Evening star., 1924-11-18

S'oSShANiLh oy - oHA' "a W.
Foot ball as an organized grou
Sparta, $500 years ago, and, therei
The Spartans played their game
upon a rectangular field, marked by
side lines, goal line and a center line.
The game was opened by a long for
ward pass, whence, after the Greek
word meaning to hurl forward, the
game was called harpaston. Play was
regulated by a system of rules, the
main object of which was TO drive
tho ball by kicking, passing or carry
ing across the adversary goal line.
Romans Modify Game.
The Romans adopted this game
from the Spartans, and, with some
improvements, played it under the
name of follis, BY the Roman legions
the sport was carried into England,
where it has hourished for 1000
Years. Down the centuries until
1Sz2, however, the ball in the English
G4mes almost invariably was kicked,
never carried.
Although the game was played in
the secondary schools of England
from earliest times, interscholastio
games were not arranged ul4t.I Iooj.
Among famous men who also were
famous foot ball players in their
school days were John Dryden, N
1916; Matthew Pryor. in iGSo. and Jo-
seph Addison, in 1854, all at West
minister.
An exclusively kicking game exist
cd at Rugby School almost from its
foundation. Here in 1923 in the heat
or a school game a young Rugbeian
by the name of William Webb Ellis
committed a fragrant foul by picking
up the ball and running with il. This
foul was censured for a time, but
eventually prompted the basic change
IN the Rugby rules and finally won
immortality for William Webb Ellis
rs the originator of the distinctive
eature in the rugby game"
FROM that Fall the kicking and the
carrying games Of foot ball fiourished
throughout England among on-scholas-
tic teams. On the first day of Decem-
ber, 1868, the foot bah teams In the
vicinity of London assembled and FORM
ei IN association known as the London
Foot Rail- Association. In the rules
adopted on that day carrying the ball
was prohibited, hence that type OF game
from that day to this has been called
association" after the London Foot
3HI Association. The name soccer" is
rcrely a humorous derivative from the
.rrG association.
Iru.ing that memorable Autumn OF
- tWo English schools, Charterhouse
q Westminster met in the first in
scholastic game ever played, West
.lster winning by goals to 0.
Game Mt Rutgers In fsGs.
arng the late Cos modified type
soccer was being played at Prince
and at Rutgers, two neighbors but
20 this time no intercollegiate con-
either In England or America had
:. attempted. The foot ball leader at
ECeton in that period was William
.nlnere, recently chief Justice of New
sey. The foot ball leader at Rutgers
S William ]. beggett, now high in
councils of the Reformed Church, of
hich he is Il pastor.
These two men conceived the idea of
All intercollegiate game between Prince
ton and Rutgers. This game they ar
ranged. II was played at New Bruns-
wick November 6, 1869. Rutgers win
ming by 8 goals to 4. This contest was
the first intercollegiate game of foot
ball either in England or America. No
venber 13 in this same year Princeton
ard Rutgers again met. this time at
Princeton, the latter winning, S goals
10 0.
In 1870 only three intercollegiate
aames were played. Their data is as
'ulows.
Princeton, g; Rutgers, 0; at Prince
on, November 10.
Columbia, S: Rutgers, 6: at New
brunswick, November l..
Princeton, g; Rutgers, ,: at Prince
ION, November %.
The following year. 1871, no intercol-
icgiate games were played.
On January %. 1871, occurred in
England an event destined to work
Il great effect on foot ball in inter-
collegiate America. This was the
assembling Of the Rugby teams of
London, the organization by them of
pol ~ he
drafting Of an advanced and uniform
code of rules
In 1872, intercollegiate contests
again appeared in America. Prince
ton challenged Columbia. Rutgers and
ale. Columbia and Yale declined
Rutgers accepted and was beaten,
while Yale arranged a game with Co
lumbia, the Blues first battle, played
at New Haven November 16, 1872,
Yale winning by goals to Colum-
bias O.
In october Of the ensuing year.
1878. Princeton, Rutgers and Yale
met and drafted a code Of rules fol-
lowing the association system. I'm
GER these rules. in the city of New
Haven, November Is. 1873, Prince
ton met and defeated Yale. goals
70 0.
Harvard Starts Rugby Game.
In 1874 Harvard made its initial
bow as foot ball power. playing a
tie game with McGill University at
Cambridge. This game Is especially
historic because it was played under
Rugby rules and led to the eventual
adoption Of the Rugby code.
In the next year. 1875, Harvard
met and defeated Yale at New IIa-
ven November 13, under moditica-
ton of the Rugby rules, known at
the time as the ''concessionary rules"
Princeton in the Spring of 1875
took the lead in calling convention
of Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and
Yale to form an association and
adopt a code and schedule of inter-
collegiate games. This convention
ultimately was held in the old Mas
Sasoit House at Springfield Novem-
her 23. 1876. In that convention the
Rugby Union rules were adopted and
the American Intercollegiate Foot Ball
Association formed.
Thus loot ball was now estab-
Eshed in America. for those Rugby
rules with the many changes from
1876 to date comprise the present in-
tcrcollegiate game. The foregoing
also is an accurate statement of the
first games" of the pioneers in the
establishment of intercollegiate foot
iall in America.