Interesting Facts about Football

In the early days of football, a team consisted of a goalkeeper, one full-back, one half-back, and eight forwards who dribbled the ball all over the field. Passing, as we know it today, had not been thought of. Slowly, the forwards began to realize that progress could be made quicker by passing the ball into more open spaces. One forward after another was then withdrawn to strengthen the defense. By 1883, the formation of a goalkeeper, two or sometimes three backs, two or three half-backs, and five forwards had been adopted, and it had been in practice for a long time.

The modern formation of a goalkeeper, four backs, two half-backs, and four forwards has been in practice since 1958.

Football today looks very different from the game as played in the 1880s. In those days, the goalkeeper’s job was particularly difficult. It was considered a good plan for a player to lob the ball towards the goal while two or three forwards rushed the goalkeeper and tried to stop him from reaching the ball.

Originally, the goal consisted of two uprights. Then tapes were used to join the uprights eight feet above the ground, and finally wooden cross-bars were adopted. This improvement, together with the introduction of goal-nets, stopped many arguments over doubtful cases and made the referee’s task much easier.

At the end of the 19th century, the referee was allowed to award a penalty kick for serious infringements within 12 yards of the goal line. In 1881, when a player prevented a goal by handling the ball, referees were given the power (for only one season) to award a goal in such cases.

The football match held every year on Shrove Tuesday at Ashbourne is probably the oldest game of football in England. Some believe that the Shrove Tuesday match has been played since the days of the Romans. The game starts in the center of the town, and the distance between the two goals is two miles. Most shopkeepers close their shops while the game is played because the players move through the narrow streets.

There had been no rules for players in this match, but in 1956 one rule was introduced: cars, lorries, and motorcycles are not allowed in the game.

In 1958, during the match, one team dug a hole and buried the ball. The players ran out of town to the fields. The other team did not know that the ball was buried and ran after them. Four hours later, the first team returned, took the ball out of the hole, and scored the winning goal.