Football Act 1424
Encyclopedia
The Football Act 1424 was passed by the Parliament of Scotland
in the reign of James I
. It became law on 26 May 1424, one of a set of statute
s passed that day; it is recorded as James I. 1424 (May 26) c.18 in the Record Edition of the statutes, and James I. Parl. 1-1424 c.17 in the Duodecimo Edition. The title of the Act was "Of playing at the fut ball".
The Act stated that it is statut and the king forbiddis that na man play at the fut ball under the payne of iiij d - in other words, playing football
was made illegal, and punishable by a fine of four pence
.
The Act remained in force for several centuries, although somewhat unsurprisingly, it fell into disuse. It was finally repealed by the Statute Law Revision (Scotland) Act 1906.
Three further 15th century Acts (in 1457, 1470 and 1490) explicitly prohibit both football and golf (see Golf in Scotland
) during wappenschaws (musterings
) for archery
practice.
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
in the reign of James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
. It became law on 26 May 1424, one of a set of statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s passed that day; it is recorded as James I. 1424 (May 26) c.18 in the Record Edition of the statutes, and James I. Parl. 1-1424 c.17 in the Duodecimo Edition. The title of the Act was "Of playing at the fut ball".
The Act stated that it is statut and the king forbiddis that na man play at the fut ball under the payne of iiij d - in other words, playing football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
was made illegal, and punishable by a fine of four pence
Penny Scots
Penny was used in Scottish parlance for money generally; for example, a "penny-fee" was an expression for wages, a "penny-maister" would be a town treasurer, and a "penny-wedding" was one where every guest contributed to pay for the thing...
.
The Act remained in force for several centuries, although somewhat unsurprisingly, it fell into disuse. It was finally repealed by the Statute Law Revision (Scotland) Act 1906.
Three further 15th century Acts (in 1457, 1470 and 1490) explicitly prohibit both football and golf (see Golf in Scotland
Golf in Scotland
Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the 15th century, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness....
) during wappenschaws (musterings
Muster (military)
The term muster designates the process or event for the of accounting for members in a military unit. Within the United States Army Reserve, it is an annual event used for screening purposes.-Historical:...
) for archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
practice.
See also
- Ba gameBa gameBa game is a version of medieval football played in Scotland, perhaps most notably in Orkney and the Scottish Borders, around Christmas and New Year....
- Mediæval footballMediæval footballMedieval football is a modern term sometimes used for a wide variety of localised football games which were invented and played in Europe of the Middle Ages. Alternative names include folk football, mob football and Shrovetide football. Some of these games are played in current times. These games...
- Football in ScotlandFootball in ScotlandAssociation football is the national sport in Scotland and highly popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite...
- Scotland in the Late Middle AgesScotland in the Late Middle AgesScotland in the late Middle Ages established its independence from England under figures including William Wallace in the late 13th century and Robert Bruce in the 14th century...
- Sport in ScotlandSport in ScotlandSport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football, rugby union and golf dominating the national sporting consciousness...