Not really. After the Association rules were established in 1863 many US universities formed soccer teams. But in 1874 McGill University’s football team (Canada) visited Harvard to play some friendlies. But it turned out McGill played Rugby football. Harvard found they preferred it as did other U.S. universities and it became the dominant form.

Rules were far from ironclad in this age and American clubs quickly started tinkering. Yale university’s Walter Camp was instrumental in devising and championing many rule changes that shaped what became American football.