Complex sentence: A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy, and a reversion to the scrum was considered until Camp passed a rule in 1882 that stated that a team would have three downs, or tackles, to advance the ball five yards.
Split into simpler sentences: A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that stated that a team would have three downs, or tackles, to advance the ball five yards.