APBA has just released a historical card set of the 1949 All-American Football Conference. Being a football historian, I literally can’t wait to complete my current replay project, so I can replay this historical season. Football in 1949 was quite different from today’s professional game. Facemasks on helmets didn’t exist, majority of player were “two-way” players who played both offense and defense, place kicking and punting was done as an additional duty because specialists didn’t exist yet, offensive and defensive formations were completely different, etc.

I wanted to provide the community with historical information about this season and explain the different formations (T-Formation, Single Wing, and 5-3-3 defensive alignment) employed. In addition, I translated those offensive formations and defensive alignment into APBA language (i.e., Position Designator Codes) and shared play calling tips to achieve realistic results. Thorough research of the penalties for this era has been conducted, and I’ve provided a table you can use to revise page 30 of the Master game booklet, and I’ve shared the steps and penalty table I will be using during my replay.  Also included, our team innovation ratings for keying/double coverage, Yards per Catch (YPC) and Sack & Interception ratings.

I hope you find the manual useful in getting the most out of this historical card set.

1949 AAFC APBA Manual:  1949 AAFC APBA Manual