1861 - Saturday, November 9th, first documented football game was played at the University of Toronto on the present site of University College (400 yards west of Queen's Park). One of the participants in the game involving University of Toronto students was (Sir) William Mulock, later it's Chancellor.
1868 - First written account of a football game played in Quebec on Saturday, October 10th, 1868, was by R. Tait Mackenzie. It was between a team of officers from the English troops garrisoned in Montreal and a team of civilians, mainly from McGill University, and was played on the St. Catherine Street cricket grounds.
1869 - The Hamilton Foot Ball Club was formed on Wednesday, November 3rd in a room over George Lee's Fruit Store and adopted the colours of black and orange. Games were played on the Maple Leaf Baseball Club Grounds on Upper James Street. The first game for the HFBC was on Saturday, December 18th against the 13th Battalion (now Royal Hamilton Light Infantry) at the Baseball Grounds. No score was reported. According to the Hamilton Spectator of Tuesday, November 30th the HFBC had more than 100 members.
1872 - The Montreal Foot Ball Club was organized on Monday, April 8th in one of the lower rooms of the Mechanics Hall building. The first game played in Quebec occurred when the Montreal FC played Quebec City on Saturday, October 12th at the Esplanade in Quebec City. The two teams met again on Saturday, October 26th at McGill University. Both games ended in 0-0 ties.
1873 - The Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club formed the Toronto Argonaut Football Club on Saturday, October 4th and played its first game against the University of Toronto on Saturday, October 11th. The University of Toronto won by a Goal and a Try to Nil. The Argonauts adopted dark blue as the team colour. The first meeting of the Argonauts and HFBC was on Saturday, October 18th at the University of Toronto. Toronto won by a Goal and a Try to Nil . The HFBC wore yellow and black for the first time in this game. The following Saturday, the two clubs met in Hamilton at the Cricket Ground (later Hamilton A.A.A. Ground). Hamilton won by a Goal and Try plus a Touch In Goal to two Goals and two Trys. It was in the reporting of this game that the HFBC was first referred to as the Tigers.
1874 - The rules of a hybrid game of English rugby devised by the University of McGill were first used in the United States in a game at Boston between McGill and Harvard. On Thursday, May 14th, Harvard won 3-0 using Harvard rules. The next day, the teams tied 0-0 while playing Canadian rules. Harvard liked the new game so much they introduced it into the Ivy League. Both U.S. and Canadian football evolved from these games.
1875 - The first inter-provincial game was played between Ontario and Quebec on Saturday, October 16th at the Toronto Cricket Grounds. Ontario won on a Goal from a Try.
1876 - The Ottawa Football Club was formed on Wednesday, September 20th at the Russell House and played the Aylmer Club at Jacques Cartier Square on Saturday, September 23rd. (Sir) Percy Sherwood kicked a Goal from a Try for the winning point. Ottawa team colours were cerise (moderate red), French grey and navy blue.
1877 - The Ottawa and Britannia Football Clubs played their first game at Montreal. Britannia won 2 Trys and 3 Rouges to 1 Rouge.
1878 - Second inter-provincial game is played to a scoreless draw on Monday, October 28th between an "All-Ontario" team and a team from Montreal at Montreal.
1879 - The University of Michigan played a game against the University of Toronto. The Winnipeg Rugby Football Club was formed.
1880 - The "Open Formation" was introduced for the first time. Both teams were required to lineup across from each other.
1883 - The Ontario Rugby Football Union was formed on January 6th; 10 days later the Quebec Rugby Football Union was formed. The ORFU played a Tie Schedule with teams of 15-men per side. Team A played Team B and the winner played Team C until only one team remained undefeated. Three divisions were formed in the ORFU. Referees were used for all games. A point-scoring system was put into place with 6 points for a Goal from the Field (field goal); 4 points for a Try (touchdown), Goals from a Try, Penalties and Free Kicks; 2 points for Safety Touches; and 1 point for Kicks to the Deadline, Rouges and Touch in Goals. The Quebec Union adopted the Challenge System with Scoring by Goals and Trys. This format required the previous year's champion to defeat all challengers. The Toronto Argonauts defeated the Ottawa FC 9-7 in the first ORFU Championship on Saturday, November 10th.
1884 - The Canadian Rugby Football Union was formed on Thursday, February 7th at the Montreal Gymnasium and used the ORFU and New English Rugby Union Rules to form the Code of Rules for Canadian football. The QRFU adopted the OFRU system of scoring and the Tie Schedule. The Montreal Foot Ball Club (QFRU) defeated the Toronto Argonauts (ORFU) 30-0 on Thursday, November 6th in the first CRFU Championship game.
1885 - The ORFU divided into City and College groups. The CRFU stated that the playing field should be as close to 100 yards in length as practical by 65 yards wide. A combined team from the Montreal and Britannia Football Clubs (QRFU) defeated an Ontario Combined Team (ORFU) 3-0 on Wednesday, November 12th in the CRFU Championship game. The CRFU ruled the game was a draw because the Montreal team did not score 4 points.
1886 - The CRFU ruled that a quarterback could run or kick the ball only after the defenders had pushed the ball through the scrimmage. The ORFU objected to the CRFU rules governing championship games and refused to participate. No championship game was played.
1887 - The ORFU withdrew from the CRFU and the governing body ceased to function. The ORFU adopted "heeling" the ball as a method of putting it into play. They also began using a 5-man scrimmage. Goals from the Field were reduced to 5 points. At the end of the season, team executive members arranged a Dominion Championship game at McGill University in which Ottawa College (ORFU) defeated the Montreal Football Club (QRFU) 10-5 on Saturday, November 5th.
1888 - ORFU aligned into one unit and competed in a Challenge System. Penalty Kicks were lowered in value to 2 points. Hamilton Tigers introduced the 3-man scrimmage. ORFU and QRFU executives arranged a Dominion Championship at Ottawa. Ottawa College (ORFU) and the Montreal Football Club played to a scoreless tie. This was the last title match until 1892. Winnipeg Football Club, St. John's College and the Royal School of Infantry formed the Manitoba Rugby League.
1889 - ORFU lowered the value of a Goal from Field to 5 points. Intercollegiate teams used a 2-point Goal from a Try. The QRFU adopted a Challenge System.
1890 - ORFU returned to the Tie Schedule. All teams adopted the 2-point Goal from a Try. QRFU adopted the 3-man scrimmage. First game in Alberta, as Edmonton and Clover Bar played to a scoreless tie. In October, Regina North West Mounted Police played the Winnipeg Football Club twice in Winnipeg with each side winning once.
1891 - At a meeting of delegates of the Quebec and Ontario Rugby Unions at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal on Saturday, December 19th, the Canadian Rugby Union was formed. Games were to consist of two 45-minute halves, scoring values: Goal from the Field 5 points; Try 4 points; Goal from a Try 2 points; Penalty Kick and Free Kick 4 points each; Safety Touch 2 points; and a Rouge 1 point. ORFU rules were adopted by the CRU including an increase in the height of the goalposts to 20 feet from 13; the Scrimmage had to release the ball before the lines could come together and games were to be won by a majority of points scored. Edmonton defeated Calgary 6-5 in the Alberta Total-point Challenge Series.
1892 - The first CRU championship game was played on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 10th at Toronto's Rosedale Field with Osgoode Hall of ORFU defeating the Montreal Foot Ball Club of the QRFU 45-5. ORFU assigned Umpires for all games. QRFU adopted the Balanced Schedule (all teams played the same number of games) and lowered the value of a Goal from a Try to 2 points. The Manitoba Rugby Football Union was formed on Monday, February 22nd and played Fall and Spring Schedules.
1893 - QRFU assigned Umpires for all games and returned to the Challenge System format.
1894 - Ottawa College and the Ottawa AAA joined the QRFU. QRFU adopted the Balanced Schedule.
1895 - Timekeepers were appointed for the first time to relieve the referees of that duty. ORFU and QRFU lowered the value of Penalty Kicks to 2 points.
1896 - CRU game length was reduced to two 40-minute halves and the size of a field was set at 110 yards by 65 yards. CRU published the first "Constitution, Rules of the Championship Competitions and Rules of the Game". MRFU adopted the CRU rules. QRFU introduced 5-yard Punt Returns.
1897 - On Wednesday, November 24th, the Canadian Intercollegiate Rugby Football Union was organized in Kingston, Ontario. CRU changed the length of a game to two 35-minute halves. The QRFU lowered the Free Kick to 2 points and adopted a three-team playoff format. Ottawa FC was suspended by the QRFU executive for excessive rough play.
1898 - First Intercollegiate game was played at Kingston on Saturday, October 8th between McGill and Queen's. McGill won by 3 Rouges to 2. McGill then played the University of Toronto on Saturday, October 15th. The U of T won 11-5 in the rain. Toronto went on to win the Yates Trophy as Intercollegiate champions. The CIRFU was accepted into the CRU, but left later in the year. Ottawa FC re-organized as the Rough Riders on Friday, September 9th and adopted the colours of the Canadian Regiment in the Spanish-American War - red and black. Ottawa joined the ORFU which adopted the Balanced Schedule of play. The CRU again changed the length of a game to two 30-minute halves.
1900 - The ORFU prohibited the use of CIRFU players and the CRU stated that players must block with their bodies and not hold opponents with their arms or hands.