompanied by a 15-yard penalty.

For many years, coaches and players had to remain seated along the sideline, or one or two coaches might roam...