The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-11-26

Association football. or. as the Eng
lish schoolboys call it, socker. is be-
coming popular in the American col
lege world, there already having been
formed a strong intercollegiate assOcla-
ton foot Nall league among the eastern
colleges, Harvard. Pennsylvania, Co
lumbia and HaVerford having arranged
a spring schedule. IN view OF the in-
terest shown in the game at the Chi
cago and Northwestern universities
league may be formed among the west
ern schools. as q result no doubt Of the
timely visit of the English Pilgrim
team, which undoubtedly has planted
the game more firmly in America. The
object of the Pilgrims visit was TO in
troduce a fast, clean and wholesome
game of football, in which roughness
and brutality have no part. the game
being OF an open character. easy tc
follow. and i'm which all can take part
as agility, cleverness and speed are
more essential than q forty-tour-lncb
waist.
Football undoubtedly is one of the
oldest of English sports and was popu-
lar as early as the fourteenth century
although we have no description of thf
game as then played. 1t was during
the reign of Edward III that the game
was forbidden, owing to its popularity
being injurious to archery, then the ma
tional sport But football in the Olden
time differed much from the game now
in vogue. Then town was matched
against town, village against village
and all the able-bodied inhabitants Of
the rival places took part in the con-
test. The goals often were miles apar'
and generally consisted of natural OBJ
jects, such as trees or village greens
the game as may be expected. being
of a rough and tumble character. with
little science or skill in it. the ball being
kicked or corried at will by the play
ers in their endeavOrs to lodge it in
the desired goal.
Even at this late date il is the Gus
tom in north Of England villages TO
hold a contest on ShroVe Tuesday,
when the men of one village vii try to
kick the ball to the other village green
before shutdown, after which the night
is devoted to pleasure before the in
coming of Lent.
The game is played on a field which
should be 40 yards long and 50 yards
wide, although 110x60 makes quite a
nice ground. The goals are placed in
the center of the end lines, just the
same as in Rugby. excepting that the
/ ball must go under the bar instead al
over The goal posts are tWenty-fOuT
feet apart, with bar across them eight
feet above the field. The corners OF the
ground must be marked by flags at
least five feet high. The ball to be
played with must be perfectly round
and measure, at the commencement Of
! the game not less than twenty-seven
inches in circumference and not more
than tWenty-eight, While il must weigh
not less than thirteen ounces and moi
more than fifteen.
The game is played by two sides of
/ eleven men on each. the time PLAYED
usually being two halves of forty-five
minutes each, with an interval of five
/ minutes. The eleven players upon each
I side arc as follows: One soalkeeper,
! two fullbacks. three halfbacks and five
/ forwards. the goalkeeper being the only
man allowed TO touch the ball with his
| hands.
| To commence the game the ball is
( placed in the center of the field for the
kickoff, which can be taken by the cen
| ter forward of the team that wins the
| toss. The other four forwards, who
are known as the right and left wings
| inside and outside forwards. line up "a
| the center line, the two inside wing
|
center forward. each one being ready
to receive the ball.
The opposing side Is not allowed "a
1 approach nearer TO the ball than the
| edge of the circle. which is ten yards
| until it is in play, this being the reason
| Of having a circle with radius OF ten
| yards. The player kicking off the bal
/ is not allowed to step in front of il
until it is in play.
! The five forwards are for attack only
! the two outside wing forwards always
! being in advance Of the inside wing
! players. who are in turn slightly in adj
vance of the center forward, he beins
the pivot Of the attacking line and thf
! connecting link between the two wings
| The center must he a sure kicker and {
| good header OF the ball. as he Is tbs
one most depended upon To shoot the
ball through his opponents goal. Th'
two outside wing PLAYERS must be fas
| runners and good dribblers. as the bes
of plays are the ones in which the cen
',ter forward has passed the bali aheaS
! by his opponents 10 his left inside play
er. who in turn transfers the ball acros
To the inside right, he in turn passini
if behind the opposing left halfba OK
where his outside right forward quickl.
dribbles il near the goal line and he
hlI-l the fuIlbacks. from where b