The Cambridge Rules
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge Rules were a code of football rules
first drawn up at Cambridge University
, England
, in 1848, by a committee that included H. de Winton and J. C. Thring
. They are also notable for allowing goal kick
s, throw-in
s, and forward pass
es and for preventing running whilst holding the ball. These rules influenced the development of Association football, Australian rules football
, and subsequent codes. In 1863, a revision of the rules played a significant part in developing the rules that became Association football.
and in 1579 one match played at Chesterton between townspeople and Cambridge University
students ended in a violent brawl that led the Vice-Chancellor to issue a decree forbidding them to play "footeball” outside of college grounds. Despite this and other decrees, football continued to be popular in Cambridge
, as Dr G.E. Corrie, Master of Jesus College
, observed in 1838, "In walking with Willis we passed by Parker's Piece
and there saw some forty Gownsmen playing at football. The novelty and liveliness of the scene were amusing!" http://www.cuafc.org/history.php. A former Rugby School
pupil, Albert Pell, was organising football matches at the university in 1839 but, because of the different school variations, a compromise set of rules had to be found and these are held to have been the origin of the Cambridge Rules. As a result of its role in the formation of the first football rules, Parker's Piece
, Cambridge, remains hallowed turf for football fans and historians.
In 1846, H. de Winton and J.C. Thring, who had both attended Shrewsbury School
, succeeded in making some old Etonians join them to form a football club at Cambridge University. Only a few matches were ever played, but in 1848 interest in the sport was renewed. The story of how the 1848 rules were formulated was related by Mr H.C. Malden in a letter dated 8 October 1897.
The creators of the Cambridge rules sought to formulate a game that was acceptable to students who had played various codes of public school football. The public school games included a wide range of rules, from the Rugby
game (with ball handling and backwards passing) through the Eton
game (which favoured dribbling and had a tight offside rule) to the Charterhouse
football (that involved dribbling and whose representatives favoured rules permitting forward passing). The off-side rule
adopted by the Cambridge rules stated that:
This rule was subsequent adopted in essence by the Football Association
in 1867, but weakening from "more than three" to "at least three". This off-side rule, which permitted players to move in front of the ball opened the way to the subsequent development of the Combination Game
.
The Cambridge Rules were the first formulated rules of football
and the predecessor of modern Association Football
. They were very influential in the creation of the modern rules of football drawn up in London
by Ebenezer Cobb Morley
for the Football Association
, as shown in the following praise:
A plaque has been mounted at Parker's Piece
, Cambridge
to document its unique role in the creation of modern football. It bears the following inscription:
The Cambridge University Association Football Club also played a key role in developing modern passing football
. The side is credited with "transforming the tactics of association football and almost single-handedly inventing the modern game" in 1882. Contemporaries described Cambridge as being the first "combination" team in which each player was allotted an area of the field and played as part of a team in a game that was based upon passing" In a discussion by CW Alcock on the history of a "definite scheme of attack" and "elaborate combination" in early football playing styles (including references to "Northern" teams, including Queens Park), Alcock states (in 1891): "The perfection of the system which is in vogue at the present time however is in a very great measure the creation of the last few years. The Cambridge University eleven of 1883 were the first to illustrate the full possibilities of a systematic combination giving full scope to the defence as well as the attack"
, brought out a new set of rules for what he called "The Simplest Game"; these rules are also known as the "Uppingham Rules". Thring's rules are not normally referred to as the Cambridge rules.
, a committee drew up a new revision of the Cambridge rules. These rules were soon published in the press, and were subsequently brought to the attention of the committee of the fledgling Football Association. These rules found favour with a majority of the members of the FA and influenced the draft rules that were then under discussion by the FA. The FA committee voted to adopt parts of the Cambridge rules and led to the displeasure of representative from Blackheath. Blackheath's decision to withdraw from the FA further precipitated the subsequent development and codification of the Rugby game.
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"...
first drawn up at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1848, by a committee that included H. de Winton and J. C. Thring
H. de Winton and J. C. Thring
Henry de Winton and John Charles Thring were influential in the development of modern codes of football. In 1848, at Cambridge University they published a set of rules — Cambridge Rules — that were widely adopted in England...
. They are also notable for allowing goal kick
Goal kick
A goal kick, called a goalie kick in some regions,is a method of restarting play in a game of association football.-Award:A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball goes out of the field of play by crossing the goal line when the last person to touch the ball was from the attacking...
s, throw-in
Throw-in
A throw-in is a method of restarting play in a game of Association football.-Procedure:The throw-in is taken from the point where the ball crossed the touch-line. The throw-in is taken by the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when it crossed the touch-line, either on the ground or...
s, and forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
es and for preventing running whilst holding the ball. These rules influenced the development of Association football, Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, and subsequent codes. In 1863, a revision of the rules played a significant part in developing the rules that became Association football.
Cambridge University Football Club
The playing of football had always been popular in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and in 1579 one match played at Chesterton between townspeople and Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
students ended in a violent brawl that led the Vice-Chancellor to issue a decree forbidding them to play "footeball” outside of college grounds. Despite this and other decrees, football continued to be popular in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, as Dr G.E. Corrie, Master of Jesus College
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, observed in 1838, "In walking with Willis we passed by Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece is a flat and very roughly square green common located near the centre of Cambridge, England. The two main walking and cycling paths across it run diagonally, and the single lamp-post at the junction is commonly known as Reality Checkpoint...
and there saw some forty Gownsmen playing at football. The novelty and liveliness of the scene were amusing!" http://www.cuafc.org/history.php. A former Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
pupil, Albert Pell, was organising football matches at the university in 1839 but, because of the different school variations, a compromise set of rules had to be found and these are held to have been the origin of the Cambridge Rules. As a result of its role in the formation of the first football rules, Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece is a flat and very roughly square green common located near the centre of Cambridge, England. The two main walking and cycling paths across it run diagonally, and the single lamp-post at the junction is commonly known as Reality Checkpoint...
, Cambridge, remains hallowed turf for football fans and historians.
In 1846, H. de Winton and J.C. Thring, who had both attended Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
, succeeded in making some old Etonians join them to form a football club at Cambridge University. Only a few matches were ever played, but in 1848 interest in the sport was renewed. The story of how the 1848 rules were formulated was related by Mr H.C. Malden in a letter dated 8 October 1897.
I went up to Trinity College CambridgeTrinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. In the following year an attempt was made to get up some football in preference to the hockey that was then in vogue. But the result was dire confusion, as every man played the rules he had been accustomed to at his public school. I remember how the EtonEton CollegeEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
men howled at the RugbyRugby SchoolRugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
men for handling the ball. So it was agreed that two men should be chosen to represent each of the public schools, and two who were not public school men, for the 'Varsity. G. Salt and myself were chosen for the 'Varsity. I wish I could remember the others. Burn of Rugby, was one; Whymper of Eton, I think, also. We were 14 in all I believe. HarrowHarrow SchoolHarrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Eton Rugby, WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, ShrewsburyShrewsburyShrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
were represented. We met in my rooms after Hall, which in those days was at 4.pm.; anticipating a long meeting, I cleared the tables and provided pens, ink and paper. Several asked me on coming in whether an exam was on! Every man brought a copy of his school rules, or knew them by heart, and our progress in framing new rules was slow. On several occasions Salt and I, being unprejudiced, carried or struck out a rule when the voting was equal. We broke up five minutes before midnight. The new rules were printed as the "Cambridge Rules", copies were distributed and pasted up on Parker's Piece, and very satisfactorily they worked, for it is right to add that they were loyally kept, and I never heard of any public school man who gave up playing from not liking the rules. [...] Well Sir, years afterwards someone took these rules, still in force at Cambridge, and with a very few alterations they became the Association Rules. A fair catch, free kick (as still played at Harrow) was struck out. The offside rule was made less stringent. "Hands" was made more so; this has just been wisely altered.
The creators of the Cambridge rules sought to formulate a game that was acceptable to students who had played various codes of public school football. The public school games included a wide range of rules, from the Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
game (with ball handling and backwards passing) through the Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
game (which favoured dribbling and had a tight offside rule) to the Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
football (that involved dribbling and whose representatives favoured rules permitting forward passing). The off-side rule
Off-side rule
A computer programming language is said to adhere to the off-side rule if the scope of declarations in that language is expressed by their indentation. The term and the idea are attributed to Peter J. Landin, and the term can be seen as a pun on the offside law of football .- Definition :Peter J...
adopted by the Cambridge rules stated that:
"If the ball has passed a player and has come from the direction of his own goal, he may not touch it till the other side have kicked it, unless there are more than three of the other side before him. No player is allowed to loiter between the ball and the adversaries' goal." (1856, probably earlier)
This rule was subsequent adopted in essence by the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
in 1867, but weakening from "more than three" to "at least three". This off-side rule, which permitted players to move in front of the ball opened the way to the subsequent development of the Combination Game
Combination Game
The Combination Game was a style of association football based around team work and cooperation. It would gradually favour the passing of the ball between players over individual dribbling skills which had been a notable feature of early Association games. It developed from "scientific" football...
.
The Cambridge Rules were the first formulated rules of 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"...
and the predecessor of modern Association Football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. They were very influential in the creation of the modern rules of football drawn up in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by Ebenezer Cobb Morley
Ebenezer Cobb Morley
Ebenezer Cobb Morley was an English sportsman and is regarded as the father of The Football Association and modern Football.Morley was born at 10 Garden Square, Princess Street in Hull and lived in the city until he was 22. He moved to Barnes in 1858 forming the Barnes Club, a founding member of...
for the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, as shown in the following praise:
- 'The Cambridge Rules appear to be the most desirable for the Association to adopt'
- 'They embrace the true principles of the game, with the greatest simplicity'
A plaque has been mounted at Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece
Parker's Piece is a flat and very roughly square green common located near the centre of Cambridge, England. The two main walking and cycling paths across it run diagonally, and the single lamp-post at the junction is commonly known as Reality Checkpoint...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
to document its unique role in the creation of modern football. It bears the following inscription:
Here on Parker's Piece, in the 1800s, students established a common set of simple football rules emphasising skill above force, which forbade catching the ball and 'hacking'. These 'Cambridge Rules' became the defining influence on the 1863 Football Association rules.
The Cambridge University Association Football Club also played a key role in developing modern passing football
Combination Game
The Combination Game was a style of association football based around team work and cooperation. It would gradually favour the passing of the ball between players over individual dribbling skills which had been a notable feature of early Association games. It developed from "scientific" football...
. The side is credited with "transforming the tactics of association football and almost single-handedly inventing the modern game" in 1882. Contemporaries described Cambridge as being the first "combination" team in which each player was allotted an area of the field and played as part of a team in a game that was based upon passing" In a discussion by CW Alcock on the history of a "definite scheme of attack" and "elaborate combination" in early football playing styles (including references to "Northern" teams, including Queens Park), Alcock states (in 1891): "The perfection of the system which is in vogue at the present time however is in a very great measure the creation of the last few years. The Cambridge University eleven of 1883 were the first to illustrate the full possibilities of a systematic combination giving full scope to the defence as well as the attack"
Cambridge Rules circa 1856
No copy of the 1848 rules survives but the following set of University Rules, circa 1856, still exists in the Library of Shrewsbury School.-
-
- The Laws of the University Foot Ball Club
- This club shall be called the University Foot Ball Club.
- At the commencement of the play, the ball shall be kicked off from the middle of the ground: after every goal there shall be a kick-off in the same way.
- After a goal, the losing side shall kick off; the sides changing goals, unless a previous arrangement be made to the contrary.
- The ball is out when it has passed the line of the flag-posts on either side of the ground, in which case it shall be thrown in straight.
- The ball is behind when it has passed the goal on either side of it.
- When the ball is behind it shall be brought forward at the place where it left the ground, not more than ten paces, and kicked off.
- Goal is when the ball is kicked through the flag-posts and under the string.
- When a player catches the ball directly from the foot, he may kick it as he can without running with it. In no other case may the ball be touched with the hands, except to stop it.
- If the ball has passed a player, and has come from the direction of his own goal, he may not touch it till the other side have kicked it, unless there are more than three of the other side before him. No player is allowed to loiter between the ball and the adversaries' goal.
- In no case is holding a player, pushing with the hands, or tripping up allowed. Any player may prevent another from getting to the ball by any means consistent with the above rules.
- Every match shall be decided by a majority of goals.
- (Signed)
- H. Snow, J. C. Harkness; Eton.
- J. Hales, E. Smith; Rugby.
- G. Perry, F. G. Sykes; University.
- W. H. Stone, W. J. Hope-Edwardes; Harrow.
- E. L. Horner, H. M. Luckock; Shrewsbury.
-
'The Simplest Game' (or 'The Uppingham Rules')
In 1862, J.C. Thring, who was then a master at UppinghamUppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
, brought out a new set of rules for what he called "The Simplest Game"; these rules are also known as the "Uppingham Rules". Thring's rules are not normally referred to as the Cambridge rules.
-
- A GOAL is scored whenever the ball is forced through the goal and under the bar, except it be thrown by hand.
- HANDS may be used only to stop a ball and place it on the ground before the feet.
- KICKS must be aimed only at the ball.
- A player may not kick the ball whilst in the air.
- NO TRIPPING UP or HEEL KICKING is allowed.
- Whenever the ball is kicked beyond the side flags, it must be returned by the player who kicked it, from the spot it passed the flag line, in a straight line towards the middle of the ground.
- When a ball is kicked BEHIND the line of goal, it shall be kicked off from that line by one of the side whose goal it is.
- No opposite player may stand within six paces of the kicker when he is kicking off.
- A player is 'out of play' immediately he is in front of the ball and he must return behind the ball as soon as possible. If the ball be kicked by his own side past a player, he may not touch or kick it nor advance until one of the other side has first kicked it or one of his own side, having followed it up, has been able, when in front of him, to kick it.
- NO CHARGING is allowed when a player is out of play - i.e. immediately the ball is behind him.
1863 Cambridge University Rules
In October 1863, shortly before the first meeting of The Football AssociationThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, a committee drew up a new revision of the Cambridge rules. These rules were soon published in the press, and were subsequently brought to the attention of the committee of the fledgling Football Association. These rules found favour with a majority of the members of the FA and influenced the draft rules that were then under discussion by the FA. The FA committee voted to adopt parts of the Cambridge rules and led to the displeasure of representative from Blackheath. Blackheath's decision to withdraw from the FA further precipitated the subsequent development and codification of the Rugby game.
-
- The length of the ground shall not be more than 150 yds. and the breadth not more than 100 yds. The ground shall be marked out by posts and two posts shall be placed on each side-line at distances of 25 yds. from each goal line.
- The GOALS shall consist of two upright poles at a distance of 15 ft. from each other.
- The choice of goals and kick-off shall be determined by tossing and the ball shall be kicked off from the middle of the ground.
- In a match when half the time agreed upon has elapsed, the side shall change goals when the ball is next out of play. After such change or a goal obtained, the kick off shall be from the middle of the ground in the same direction as before. The time during which the game shall last and the numbers in each side are to be settled by the heads of the sides.
- When a player has kicked the ball any one of the same side who is nearer to the opponent's goal line is OUT OF PLAY and may not touch the ball himself nor in any way whatsoever prevent any other player from doing so.
- When the ball goes out of the ground by crossing the side lines, it is out of play and shall be kicked straight into the ground again from the point where it first stopped.
- When a player has kicked the ball beyond the opponents' goal line, whoever first touches the ball when it is on the ground with his hand, may have a FREE kick bringing the ball straight out from the goal line.
- No player may touch the ball behind his opponents' goal line who is behind it when the ball is kicked there.
- If the ball is touched down behind the goal line and beyond the line of the side-posts, the FREE kick shall be from the 25 yds. post
- When a player has a free-kick, no-one of his own side may be between him and his opponents' goal line and no one of the opposing side may stand within 10 yds. of him.
- A free kick may be taken in any manner the player may choose.
- A goal is obtained when the ball goes out of the ground by passing between the poles or in such a manner that it would have passed between them had they been of sufficient height.
- The ball, when in play may be stopped by any part of the body, but it may NOT be held or hit by the hands, arms or shoulders.
- ALL charging is fair; but holding, pushing with the hands, tripping up and shinning are forbidden.
- (Signed)
- Rev. R. Burn (Shrewsbury), Chairman
- R.H. Blake Humfrey (Eton)
- W.T. Trench (Eton)
- J.T. Prior (Harrow)
- H.L. Williams (Harrow)
- W.R. Collyer (Rugby)
- M.T. Martin (Rugby)
- W.P. Crawley (Marlborough)
- W.S. Wright (Westminster)
Further reading
- Green, GeoffreyGeoffrey GreenGeoffrey Green was a distinguished English football writer.Geoffrey Green was educated at Shrewsbury School, where he played football to a high standard. He started writing for The Times in the 1930s when football was not afforded much respectability among the paper's traditional readership...
(1953). The History of the Football Association. Naldrett Press, London.