▁using ▁the ▁Football ▁Association ▁R ules ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁These ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁cons olid ated ▁rules ▁in ▁American ▁football ; ▁before ▁this , ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁hand ful ▁of ▁colleg es ▁that ▁had ▁football ▁teams ▁played ▁by ▁its ▁own ▁set ▁of ▁rules . ▁ ▁The ▁Y ale ▁Record ▁documented ▁the ▁organization ▁and ▁playing ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Harvard - Y ale ▁game ▁( 1 8 7 5 ). ▁Y ale ▁proposed ▁the ▁game . ▁Harvard , ▁which ▁had ▁just ▁rejected ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁association ▁of ▁s occer - play ing ▁colleg es , ▁accepted ▁the ▁challenge , ▁on ▁condition ▁that ▁the ▁game ▁be ▁played ▁with ▁what ▁were ▁essentially ▁rugby ▁rules . ▁These ▁were ▁the ▁rules ▁used ▁by ▁Harvard , ▁different ▁to ▁the ▁rules ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁colleg es . ▁Y ale ▁agreed ▁to ▁this ▁condition ▁and ▁was ▁sound ly ▁defeated . ▁In ▁reflect ing ▁on ▁this ▁cr ushing ▁defeat , ▁one ▁Record ▁editor ▁bl amed ▁the ▁loss ▁on ▁Y ale ' s ▁willing ness ▁to ▁adopt ▁the ▁" con cess ion ary ▁rules ", ▁compla ining ▁that ▁Y ale ▁" should ▁not ▁have ▁given ▁so ▁much ▁to ▁Harvard ." ▁The ▁Y ale ▁Record ▁documented ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Inter col leg iate ▁Football ▁Association ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁The ▁Harvard - Y ale ▁game ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 5 ▁us her ed ▁in ▁a ▁national ▁shift ▁from ▁the ▁s occer ▁form ▁to ▁the ▁rugby ▁form ▁of ▁football . ▁Within ▁a ▁year , ▁Pr