Captained by legend Knute Rockne, Notre Dame took on Army on November 1, 1913 at West Point and changed the game of football forever. The forward pass was never an integral part of the game in the early 20^th century. As a means to make the game safer, a coalition of colleges in what would be later known as the NCAA, came together in 1906. One of the changes that came out of that meeting was the introduction of the forward pass and gaining 10 yards to maintain possession. Over the next few years, various tweaks in the forward pass required quarterbacks to drop back five yards and only allowed a maximum of 20 yards for a pass, thus limiting the effectiveness of the pass.

                By the time 1913 rolled around, the rules of the forward pass were less-restrictive and Notre Dame, led by Rockne and quarterback Charles “Gus” Dorais, utilized this new freedom to upset a mighty Army team by complimenting an already dominant running game with a new aerial attack. When it was all said and done, Dorais finish the game going 14 of 17 for 263 yards as Notre Dame defeated Army 35-13. This game has been credited with transforming football into what we know today. Offered here is a line-up card from that very November 1, 1913 game. This card measures 4 ½ x 5 ½ inches and is in good condition for its age, displaying only minor toning and edge/corner wear. “FOOTBALL” is boldly across the top with “WEST POINT, N.Y. November 1, 1913” in smaller print below. “ARMY” is listed on the left and “NOTRE DAME” on the right with “POSITIONS” centered between. From top to bottom Army’s squad is printed Jonet, Wynne, Meacham, McEwan, Jone, W.G., Weyand, Merillat, Prichard, Hodgson, P.A., Hobbs and Hoge, B., Capt. Listed under Notre Dame is Rockne, Capt., Jones, Keefe, Feeney, Fitzgerald, Lathrope, Gushorst, Dorais, Pliska, Finnigan and Eicheinlaub. The positions correspond with the Army and Notre Dame players and are listed as Left End, Left Tackle, Left Guard, Center, Right Guard, Right Tackle, Right End, Quarter-Back, Left Half-Back, Right Half-Back and Full-Back. The officials are listed as Referee, Mr. Morice, Head Linesman, Mr. Luehring., and Umpire, Mr. Roper. Hand written on the bottom in black pen is “They worked some wonderful forward passes.” Above “ARMY” is hand written “13” in black pen and above “NOTRE DAME” is “35” in black pen, the score of the game. This is a terrific piece emanating from the game that changed football.

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