Football, for instance, started out back at the turn of the former century without any forward pass. The ball had to be carried on the ground all the way to the goal line. The story of Jim Thorpe’s amazing abilities and scoring was all done prior to the forward pass. It was Knute Rockne, when he was a player at Notre Dame, who “invented” the forward pass. He and a teammate were playing around one summer and devised ways to introduce pass plays without breaking the rules. There was nothing in the rules at that time forbidding throwing the ball forward because it had never occurred to anyone to do so. The lateral or backward pass had long been okay.

            Of course, there was a big hullabaloo when Notre Dame unveiled a pass play in a game, but eventually they were able to convince other teams that there was nothing illegal about advancing the ball by tossing it forward. Rules were soon devised to cover from where and when a player could pass the ball forward and, as they say “the rest was history.” Since that time there have been many different rules introduced about to whom and from where a forward pass can be thrown, and even as to how many passes can be thrown in a given play, namely one.

            Baseball began so far back it is hard to determine just when and accord ing to what rules it began. It clearly seems to be an off-shoot from cricket. Not many changes have been made in recent decades except those pertaining to some aspects of baserunning, pitching (no spitballs), and homeruns off the fence. I remember Jackie Robinson once stopped while running to second base so that the ball would hit him on the leg and he would be out, but his teammate who had hit the grounder was safe at first. The next batter drove in the winning runs with a homer. Once or twice midgets have served as the leadoff batter, thereby insuring at least one base runner by virtue of the midget having gotten an inevitable walk.

            Basketball was only invented a little over one hundred years ago (by James Naismith) and it is still evolving even today. At first there was a jump ball after  every basket made. Even though there was no rule about how one could shoot the ball, at first everyone shot underhanded with two hands. When I was playing, starting in the 1940s, we had to bounce the ball straight down, without “cupping” it at all. Anyone who has watched the game today can see how this rule has evolved. Also, over the years the keyholes and foul lanes have been broadened, and a three-point line has been introduced. In addition, at different times varioubeen invoked. The “stuff shot” was illegal for a certain period, but it was soon brought back.

            All sorts of innovations have been introduced in track and field competition over the years. No rules were involved with the innovation of the “Fosbury Flop” was introduced. To go over the bar backwards did not break any rules, even though it involved approaching the bar from the side usually used with the old-fashioned “scissors” jump. I once saw a fellow named Dickie Browning, a gymnast, clear the bar at over 8 feet, but he went off of two feet. The rule in high jumping requires the person to go off of one foot. Most used to go over on their belly (called the “Eastern roll), but now everyone does the “flop” because it clearly has improved the results.

            The shot put and discus now involve more spinning around in the circle than they used to, thanks primarily to Perry O’Brian back in the 1950s. All the running events have remained pretty much the same over the years, except that the distances have switched to meters rather than yards. The most change has come with the pole vault. For a long time vaulters used bamboo poles because they were strong and light. Then some began to use fiberglass poles, which were also very light, but would bend during the vault upwards toward the crossbar. There was some controversy over whether to allow these poles, but today  everyone uses them and the record has gone steadily up. Vaulters used to have to be strong in the arms and body, but now they perform more like gymnasts, waiting for the bent pole to spring back and thrust them upwards toward the bar.

            It has been fascinating, if at times confusing and frustrating to follow all the sports through the years, trying to keep up with the all new rules and practices. In my own favored event, most youngsters start out and stick with the simple run and jump technique. The “pros”, starting back in Jesse Owens’ time, devised ways to “run in the air” and extend their jump considerably. All good jumpers now use this method. Back in college it took me a couple of years to get any good using this method. Like most sorts, it involves a combination of speed, strength, and technique. Its the latter, in all the above cases, that really makes the difference.