Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle . The primary purposes of tackling are to dispossess an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend.
107-518: Harrow football is a code of football played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more bases (goals) than their opponent. Harrow Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body including, in certain circumstances, their hands and arms to propel the ball. The leather ball is shaped like a giant pork pie , about 18 inches in diameter and 12 inches (300 mm) deep. It tends to soak up mud and water and become extremely heavy. It
214-427: A "law" of football: "they must not strike [an opponent's leg] higher than the ball". English public schools were the first to codify football games. In particular, they devised the first offside rules, during the late 18th century. In the earliest manifestations of these rules, players were "off their side" if they simply stood between the ball and the goal which was their objective. Players were not allowed to pass
321-407: A ball carrier by the pads behind his neck and pulling him down is known as a "horse collar", a method which has been made illegal at all levels of American football. It is also illegal to tackle a player who has thrown a forward pass (generally a quarterback) after he has released the ball; doing so is called "roughing the passer" and incurs a 15-yard penalty and a fresh set of downs for the team with
428-615: A ball game played in northern France known as La Soule or Choule , in which the ball was propelled by hands, feet, and sticks, date from the 12th century. The early forms of football played in England, sometimes referred to as " mob football ", would be played in towns or between neighbouring villages, involving an unlimited number of players on opposing teams who would clash en masse , struggling to move an item, such as inflated animal's bladder to particular geographical points, such as their opponents' church, with play taking place in
535-404: A ban that was only lifted in the 1970s. Female footballers still face similar problems in some parts of the world. American football also faced pressures to ban the sport. The game played in the 19th century resembled mob football that developed in medieval Europe, including a version popular on university campuses known as old division football , and several municipalities banned its play in
642-439: A base may be scored at any point through them. The inner edges of the base posts must be 6 yards (5.5 m) apart. The field has no other field markings, except for a half-way line which spans the width of the pitch and is equidistant from each goal line. A standard Harrow football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 40 minutes each. There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time. The end of
749-429: A base, though the team kicking off also has the option of dribbling the ball rather than kicking it. Teams alternate taking the kick-off after each base, regardless of which team scored the base. The only exception is after half time, when the team who did not kick-off at the beginning of the match takes the kick. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until
856-406: A defensive player tackle an offensive player by grabbing the facemask of their helmet ; doing so incurs a 15-yard penalty and the victimized team is awarded a new set of downs. Although spear tackles are allowed in gridiron football, a player may not use his helmet to tackle an opponent as the technique can cause serious injury to both players (more often the tackler, due to the force of reaction on
963-436: A fellow team member. In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a base through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet), by passing the ball from teammate to teammate and by taking shots at the base. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. Tackling usually means barging
1070-437: A foul tackle endangers the tackled player's safety, it is likely to be considered as "serious foul play" by the referee and punished with a red card (dismissal). Tackles that involve lunging at an opponent with both legs, regardless of whether the ball is won, are generally considered to constitute serious foul play and hence result in a sending-off. This explicitly includes "scissoring" (tackling with legs apart, so as to trap
1177-401: A free kick depending on where the offence occurred. Misconduct may occur at any time, and need not be against an opponent. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A player
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#17327933061601284-597: A game called tepuk among Turks in Central Asia . In the game, people try to attack each other's castle by kicking a ball made of sheep leather. The Middle Ages saw a huge rise in popularity of annual Shrovetide football matches throughout Europe, particularly in England. An early reference to a ball game played in Britain comes from the 9th-century Historia Brittonum , attributed to Nennius , which describes "a party of boys ... playing at ball". References to
1391-585: A game played by Native Americans, called Pahsaheman . Pasuckuakohowog , a game similar to modern-day association football played amongst Amerindians , was also reported as early as the 17th century. Games played in Mesoamerica with rubber balls by indigenous peoples are also well-documented as existing since before this time, but these had more similarities to basketball or volleyball , and no links have been found between such games and modern football sports. Northeastern American Indians, especially
1498-477: A game where kicking and dribbling the ball was promoted (as at Eton, Harrow, Westminster and Charterhouse ). The division into these two camps was partly the result of circumstances in which the games were played. For example, Charterhouse and Westminster at the time had restricted playing areas; the boys were confined to playing their ball game within the school cloisters , making it difficult for them to adopt rough and tumble running games. William Webb Ellis ,
1605-416: A gate at either end. The gates are called Goals." His book includes a diagram illustrating a football field. He also mentions tactics ("leaving some of their best players to guard the goal"); scoring ("they that can strike the ball through their opponents' goal first win") and the way teams were selected ("the players being equally divided according to their strength and nimbleness"). He is the first to describe
1712-505: A number of references to traditional, ancient, or prehistoric ball games played in many different parts of the world. Contemporary codes of football can be traced back to the codification of these games at English public schools during the 19th century, itself an outgrowth of medieval football . The expansion and cultural power of the British Empire allowed these rules of football to spread to areas of British influence outside
1819-410: A player is allowed. Smothering , which involves using the arms or body to get in the way of an opponent's kick as it leaves their boot, is similar to a charge down in rugby football. Gaelic football defines tackling as wresting the ball from an opponent's hands. Bumping is allowed on the player with the ball, but a player cannot be grabbed. In American football and Canadian football , to tackle
1926-402: A player on the opposing side. Barging must be done with the shoulder and must not be from directly behind the opponent as to hit their back. You are permitted to tackle even if the opponent is not in possession of the ball. Harrow Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when it has left the field of play over a boundary line, or play has been stopped by
2033-441: A pupil at Rugby School, is said to have "with a fine disregard for the rules of football, as played in his time [emphasis added], first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus creating the distinctive feature of the rugby game." in 1823. This act is usually said to be the beginning of Rugby football, but there is little evidence that it occurred, and most sports historians believe the story to be apocryphal. The act of 'taking
2140-416: A referee ("judge over the parties") and a coach "(trayning maister)". Mulcaster's "footeball" had evolved from the disordered and violent forms of traditional football: [s]ome smaller number with such overlooking, sorted into sides and standings, not meeting with their bodies so boisterously to trie their strength: nor shouldring or shuffing one an other so barbarously ... may use footeball for as much good to
2247-487: A ship commanded by an English explorer named John Davis went ashore to play a form of football with Inuit in Greenland. There are later accounts of an Inuit game played on ice, called Aqsaqtuk . Each match began with two teams facing each other in parallel lines, before attempting to kick the ball through each other team's line and then at a goal. In 1610, William Strachey , a colonist at Jamestown, Virginia recorded
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#17327933061602354-403: A small number of exhibition games against non-Harrow or Old Harrovian opposition. This includes games against Eton , Sunningdale Prep School Masters , Mossbourne Academy , Hatch End High School and The John Lyon School . Two teams of equally numbered players each compete to get a ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a base . The team which has scored
2461-463: A successful tackle. Pulling a player to the ground in the style of tackle common to other codes is completely absent from the game (this would be considered "violent conduct" and result in a red card (dismissal)). Although some contact between players is allowed, the rules of association football significantly limit the physicality of tackles, explicitly forbidding contacts which are "careless, reckless or [use] excessive force". Almost all tackles where
2568-446: A translation exercise with the phrase "We wyll playe with a ball full of wynde". Richard Mulcaster , a student at Eton College in the early 16th century and later headmaster at other English schools, has been described as "the greatest sixteenth Century advocate of football". Among his contributions are the earliest evidence of organised team football. Mulcaster's writings refer to teams ("sides" and "parties"), positions ("standings"),
2675-455: A week, for more than twelve hours a day. From 1850, they could not work before 6 a.m. (7 a.m. in winter) or after 6 p.m. on weekdays (7 p.m. in winter); on Saturdays they had to cease work at 2 pm. These changes meant that working class children had more time for games, including various forms of football. The earliest known matches between public schools are as follows: Sports clubs dedicated to playing football began in
2782-435: Is also a professional foul is considered misconduct. The most spectacular form of tackle in association football is the slide tackle , wherein a tackler slides, leg extended, along the ground, aiming to hit the ball away. This form of tackle carries a high risk of committing a foul. " Diving " in association football involves tackled players exaggerating the physicality of tackles, so as to gain favourable decisions from
2889-513: Is an anecdote from the 1878 book by Robert Brough-Smyth , The Aborigines of Victoria , in which a man called Richard Thomas is quoted as saying, in about 1841 in Victoria, Australia , that he had witnessed Aboriginal people playing the game: "Mr Thomas describes how the foremost player will drop kick a ball made from the skin of a possum and how other players leap into the air in order to catch it." Some historians have theorised that Marn Grook
2996-523: Is an early type of ball game where feet were used, in some aspects resembling modern association football . It was possibly played around the Han dynasty and early Qin dynasty , based on an attestation in a military manual from around the second to third centuries BC. In one version, gameplay consisted of players passing the ball between teammates without allowing it to touch the ground (much like keepie uppie ). In its competitive version, two teams had to pass
3103-406: Is assessed a 15-yard penalty. Blocks that occur in the back of the legs and below the knees , initiated below the waist , or clotheslines are also generally prohibited and players who use them are subject to much more severe penalties than other illegal tackles. However, a player who plays on the line can block below the knees ( cut block ) as long the block is within five yards of the line and
3210-730: Is believed by many to also be the first match of Australian rules football , although it was played under experimental rules in its first year. The first football trophy tournament was the Caledonian Challenge Cup, donated by the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne, played in 1861 under the Melbourne Rules . The oldest football league is a rugby football competition, the United Hospitals Challenge Cup (1874), while
3317-409: Is believed to be ancestral to other football codes including Association football and possibly Australian rules football . The oldest surviving rules for Harrow football were drawn up in 1858, though it is likely to have been played exclusively at Harrow School earlier than this, both between teams of boys currently at the school and between boys at the school and old boys. The school now also play
Harrow football - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-418: Is deemed to be offside when they are positioned in front of the direction of play. When passing, the ball must either go backwards, or be kicked forwards and run onto from behind, similar to rugby . When a player is offside, other players will sometimes yell "you're off." Harrow football is played between teams consisting of boys from each Harrow School boarding house between January and April each year. During
3531-486: Is derived from "huc percute" (strike it here) and later "repercute pilam" (strike the ball again) in the original Latin. It is not certain that the ball was being struck between members of the same team. The original word translated as "goal" is "metum", literally meaning the "pillar at each end of the circus course" in a Roman chariot race. There is a reference to "get hold of the ball before [another player] does" (Praeripe illi pilam si possis agere) suggesting that handling of
3638-403: Is known as a quarterback sack when the quarterback is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage while attempting to throw a pass. A tackle for loss is a tackle that causes a loss of yardage for the opposing running back or wide receiver. This happens when the quarterback is sacked, when either a rusher or a receiver is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, or when the ball is fumbled behind
3745-670: Is known to have been played within the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto from about 600 AD. In kemari , several people stand in a circle and kick a ball to each other, trying not to let the ball drop to the ground. The Silk Road facilitated the transmission of cuju , especially the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. The Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have played many ball games, some of which involved
3852-470: Is no upper limit to the number of players, although it is most common to field eleven players in inter-house and other organised matches. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team (this is usually seven). There are a variety of positions in which the players are strategically placed, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The positions are usually
3959-438: Is the first description of a "kicking game" and the first description of dribbling : "[t]he game at which they had met for common recreation is called by some the foot-ball game. It is one in which young men, in country sport, propel a huge ball not by throwing it into the air but by striking it and rolling it along the ground, and that not with their hands but with their feet... kicking in opposite directions." The chronicler gives
4066-425: Is to physically interfere with the forward progress of a player in possession of the ball, such that his forward progress ceases and is not resumed, or such that he is caused to touch some part of his body to the ground other than his feet or hands, or such that he is forced to go out of bounds. In any such case, the ball becomes dead , the down is over, and play ceases until the beginning of the next play . A tackle
4173-423: Is usually played on a pitch similar to rugby or association football pitch. The pitch can be muddy, wet, and even waterlogged. It is usually 100–130 yards (90–120m) in length by 50–100 yards (45–90m) in width. The pitch must be rectangular, with the length (touch lines) longer than the width (goal lines). On the goal line at each end of the field is a 'base' which looks like rugby posts with their crossbar removed so
4280-448: The 2008 International Rules Series . In rugby league the ball-carrier can be tackled by any number of defenders from any direction. The initial contact in the tackle must be made below the ball carrier's neck or it will be deemed a high tackle and penalised. A tackle in rugby league is completed when any of the following occurs: Once the tackle is completed, the ball-carrier must be allowed to get to his feet to ' play-the-ball ' and
4387-641: The Iroquois Confederation, played a game which made use of net racquets to throw and catch a small ball; however, although it is a ball-goal foot game, lacrosse (as its modern descendant is called) is likewise not usually classed as a form of "football". On the Australian continent several tribes of indigenous people played kicking and catching games with stuffed balls which have been generalised by historians as Marn Grook ( Djab Wurrung for "game ball"). The earliest historical account
Harrow football - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-535: The United States , and sometimes in Ireland and New Zealand); Australian rules football ; Gaelic football ; gridiron football (specifically American football , arena football , or Canadian football ); International rules football ; rugby league football ; and rugby union football . These various forms of football share, to varying degrees, common origins and are known as " football codes ". There are
4601-600: The West of Scotland Cricket Club 's ground in Partick , Glasgow under the authority of the FA. Tackle (football move) The word is used in some contact variations of football to describe the act of physically holding or wrestling a player to the ground. In others, it simply describes one or more methods of contesting for possession of the ball. It can therefore be used as both a defensive or attacking move. In Middle Dutch ,
4708-474: The backs (also referred to as the threes on account of their number), the forwards and the wings . There are two wings on each wing to facilitate the giving of " yards ". The backs pivot on the centre back depending on the position of the ball - hence the graceful alignment referred to in the Harrow Song "Yards". The forwards are often four in number and are the powerhouse which clears the way to allow
4815-462: The goalposts . There are conflicting explanations of the origin of the word "football". It is widely assumed that the word "football" (or the phrase "foot ball") refers to the action of the foot kicking a ball. There is an alternative explanation, which is that football originally referred to a variety of games in medieval Europe that were played on foot . There is no conclusive evidence for either explanation. The Chinese competitive game cuju
4922-416: The 1840s meant that people were able to travel farther and with less inconvenience than they ever had before. Inter-school sporting competitions became possible. However, it was difficult for schools to play each other at football, as each school played by its own rules. The solution to this problem was usually that the match be divided into two-halves, one half played by the rules of the host "home" school, and
5029-467: The 18th century, for example London's Gymnastic Society which was founded in the mid-18th century and ceased playing matches in 1796. The first documented club to bear in the title a reference to being a 'football club' were called "The Foot-Ball Club" who were located in Edinburgh , Scotland, during the period 1824–41. The club forbade tripping but allowed pushing and holding and the picking up of
5136-597: The City of London issued a decree banning football in the French used by the English upper classes at the time. A translation reads: "[f]orasmuch as there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large foot balls [ rageries de grosses pelotes de pee ] in the fields of the public from which many evils might arise which God forbid: we command and forbid on behalf of the king, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in
5243-646: The Division I FBS record for most tackles in a career. International rules football is a hybrid game between Australian rules football and Gaelic football . Tackling in International Rules is subject to similar rules as Australian rules football, but with some subtle differences. Tackling is only allowed as low as the waist, whereas it is allowed down to the knees in Aussie Rules. One handed tackling has been banned in International Rules since
5350-466: The action and get caught up in the fun being had by the carefree adolescents. Most of the very early references to the game speak simply of "ball play" or "playing at ball". This reinforces the idea that the games played at the time did not necessarily involve a ball being kicked. An early reference to a ball game that was probably football comes from 1280 at Ulgham , Northumberland, England: "Henry... while playing at ball.. ran against David". Football
5457-480: The activities of London youths during the annual festival of Shrove Tuesday : After lunch all the youth of the city go out into the fields to take part in a ball game. The students of each school have their own ball; the workers from each city craft are also carrying their balls. Older citizens, fathers, and wealthy citizens come on horseback to watch their juniors competing, and to relive their own youth vicariously: you can see their inner passions aroused as they watch
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#17327933061605564-533: The ball carrier to knock them to the ground. Tackles can also be made by grabbing the ball carrier's jersey (or even hair, should it be long enough and allowed to dangle freely from beneath the helmet) and pulling him to the ground. As mentioned above, the referee can declare that a play is dead if the ball carrier's forward progress has been stopped, even if he has not actually been taken to the ground. To protect players from potentially catastrophic injury, there are some restrictions on tackles and blocks. At no time may
5671-464: The ball forward, either by foot or by hand. They could only dribble with their feet, or advance the ball in a scrum or similar formation . However, offside laws began to diverge and develop differently at each school, as is shown by the rules of football from Winchester, Rugby , Harrow and Cheltenham , during between 1810 and 1850. The first known codes – in the sense of a set of rules – were those of Eton in 1815 and Aldenham in 1825. ) During
5778-479: The ball in his arms' is often misinterpreted as 'picking the ball up' as it is widely believed that Webb Ellis' 'crime' was handling the ball, as in modern association football, however handling the ball at the time was often permitted and in some cases compulsory, the rule for which Webb Ellis showed disregard was running forward with it as the rules of his time only allowed a player to retreat backwards or kick forwards. The boom in rail transport in Britain during
5885-400: The ball is moved primarily with the feet, and where handling is strictly limited. Common rules among the sports include: In all codes, common skills include passing , tackling , evasion of tackles, catching and kicking . In most codes, there are rules restricting the movement of players offside , and players scoring a goal must put the ball either under or over a crossbar between
5992-411: The ball to be taken forward. The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (usually the colour of a Harrow School boarding house or the official Harrow School colour), shorts, socks and footwear. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery). A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of
6099-510: The ball was allowed. One sentence states in the original 1930 translation "Throw yourself against him" (Age, objice te illi). King Henry IV of England also presented one of the earliest documented uses of the English word "football", in 1409, when he issued a proclamation forbidding the levying of money for "foteball". There is also an account in Latin from the end of the 15th century of football being played at Caunton , Nottinghamshire. This
6206-457: The ball without it falling, before kicking the ball through a circular hole placed in the middle of the pitch. Unlike association football, the two teams did not interact with each other but instead stayed on opposite sides of the pitch. Cuju has been cited by FIFA as the earliest form of football. The Japanese version of cuju is kemari (蹴鞠), and was developed during the Asuka period . This
6313-647: The ball. In 1845, three boys at Rugby school were tasked with codifying the rules then being used at the school. These were the first set of written rules (or code) for any form of football. This further assisted the spread of the Rugby game. The earliest known matches involving non-public school clubs or institutions are as follows: One of the longest running football fixture is the Cordner-Eggleston Cup , contested between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College, Melbourne every year since 1858. It
6420-484: The ball. However, in the NFL a player can continue forward for one step, which means that often a player who is committed to attacking the quarterback will still make a tackle. Place kickers and punters are afforded an even greater protection from being tackled. Once the play is ruled complete, no contact is permitted; a player who makes contact with an opponent after the play is charged with "unnecessary roughness" and his team
6527-413: The body, by the chiefe use of the legges. In 1633, David Wedderburn , a teacher from Aberdeen , mentioned elements of modern football games in a short Latin textbook called Vocabula. Wedderburn refers to what has been translated into modern English as "keeping goal" and makes an allusion to passing the ball ("strike it here"). There is a reference to "get hold of the ball", suggesting that some handling
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#17327933061606634-429: The case of a man who was killed whilst having a shave when a ball was kicked into a barber's shop. Roman ball games already knew the air-filled ball, the follis . Episkyros is described as an early form of football by FIFA. There are a number of references to traditional, ancient , or prehistoric ball games, played by indigenous peoples in many different parts of the world. For example, in 1586, men from
6741-412: The city in the future." This is the earliest reference to football. In 1363, King Edward III of England issued a proclamation banning "...handball, football, or hockey; coursing and cock-fighting, or other such idle games", showing that "football" – whatever its exact form in this case – was being differentiated from games involving other parts of the body, such as handball. A game known as "football"
6848-412: The city would dress up in fine silk costumes and embroil themselves in a violent form of football. For example, calcio players could punch, shoulder charge, and kick opponents. Blows below the belt were allowed. The game is said to have originated as a military training exercise. In 1580, Count Giovanni de' Bardi di Vernio wrote Discorso sopra 'l giuoco del Calcio Fiorentino . This is sometimes said to be
6955-479: The creation of modern football codes. First of all, the evidence suggests that they were important in taking football away from its "mob" form and turning it into an organised team sport. Second, many early descriptions of football and references to it were recorded by people who had studied at these schools. Third, it was teachers, students, and former students from these schools who first codified football games, to enable matches to be played between schools. Finally, it
7062-446: The defensive team must retreat 10 metres (except 2 markers, facing the tackled player). Spear tackles are illegal in rugby league, with most tackles in which the defender is lifted 'above the horizontal' bringing about penalties in the modern game. A stiff arm tackle is an offence. A 2012 New Zealand study found that over 659 tackles are made per game in professional rugby league. Of all the rugby league positions , second-row averages
7169-473: The directly controlled empire. By the end of the 19th century, distinct regional codes were already developing: Gaelic football , for example, deliberately incorporated the rules of local traditional football games in order to maintain their heritage. In 1888, the Football League was founded in England, becoming the first of many professional football associations. During the 20th century, several of
7276-549: The earliest code of rules for any football game. The game was not played after January 1739 (until it was revived in May 1930). There have been many attempts to ban football, from the Middle Ages through to the modern day. The first such law was passed in England in 1314; it was followed by more than 30 in England alone between 1314 and 1667. Women were banned from playing at English and Scottish Football League grounds in 1921,
7383-479: The earliest reference to a football pitch, stating that: "[t]he boundaries have been marked and the game had started. Other firsts in the medieval and early modern eras: In the 16th century, the city of Florence celebrated the period between Epiphany and Lent by playing a game which today is known as " calcio storico " ("historic kickball") in the Piazza Santa Croce . The young aristocrats of
7490-472: The early 19th century, most working-class people in Britain had to work six days a week, often for over twelve hours a day. They had neither the time nor the inclination to engage in sport for recreation and, at the time, many children were part of the labour force . Feast day football played on the streets was in decline. Public school boys, who enjoyed some freedom from work, became the inventors of organised football games with formal codes of rules. Football
7597-411: The end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by one of the umpires; in these cases play is restarted by one of the following five methods: A foul occurs when a player commits a specific offence against an opponent, for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, barging an opponent in the back, pulling at an opponent's shirt, etc., are punishable by
7704-471: The front or the side (not behind). Any breach of these rules results in a Foul . Each playing period in Harrow football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre by one team. The person kicking the ball does so by dropping it from his hands. At the kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field until the ball is kicked. Kick-offs are also used to restart play following
7811-415: The game. A game is ideally presided over by two umpires, whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. Each umpire carries a Yard Stick : a wooden stick used to mark the place from which yards are taken. Games were traditionally umpired by each House providing one umpire each. However, nowadays umpiring is undertaken by Beaks (Harrow Masters), House Masters and senior boys. Harrow Football
7918-412: The increasing popularity of football in the late 19th century, tackling had been integrated into field-based chasing games such as British Bulldog (game) , Pom-Pom-Pull-Away and British Bulldog . For younger boys, these children's games became essential for the acquisition of football skills. Some illegal tackle moves result in a penalty play, however others may be "reportable" offences — that is,
8025-424: The line of scrimmage and was picked up by an offensive player who does not manage to move past the line before being tackled. When a player who does not have the ball is taken down, it is generally referred to as a block. Tacklers are not required to wrap their arms around the ball carrier before bringing him to the ground; in fact, the ball carrier is often "tackled" by the defender taking a running start and hitting
8132-529: The match is known as full-time. Boshing is the form of tackle used in Harrow Football. It is performed by a member of either the defensive or the offensive side, and its use is warranted by being within a reasonable distance from the ball. To perform a bosh, a member of one side shoulder barges a member of the opposition. There are several limitations to the bosh, as the bosher may not raise his arms or use his elbows, and it must be performed from either
8239-605: The mid-19th century. By the 20th century, the game had evolved to a more rugby style game. In 1905, there were calls to ban American football in the U.S. due to its violence; a meeting that year was hosted by American president Theodore Roosevelt led to sweeping rules changes that caused the sport to diverge significantly from its rugby roots to become more like the sport as it is played today. While football continued to be played in various forms throughout Britain, its public schools (equivalent to private schools in other countries) are widely credited with four key achievements in
8346-408: The most bases at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of bases then the game is a draw. Players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, and in general they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. But they can catch the ball with their hands if it has not touched the ground since it was kicked, and the kick was not a forward pass from
8453-442: The most tackles. In rugby union , a player must be brought to ground for a tackle to be completed. The tackled player must release the ball, but the ball is not dead and a ruck forms to contest possession of it. If the ball carrier is not brought to the ground a maul will usually form. High/reckless or stiff arm tackles laws once dictated any contact made above the shoulders was an offence. Now, even if contact starts below
8560-912: The oldest rugby trophy is the Yorkshire Cup , contested since 1878. The South Australian Football Association (30 April 1877) is the oldest surviving Australian rules football competition. The oldest surviving soccer trophy is the Youdan Cup (1867) and the oldest national football competition is the English FA Cup (1871). The Football League (1888) is recognised as the longest running association football league. The first international Rugby football match took place between Scotland and England on 27 March 1871 at Raeburn Place , Edinburgh . The first international Association football match officially took place between sides representing England and Scotland on 30 November 1872 at Hamilton Crescent ,
8667-406: The open space between neighbouring parishes. The game was played primarily during significant religious festivals, such as Shrovetide, Christmas, or Easter, and Shrovetide games have survived into the modern era in a number of English towns (see below). The first detailed description of what was almost certainly football in England was given by William FitzStephen in about 1174–1183. He described
8774-506: The opponent's leg or legs in between), which is likely to be punished with a sending-off (red card), as it poses a high risk of severe knee injury to the player being tackled. Tackling with studs up is considered dangerous. A studs up tackle is made when a player lunges into a tackle with a leg or both legs outstretched exposing the soles of their boots. Referees are encouraged to at the very least caution (yellow card) players who commit such challenges. Additionally, an illegal tackle which
8881-427: The other half by the visiting "away" school. The modern rules of many football codes were formulated during the mid- or late- 19th century. This also applies to other sports such as lawn bowls, lawn tennis, etc. The major impetus for this was the patenting of the world's first lawnmower in 1830. This allowed for the preparation of modern ovals, playing fields, pitches, grass courts, etc. Apart from Rugby football,
8988-428: The player by the tackler, or the player unsuccessfully attempts a kick or handball, a free kick will only be awarded if the ball carrier is deemed to have had a prior opportunity to dispose of the ball prior to being tackled. If a player has not had prior opportunity to dispose of the ball and a tackler knocks the ball free during a tackle then no free kick is paid and the game continues. A tackle must only contact below
9095-480: The player they block is in front of them and not engaged by another blocker ( chop block ). In the National Football League (NFL), tackles are tracked as an unofficial statistic by a scorekeeper hired by the home team. Though the statistic is widely cited, the league does not verify that the counts are accurate. On November 12, 2022, Carlton Martial of Troy recorded his 546th tackle to break
9202-547: The public school codes have barely been played beyond the confines of each school's playing fields. However, many of them are still played at the schools which created them (see § British schools ). Public schools' dominance of sports in the UK began to wane after the Factory Act 1850 , which significantly increased the recreation time available to working class children. Before 1850, many British children had to work six days
9309-571: The referee. In Australian rules football , the move commonly described as a "tackle" is similar to in rugby and involves wrapping, holding or wrestling a player who has possession of the ball to the ground. Tackling players not in possession of the ball is not allowed, this is considered “ holding the man ” and penalised with a free kick to the opposition. As there is no offside rule in Australian rules football, players can be tackled from any direction, and are often blindsided. For this reason,
9416-427: The referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). The Laws of Harrow football are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. There is no definitive guide and arguments over more obscure laws on the sidelines often result because of this. Teams consist of equal numbers of players (excluding substitutes). There
9523-627: The same period there are often matches between a school team and various teams consisting of old boys. In February each year, there are organised matches between teams from each school boarding house and old boys as part of the Harrow School Founders Day celebrations. Games are also played against the University of Newcastle . Harrow football is commonly known as footer within the bounds of Harrow School. A number of Harrow Songs celebrate Harrow football, possibly more than
9630-538: The shoulders and above the knees, and a player is able to be thrown to the ground, so long as the tackle is deemed not to be reckless or likely to cause injury. There are also rules outlawing pushing in the back making tackling more difficult. Tripping, by both hand or foot, is not allowed and can be a reportable offence . Players wear little to no padding to cushion the impact of tackles, however players generally wear mouthguards to protect their teeth. There are many types of tackles in Australian rules football: Although
9737-434: The shoulders, if the head is involved in any reckless tackle it results in the offending player being given a yellow card and therefore sin binned. World Rugby now defines a reckless tackle as being any contact where the tackler "knew or should have known that there was a risk of making contact with the head of an opponent, but did so anyway" For various codes of football, variant codes have been developed which substitute out
9844-579: The songs celebrating any other aspect of school life. They range from the well known "Yards" to less accessible songs such as "Plump-a-Lump". Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal . Unqualified, the word football generally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly called football include association football (known as soccer in Australia , Canada , South Africa ,
9951-399: The sport allows players to shepherd and bump their opponents within 5 metres of the ball, to protect the ball carrier. A tackled player must immediately dispose of the ball legally, by kicking or handballing , but not by throwing or dropping the ball. If this is not done, a holding the ball free kick will be awarded to the tackler. If the ball is knocked free by the tackler, pinned to
10058-567: The tackler's legs make contact with the opponent before the ball are considered illegal, and heavy contact after initially touching the ball may also be penalised. Illegal tackles are fouls and are punished with a direct free kick (or penalty if committed within the penalty area) for the opponent's team. Such incidents are common, with dozens of occurrences in a typical match. In most cases these fouls are not considered misconducts , however yellow cards (cautions) may be delivered for more egregious fouls that constitute " unsporting behaviour ". If
10165-399: The tackler, which is apt to be beyond the limit that the neck can handle) and also warrants a 15-yard penalty as well as a fresh set of downs if committed by the defending team; this is known as "spearing the player". A similar penalty is assessed to any player attempting to make contact with his helmet against another opponent's helmet, which is known as a helmet-to-helmet collision . Grabbing
10272-425: The tackling element, making the game less physical. In these games, either a being touched by an opponent or, in some codes, having a tag on the player's person removed, has effects similar to a tackle in the parent code. Flag football . Other non-football games that feature ball-tackling or similar concepts include hurling , hockey and shinty , while tackling of people is featured in games like kabaddi . With
10379-441: The term "tackle" is used in Australian rules to exclusively describe wrapping, holding or wrestling a player in possession, there are also several other ways of contesting possession in Australian rules that other sports would describe as a "tackle" and that also involve a degree of contact. Other defensive actions are generally categorised as one percenters . The defensive tactic of punching away (commonly known as spoiling) from
10486-554: The use of the feet. The Roman game harpastum is believed to have been adapted from a Greek team game known as ἐπίσκυρος ( episkyros ) or φαινίνδα ( phaininda ), which is mentioned by a Greek playwright, Antiphanes (388–311 BC) and later referred to by the Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria ( c. 150 – c. 215 AD ). These games appear to have resembled rugby football . The Roman politician Cicero (106–43 BC) describes
10593-482: The various kinds of football grew to become some of the most popular team sports in the world. The various codes of football share certain common elements and can be grouped into two main classes of football: carrying codes like American football, Canadian football, Australian football, rugby union and rugby league, where the ball is moved about the field while being held in the hands or thrown, and kicking codes such as association football and Gaelic football, where
10700-417: The verb tacken meant to grab or to handle. By the 14th century, this had come to be used for the equipment used for fishing, referring to the rod and reel, etc., and also for that used in sailing, referring to rigging, equipment, or gear used on ships. By the 18th century, a similar use was applied to harnesses or equipment used with horses. Modern use in football comes from the earlier sport of rugby, where
10807-432: The word was used in the 19th century. Unlike other codes, tackles in association football have to be predominantly directed against the ball rather than the player in possession of it. This is achieved by using either leg to wrest possession from the opponent, or sliding in on the grass to knock the ball away. A defender is permitted to use their body to obstruct the motion of a player with the ball, and this may be part of
10914-427: Was adopted by a number of public schools as a way of encouraging competitiveness and keeping youths fit. Each school drafted its own rules, which varied widely between different schools and were changed over time with each new intake of pupils. Two schools of thought developed regarding rules. Some schools favoured a game in which the ball could be carried (as at Rugby, Marlborough and Cheltenham), while others preferred
11021-475: Was allowed. It is clear that the tackles allowed included the charging and holding of opposing players ("drive that man back"). A more detailed description of football is given in Francis Willughby 's Book of Games , written in about 1660. Willughby, who had studied at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School , Sutton Coldfield , is the first to describe goals and a distinct playing field: "a close that has
11128-507: Was at English public schools that the division between "kicking" and "running" (or "carrying") games first became clear. The earliest evidence that games resembling football were being played at English public schools – mainly attended by boys from the upper, upper-middle and professional classes – comes from the Vulgaria by William Herman in 1519. Herman had been headmaster at Eton and Winchester colleges and his Latin textbook includes
11235-591: Was one of the origins of Australian rules football . The Māori in New Zealand played a game called Kī-o-rahi consisting of teams of seven players play on a circular field divided into zones, and score points by touching the 'pou' (boundary markers) and hitting a central 'tupu' or target. These games and others may well go far back into antiquity. However, the main sources of modern football codes appear to lie in western Europe, especially England. Mahmud al-Kashgari in his Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk , described
11342-458: Was played in Ireland in 1308, with a documented reference to John McCrocan, a spectator at a "football game" at Newcastle, County Down being charged with accidentally stabbing a player named William Bernard. Another reference to a football game comes in 1321 at Shouldham , Norfolk, England: "[d]uring the game at ball as he kicked the ball, a lay friend of his... ran against him and wounded himself". In 1314, Nicholas de Farndone , Lord Mayor of
11449-588: Was played in Scotland as early as the 15th century: it was prohibited by the Football Act 1424 and although the law fell into disuse it was not repealed until 1906. There is evidence for schoolboys playing a "football" ball game in Aberdeen in 1633 (some references cite 1636) which is notable as an early allusion to what some have considered to be passing the ball. The word "pass" in the most recent translation
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