1869 New Jersey vs . Rutgers football game The 1869 New Jersey vs . Rutgers football game was a college football game between the College of New Jersey ( now the Princeton Tigers ) and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights played on November 6 , 1869 . It is considered to be the first American football game ever played . Rutgers won the game by a score of 6 – 4 Game and game rules . The game took place on November 6 , 1869 at College Field ( now the site of the College Avenue Gymnasium at Rutgers University ) in New Brunswick , New Jersey . Because the game was played at a Rutgers ' field , it was also played under Rutgers ' rules . The rules could be said to be a mixture of rugby and soccer , in which two teams of 25 players attempted to score by kicking the ball into the opposing team ' s goal , but throwing or carrying the ball was not allowed . ( see Gameplay section below for how the game transpired ) Rutgers won the game by a score of 6 " runs " to Princeton ' s 4 . William J . Leggett , later a distinguished clergyman of the Dutch Reformed Church , was the Rutgers captain ; William Gunmere , who later became chief justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey , captained the Princeton squad . The game was played in front of approximately 100 spectators . Reportedly , the players from Rutgers wore scarlet - colored turban s and handkerchief s to distinguish them as a team from the Princeton players , which was the reason that they later adopted the mascot , the Scarlet Knights . Gameplay . The teams played 10 " games " against each other . When a team scored one time ( a " goal " ) , it counted as the end of the game , and the team with the most goals after play was completed was considered the winner . The game was played under a combination of rugbylike and soccerlike rules , and the ball could be moved only by kicking or hitting it with feet , hands , head or sides . As the first of the 10 games began , two players from each of the teams positioned themselves near the opponent ' s goal . This was presumably because the participants were hoping to easily score when the ball reached their territory on the field of play . On each team , there were eleven so - called " fielders " who were assigned to defend their own territorial area . There were 12 participants on each team that they named " bulldogs " who were the ones playing in the other team ' s territory . Rutgers was the first to score a goal , as participants named S . G . Gano and G . R . Dixon successfully kicked the ball across the Princeton goal , allowing the Scarlet Knight s to take the early lead in the contest . At some point early in the contest , the flying " wedge " play was first used as the team with the ball formed what is considered a wall - like formation , allowing them to charge at the defenders . This flying wedge tactic was successful early on for Rutgers because of their perceived size disadvantage over Princeton . However , Princeton countered the tactic with a participant named J . E . Michael , but apparently better known by his nickname of " Big Mike " . Big Mike had broken up the Rutgers flying wedge play during the fourth " game " , and Princeton took advantage at that moment as they were able to tie the overall score at 2 - 2 . A Rutgers player named Madison Ball used his quickness and the way in which he kicked the ball ( with the heel of his foot ) , to again take the lead in the contest . When the ball would enter Rutgers territory , Madison would get in front of it and use a heel kick to prevent Princeton from scoring . Ball was able to successfully use that play to set up Dixon to score another goal which gave Rutgers a 4 - 2 " games " lead . Rutgers then allowed Princeton to score a goal as one of their players , whose identity is not known , had kicked a ball towards their own goal . It was blocked by a Rutgers player , but Princeton soon was able to take advantage to cut the lead down to 4 - 3 . Princeton scored on their next possession when they used a flying wedge play of their own led by Big Mike as they were able to march down the field to score to tie the game at 4 - 4 . Rutgers captain John W . Leggett ( who was the one who had suggested rules be adopted from the London Football Association which was agreed upon by Princeton team captain William Gunmere ) had a strategy for his team at this point . He suggested that the Rutgers team keep the ball low on the ground to counter the much taller players on Princeton ' s team . This strategy appeared to work as Rutgers easily scored the final two goals of the contest to win the first intercollegiate football game ever played by the score of 6 - 4 . Princeton had more size which would normally be an advantage on a field with 50 total players , but the Tigers had trouble kicking the ball as a team which is something Rutgers did very well . After the game , an eye witness named John W . Herbert said that he thought Rutgers was the smaller team , but that they had more speed than Princeton . After the game . In what might be considered a beginning to college football rivalries , immediately after Rutgers won the first game ever played , Princeton ' s players were literally run out of town by the winning Rutgers students . The Princeton students reportedly jumped in their carriage s and quickly made the 20 - mile trip back to their campus .