Rules of Football as played at Marlborough College (1874)

1. The "kick-off" at a biginning of the game, and after a goal has been kicked, must be a "place-kick” from the middle of the ground, the opposite side taking up their position 10 yards in front of their opponents, and charging, as soon as the player has kicked.


 * N.B.—After a goal has been kicked the side which has lost the goal shall kick off. The sides change over in the middle of every game, and not after a goal has been kicked.

2. When a player touches down a ball behind his own goals, the ball shall be dropped out by a player on that side from any place 25 yards in front of the goal line. The opposite side shall go back 35 yards, and both sides may begin to charge as soon as the player has kicked.


 * N.B.—In kicking-out in such cases, if the ball pitch in "touch," it shall be brought back and kicked out again.

3. .—A player is off-side" when the ball has been kicked, touched, or is being run with by any one of his own side behind him. Consequently, "keeping off” is illegal.

4. A player entering a "squash" on the wrong side is "off-side;" and a player having worked to his opponent's side of the "squash," and got in front of the ball, must get out of the "squash," and go round to his own side behind the ball.

5. A player being off-side is to consider himself out of the game, and is not to touch the ball in any case whatever, or in any way to interrupt the play.

6. A player may take up the ball whenever it is rolling or bounding except in a "squash."

7. In a "squash" it is not lawful to touch the ball with the hand under any circumstances whatever.

8. Any player obtaining the ball in a "squash" must put it down at once, when it is impossible for him to get away with it, unless within five yards of goal: but even then, if a player on the side in whose goal it is has the ball he has the option of putting it down.—Of course this does not apply when the ball is behind goal.

9. Though it is lawful to hold any player who has the ball, this holding does not include attempts to throttle or strangle, which are totally opposed to all principles of the game.

10. No hacking, or hacking over, or tripping up is allowable under any circumstances.

11. .—When a back-player, after kicking the ball, follows up his kick, all the players he passes are "on-side."

12. When a back-player catches the ball either "full" or on the bound he shall be allowed five yards before the opposite side move to charge him.


 * N.B.—Of course this does not apply to fellows who were behind or level with the ball when kicked, or when the back player has run right forward to catch the ball, aud therefore is virtually no longer a back-player, or when the back-player misses stopping or catching the ball, and has to run back for it.

13. All players are "on side" again after the ball has touched an adversary, except in case of rule 12.

14. The ball is said to be "out" or "in touch," when it is on, or has crossed the boundary lines on either side of the ground, and "behind," when it has crossed those on a level with the two goals at either end of the ground.

15. If the ball goes into touch the first player on his side who touches it down must bring it to the spot where it crossed the touch line, or if a player when running with the ball cross or put any part of either foot across the touch line he must return with the ball to the spot where the line was so crossed, and thence return it into the field of play in one of the modes provided by the following rule.

16. He must then himself, or by one of his own side, either bound it out in the field of play, and then run with it, kick it, or throw it back to his own side, or (2) throw it out at right angles to the touch line, or (3) walk out with it at right angles to the touch line any distance not less than five or more than fifteen yards and there put it down, first declaring how far he intends to walk out. If two or more players holding the ball are pushed into touch the ball shall belong in touch to the player who first had hold of it when in the field of play and has not released his hold of it.


 * N.B.—If the ball when thrown out of touch be not thrown out at right angles to the touch line, the captain of either side may at once claim to have it thrown out again.

17. The goal-line is in goal and the touch-line is in touch.

18. A side having touched the ball down in their opponents' goal, shall try at goal by a place-kick. A player of the side who has touched the ball down shall bring it up to the goal-line in a straight line from and opposite to the spot where the ball was touched down, and there make a mark on the goal-line, and thence walk straight out with it at right angles to the goal-line such distance as he thinks proper, and there place it for another of his side to kick. The kicker’s side must be behind the ball when it is kicked, and the opposite side must remain behind their goal-line until the ball has been placed on the ground.

19. Charging is lawful for the opposite side immediately the ball touches or is placed on the ground, if any one but the player who places the ball touch it before it be kicked, and if the placer brings it out between the goal-posts. If the ball has been touched down between the goal posts, the "place" must be in a line with one of them, and not between them.

20. Four goals win a match, four touch-downs count as one goal, and when a goal has been kicked off a touch-down the goal alone counts. And no touch-down shall count unless the "place-kick" be tried.

21. It shall only be a goal when the ball is kicked over the cross-bar, whether it touch it or not, without touching anyone on either side.


 * N.B.—A "punt" does not count as a goal.

22. When a player running in is collared "inside" the goal line, only the player who first collared him, or if two or three collar him simultaneously, may join in the "grovel."


 * N.B.—If the player thus collared throws away the ball, or lets it fall from him, it may of course be touched down by anyone.

23. In case of rule 22, or when a player running in is collared within five yards of the goal line, and pushed in, the ball, when touched down, belongs to the side of the player who first had the ball in his possession, unless the other side get entire possession of it


 * N.B.—No "grovel" may last more than two minutes.

24. In Big Games, the Captains of the respective sides shall be the sole arbiters of all disputes, the benefit of a disputed touch-down being given to the side in whose goal the ball is.

25. "No game" cannot be called until the ball is "dead,"—i.e., "in touch," or "out behind;" or when "no game" is called in big game, all other games stop the next time the ball is "dead" on their ground.

26. Umpires in House Matches are to interfere whenever they please, without being appealed to.

27. No one wearing projecting nails, iron spikes, or gutta percha on the sole or heel of his foot is allowed to play.