The 1906 college/high school football season was the first played under the new rules designed to open the game and reduce the probability of severe injury. At the end of the season, the initial impact of the reforms were reported in the Nov. 26, 1906 NYT:

Eleven players were killed and 104 were injured in the United States during the football season according to the Chicago Tribune. These figures are compared with the casualties of 1905, when 18 players were killed and 159 severely injured, and, according to The Tribune, show that "debrutalized" football has accomplished in a large degree the object aimed at, in rendering the game less dangerous to life and limb.

The decrease in casualties is especially marked among high school players. In the season of 1905 11 high school players were killed and 47 injured, while in the season just closed seven were killed and 25 hurt. All college and high school games this year were played under the new rules drawn up after the close of last season to satisfy the agitation for less dangerous football. This year not one fatality has occurred in the game played by the larger American colleges.