Football Soccer Rule Changes Over the Years. Football Soccer Rule Changes Over the Years "Several lives lost by drowning."  These words in a news paper account of an athletic contest would certainly be reason enough for exclamation in this day and age.  However, long ago, that and many similar oddities were the reasons for the game of soccer s being outlawed in England because it was considered "a bloodie and murthering practice rather than a fellowly sport or pastime."  Soccer was referred to as a "friendlie kind of fighting!"

Football Soccer Rule Changes Over the Years

Football Soccer Rule Changes Over the Years "Several lives lost by drowning."  These words in a news paper account of an athletic contest would certainly be reason enough for exclamation in this day and age.  However, long ago, that and many similar oddities were the reasons for the game of soccer s being outlawed in England because it was considered "a bloodie and murthering practice rather than a fellowly sport or pastime."  Soccer was referred to as a "friendlie kind of fighting!"

Goals two miles apart; games played in streets from one end of town to the other; balls lodged in gutters and rooftops; several hundreds of people taking part, with the game lasting all day and into the night such details give one a reasonably good idea about the evolution of this game of soccer.  Its development was slow, considering that it was introduced in England in some form when the Romans invaded the country, and that it wasn't until around 1860 that an organization was formed and a consolidation of the rules was begun.

The progress in any game can be followed by the changes made in the rules.  Some of the more important milestones of the game during its growing stages in England were: 1867 First crossbar on goal nine feet from ground, first marking of field, first mention of corner kick, first mention of goal to be scored directly from free kick; players defending against a free kick less than six yards from goal did not have to stand behind goal line.

1870 Charging from behind was prohibited.

1871 Goalie was first allowed to use hands.

1874-75 The old plan of changing ends after each score was changed to the present rule a crossbar on the goal was accepted as an option for the tape.

1878-79 Added to the laws of the game was: No player shall charge his opponent by leaping at him.

1880 Referee was first mentioned in the regulations.

1881-82 New law giving official the power to allow a goal when the ball had been handled by a player other than the goal keeper if in the official s opinion the ball would have passed between the posts nature of an experiment.

1882 Size of ball was standardized and use of tape across the top of goal was tossed out in favor of crossbar charging from behind was modified heretofore out altogether.

1883-84 Previously there were six forwards, two halfbacks, two fullbacks, one goalie.  At this time the third half was introduced, taking one of the forwards off the front line, that is, the dupli cate center forward.

1885 It was first realized that the two fulls and the goalies should work as a unit.  Up to this time combinations were only thought of on attack.

1887 New rule stated that a ball that went beyond an imaginary touch line while in the air was out of bounds heretofore it was in play if it landed back on the field of play throw-up to restart the game was put into the rules.

1888-89 The referee was given more powers, including that of giving free kicks for foul play without waiting for an appeal.

INTRODUCTION 3 1890-91 "Penalty kick" was introduced helped refs check practice of stopping a goal being scored at any cost.  At this point also the linesmen replaced the umpires who up to this time were almost a hindrance to the referee.  The linesman s duties were to declare when the ball went over the touch line thus the referee became the autocrat.

1891 The use of goal nets was first introduced in 1891, an innovation which has proved to be one of the most valuable aids to the referee that could have been designed.

1902 At the annual meeting of the Association a motion was passed prohibiting the referee, linesman or players from making any bets.

Although soccer has been played in colleges in the United States as early as 1860, it has been very slow in capturing the imagination of the American spectator.  It might come as a sur prise to the American public to learn that soccer is played in more countries in the world than any other game, and it draws more spectators each year than any other game.  In the last ten years soccer has grown more in stature than in the combined ninetyfive years of its existence in the United States.  The most important contributing factor is that more young career men in the field of athletics, who know and love the game because of actually playing it, are coaching and working on committees in the promotion of the sport.  In the past, bless em all, the fortunes of the game have been in the hands of men who coached on a part-time basis, and who had little or no time to devote to its general promotion outside of their immediate locality.  Soccer is destined to be the most widely played game in the States before too long.  My only hope is that the powers to be don t explore its potential as a source of revenue.  In substance, there is no basis for this, since the cost to schools and the players alike is very small.

Soccer has every requisite to appeal to large numbers of players and spectators and take its place alongside other sports in this respect.  The game has sustained action with very few or no inter 4 * SOCCER ILLUSTRATED ruptions, and its basic patterns are simple and easily understood.

Both the individual and combination play can be spectacular enough to keep any group on the edge of their seats.  For soccer to take its place alongside baseball, football, basketball and other sports in spectator and player appeal here in the States, the qual ity and the standards of the game must be exceedingly high.  It is hoped that this book, in some small way, will help in establishing these necessary higher standards of play.Oeveral lives lost by drowning."  These words in a news paper account of an athletic contest would certainly be reason enough for exclamation in this day and age.  However, long ago, that and many similar oddities were the reasons for the game of soccer s being outlawed in England because it was considered "a bloodie and murdering practice rather than a fellowly sport or pastime."  Soccer was referred to as a "friendlie kind of fighting!"

Goals two miles apart; games played in streets from one end of town to the other; balls lodged in gutters and rooftops; several hundreds of people taking part, with the game lasting all day and into the night such details give one a reasonably good idea about the evolution of this game of soccer.  Its development was slow, considering that it was introduced in England in some form when the Romans invaded the country, and that it wasn t until around 1860 that an organization was formed and a consolida tion of the rules was begun.

The progress in any game can be followed by the changes made in the rules.  Some of the more important milestones of the game during its growing stages in England were: 1867 First crossbar on goal nine feet from ground, first mark ing of field, first mention of corner kick, first mention of goal to be scored directly from free kick; players defending against a free kick less than six yards from goal did not have to stand behind goal line.

1870 Charging from behind was prohibited.

1871 Goalie was first allowed to use hands.

1874-75 The old plan of changing ends after each score was changed to the present rule a crossbar on the goal was accepted as an option for the tape.

1878-79 Added to the laws of the game was: No player shall charge his opponent by leaping at him.

1880 Referee was first mentioned in the regulations.

1881-82 New law giving official the power to allow a goal when the ball had been handled by a player other than the goal keeper if in the official s opinion the ball would have passed between the posts nature of an experiment.

1882 Size of ball was standardized and use of tape across the top of goal was tossed out in favor of crossbar charging from behind was modified heretofore out altogether.

1883-84 Previously there were six forwards, two halfbacks, two fullbacks, one goalie.  At this time the third half was introduced, taking one of the forwards off the front line, that is, the dupli cate center forward.

1885 It was first realized that the two fulls and the goalies should work as a unit.  Up to this time combinations were only thought of on attack.

1887 New rule stated that a ball that went beyond an imag inary touch line while in the air was out of bounds heretofore it was in play if it landed back on the field of play throw-up to restart the game was put into the rules.

1888-89 The referee was given more powers, including that of giving free kicks for foul play without waiting for an appeal.

1890-91 "Penalty kick" was introduced helped refs check practice of stopping a goal being scored at any cost.  At this point also the linesmen replaced the umpires who up to this time were almost a hindrance to the referee.  The linesman s duties were to declare when the ball went over the touch line thus the referee became the autocrat.

1891 The use of goal nets was first introduced in 1891, an inno vation which has proved to be one of the most valuable aids to the referee that could have been designed.

1902 At the annual meeting of the Association a motion was passed prohibiting the referee, linesman or players from making any bets.

Although soccer has been played in colleges in the United States as early as 1860, it has been very slow in capturing the imagination of the American spectator.  It might come as a sur prise to the American public to learn that soccer is played in more countries in the world than any other game, and it draws more spectators each year than any other game.  In the last ten years soccer has grown more in stature than in the combined ninety five years of its existence in the United States.  The most important contributing factor is that more young career men in the field of athletics, who know and love the game because of actually playing it, are coaching and working on committees in the promotion of the sport.  In the past, bless em all, the fortunes of the game have been in the hands of men who coached on a part-time basis, and who had little or no time to devote to its general promotion outside of their immediate locality.  Soccer is destined to be the most widely played game in the States before too long.  My only hope is that the powers to be don t explore its potential as a source of revenue.  In substance, there is no basis for this, since the cost to schools and the players alike is very small.

Soccer has every requisite to appeal to large numbers of players and spectators and take its place alongside other sports in this respect.  The game has sustained action with very few or no interruptions, and its basic patterns are simple and easily understood.

Both the individual and combination play can be spectacular enough to keep any group on the edge of their seats.  For soccer to take its place alongside baseball, football, basketball and other sports in spectator and player appeal here in the States, the qual ity and the standards of the game must be exceedingly high.  It is hoped that this book, in some small way, will help in establishing these necessary higher standards of play.