viii, [2], 175 + [3] ad pp. With 31 portrait plates, most from photographs, of famous footballers. 6½x4¼, original blue cloth decorated in gilt & colors, lettering in gilt. First Edition.
The technique of America football expounded by one of its founding fathers, who is credited wth creating the "fourth down rule," the "gridiron" patterns, and lifting the prohibition against tackling below the waist. There are chapters devoted to English and American Rugby, the End Rusher, the Tackle, the Guard, The Centre, or Snap-Back, the Quarter-Back, Training, etc. The portraits are of notable football players from those three powerhouses, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, including such luminaries as William W. "Pudge" Heffelfinger (Yale 1888-1891, the first "pulling guard"), Hector Cowan of Princeton, Harvard's D.S. Dean, etc.
Condition:
Some rubbing and wear to extremities, corners bumped; light dampstains to lower margins, primarily noticable on the plates but affecting no images, ink name to pastedown, else very good, scarce in the first edition.