<P> Once the 1906 season got underway, many programs began experimenting with the forward pass . On September 26, 1906, Villanova's game against the Carlisle Indians was billed as "the first real game of football under the new rules ." In the first play from scrimmage after the opening kicks, Villanova completed a pass that "succeeded in gaining ten yards ." Following the Villanova - Carlisle game, The New York Times described the new passing game this way: </P> <P> "The passing was more of the character of that familiar in basket ball than that which has hitherto characterized football . Apparently it is the intention of football coaches to try repeatedly these frequent long and risky passes . Well executed they are undoubtedly highly spectacular, but the risk of dropping the ball is so great as to make the practice extremely hazardous and its desirability doubtful ." </P> <P> Another coach sometimes credited with popularizing the overhead spiral pass in 1906 is former Princeton All - American "Bosey" Reiter . Reiter claimed to have invented the overhead spiral pass while playing professional football as a player - coach for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics of the original National Football League (1902). While playing for the Athletics, Reiter was a teammate of Hawley Pierce, a former star for the Carlisle Indian School . Pierce, a Native American, taught Reiter to throw an underhand spiral pass, but Reiter had short arms and was unable to throw for distance from an underhand delivery . Accordingly, Reiter began working on an overhand spiral pass . Reiter recalled trying to imitate the motion of a baseball catcher throwing to second base . After practice and experimentation, Reiter "discovered he could get greater distance and accuracy throwing that way ." In 1906, Reiter was the head coach at Wesleyan University . In the opening game of the 1906 season against Yale, Reiter's quarterback Sammy Moore completed a forward pass to Irvin van Tassell for a thirty - yard gain . The New York Times called it "the prettiest play of the day", as Wesleyan's quarterback "deftly passed the ball past the whole Yale team to his mate Van Tassel ." Van Tassel later described the historic play to the United Press: </P> <P> "I was the right halfback, and on this formation played one yard back of our right tackle . The quarterback, Sam Moore, took the ball from center and faded eight or 10 yards back of our line . Our two ends angled down the field toward the sidelines as a decoy, and I slipped through the strong side of our line straight down the center and past the secondary defense . The pass worked perfectly . However, the quarterback coming up fast nailed me as I caught it . This brought the ball well into Yale territory, about the 20 - yard line ." </P>

Who invented the forward pass in the nfl