User:Grover cleveland/Sheffield rules 1858

Sheffield Rules refers to a code of football played mainly the English city of Sheffield and the surrounding region between 1858 and 1877. The Sheffield Rules were initially created and revised by Sheffield Football Club. In 1867, responsibility for the rules was taken over by the Sheffield Football Association. Sheffield Rules ceased to be a distinct code of football after 1877, when the clubs of the Sheffield Football Association voted to adopt the laws of the London-based Football Association.

Sheffield F.C. rules of 1858

Sheffield Football Club was founded in 1857. It approved its first set of laws at a general meeting at the Adelphi Hotel on 28 October 1858, and published them in 1859. Notable features of the rules included:

• Handling was forbidden, with the exception of "pushing" or "hitting" the ball with the hands, and a fair catch (defined as a catch from another player without the ball touching the ground).
• "Hacking" (kicking), tripping, and holding opponents were all forbidden, but pushing and charging were allowed.
• A free kick was awarded for a fair catch, but a goal could not be scored from such a free kick.
• A goal could be scored only by kicking (the 1858 laws do not specify the dimensions or type of the goal in further detail).
• The throw-in was awarded to the first team to touch the ball after it went out of play. The ball had to be thrown in at right-angles to the touchline.
• When the ball went out of play over the goal-line, there was a "kick-out" from 25 yards.
• There was no offside law.

The origin of the 1858 Sheffield rules has been the subject of some academic debate. Harvey (2015) denies any public school influence, arguing that the rules were derived from "ideas generally current in the wider society". In response, Collins has demonstrated that there is a substantial similarity in wording between many of the Sheffield rules and the older Rugby School rules.

Rouges noted in 1860/1? (see Harvey)

Rules of 1862

'"The most important alteration is the adoption of "rouges", which will have the effect of preventing matches to result in "draws"']

Changes:

• Rule 2: "Kick out" [i.e. goal kick] changed from 25 to 10 yards out of goal.
• Rule 8: Ball may no longer be "pushed or hit" with the hand.
• Rule 10: throw-in must touch the ground before being played.
• Rules 11-14 added: rouges (taken from Eton Field Game).
• Rule 15 added: half-time
• Rule 16 added: dimensions of goal posts, crossbar, and rouge flags (note: previous rules said nothing about goal).
• Note added: not intended to define all rules.

• Sheffield Rules 1862 rule 11: A rouge is obtained by the player who first touches the ball after it has been kicked between the rouge flags, and when a rouge has been obtained one of the defending side must stand post two yards in front of [the centre of] the goal sticks.
  • Eton Field Game 1857 rule 5: A "rouge" is obtained by the player who first touches the ball after it has been kicked behind, or on the line of the goalsticks of the opposite side, provided the kicker has been "bullied" by one of more of the opposite party in the act of kicking.
  • Eton Field Game 1857 rule 8: When a rouge has been obtained, the ball must be placed by the umpire one yard from the centre of the goalsticks at the end at which it was obtained.
• Sheffield Rules 1862 rule 12: No rouge is obtained when a player who first touches the ball is on the defending side. In that case it is a kick out as specified in law 2.
  • Eton Field Game 1857 rule 7: ... should the ball be first touched by one of the defending party, no rouge is obtained, and the ball must be placed on a line with the goalsticks, and "kicked off" by one of that party.
• Sheffield Rules 1862 rule 13: No player who is behind the line of the goal sticks when the ball is kicked behind, may touch is in any way, either to prevent or obtain a rouge.
  • Eton Field Game 1857 rule 10: No player who is behind the line of the goalsticks, before the ball be kicked behind, may touch it in any way, either to prevent or obtain a rouge.
• Sheffield Rules 1862 rule 14: A goal outweighs any number of rouges. Should no goals or an equal number be obtained, the match is decided by rouges.
  • Eton Field Game 1857 rule 25: A goal outweighs any number of rouges, should no goals or an equal number be obtained, the match is decided by rouges.
• Sheffield Rules 1862 rule 15: If, in playing a match, half the specified time shall expire without a goal being obtained, the sides shall change goals; the kick off being from the middle, as at the commencement of the game. In practice matches one hour shall be the limit.
  • Eton Field Game 1857 rule 2: At the expiration of half the time, "goals" must be changed, and a "bully" formed the middle of the field. [Eton seems to be the only code with half-time].

NOTE: only known earlier code where ball must go under crossbar is Uppingham (1857). Rugby School must go over crossbar. Other codes use string (Cambridge 1856), "cord" (Charterhouse), height of posts (Eton), or permit goal at any height.