Today's Tidbit... The Point of No Return

At several points in football's history, the rulemakers have tried to encourage risk-taking by the offense. For example, from the mid-1910s through the 1920s, various coaches sought ways to incorporate more rugby-style lateraling into their offenses.

In the mid-1910s, Canadian rugby combined elements of American football and English rugby. Since it did not yet allow blocking or the forward pass, rugby style laterals were a primary means of advancing the ball on the ground.

The illustration accompa...