Selected I
History of Football · 01
The Leagues
From the APFA's auto-showroom founding to the merger — who survived and why.
→The record of the American game — how the leagues, the rules, and the numbers got this way.
The American game's record, kept honestly
How the leagues formed, why the rules changed, and what the record book actually says — sourced from the primary record.
From 1869 to the seventeen-game season
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Platform
In the archive
Selected II
History of Football · 02
The Rules
Why the rulebook reads the way it does, one change at a time.
Selected III
History of Football · 03
The Records
Era-labeled records — including the ones that can never fall.
— Hover to preview.
Insights
From the blog
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Most Penalized Team in NFL History: The Raiders’ Records
The Raiders hold NFL records with 163 penalties in a season and 23 in a game. Compare accepted penalties, yardage and the 2026 leader through Week 8.
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NFL Receiving Records: Career, Season and Single-Game Leaders
Compare NFL records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches across careers, seasons and games, with schedule and overtime context.
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NFL Single-Game Rushing Records: Peterson’s 296 Yards
Adrian Peterson holds the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards. Compare the top five games, rookie, playoff, Super Bowl and touchdown marks.
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