Burnside rules

The rules were first adopted by the Ontario Rugby Football Union in 1903, and were named after John Thrift Meldrum Burnside, captain of the University of Toronto football team (although he did not originate them).

The American code had been developed by Walter Camp in the 1880s (later on, it made some modifications to its rules).

Other teams outside the Ontario Rugby Football Union refused to adopt them until 1921.

[citation needed] For the 1906 season they did adopt the Inter-Collegiate rules of 10 yards to gain in 3 downs.

[3] In late 1920, these rules were agreed to by the other Western Canadian football unions.