User:Grover cleveland/History of the laws of the game/Rugby 1862
Plan of the Field[edit]
Under construction
Introduction[edit]
Football is played on a large level field or piece of ground, near either end of which is erected a goal, composed of two upright posts eighteen feet high, with a cross-bar placed ten feet from the ground. From each goal a line is cut called the line of goal, to the edge of the field; all the part behind this line is in goal, the part between the goals being the field of action. The sides are marked off by lines similar to the line of goal, and all the edge of the field outside them is said to be in touch. [The part behind the goal line and also behind the touch line is called Touch-in-goal (see Plan).]
If the field in which the football is played is larger than the part on which the game is played, the touch line and goal lines are considered as indefinitely produced. Thus much about the field.
Definitions[edit]
Under construction
Rules[edit]
Under construction
The game is commenced by one side kicking off a place-kick (Def. 2) from the middle, the object of the game being to kick the ball over the adversary's goal, which can be done by any kind of kick except a punt. (Def. 3.) A goal may be *' dropped " in the course of the game, by any player over his adversary's goal. 24 A goal may be '* placed " either after a touch-down in goal, or after a fair catch. (Def. 6.) The touch-down is accomplished fn the following manner : Any player who catches the ball, either fair or on the bound (provided he be not off his side, vide Rule 6), may run with it if he can till he gets behind his adversary's line of goal, where he will touch it down as near as he can to'the goal, if possible between the posts. This feat is called " running in." The method of kicking a goal after such a run in is twofold. A. If the touch-down be too far from the goal -posts to try a place-kick at goal (vide B), one of the side who touched it down takes it up, and makes a mark with his heel inside goal-line, then touches the ball down in that mark, retires a little, keeping inside goal-line, and then "punts" it out towards his own side, who spread out to catch it. The moment it is punted, the opposite side, who are standing at the mark and along the lino of their goal, may charge as above, but if any of the opposite side have caught it and made his mark, they are obliged to stop charging and not go beyond the mark made by the eatcher. He who has caught it may either, if desirable, take a second punt or proceed to place it for another to kick, as hereafter described in the case of a fair catch, or else has a drop at goal himself. In the latter case he may kick from as far behind the mark as he likes, and the opposite side may charge the moment he kicks the ball ; or in any case if any but the catcher touch the ball, the opposite side may clxarge and maul hira. B. If the touch-down be v^r enough to try a goal, then two of the side that touched it down are deputOT by the head of the side to take it out — one to place the ball on the ground, and the other to kick it. Then he who is going to kick it takes it up, brings it to the line of goal, and touches it down inside or on the goal-line, and in a line with the place at which the player who ran in touched it down ; if the runner in touched it down between the posts, he touches it down at either of the posts. Ho then makes a mark with his heel on the spot, taking care all the time to keep within the line of goal (and touches it down in that mark as in A, v. ntpra.) The pla^yers of the opposite side may then come as far as the mark,^but no farther, and may stretch for- ward with a view of " mauling " {v. infra) the two who are taking it out, if they do not succeed in the following action. The player who is to place- kick, goes just out of the reach of the opposite side who are stretching forward. He then, still standing within the goal-line, kicks the ball gently off liis toe into the hands of the other, who is standing just outside the goal-line to receive it. The moment it is in his hands, he makes a mark with hia heel outside the goal-line, and of course as far as he can stretch in the direction of the goal- posts,, which his opponents may prevent if they can by charging, but not until the ball has left the toe of the player behind the goal-line. (This is called •* mauling.") This however they cannot do when he has made his mark, so that only in cases where they prevent his catching the ball, or he fails in making his mark directly, or makes it inside the goal-line, or touches the ball before it is off the toe of the other, do they succeed in mauling him. When he has made his mark, he carries the ball out in a line with the mark, at right angles to the goal -line, until it is at a suitable distance from the goal for a place-kick. A small nick is then made in the ground for the ball to rest upon, and in it he places the ball. If however the ball be touched when once outside goal by any but the player who is taking it out, the other side may charge or maul. The ball being placed in the nick the kicker takes a place-kick at it. The moment the ball is on the g^und, the other side may charge from a line drawn through the mark made by the player who took it out parallel to the goal-line ; but the kicker's side may not charge till the ball is actually kicked, and must all stand behind or on a level with the ball, in accordance with the rules of on side. If the ball goes over the cross-bar, whether it touches or not, at whatever height, it is a goal. If it rises directly over the end of one of the posts, it is called a poster, and is no goal. Whenever a fair catch is made (see Rule 4), the catcher makes his mark. At that mark and on alevel with ifc. the opposite side may stand,, but not before it, and the catcher may either " drop " it himself or place it for another to place- kick it, at any distance behind his mark. The rules about charging for both sides are the same as in the case of a touch-down in goal, as described above. (B.) If one of the opposite side^suceeed in touching the ball after .it has been kicked and before it goes over the bar, it is no goal. "When the ball goes" outside the lino of touch, except it pitch within 25 yards of the kicker's goal (in which case it must be brought out in a straight line from wherever it is first touched down), the first player who touches it down, takes it up and brings it up to the touch-line in a straight line from where it pitched, and (a) throws it out at right angles to the line of touch, where the players are stand- ing in two lines to receive it, or (b) bounds it outside the line of touch, «. e., in the flebi of play^ and runs with it, or " drops " it himself; or (c) walks out with it in his hands at right angles to the touch-lino, through the two lines of players as in (a), and puts it down at a distance of between 10 and 15 paces from touch-line, at his discretion, first declaring how many paces he intends to walk out. "When the ball goes into touch in goal it is considered as out of the field, and is taken out by the side in whose goal it is, as if they had touched it down in their own goal (v. infra). "When the ball goes into either goal, either itis touch down by one of the op- posite side, as nearly as possible between the goal-posts, in which case it is pro- ceeded with as in the case of a run in (see above) ; or if the ball be bounding, one of the side in whose goal it is takes it up and runs with it or "^ drops " it put of goal, or, if not bounding, kicks it out of goal, or touches it down in his goal, in which case the opposing side retire, and one of the side who touched it down takes it out, but not farther than 25 yards, and " drops " it. (Accordingly it is advisable to place posts on the touch-line to mark the 25 yards.) But if the ball when so dropped out pitch in touch, it must be brought back and the kick take place over again. "When the player has the ball, any of the opposite side may either maul him or pull him over, or get the ball from him, or else ** hack " him over, but he may neither hack him and hold him simultaneously, nor may he hold him after the ball is gone, except in case of Rule 18. Generally, three or four of the swiftest runners and most expert at dropping, remain some distance behind the rest, and are called " back-players," or *' backs;" some, too, who are clever at *♦ dodging," play " half-back," /. e:, between the back playera and the rest.