-
First American Football
On November 6, 1869, Rutgers and Princeton played what was billed as the first college football game. The football that they used in this game was no ordinary football, it was more like a soccer ball to me.
http://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/birth-of-pro-football/ -
The shape of the ball
The shape of the ball came for a mix of both rugby and soccer. Because rugby balls where once made from pigs bladder, and well that's the shape of a football.
http://www.museumofplay.org/blog/play-stuff/2009/12/why-is-a-football-football-shaped/ -
The evolution of The Football
In the early 1900's, the forward pass (hailmary, slants, ect.) was introduced into the new game called Football. By this happening the ball got slimmer and longer. This mad the game more interesting and more people started to watch the games.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-did-the-pigskin-get-its-shape-63180450/ -
Dominance of the forward pass
in the 1930's the forward pass got more and more dominate in the game of football. The ball itself got even slimmer and longer for a better grip. This caused more and more viewers and fans.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-did-the-pigskin-get-its-shape-63180450/ -
How its made
Since the forward pass, the american football hasn't really changed that much. But the manufactures have. Since 1941 the footballs have been handcrafted by Wilson sporting goods, not in factories.
http://blog.gtmsportswear.com/how-the-american-football-got-its-shape/ -
Night footballs
Nowadays, sports use big lights to light up the fields. but back then they used solid white footballs. In 1956, the solid white balls where changed to what we see now, footballs with white stripes on the ends.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-did-the-pigskin-get-its-shape-63180450/ -
Today's football
Nowadays footballs have to be a certain length, width, height,weight, circumference, and ball pressure. I don't know if there will be anymore changes to the football today, but right now its perfect.
http://blog.gtmsportswear.com/how-the-american-football-got-its-shape/