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Saint Louis University quarterback Bradbury Robinson throws the first legal forward pass in the history of American foot

Saint Louis University quarterback Bradbury Robinson throws the first legal forward pass in the history of American football for a touchdown to Jack Schneider at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin; Saint Louis wins 22-0

In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The legal and widespread use of the forward pass distinguishes gridiron football (American football and Canadian football) from rugby football (union and league) in which the play is illegal. The primary passer is the quarterback, and statistical analysis is used to determine a quarterback's success rate at passing in various situations, as well as a team's overall success at the passing game.

Illegal and experimental forward passes had been attempted as early as 1876, but the first legal forward pass in American football took place in 1906, after a change in the rules.

Historical Significance

In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line.

Events Before

  1. Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

    Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a convention in Chicago in June and laying the groundwork for the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

  2. A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a peti

    A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a petition to the Tsar; troops fire on the protesters in what becomes known as Bloody Sunday

  3. General officer John J. Pershing (44) weds Helen Frances

    General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was an American army general, educator, and founder of the Pershing Rifles.

  4. Albert Einstein finishes his scientific paper detailing his quantum theory of light, a foundation of modern physics

    Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity.

  5. Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle

    Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle, 26th President Theodore Roosevelt

Events After

  1. Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing

    Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing title with an 8th-round knockout in Tonopah, Nevada

  2. American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

    American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

  3. Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

    Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

  4. Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, C

    Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada and Clifden, Ireland

  5. A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

    A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

More from the 1900s

First Powered Flight by the Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

science technology

Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a convention in Chicago in June and laying the groundwork for the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

death

James Longstreet dies

James Longstreet, Confederate confederate army general, known for confederate army general, died on 1904-01-02.

1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 5, 1906?
In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The legal and widespread use of the forward pass distinguishes gridiron football (American football and Canadian football) from rugby football (union and league) in which the play is illegal. The primary passer is the quarterback, and statistical analysis is used to determine a quarterback's success rate at passing in various situations, as well as a team's overall success at the passing game.
Why is Saint Louis University quarterback Bradbury Robinson throws the first legal f... significant?
In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line.

Explore More

September 5 in HistoryYear 1906