FREE 1905 eBook by Fielding Yost
Was looking up some history for a project of mine of Michigan's offensive systems through the years and found this- https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=le3KCYXt5BwC&rdid=book-le3KCYXt5BwC&rdot=1
A free copy of the 1905 book written by Fielding Yost himself. Yost was 43-0-1 as a head coach at Michigan at the time, coming off of 4 consecutive national championships.
It really is a cool book about the history of football and how it was played back then.
Your linebackers on defense were your left and right halfbacks with the fullback as what we know as the MIKE.
This was written before the invent of the forward pass. The QB was the only player in the defensive backfield. 25 yards behind the fullback!
This is the "regular defense form"-
September 4th, 2013 at 4:26 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 4:42 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 5:40 PM ^
How did he draw such perfect circles before the invention of Microsoft Paint? CRAZY.
September 4th, 2013 at 5:46 PM ^
It was necessary to hire a draftsman, or, if you were planning for Grey Poupon, a draughtman!
September 4th, 2013 at 5:52 PM ^
Because he is Fielding Harris Yost.
September 4th, 2013 at 5:48 PM ^
Google's #1 match in "similar books" is Bleak House by Charles Dickens. I'm not sure why, but that strikes me as funny.
September 4th, 2013 at 6:09 PM ^
If we don't win Saturday night.
September 4th, 2013 at 6:19 PM ^
I own a hard copy of this book & have read parts of it. It is a delightful read and I definitely recommend everyone take a look at what Yost has to say about the moral benefits of playing football!
September 4th, 2013 at 6:49 PM ^
EDIT: Wrong thread
September 4th, 2013 at 9:35 PM ^
The members of this blog should be put to work in diamond mines. Not as an insult, mind you, but because they're just so good at unearthing gemstones!
September 4th, 2013 at 10:03 PM ^
Great recommendation!
A few other notable points of that era.
1. The LEFT tackle was a major offensive player in Yost's systems.
2. It was single platoon - none of this modern unlimited substitution. Next the forward pass, the ability to rotate players in-and-out at will probably affected football the most profoundly.
3. The book not only discusses Yost's coaching methods, his offensive and defensive thoughts it was also a rule book!
September 4th, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 11:04 PM ^
September 5th, 2013 at 2:53 AM ^
Random notes:
- Mid-field used to be the 55 yard line
- Touchdowns were worth five points and field goals worth four
- First downs came every five yards
- Extra points were still worth one point, but had to be kicked from a spot based on where the runner crossed the goal line. These were generally punted through the uprights, but if the touchdown was scored too close to the sideline the angle would be difficult so you could punt it to a holder who could set up a place kick.
- QBs couldn't advance the ball without first running sideways five yards (to enforce this rule, refs needed vertical lines on the field, so the whole field looked like a grid or "gridiron")
- It was common to use a punt returner on all downs for the possible "surprise" punt
- Games were a maximum of 70 minutes, with discretion to reduce the time allotted
September 5th, 2013 at 3:05 AM ^
This passage was presumably from the MSU game (or State Agricultural College, as it was then known):
The visitor forgets himself in the frenzy of defeat that seems certain, and his clenched fist shoots home. The blow was covertly given but the umpire is there to see such things. There is an other distance penalty and the young man guilty of the slugging is sent from the game.
September 5th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^
how today's English is no longer the King's English that was once revered.
Somehow a phase such as, "the embodiment of all who dare stand on the gridiron to represent his team, and void of being reticent, through his tough play, speaks of well of his toughness as a man and of his character" sounds much better than "our team is going to kick your ass."