Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The injury that results from a horse-collar tackle is from full body weight being leveraged down, which transfers the torque to a runner's joints, ligaments, and bones in their legs. Over time, players have become larger, which also contributes to the increase in injury prevalence. We also have more...

Makes sense if we combine all the AFLs with the 1960s AFL. They are related only in name, so we don't. Even the short gap between 2020 and 2023 XFL shouldn't be closed, because the 2020 league completely went out of existence, and the 2023 league really only purchased the trademarks at fire-sale pri...

The first set of bullets is obviously after 1973 season, not 1993. I think there was another major change you didn't include, which is the movement of the goalposts to the end line. The extra-point accuracy percentage cratered after that, even going below 90%, and didn't fully recover until 1994, th...

Former referee Bill Leavy, who officiated Super Bowls XXXIV and XL, died March 28 at the age of 76.

https://www.footballzebras.com/2023/03/ ... ies-at-76/

Hall of Famer Art McNally, the former referee, stalwart head of officiating, and league advisor for 53 years, died Jan. 1 at the age of 97.

https://www.footballzebras.com/2023/01/ ... ies-at-97/

Rather than rewriting it, here's an excerpt from a post I edited for Quirky Research: In the 1930s, the official guides to the NFL were published by the American Sports Publishing Company under the banner of the Spalding’s Athletic Library. This was an offshoot of their intercollegiate version which...

Todd Pence wrote:I seem to repember that the Seahawks - Raiders game for 10/3/99 was missing a quarter. At least I once read a digital archive of a copy that was.

The NFLGSIS has all 4 quarters for that game

https://nflgsis.com/1999/REG/04/648/Gamebook.pdf

As I remember, it started to circulate that a desperation drop kick could win the game when time expires during a down. That's what started the Competition Committee to close that loophole. Here is the last legal downfield punt in 1981. Not sure when the last return kick was executed. https://twitte...

Obviously, the major asset is the franchise certificate. This also confers rights to the home territory and well as "home marketing area" rights that include a share of Mexico with 8 other clubs. Trademarks and intellectual property are assigned to the new ownership. Title on player and ex...

Receivers would frequently use the goal post as a pick, just as they would with the umpire, before that position was moved in 2012. In Super Bowl VIII, the last nonexhibition game with the goalposts on the goal line, the Vikings were permitted to snap outside of the hashmarks so that the goalposts d...