User:Grover cleveland/History of the laws of the game/1881

Source
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000355/18810219/099/0009 (date)

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/18810226/064/0003 (Sporting Life)

Adopted
February General Meeting of the Football Association, Freemasons' Tavern, 1881-02-25

NOTE: the FA had adopted a practice of having two meetings; one in February for rules and one in the autumn for election of officers.

Changes from 1880 Laws
a referee shall be appointed whose duties will be to decide in all cases of dispute between the umpires; he shall also keep a record of the game, and act as timekeeper, and in the event of ungentlemanly behaviour on the part of any of the contestants, the offender or offenders shall in the presence of the umpires be cautioned, and in the case of violent conduct the referee shall have power to rule the offending player out of play, and to order the offending person or persons off the ground, transmit the name or names to the committee of the Association, under whose rules the game was played, and in whom shall be solely vested the right of accepting an apology."
 * ADD NEW RULE (15?): "By mutual agreement of the competing clubs in matches,
 * RULE 10: ADD "or on his shin guards".

Rejected proposed changes
None

LAW 1
That the limits of the ground be, maximum length 200 yards, minimum length 100 yards, maximum breadth 100 yards, minimum breadth 50 yards. The length and breadth shall be marked off with flags, and the goals shall be upright posts, eight yards apart, with a tape or bar across them, eight feet from the ground.

LAW 2
The winners of the toss shall have the option of kick-off or choice of goals. The game shall be commenced by a place-kick from the centre of the ground; the other side shall not approach within ten yards of the ball until it is kicked off. nor shall any player on either side pass the centre of the ground in the direction of his opponents' goal until the ball is kicked off.

LAW 3
Ends shall only be changed at half time. After a goal is won the losing side shall kick off, but after the change of ends at half time the ball shall be kicked off by the opposite side from that which originally did so; and always as provided in Rule 2.

LAW 4
A goal shall be won when the ball passes between the goal posts under the tape or bar, not being thrown, knocked on, or carried. The ball hitting the goal, or boundary posts, or goal-bar, or tape, and rebounding into play is considered in play, and not as having passed behind the goal line.

LAW 5
When the ball is in touch, a player of the opposite side to that which has kicked it out shall throw it from the point on the boundary line where it left the ground, in a direction at right angles with the boundary line, at least six yards, and it shall not be in play until it shall have touched the ground, and the player throwing it in shall not play it until it has been played by another player.

LAW 6
When a player kicks the ball, or it is thrown out from touch, any one of the same side who, at such moment of kicking or throwing, is nearer to the opponents' goal-line is out of play, and may not touch the ball himself, nor in any way whatever prevent any other player from doing so, until the ball has been played; unless there are at least three of his opponents between him and their own goal; but no player is out of play when the ball is kicked from behind the goal line.

LAW 7
When the ball is kicked behind the goal-line by one of the opposite side, it shall be kicked off by any one of the players behind whose goal-line it went, within six yards of the nearest goal-post; but if kicked behind by any one of the side whose goal-line it is, a player of the opposite side shall kick it from the nearest corner flag-post. In either case no other player shall be allowed within six yards of the ball until kicked off.

LAW 8
No player shall carry or knock on the ball; and handling the ball, under any pretence whatever, shall be prohibited, except in the case of the goal-keeper, who shall be allowed to use his hands in defence of his goal, either by knocking on or throwing, but shall not carry the ball. The goal-keeper may be changed during the game, but not more than one player shall act as goal-keeper at the same time, and no second player shall step in and act during any period in which the regular goal-keeper may have vacated his position.

LAW 9
Neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed, and no player shall use his hands to hold or push his adversary, nor charge him from behind. A player with his back towards his opponents' goal cannot claim the privilege of Rule 9 when charged behind.

LAW 10
No player shall wear any nails excepting such as have their heads driven in flush with the leather, iron plates, or gutta-percha, on the soles or heels of his boots, or on his shin guards.

LAW 11
In the event of any infringement of Rules VI, VIII, IX, or XIV, a free kick shall be forfeited to the opposite side from the spot where the infringement took place.

LAW 12
In no case shall a goal be scored from any free kick, nor shall the ball be again played by the kicker until it has been played by another player. The kick-off and corner-flag kick shall be free kicks within the meaning of this rule.

LAW 13
That in the event of a supposed infringement of Rules 6, 8, 9, 10, or 14, the ball shall be in play until the decision of the umpire, on his being appealed to, shall have been given.

LAW 14
No player shall charge his opponent by leaping upon him.

LAW 15
By mutual agreement of the competing clubs in matches, a referee shall be appointed whose duties will be to decide in all cases of dispute between the umpires; he shall also keep a record of the game, and act as timekeeper, and in the event of ungentlemanly behaviour on the part of any of the contestants, the offender or offenders shall in the presence of the umpires be cautioned, and in the case of violent conduct the referee shall have power to rule the offending player out of play, and to order the offending person or persons off the ground, transmit the name or names to the committee of the Association, under whose rules the game was played, and in whom shall be solely vested the right of accepting an apology.