From the beginning to the merger plus one biggie in 1994:
History of NFL Rules
1869
Rutgers and Princeton played a college soccer football game, the first ever, November 6. The game used modified London Football Association rules. During the next seven years, rugby gained favor with the major eastern schools over soccer, and modern football began to develop from rugby.
1876
At the Massasoit convention, the first rules for American football were written. Walter Camp, who would become known as the father of American football, first became involved with the game.
1898
A touchdown was changed from four points to five.
1904
A field goal was changed from five points to four.
1906
The forward pass was legalized. The first authenticated pass completion in a pro game came on October 27, when George (Peggy) Parratt of Massillon threw a completion to Dan (Bullet) Riley in a victory over a combined Benwood-Moundsville team.
1909
A field goal dropped from four points to three.
1912
A touchdown was increased from five points to six.
1922
NFL comes into existence.
1933
The NFL, which long had followed the rules of college football, made a number of significant changes from the college game for the first time and began to develop rules serving its needs and the style of play it preferred. The innovations from the 1932 championship game-inbounds line or hashmarks and goal posts on the goal lines-were adopted. Also the forward pass was legalized from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage.
1941
The league by-laws were revised to provide for playoffs in case there were ties in division races, and sudden-death overtimes in case a playoff game was tied after four quarters. An official NFL Record Manual was published for the first time.
1945
The inbounds lines or hashmarks were moved from 15 yards away from the sidelines to nearer the center of the field-20 yards from the sidelines.
1946
Free substitution was withdrawn and substitutions were limited to no more than three men at a time. Forward passes were made automatically incomplete upon striking the goal posts.
1948
Plastic helmets were prohibited. A flexible artificial tee was permitted at the kickoff.
1949
Free substitution was adopted for one year.
1950
Unlimited free substitution was restored, opening the way for the era of two platoons and specialization in pro football.
1951
The Pro Bowl game, dormant since 1942, was revived under a new format matching the all-stars of each conference at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The American Conference defeated the National Conference 28-27, January 14. A rule was passed that no tackle, guard, or center would be eligible to catch a forward pass.
1955
The sudden-death overtime rule was used for the first time in a pre-season game between the Rams and Giants at Portland, Oregon, August 28. The Rams won 23-17 three minutes into overtime.
A rule change declared the ball dead immediately if the ball carrier touched the ground with any part of his body except his hands or feet while in the grasp of an opponent.
1956
Grabbing an opponent's facemask (other than the ball carrier) was made illegal.
Using radio receivers to communicate with players on the field was prohibited.
A natural leather ball with white end stripes replaced the white ball with black stripes for night games.
1960
The AFL adopted the two-point option on points after touchdown.
1962
Both leagues [NFL & AFL] prohibited grabbing any player's facemask. The AFL voted to make the scoreboard clock the official timer of the game.
1966
Goal posts offset from the goal line, painted bright yellow, and with uprights 20 feet above the cross-bar were made standard in the NFL.
1967
The "sling-shot" goal post and a six-foot-wide border around the field were made standard in the NFL.
1994
There is now a 2 point conversion following touchdowns (teams now have the option of passing or running for two points or kicking for one after a TD)
Just think of where we would be without this last rule change. Not here:
I'd call the kickoff fundamental. The reason the game is called football is because the ball is kicked ... with the foot.
DON'T ELIMINATE KICKOFFS.
