1933 NFL season

The 1933 NFL season was the 14th regular season of the National Football League.

Because of the success of the Playoff Game the year before, the league divided its teams into two divisions for the first time, with the winners of each division playing in a Championship Game to determine the NFL Champion.

Three new teams joined the league: the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Cincinnati Reds. The Boston Braves changed their name to the Boston Redskins and the Staten Island Stapletons left the league, though they continued scheduling games against league teams.

The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants in the first ever NFL Championship Game.

Teams The league increased from 8 teams to 10 in 1933.

First season in NFL * Last active season † Team Head coach StadiumBoston Redskins William Dietz Fenway ParkBrooklyn Dodgers Cap McEwan Ebbets FieldChicago Bears George Halas Wrigley FieldChicago Cardinals Paul J. Schissler Comiskey ParkCincinnati Reds * Al Jolley & Mike Palm Crosley FieldGreen Bay Packers Curly Lambeau City Stadium and Borchert FieldNew York Giants Steve Owen Polo GroundsPhiladelphia Eagles * Lud Wray Baker BowlPittsburgh Pirates * Forrest Douds Forbes FieldPortsmouth Spartans George Clark Universal Stadium

Major rule changes Due to the success of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, the league stopped using the exact rules of college football and started to develop its own revisions: The forward pass is legal anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. Previously, the passer had to be at least five yards back from the scrimmage line. This change is referred to as the "Bronko Nagurski Rule" after his controversial touchdown in the 1932 NFL Playoff Game. Hashmarks or inbounds lines are added to the field 10 yards in from each sideline. All plays would start with the ball on or between the hashmarks. To increase the number of field goals and decrease the number of tie games, the goal posts are moved from the end lines at the back of the end zones to the goal lines (reversing the change made before the season); the goal posts were moved back to the end line in , where it has remained. It is a touchback when a punt hits the opponent's goal posts before being touched by a player of either team. It is a safety if a ball that is kicked behind the goal line hits the goal posts, and rolls back out of the end zone or is recovered by the kicking team.

Final standings

NFL Championship Game

Statistical leaders

The 1933 season marked the second year in which official statistics were tracked and retained by the NFL.Pete Palmer, et al. (eds.), The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia. First Edition. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2006; p. 1040. Certain statistics later regarded as staples were not maintained, including interceptions, punting average, kickoff return yardage and average, and field goal percentage, among others.Palmer, et al. (eds.), The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia, p. 1041. New NFL records are denoted with the ‡ symbol below.

Name Team Yards Passing 1. Harry Newman New York Giants 973 ‡ 2. Glenn Presnell Portsmouth Spartans 774 3. Arnie Herber Green Bay Packers 656 Rushing 1. Jim Musick Boston Redskins 809 ‡ 2. Cliff Battles Boston Redskins 737 3. Bronko Nagurski Chicago Bears 533 Receiving 1. Paul Moss Pittsburgh Pirates 283 2. Ray Tesser Pittsburgh Pirates 282 3. Bill Hewitt Chicago Bears 273 Touchdowns 1. Kink Richards New York Giants 7 1. Shipwreck Kelly Brooklyn Dodgers 7 3. Ken Strong New York Giants 6 3. Glenn Presnell Portsmouth Spartans 6

Source: Pete Palmer, et al. (eds.), The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia. First Edition. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2006; p. 1041.

Coaching changes

Boston Redskins: Lud Wray was replaced by William Dietz. Brooklyn Dodgers: Benny Friedman was replaced by Cap McEwen. Chicago Bears: To save money, franchise owner George Halas laid off Ralph Jones and took over the head coaching duties. Cincinnati Reds: For the Reds' first season in the league, Al Jolley served three games and Mike Palm served seven. Chicago Cardinals: Jack Chevigny was replaced by Paul J. Schissler. Pittsburgh Pirates: Forrest Douds became the first head coach of the new team. Philadelphia Eagles: Lud Wray became the first head coach of the new team.

Stadium changes

The renamed Boston Redskins moved from Braves Field to Fenway Park.

This was also the first season of selected Green Bay Packers home games in Milwaukee, with the Packers hosting one game in 1933 at Borchert Field. The team would then regularly play two or three home games each year in Milwaukee from 1934 to 1994.

References

1933 NFL season

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