| Year: | 1893 |
| Team: | Stanford |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Record: | 8–0–1 |
| Head Coach: | C. D. Bliss |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
The 1893 Stanford football team represented Stanford University in the 1893 college football season. Led by C. D. Bliss, Stanford was undefeated, with one tie against rival California.[1]
American football in 1893 was a variant of rugby football, played with a rugby ball and making use of rules closely derived from the original sport. The field of play was 110 yards long and 53-1/3 yards wide, with chalk lines every five yards to help the referee determine necessary distances.[2] Forward passing was prohibited; only lateral passing or running with the ball was allowed.[3] Teams of eleven were divided into seven "rushers or forwards" positioned at the line of scrimmage, with four backs behind the line — a quarterback just behind the line, two halfbacks located about two yards behind him, and a fullback or "goal-tend," who stood about a dozen yards behind the halfbacks.[4]
Kickoffs were generally executed by kicking the ball forward slightly for a self-recovery and quick lateral pass to a teammate who carried the ball in the middle of a V-shaped blocking wedge of his teammates.[5] When the ball was brought to a standstill, the runner would cry "down" and a line of scrimmage formed, with the "center-rusher" (also called the "snap-back") hiking the ball to the quarterback. The quarterback would generally pitch the ball to one of the three backs behind him to attempt to run forward, while the defenders would "endeavor by all lawful means to retard that advance."[6]
The offense would retain the ball if it was able to gain 5 yards in three downs — or by retreating 20 yards towards their own goal line.[7] The ball would generally be punted away after two downs "if the prospects of completing the 5-yard gain appear small."
A touchdown counted as 4 points and allowed the scoring team the opportunity to add 2 more points by kicking the ball over the crossbar and through the goal posts, which were planted at the goal line.[8] After a touchdown, the scoring team had the option of bringing out the ball as far as desired at a right angle from the point at which the ball crossed the goal line (as in modern rugby) and attempting a place kick, or by executing a "punt out" from the end zone to a teammate making a fair catch, from which spot a drop-kick for the extra points could be attempted.[9]
A drop kick through the goal posts from the field counted as 5 points. As with the contemporary game, safties counted for 2 points.[10]
The game consisted of two 45-minute halves with an intermission of 10 minutes, although duration of the game could be shortened by mutual consent. No coaching was allowed from the sidelines, all game decisions had to be made by the players on the field.[11] Once removed from the game for a substitute, a player could not return to the game (as in modern soccer).[12]
The previous season, Stanford was coached by Walter Camp, who had agreed to coach the team on the condition that he complete coaching Yale's football season first.[13] For the 1893 season, Camp returned to the East Coast and Stanford hired C. D. "Pop" Bliss, who had played halfback for Camp's team at Yale and had just graduated.[13] [14] Led by Bliss, Stanford dominated its opponents, outscoring them 284–17 with seven shutouts and only one blemish: a tie with rival California.[13]
This was Bliss's only season at Stanford; Camp returned to Stanford the next season and Bliss moved on to coach Haverford College.[13]