The forward pass was legalized in American football in 1906.
The rule change followed a brutal 1905 season that produced numerous serious injuries and renewed calls to reform or abolish football. Under pressure to make the sport safer and more open, the American Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee approved the forward pass as part of a broad package of changes for the 1906 season.
The pass had been attempted illegally before legalization. Coaches and players, including John Heisman and Eddie Cochems, advocated for ways to use it effectively. Saint Louis University’s Bradbury Robinson is generally credited with throwing the first legal forward pass, on September 5, 1906, against Carroll College. His early attempt was incomplete, but he later completed a touchdown pass.
The original forward-pass rules were far more restrictive than today’s rules. An incomplete pass could incur a severe penalty, and passes were limited in distance and location. Other familiar features, including four downs to gain 10 yards, were adopted later, especially in 1912.