By Darin Hayes The forward pass is the heart of modern football, yet its beginnings were anything but brilliant. When legalized in 1906, it was treated as an afterthought—or even a punishment—by those in power.
In a recent interview, Pigskin Dispatch host Darin Hayes spoke with football historian Tim Brown about his new book, When Football Came to Pass: The Decade That Changed Football Forever (1906-1915). Brown peels back the layers on this chaotic era, revealing a game struggling to accept its most vital innovation.
A Messy Decade: Rules and Restrictions
The first ten years of the forward pass were defined by highly restrictive rules designed by traditionalists who viewed the play with suspicion. An incomplete pass in 1906 resulted in a turnover, not a simple loss of down! This made attempting a pass a huge risk, a desperation move rather than a core offensive strategy.
But the biggest challenge? Players didn’t know how to throw the ball.
“The first decade of the forward pass was a mess,” Brown explains. Coaches experimented with a variety of motions—nine different techniques in total, including bizarre ones that resembled a soldier tossing a grenade. It took a genuine innovator to figure it out.
The Pass is Saved by a Forgotten Team
The game owes its passing revolution to St. Louis University coach Eddie Cochems and his passer, Bradbury Robinson. In 1906, while the Eastern powerhouses clung to their conservative running games, Cochems perfected the overhand spiral. This simple technique—which was not widely known at the time—was the only one that delivered the required distance, speed, and accuracy.
Had St. Louis U. not showcased this technique, Brown suggests, the powerful opposition might have succeeded in eliminating the forward pass entirely.
It wasn’t until the 1913 Notre Dame vs. Army game, where the passing attack proved its effectiveness on a national stage, that the game’s traditionalists were finally forced to catch up.
For a fascinating, in-depth look at the chaotic, unscripted birth of the modern game, check out Tim Brown’s latest book. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves football history.
Find the book, When Football Came to Pass, on Amazon, Audible, and Kindle Audio.