Old school rule sets

[leeman67]

Don't know if anyone has brought this up yet (and if they have, I apologize), but does anyone remember a game called "Legends 98"? I think it was Accolade that released it back in 1997 and the game was a complete bust - bugs, poor graphics, gameplay, etc. However, it had a awesome and unique concept compared to prior pc football games in that it offered the ability to play games under rule sets from like the 1920's and 40's, etc. I have noticed a few mods offering teams from 20's, 30's and 40's as well as playbooks. I think it would be great if somehow MF could add the ability to adjust the rule sets even further than it currently does. I know one area I can think of is the location of the hash marks. In the old style of football, they were closer to each sideline. Just a thought, and it would be cool if we could do that. Are there any thoughts to allowing further rule adjustments such as those I mentioned above?

Thanks!
Lee

[Old Coach]

Actually, hash marks weren't drawn on football fields until sometime in the mid to late 1950's. That could be simulated to some extent by simply copying and pasting over the hash marks on the field grass BMP's included in the game. Of course, you'd want to archive the stock grass bmp's. As to actual rules applications for those eras, I suspect, programming those old rules might stimulate David to take a trip to the funny farm. Some of the old rules were really strange.

Old Coach

[garysorrell]

I remember that game. It may have been one of the very few I skipped.

Here is a review

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/legendsfootball98/review.html?sid=2535662

[leeman67]

You're right Old Coach.  There weren't actual hashmarks.  I guess I meant that the ball would be placed closer to the sidelines at the start of each play depending on where the last play was blown dead.  I'm sure it made for some interesting strategies in how plays were designed and called

[therhino]

How did they play without hash marks? What happens when a player ran out of bounds. Sorry I don't know much about the rules back then.
TheRhino

[leeman67]

I'm not 100% certain myself, but I do believe that the old football fields were lined like grids (thus the term, "gridiron"), and that the ball was snapped from close to the exact location on that grid from where it was blown dead on the prior play. So I'm sure it made the offense think twice before running end sweeps or out patterns.

[mwidunn]

Just for people's information: Originally, there were no hash marks at all on either an American or a Canadian football field.  Please, remember that the American Football code developed from Rugby Union Football.  Hence, the "Canadian Rugby Football" Union until it became the "Canadian Football League" the 1950's.  In Rugby, the ball is always live anywhere on the field until play is called dead (for a penalty; for a scrum-down; etc.).  In AF, the ball became "dead" wherever the player in possession was tackled on the field; then, the ball had to be put back into play -- become "live" again -- by scrimmage AT THE SPOT where the ball became dead.  If the ball carrier ran out of bounds, then the ball was brought in between 5-15 feet and placed down for scrimmage.  There were no hash marks: If a player were tackled near the sideline, then scrimmage occurred at or near the sideline -- which was why all those teams in the "Old, Old Days" had sideline plays in their playbook.
 
Another related point: AF's Rugby roots also explain why in the Old, Old Days a player had to be TACKLED and HELD DOWN before he was ruled "down."  There was none of this: "Did-any-part-of-the-defender's-jersey-brush-across-the ball-carrier's-butt-while-his-knee-was-down?" nonsense?  If a ball carrier broke loose, regardless of whether his knee or whole body touched the field, he could still get up an continue running (as in Rugby).
 
And, another: The ball had to be heeled back in scrimmage.  Americans went to the hand-snap pretty early, while Canadians kept it for much longer (e.g., the 1920's).  I saw a big picture at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame once -- it was the late 1990's, so I don't know if it's still displayed -- showing (using the American terms) the Center with the Guards bound onto him like a mini-scrum, so that the Center could heel back the ball.
 
One of the great tragedies of American Football History: Many of the Rugby-esque rules had been maintained by the Canadians, until they started hiring American coaches (i.e., Frank Shaughnessy of Notre Dame), who didn't understand them . . . so, they got rid of them; or, made them like the American game.