The game has ancient origins, but in the late 19th century, Walter Camp helped shape football—the American kind—into the sport we know today.

Who invented football? While there are many people who contributed to the development of the sport, Walter Camp is considered the father of American football. In 1880, he proposed a set of rules that would make the game more structured and safe. These rules included downs, the line of scrimmage, and the neutral zone.