inc eton ▁had ▁adopted ▁the ▁rugby ▁rules , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁Columbia ▁joined ▁Pr inc eton ▁and ▁Harvard ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Inter col leg iate ▁Football ▁Association , ▁which ▁officially ▁adopted ▁English ▁rugby ▁rules . ▁Although ▁Y ale ▁agreed ▁to ▁adopt ▁English ▁rugby ▁rules ▁and ▁played ▁Harvard , ▁Pr inc eton ▁and ▁Columbia , ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁join ▁the ▁association ▁as ▁they ▁fav ored ▁a ▁game ▁with ▁eleven ▁rather ▁than ▁fifteen ▁players , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁points ▁allowed ▁only ▁for ▁k icked ▁goals . ▁The ▁Y ale ▁Record ▁documented ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁football ▁championship . ▁The ▁Inter col leg iate ▁Football ▁Association ▁created ▁the ▁first ▁championship ▁game , ▁which ▁was ▁played ▁between ▁Pr inc eton ▁and ▁Y ale ▁on ▁Thanks g iving ▁Day ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁The ▁teams ▁tied ▁to ▁share ▁the ▁first ▁national ▁championship . ▁ ▁The ▁Y ale ▁Record ▁documented ▁Walter ▁Camp ' s ▁innov ations ▁in ▁rules ▁and ▁scoring , ▁not ably ▁the ▁reduction ▁of ▁fifteen ▁players ▁to ▁eleven , ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁sc rim m age ▁and ▁the ▁snap , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁down s . ▁ ▁Co ining ▁the ▁term ▁" hot ▁dog " ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁David ▁Wil ton , ▁author ▁of ▁Word ▁M yth s : ▁Deb unk ing ▁L ingu istic ▁Urban ▁Leg ends ▁( 2 0 0 9 ), ▁The ▁Y ale ▁Record ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁co ining ▁the ▁term ▁" hot ▁dog