National Football League ( 1970 – 2016 )
159-735: The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season , before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franchise played its inaugural 1960 season . The team is now known as the Los Angeles Chargers . The Chargers' first home game in San Diego
318-466: A defensive back , punt returner , and punter ; he led the country with a 45.6-yard punting average in 1959. Hadl's No. 21 jersey is one of only three Kansas has retired . Hadl was picked for the all-conference team for three seasons, and wound up with 1,345 yards passing and 1,041 yards rushing. Hadl still holds two Kansas records: longest interception return, a 98-yard run against TCU and longest punt, 94 yards versus Oklahoma . With Hadl running
477-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
636-512: A starting record of 82–76–9 in his professional career. At the time of his retirement, Hadl was sixth all time in wins at the quarterback position with 82. With the exception of Roman Gabriel , each of those quarterbacks are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame . He ranks 40th in all-time wins, although he has more wins than Hall of Famers that played in his era such as Sonny Jurgensen , Joe Namath , and George Blanda . Hadl holds
795-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
954-857: A 12–2 record, passing for 2,008 yards with 22 touchdowns and eleven interceptions while having a 52.3 completion percentage. He was named the National Football Conference (NFC) Player of the Year by UPI and selected to the Prow Bowl that season. In the playoffs that year, the Rams faced the Dallas Cowboys (10–4) at Texas Stadium , as the NFL playoffs at the time only included eight teams with rotated hosting duties. He went 7-of-23 for 133 yards with an interception as they lost 27–16 in
1113-516: A 15-year career. He set seven NFL records and 42 club records, and became the NFL's second most prolific passer of all time with 43,040 yards. Fouts's jersey, the number 14, was retired at halftime at the "Dan Fouts Day" game in San Diego. In the 1989 season , Dan Henning , a former Chargers' quarterback , Washington Redskins assistant, and Atlanta Falcons head coach, became the Chargers' head coach. A first year running back, Marion Butts , set
1272-544: A 42–33 win. He won just one of his nine starts, doing so in a 11-of-24 effort for 161 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception game versus Oakland on December 2, 1962. Although the Chargers won four games that year, they improved to eleven in 1963 , owing to the acquisition of 35-year old Tobin Rote as the new starting quarterback. While Rote started each game, Hadl did take action in mop-up duty, throwing 28-of-64 for 502 combined yards and six touchdowns and interceptions. In
1431-584: A 48.8 completion percentage, and Hadl was named an AFL All-Star once again. In the AFL All-Star Game , he was named Most Valuable Player. The Chargers had their fortunes dwindle in the prevailing years after the AFL–NFL merger , as they did not have another winning season until 1978 . Hadl quarterbacked San Diego for the first three of those seasons. In 1970 , he went 4–5–3 while passing for 2,388 yards with 22 touchdowns and fifteen interceptions for
1590-492: A 49.5 completion percentage. He had prime numbers in the following year, as he led the league in completions, attempts, yards (3,075), touchdowns (21), and yards per game (219.6) while throwing for 25 interceptions and a 54.1 completion percentage with a 6–8 record. Hadl became the second quarterback in history to lead two different leagues in passing yards (the first was Otto Graham ), and it was third time in six years (1965, 1968) that he had led in passing. In his final year with
1749-511: A 53.6 completion percentage, and he was named an AFL All-Star. However, in the 1964 AFL championship game , it was Rote who started against the Buffalo Bills and old teammate Kemp, now quarterbacking the opponent. After Rote threw a miserable 10-of-26 for 118 yards and a touchdown with a hobbled receiving corps ( Lance Alworth and Keith Lincoln each suffered injury), Hadl was put in, but he went 3-of-10 for 31 yards and an interception as
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#17327652310721908-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
2067-412: A club record with 39 carries and a team rookie record of 176 yards in the Chargers' 20 points to 13 win against Kansas City. Steve Ortmayer , the director of football operations for the past three years, left and was replaced by Bobby Beathard . The team would post double-digit losses between 1988 and 1991. In the 1992 season , Bobby Ross became the Chargers' head coach. Quarterback, Stan Humphries
2226-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
2385-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
2544-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
2703-535: A late fourth quarter rally in which the Rams were down by one point with ten minutes to go before the defense collapsed. The following year was a turning point for two franchises. Hadl started the first five games for the Rams, then was replaced by James Harris during an upset loss to the Green Bay Packers in Milwaukee to fall to 3–2. The next game, a 37–14 home win over rival San Francisco ,
2862-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
3021-413: A majority interest in the Chargers. Benirschke was named "Miller Man of the Year". Joiner set an NFL record with his 650th pass reception in the fourth quarter of the game at Pittsburgh. In 1985 offensive guard Ed White set an NFL record by playing in 241 NFL games. Lionel "Little Train" James , a 5'6", 171 pound running back, set an NFL record of 2,535 all-purpose yards and of 1,027 receiving yards by
3180-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
3339-518: A miserable front line, he threw for six touchdowns and 21 interceptions for 2,095 yards and a 54.1 completion percentage while being sacked 35 times in a 4–9 season. Hadl moved to the Houston Oilers in 1976 , mostly in mop up duty for starter Dan Pastorini . He started six games over two seasons and won just once while throwing seven total touchdowns to eleven interceptions for 710 yards. Despite his tenure with Green Bay, Hadl finished with
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#17327652310723498-510: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
3657-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
3816-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
3975-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
4134-542: A quarterback as late as 1999 (over twenty years after retirement), with him and two others in that list not being members of the Hall of Fame ( Dave Krieg and Boomer Esiason being the others), as his former peak of fifth has receded to 26 with the advent of increased passing in subsequent years. Hadl was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1983. The Professional Football Researchers Association named him to
4293-511: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
4452-526: A running back. During the 1986 season , following the resignation of Coryell, Al Saunders was named head coach. In 1987, Joiner retired to become the Chargers' receivers' coach. The team finished the season 8–7, including a 3–0 record by the "replacement" team during the player's strike. The only other team to go undefeated during that time was the Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins. In 1988 Fouts retired after
4611-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
4770-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
4929-601: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . John Hadl John Willard Hadl ( Pronounced: HAY-dull) (February 15, 1940 – November 30, 2022)
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5088-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
5247-509: A suggestion for somebody to start a team in Los Angeles and he recommended Hilton. Hunt said that he visited Hilton for less than an hour and Hilton immediately agreed to start a team. Barron Hilton held a contest to find a name for his team. The prize was a trip to Mexico. A man from Hollywood named Gerald Courtney submitted the name "Chargers" and won. Conrad Hilton said, "I liked [the name] because they were yelling "charge" and sounding
5406-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
5565-485: A touchdown. In the Chargers' game against Kansas City, the team won 45–31 with a combined effort was 897 yards offense and 622 yards in returns. In the 11th week, the Chargers were defeated by Oakland 41–21 with 52,661 spectators at the game, alongside 2,018 closed-circuit television viewers in the San Diego Sports Arena. In 1968, the Chargers played a first pre-season game at San Diego Stadium against
5724-508: A trio of receivers ( Charlie Joiner , John Jefferson and tight end Kellen Winslow ). The Chargers won nine games and lost seven, thus missing the playoffs . In 1979, The Sporting News named the Chargers' team general manager, Johnny Sanders , the NFL Executive of the Year . Fouts set an NFL record by playing four consecutive 300-yard passing games. His achievement was established in a game in which he threw over 303 yards against
5883-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
6042-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
6201-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
6360-579: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
6519-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
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6678-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
6837-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
6996-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
7155-507: The San Diego Union reported that the Chargers "have learned in one season that Los Angeles has been saturated beyond sensible proportions with sports." In January 1961, the team announced the move to Balboa Stadium in San Diego 's Balboa Park . Hilton was reported to have lost $ 900,000 in the first season. San Diego would spend $ 250,000 to increase stadium seating from 22,000 to 30,000; adding back rests for reserved seats; raising
7314-554: The AFL championship game that year. In his only start in said game, facing the Bills again, Hadl threw 11-of-23 for 140 yards and two interceptions as the Chargers were trounced 23–0. Hadl made punts for the second and last regular time, punting 38 times for 1,544 yards. Hadl would punt just three times for a hundred yards over the course of two separate seasons. The following year , he started twelve of fourteen games ( Steve Tensi started
7473-666: The American Football League (AFL), joining seven other teams: the Denver Broncos , Dallas Texans , Oakland Raiders , New York Titans , Houston Oilers , Buffalo Bills , and Boston Patriots . The Chargers' first owner was Barron Hilton , the son of Conrad Hilton , founder of the Hilton Hotels corporation. Lamar Hunt , who was instrumental in organizing the AFL, said that he had asked Gene Mako for
7632-776: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
7791-586: The Detroit Lions (who selected him in the first round (tenth overall) of the NFL draft ). Hadl played in each game of his first season, although his use was more often in the second half than the first despite starting ten of fourteen games. His first pass in the AFL was a fifteen-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Jackson near the end of a 30–21 loss to the Denver Broncos . He made his first start with
7950-496: The New Orleans Saints fell through. The trade turned out to be an unmitigated disaster; it is reckoned as one of the worst (if not the worst) trades for a starting quarterback in NFL history, at least in terms of relevance. Devine had led them to a combined record of 19—19–4 in his first three seasons, which included a playoff loss in 1972 . The Packers finished 6–8 in 1974 and Devine left for Notre Dame , which left
8109-479: The Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in
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#17327652310728268-558: The UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year . In 1980 and 1981, without Jefferson, the Chargers no longer had the most passing yards in the NFL. "I can't say how much it [Dean's leaving] affected us, because we did make it to the AFC championship game", said Johnson on the loss of fellow lineman Dean. "But I could say if we had more pass rush from the corner, it might've been different." In the 1981 playoffs divisional round,
8427-492: The bugle at Dodger Stadium and at USC games". Hunt said he thought Hilton picked the team name from the first batch of letters as publicity for his new charge account business Carte Blanche . The team's first general manager was Frank Leahy , a former University of Notre Dame football coach. The team's first head coach was Sid Gillman from the Los Angeles Rams . His strength lay in offense innovation and he
8586-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
8745-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
8904-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
9063-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
9222-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
9381-504: The "vertical offense". With Dan Fouts as quarterback, the San Diego Chargers' offense was among the greatest and most exciting passing offenses in National Football League history, setting league and individual offensive records. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record six consecutive years from 1978 to 1983 and again in 1985. They also led the league in total yards in offense in each of those seasons. Under
9540-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
9699-498: The 1969 season, the Chargers lost their first two games. They then defeated the Jets at home in front of 54,042 spectators. Joe Namath played for the Jets. Hadl and Alworth played for the Chargers. Hadl made a professional record with a pass reception in his 96th consecutive game. The Chargers won the next three games and then lost four. Their last game was against Buffalo where they won 45–6. The team finished with an 8–6 record and out of
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#17327652310729858-567: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
10017-563: The AFL Player of the Year honors. However, Buffalo would shutout the Chargers 23–0 in front of 30,361 spectators at Balboa Stadium for the AFL championship. At half time, a new automobile, the " Charger ," was introduced by Chrysler officials. It would enter production branded as a Dodge the following year. In 1966, Hilton sold the Chargers to a 21-member group of business executives for $ 10 million. The leading investors were Eugene V. Klein and Sam Schulman . The Chargers finished third in
10176-740: The AFL West that season, 7–6–1. During the sale process, a then-23 year old Jerry Jones (who would go on to become the owner of the Dallas Cowboys ) offered $ 5.8 million for the team, but backed off after his father disapproved of his plans. In 1967, the Chargers and three NFL clubs (the Los Angeles Rams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Detroit Lions) played preseason games at the new San Diego Stadium, while
10335-456: The AFL and the NFL announced plans to merge for the 1970 season. In August 1967, the Chargers moved to newly completed San Diego Stadium , and played the NFL's Detroit Lions in a pre-season game with 45,988 spectators in attendance. Detroit defeated the Chargers 38–17. In the fifth week of the season, Leslie "Speedy" Duncan had 203 yards in returns, 35 yards on a fumble recovery for a touchdown, 68 yards on four kickoff returns, and 100 yards for
10494-539: The AFL championship game , Rote and Hadl both got to play substantially against Boston , as they blew out the Patriots 51–10, with Hadl going 7-of-11 for 132 yards with both a passing and a rushing touchdown. Hadl also made two punts for the Chargers, kicking two of them for 75 yards. The following year , Hadl started eight of the fourteen games while Rote did the other six. Hadl went 6-2 while throwing for 2,157 yards on eighteen touchdowns and fifteen interceptions with
10653-492: The Baltimore Colts joined the Chargers. Unitas was almost 40 and had chronic injuries. He played three games and then was replaced by the rookie Dan Fouts . The Chargers finished with a 2–11–1 record. In the 1974 season , Fouts was named the new the starting quarterback. Don Woods also joined the team. Woods ran for over 1,000 yards but the team had a 5–9 record. However, in 1975 , Woods and Fouts underperformed and
10812-728: The Chargers 17–14. Ron Mix became the second AFL player and second Charger to be nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The announcement was made during the half-time of the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl . In 1980, running back Chuck Muncie was traded to the team from the New Orleans Saints. Fouts set a club record with 444 yards passing in the Chargers' 44–7 defeat of the New York Giants. Kellen Winslow caught 10 passes for 171 yards. The Chargers defeated
10971-605: The Chargers defeated the Miami Dolphins 41–38 at the Miami Orange Bowl where the temperature on a humid day was 85 °F or 29.4 °C. The game became known as " The Epic in Miami ". ESPN journalists named the epic the best game in NFL history. Both teams showed strong offense. The Chargers were led by Fouts who made an NFL single season record of 4,802 yards and 33 touchdowns . This game set records for
11130-518: The Chargers in 1972 , he went 4–9–1, passing for 2,449 yards with fifteen touchdowns and 26 interceptions (a league high) while having a 51.4 completion percentage and a Pro Bowl selection. Hadl was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in January 1973 for defensive end Coy Bacon and running back Bob Thomas . In his only full season with the Rams, he had his first winning season since 1968 and first playoff appearance since 1965 as he led them to
11289-452: The Chargers lost 20–7. Hadl's punting duties increased, as he punted 62 times for 2,447 yards, with one of the kicks going 71 yards. In 1965 , he was named San Diego's starting quarterback and led the team to a 9–2–3 record while throwing 2,798 yards (a league high) for twenty touchdowns and 21 interceptions and a 50.0 completion percentage, all good for a second straight AFL-All Star appearance. Hadl made his third and final appearance in
11448-476: The Chargers' head coach, Tommy Prothro was dismissed. He was replaced by Don Coryell of the St. Louis Cardinals. In New England , the Chargers won their first game under Coryell's coaching. When they returned, San Diego was still recovering from the recent PSA Flight 182 . The Chargers' defeating Denver in San Diego was morale boosting for the city. Coryell coached the team in his "Air Coryell" offense: Fouts threw to
11607-589: The Falcons were enfranchised in 1966, and when the Seahawks began play in 1976, respectively. By then, Detroit native George Pernicano (1917–2016) had become a minor shareholder in the team. In the 1961 season, their first in San Diego, the team's defense made forty-nine pass interceptions. The term "Fearsome Foursome" described the 1961 Chargers' defensive players' lineup. The anchoring players were Earl Faison and Ernie Ladd . The "Fearsome Foursome" phrase
11766-585: The Los Angeles Coliseum in 1961 (for the 1960 season). However, as attendances for home games were falling below 10,000, league and ABC television officials, fearing that showing empty seats in the 100,000+ seat Coliseum might jeopardize the entire league, persuaded the Chargers to give up the advantage and move the game to Houston (where they lost). The Chargers played in four of the first five AFL national championship games after their move (1961, 1963, 1964, 1965), although they won only in 1963. In
11925-516: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
12084-570: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
12243-409: The NFL record for the most tied games (nine) by a starting quarterback. Hadl wore No. 21 for nearly his entire NFL career, aside from his first season with Green Bay when he briefly wore No. 12. He was the last regular starting quarterback to wear a uniform number greater than No. 19 before the NFL adopted a rigid uniform numbering system in 1973. Hadl was still on the top ten of most touchdowns thrown by
12402-598: The NFL's San Francisco 49ers . The Chargers won 30–18, before 39,553 spectators. "Speedy" Duncan set an AFL record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown in a game where the Chargers were defeated by the New York Jets 37–15. The Chargers came third in the West Division, with a 9–5 record. Quarterback John Hadl led the AFL that year with 440 pass attempts, 208 completions, 3,473 yards taken and 27 touchdown passes. He also led in passes intercepted, with 32. In
12561-532: The Oakland Raiders . The Chargers defeated the New Orleans Saints 35 points to nil and proceeded to the playoffs, the first time in fourteen years. On December 17, 1979, the Chargers won their first AFC West division title by defeating the Denver Broncos 17–7 before a national Monday Night Football television audience and their home crowd. In the divisional round, the Houston Oilers defeated
12720-562: The PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2006. Upon retiring as a player after the 1977 season, Hadl returned to his alma mater and served as quarterback coach under Bud Moore at the University of Kansas in 1978. From 1979 to 1981, he remained at KU, moving up to offensive coordinator under new head coach Don Fambrough . At this time, he was pegged as the "unnamed assistant football coach" who provided improper benefits to Kansas recruits in
12879-491: The Pittsburgh Steelers 26–17, winning their second straight AFC West title. They finished the season with 11–5 losses, a record for the team. Jefferson (1,340), Winslow (1,290), and Joiner (1,132) became the first three players on the same team to have 1,000 yards receiving in a season. The Chargers' defense led the NFL in sacks (60). The defensive front line included the 1975 Chargers' draftees Fred Dean , Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Louie Kelcher . Together with Leroy Jones ,
13038-466: The September 23 game against the Houston Oilers, although he went 1-of-4 for six yards before being taken out for Dick Wood . The Chargers had three quarterbacks during that season, including Jack Kemp . Hadl had his highs and lows during this time, such as throwing three touchdowns along with three interceptions (the first of three games with three interceptions) on 7-of-14 passes against Oakland in
13197-629: The abbreviated schedule). The team upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh 31–28, but the Dolphins would exact revenge from their loss the previous year the next week 34–17. 1983 saw the Chargers fall to 6–10 and equal last in their division, despite having the league's most passing yards for the sixth consectuve season. In 1984 , Klein decreased salaries in preparation for the team's sale. The defensive linemen, Johnson and Kelcher, left for San Francisco. On August 1, 1984, Alex Spanos purchased
13356-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
13515-439: The ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing
13674-572: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
13833-416: The ball at the Chargers' 14-yard line. The Chargers were ahead 20–14. The Raiders quarterback, Ken Stabler , took the snap but was about to be sacked by the Chargers' line-backer, Woodrow Lowe on the 24-yard line. Stabler fumbled the ball forward, and it rolled forward towards the San Diego goal line. Running back, Pete Banaszak, tried to recover the ball on the 12-yard line, but could not keep his footing, and
13992-440: The ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on
14151-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
14310-498: The ball was pushed even closer to the end zone. The Raiders' tight end, Dave Casper, was the next player to reach the ball but he also could not get a hand on it. He batted and kicked the ball into the end zone, where he fell on it for the game-tying touchdown as time ran out. With the ensuing extra point by kicker, Errol Mann, the Raiders won 21–20. The Chargers' fans saw the fumble as an incomplete pass or an intentional grounding. In
14469-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
14628-591: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
14787-608: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
14946-502: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
15105-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
15264-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
15423-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
15582-406: The division. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with
15741-555: The door open for Bart Starr to take over as head coach. While he would lead them to one playoff win as a coach, Starr had just three of nine seasons with eight wins. At the same time, the Rams used the picks acquired in the trade to acquire many of the players that allowed them to dominate the NFC West for the rest of the 1970s and lead them to an appearance in Super Bowl XIV . In later years, when asked for his thoughts on
15900-454: The early 1980s, resulting in the NCAA imposing sanctions on the football program. Hadl consistently denied any wrongdoing and his tenure with Kansas athletics hasn't yielded any suggestion of rules violations. Unable to return to the program after 1981, he moved on to the Los Angeles Rams as an assistant coach in 1982. In 1983, he joined the Denver Broncos as the quarterback coach, where he
16059-482: The early years wide receiver Lance Alworth made 543 receptions for 10,266 yards in a career of eleven AFL and NFL seasons. He set a record of 96 consecutive games with a reception. With players such as Alworth, Paul Lowe , Keith Lincoln and John Hadl , the Chargers reached the AFL championship game four times and won it once. In December 1960, reports surfaced that the Chargers were considering relocation offers from San Diego, Atlanta and Seattle. Greg Gregston of
16218-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
16377-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
16536-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
16695-493: The final regular season game, the Chargers beat Denver 58–20 and became the AFL West champions. The season ended a week late due to a postponement of games after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The Chargers won the 1963 AFL title when they defeated the Boston Patriots 51–10. Spectators numbering 30,127 attended the game at Balboa Stadium. Keith Lincoln 's effort made up 349 yards of
16854-563: The front line was known as the " Bruise Brothers ". In the playoffs, the Chargers defeated the Buffalo Bills 20–14. However, their season ended in the AFC Championship Game at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders 34–27. In 1981 , the Chargers won their third straight AFC West title with a 10–6 record. After the division titles of the 1979 and 1980 seasons, contract disputes arose. Klein,
17013-469: The game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game,
17172-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
17331-655: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
17490-598: The game with a knee injury, and the fullback, Keith Lincoln was sidelined in the first quarter with a fractured rib. At the 1964 championship game in Buffalo, the Chargers were beaten 20–7. The AFL teams signed a five-year television contract with the National Broadcasting Company for $ 36 million to commence in 1965. On December 12, 1965, San Diego (9–2–3) won their fifth AFL West title by defeating Houston 37–26. Lowe came first and Alworth second in
17649-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
17808-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
17967-555: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
18126-462: The infamous deal, Hadl himself expressed the surprise he felt, in 1974, at being sent to Green Bay: "I really didn't believe it... I didn't think anyone would be that desperate." Meanwhile, with a combined record of 6–5 on two teams, Hadl threw for 1,752 yards with eight touchdowns and fourteen interceptions and a 47.5 completion percentage. His only full season with the Packers was in 1975, and with
18285-451: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
18444-416: The job. Gillman resigned midway through the 1971 season , which finished with six wins and eight losses. On May 19, 1971, Ron East was sent to the San Diego Chargers as part of the "Bambi trade" that also involved Pettis Norman and Tony Liscio . In 1972 , Duane Thomas and Deacon Jones joined the team, which finished with a 4–9–1 record. In 1973 , veteran quarterback Johnny Unitas , formerly from
18603-717: The league in completions, attempts, yards (3,473), touchdowns (27), and interceptions (32, which was a career high) while having a 47.3 completion percentage and an All-Star selection. Despite going 9–5, it was only good enough for third place in the Western Division. In the final season of the AFL in 1969, the Chargers were a team in turmoil. Famed coach (and future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame ) Sid Gillman resigned due to health problems after going 4–5. Hadl played in ten games while Marty Domres started four games, and Hadl won five of his starts. He passed for 2,253 yards with ten touchdowns and eleven interceptions for
18762-399: The line of scrimmage. In the opening game of the season, the Chargers beat Seattle 24–20. On September 10, 1978, the second game was played against the Oakland Raiders at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. The game became known as the "Holy Roller" game, or, the "Immaculate Deception" because the Raiders made a game-winning play. With 10 seconds left in the game, the Raiders had possession of
18921-416: The most points scored in a playoff game (79 points); the greatest total yards by both teams (1,036 yards); and the most passing yards by both teams (809 yards). The Chargers placekicker, Rolf Benirschke kicked the winning 29-yard field goal after 13 minutes and 52 seconds overtime. The tight end, Kellen Winslow, made 13 receptions for 166 yards, a touchdown and one blocked field goal. He became exhausted and
19080-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
19239-744: The offense, the Jayhawks were ranked in the top 20 during his junior and senior years, finishing 15–5–2. He wrapped up his Kansas career leading his team to a 33–7 win over Rice in the Bluebonnet Bowl . He was also named MVP in the East–West Shrine Game and the College All-Star Game. Hadl played at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and 210 lb (95 kg). He joined the American Football League 's San Diego Chargers in 1962 , having decided to play with them over
19398-520: The other two). Hadl went 7–4–1 while throwing 2,846 yards for 23 touchdowns and fourteen interceptions for a 53.3 completion percentage, although the Chargers third-ranked offense was not enough for a playoff spot for the first time in four years. Hadl began a streak during the fifth game of the season. On October 8, he threw a touchdown pass against the New York Jets . For the rest of the season, Hadl would throw for at least one touchdown pass, and
19557-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
19716-531: The playoffs. Charlie Waller, the offensive backfield coach was named head coach. Gillman had resigned after the season's ninth game due to illness but continued as the team's general manager. In 1970 , the San Diego Chargers settled into the AFC West division following the NFL merger with the AFL. The years after the merger were difficult for the Chargers. Charlie Waller took over as the head coach, but after finishing 5–6–3, he stepped down, and Gillman returned to
19875-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
20034-478: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
20193-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
20352-468: The remaining minutes of the game, the teams battled for the ball towards the end zone where the Raiders ultimately recovered it for a touchdown. The Chargers lost their third game to Denver and then in week four played the Green Bay Packers in an interconference match in San Diego. At the kickoff , the temperature was around 102 °F or 38.9 °C. The Packers won 24–3. After this loss,
20511-411: The rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of
20670-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
20829-507: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
20988-530: The rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
21147-451: The rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at
21306-435: The same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of
21465-453: The scoreboard; upgrading the locker rooms; moving the football field closer to the stands and reseeding it; and improving security measures. The Junior Chamber Commerce reported that there were 10,000 firm commitments for season tickets. Seating was increased even more in May 1961 with upper deck bring the total capacity to 34,000; both Atlanta and Seattle would later get NFL teams of their own, when
21624-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
21783-495: The streak would continue into the next season - his nineteen-game streak (October 8, 1966 - November 19, 1967) with at least one touchdown pass would be the longest streak by a quarterback in the American Football League . Hadl played in each game of the 1967 season, going 8–5–1 for 3,365 yards with 24 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while having a 50.8 completion percentage, and he led the league in yards gained per pass completion with 15.5. He improved further in 1968 , leading
21942-483: The team finished 2–12 after facing the possibility of the first-ever 0–14 season until beating the Kansas City Chiefs in their twelfth game. In 1976 , the Chargers began with a three-game win streak but finished with a 6–8 record. In 1977 , the Chargers again began strongly. However, the team lost four out of five games. Fouts in a contract dispute did not report to training camp; and held out until it
22101-435: The team owner, refused to renegotiate players' contracts. The Chargers' owner traded the wide receiver, John Jefferson, to the Green Bay Packers after a salary raise could not be agreed upon. Jefferson was replaced by Wes Chandler. Defensive end Dean was traded to the 49ers , again after a pay dispute. Dean said his wage was similar to that of his brother, a truck driver. Playing only eleven games, Dean would nonetheless become
22260-467: The total offense. In 1964, the Chargers played the New York Jets resulting in a 17–17 tie. A reported attendance of 50,222 attended the game at Shea Stadium , New York. The game earned $ 46,828 in entrance fees. On Thanksgiving Day , Buffalo defeated the Chargers 27–24 at Balboa Stadium. The attendance was 34,865 spectators. The Chargers won their fourth AFL West title by defeating the Jets 38–3 before 25,753 spectators at Balboa Stadium. Lance Alworth left
22419-594: The tutelage of Coryell, Dan Fouts , wide receiver Charlie Joiner , and tight end Kellen Winslow blossomed on the field and would all be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . The Chargers earned four consecutive playoff appearances (1979 to 1982) during the Air Coryell era, including three AFC West division championships from 1979 to 1981). In 1978, the NFL increased the season schedule to sixteen games. The rules were changed so that defensive backs could no longer block wide receivers more than five yards beyond
22578-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
22737-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
22896-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
23055-448: Was a record. The Chargers defeated San Francisco 41 points to 37 and Cincinnati 50 points to 34. In each game, Fouts threw for over 400 yards. In the game against Cincinnati on December 20, 1982, the Chargers' made 501 yards passing and 175 yards rushing. Chandler set a record of 129 yards receiving per game. The Chargers reached the playoffs for the fourth straight year, finishing fifth in the AFC (divisional standings were disregarded due to
23214-582: Was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 16 years in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He won an AFL championship with the San Diego Chargers in 1963. Hadl was named an AFL All-Star four times and was selected to two Pro Bowls . He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame . Hadl played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks . A two-time All-American , he
23373-606: Was an all-state halfback . Hadl enrolled at the University of Kansas , where he played for his hometown Jayhawks . After playing halfback on both offense and defense as a sophomore, he played quarterback for his last two years, and was selected as the school's Player of the Century. He was an All-American at halfback in 1960 and at quarterback in 1961. Hadl was the first Kansas player to be picked twice for All-America ( 1960 and 1961 ) honors. Hadl also excelled as
23532-605: Was assisted from the field by his teammates. The win sent the Chargers to their second consecutive AFC Championship Game. At the championship game in Cincinnati, the Bengals defeated the Chargers 27–7. The game became known as the " Freezer Bowl ". The temperature was a record low −9 °F or −22.8 °C with a wind-chill factor of −59 °F or −50.6 °C. During the strike-shortened 1982 season , Fouts averaged 320 yards passing per game. At that time, that average
23691-545: Was at Balboa Stadium against the Oakland Raiders on September 17, 1961. The team played a majority of their time in San Diego at San Diego Stadium , from 1967 until 2017. Their final game as a San Diego–based club was played at the end of the 2016 season on January 1, 2017, against the Kansas City Chiefs , who defeated them 37–27. In 1959, the team began as the "Los Angeles Chargers" when they entered
23850-558: Was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame . Hadl played in three AFL title games with San Diego before the league's merger with the NFL . He finished his career with the Los Angeles Rams , the Green Bay Packers and the Houston Oilers . He also played as a punter for five seasons. Hadl was born in Lawrence, Kansas , to Jess and Judy Hadl. His father was a mechanic. Hadl attended Lawrence High School , where he
24009-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
24168-553: Was later honoured in the Hall of Fame. Gillman (87–57–6) signed a contract with the team for three years. When Frank Leahy resigned due to poor health, Gillman became the general manager in addition to his coaching role. The Chargers originally planned to play at the Rose Bowl , but instead signed a lease to play at the Los Angeles Coliseum . The Chargers were to host the first ever AFL national championship game at
24327-410: Was later used by other NFL teams. In 1961, the Chargers lost the championship to Houston 10–3, with 29,556 patrons attending the game at Balboa Stadium. In 1962, the team went 4–10, losing eight of the final nine games of the season, mostly due to injuries. In the 1963 season, eight Charger players scored in the final week. Paul Lowe rushed over 183 yards, scoring 2 touchdowns on 17 carries . In
24486-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
24645-550: Was obtained in a trade with the Washington Redskins . The Chargers finished the season 11–5 and won the AFC West title, making their first playoff appearance in a decade. Ross was named AFC Coach of the Year. In the wild-card round, the Chargers shut out the Kansas City Chiefs 17–0. Then, they were shut out by the Miami Dolphins in the divisional round, 31–0. In 1993, the Chargers finished 8–8, finishing fourth in
24804-556: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
24963-400: Was resolved when he rejoined his team for the eleventh game. They went 2–2, losing to the powerhouse Steelers and Broncos by a combined total of nine points. The team finished 7–7. In 1978, San Diego hired head coach Don Coryell , who would coach the team until 1986. Coryell developed a pass-heavy offensive scheme and philosophy called Air Coryell and also known as the "Coryell offense" or
25122-603: Was tasked with turning highly touted draft pick John Elway into a franchise quarterback. After one season, Hadl decided to move on and became the head coach of the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League (USFL) during 1984 and 1985, compiling a record of 13–23 in the regular season, 1–1 in the postseason. Hadl would later call this decision a "career blunder." Hadl ended his career as associate athletic director at
25281-471: Was the first NFL start for Harris, and 34-year-old Hadl was traded two days later to Green Bay for five draft picks—first and second round picks for 1975 and 1976, as well as a third round pick in 1975. Reportedly, head coach and general manager Dan Devine felt that an experienced quarterback was the only thing standing between the Packers and only their second playoff appearance since 1967 , and it came about after an attempted trade for Archie Manning and
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