Six-Man Football and its Origin and History
Stephen Epler was a teacher and assistant football coach at Nebraska’s Beatrice High School in 1934 when he became concerned that many high schools lacked football teams, which he attributed to small enrollments and insufficient budgets. In 1933, Nebraska had 505 high schools, but only 218 (43 percent) played football. Among the 317 schools with fewer than 100 pupils, only 68 played football. More broadly, there were 24,000 public high schools in the U.S., and while 18,000 played basketball, o — www.footballarchaeology.com
Our friend historian Timothy P. Brown recently wrote about the exciting variation of high school football played in less populated areas where each team field six players rather than the normal eleven.
Born in the heart of the Great Depression, six-man football emerged as a testament to American ingenuity and the unwavering spirit of small-town communities. Its story is one of adaptation, resilience, and the enduring passion for the gridiron.
From Necessity to Innovation:
In 1933, the harsh realities of the Depression hit small Nebraska towns like Chester hard. With dwindling student populations, many schools struggled to field full eleven-man football teams. Enter Stephen Epler, a resourceful superintendent who saw an opportunity amidst the hardship. Inspired by basketball and tennis, he envisioned a modified version of football played with six players on each side, allowing even the smallest schools to compete.
Birth of a Game:
Epler's brainchild quickly gained traction. The first six-man game was played on a crisp September night in 1934, drawing a thousand spectators to witness the clash between the combined teams of Hardy-Chester and Belvidere-Alexandria. The game, a 19-19 tie, proved the concept viable, and six-man football began its ascent across the plains.
Spreading the Game:
Word of the innovative game spread like wildfire. Texas adopted six-man in 1938, followed by states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Montana. Soon, the gridiron echoed with the cheers of six-man fans from coast to coast.
The Rouge and the Two-Point Conversion
It may be the social media circles I ride in, but I’ve enjoyed the attention received by Saskatchewan earning a rouge in Thursday’s game and the potential rouge in Friday’s Winnipeg-Calgary game. Canadian football does not have touchbacks. Downing the ball or being tackled in the end zone following an opponent’s kick results in a rouge or single, which scores one point for the opponent; it is akin to a safety. (Punting or kicking the ball into the opponent’s end zone that then goes out — www.footballarchaeology.com
An interesting look back at the History of Canadian Football's rouge scoring and American Football's two-point conversion by Football Archaeology
Related Searches
Podcast:Football Archaeology, Podcast:Football, six man football, sports:football, Canadian Football, Two-point conversions, rouge, six-man football, Fritz Crisler, Terry Brennan
