Sunday, 17 May 2009 is an important day in the history of the Melbourne Football Club. It marks 150 years since the first rules of the game and the Club were formulated, giving a solid framework to an evolving competition, and formalising the foundation of the Melbourne Football Club in 1858.
The first games of football as we know it, which would eventually evolve into a competition recognisable to those watching the game today, emerged after Tom Wills’ letter to Bell’s Life In Victoria, which appeared on 10 July 1858.
On 31 July, 1858, Bell’s Life carried the announcement that:
‘Mr Bryant, of the Parade hotel…will have a ball on the Melbourne cricket ground, or adjoining portion of Richmond Park, to-day, at one o’clock…’
This small quote alone highlights two important matters – first, that the MCG, far from being off limits in the earliest years, was considered to be a feasible venue for the game. Second, it shows that Bryant’s Parade Hotel was at the core of the game, as a centre for congregation of pioneering players.
On 7 August 1858, the first properly recorded match was played, between Scotch and Melbourne Grammar. As indicated by Wills’ letter, and as a matter of ongoing research, there were definitely earlier games – however, this match beginning on 7 August was certainly the best reported upon and most intensely publicised of the pioneering matches.
The Early Rules
Vital dates:
May 1859 and May 1860 - Melbourne Rules. These were the first efforts, undertaken by the Melbourne Football Club, to create rules to govern the newly emerging game. They had had some experience, thanks to the first games of 1858, of the changes and adaptations required to avoid violence and mayhem, making the game attractive to players and spectators alike. Melbourne, through its intertwining with the Melbourne Cricket Club, was effectively the governing body and parent of the game. New clubs took on the Melbourne Rules, with the only mild difference coming from the Pivotonians - Geelong - rendered slightly more independent by distance and the involvement of prominent players, including Tom Wills. Early on, for instance, Geelong allowed running with the ball.
1859
Rules of the Melbourne
Football Club
May, 1859
Committee
T W Wills Esq T Butterworth Esq
W Hammersley Esq - Smith Esq
Alex Bruce Esq
Hon Treasurer
J Sewell Esq
Hon Secretary
J B Thompson Esq
I. The distance between the Goals and the Goal Posts shall be decided upon by the Captains of the sides playing.
II. The Captains on each side shall toss for choice of Goal; the side losing the toss has the Kick off from the centre point between the Goals.
III. A Goal must be Kicked fairly between the posts, without touching either of them, or any portion of the person of one of the opposite side.
IV. The game shall be played within a space of not more than 200 yards wide, the same to be measured equally on each side of a line drawn through the centres of the two Goals; and two posts to be called the "Kick Off" posts shall be erected at a distance of 20 yards on each side of the Goal posts at both ends, and in a straight line with them.
V. In case the Ball is kicked behind Goal, any one of the side behind whose goal it is kicked may bring it 20 yards in front of any portion of the space between the "Kick off" posts, and shall kick it as nearly as possible in a line with the opposite Goal.
VI. Any player catching the ball directly from the foot may call "mark". He then has a free kick; no player from the opposite side being allowed to come inside the spot marked.
VII. Tripping and pushing are both allowed (but no hacking) when any player is in rapid motion or in possession of the Ball, except in the case provided for in Rule VI.
VIII. The Ball may be taken in hand only when caught from the foot, or on the hop. In no case shall it be lifted from the ground.
IX. When a Ball goes out of bounds (the same being indicated by a row of posts) it shall be brought back to the point where it crossed the boundary-line, and thrown in at right angles with that line.
X. The Ball, while in play, may under no circumstances be thrown.
The 1859 season began in May of that year, and Bell’s Life once again gives illustrative evidence of the place of the Parade Hotel, with an extract from the middle of the month stating that:
‘A preliminary meeting of gentlemen interested in the game was subsequently held at the Parade hotel with the object of forming a Football Club…’
The language of the day is perhaps deceptive. The tradition of the day was to disband and then gather again to start a new season. This has made the tracking of dates rather problematic, but the trend is evident worldwide in any number of sports of the day.
As pioneers, the gentlemen of the Melbourne Football Club were heavily involved in further rule changes over the first seasons, and these are outlined below:
1860
Melbourne: Rules of football
agreed to at a meeting of clubs held on
May 28th 1860
I. The distance between the Goals and the Goal posts shall be decided upon by the Captains of the sides Playing.
II. The Captains on each side shall toss for choice of goal: the side losing the toss has the kick-off from the centre point between the Goals.
III. A Goal must be kicked fairly between the posts without touching either of them, or any portion of the person of one of the opposite side. In case of the Ball being forced between the Goal Posts in a scrimmage, a Goal shall be awarded.
IV. The Game shall be played within a space of not more than 200 yards wide, the same to be measured equally on each side of a line drawn through the centres of the two Goals; and two posts, to be called the "Kick off" posts, shall be erected at a distance of 20 yards on each side of the Goal Posts at both ends, and in a straight line with them.
V. In case the Ball is kicked behind Goal, any one of the side behind whose Goal it is kicked may bring it 20 yards in front of any portion of the space between the "Kick off" posts, and shall kick it as nearly as possible in a line with the opposite Goal.
VI. Any Player catching the Ball directly from the foot may call "mark". He then has a free kick; no player from the opposite side being allowed to come inside the spot marked.
VII. Tripping, holding, and hacking are strictly prohibited. Pushing with the hands or body is allowed when any Player is in rapid motion, or in possession of the Ball, except in the case provided for in Rule VI.
VIII. The Ball may not be lifted from the ground under any circumstances, or taken in hand except as provided for in Rule VI (catch from the foot) or when on the first hop. It shall not be run with in any case.
IX. When a Ball goes out of bounds, (the same being indicated by a row of posts) it shall be brought back to the point where it Crossed the boundary-line, and thrown in at right angles with that line.
X. The Ball, while in Play, may under no circumstances be thrown.
XI. In case of deliberate infringement of any of the above Rules by either side, the Captain of the opposite side may claim that any one of his party may have a free kick from the place where the breach of Rules was made; the two Captains in all cases, save where Umpires are appointed, to be the sole judges of infringements.
The major features of the 1860 rules were that:
• The ban on tripping was endorsed. Hacking (kicking opponents in the leg with spiked boots) had also been outlawed from the game's beginnings
• Free kicks for infringements were introduced
• 'Goals forced from scrimmages allowed'
'Rule 8 of the MFC Rules, carrying the ball, was still a matter of controversy.' The impact of carrying the ball was exaggerated on Victoria's dryer grounds, as opposed to heavy English grounds. Sprinters carrying the ball had a freer run, which was more obvious in the better conditions.
The result was a rule that emphasised not handling the ball:
'…except after a catch or on the first hop (bounce) and a specific addition: 'it (the ball) shall not be run with in any case'. (Running With The Ball, p. 43, The Argus)
But the difficulty of deciding when the first bounce was caused dissent and disagreement, and the ball was allowed to be picked up on any bounce. This enouraged running with the ball.
The ball itself was changing shape, becoming oval in line with trends in English rugby. By 1862, both Melbourne and Geelong were using an oval ball.
Circa 1862/1863
Following controversy in matches between Melbourne and Geelong - for Geelong had their own rules, which enabled more running than did the Melbourne Rules brand of play - Melbourne, as the parent club and overall arbitrator of rule changes, agreed that the ball could be run with and bounced OCCASIONALLY.
Circa 1864/1865
The MFC met to discuss further changes in rules. But:
'The meeting agreed only that the losing side should kick off from the centre after a goal. Tom Wills' motion to have a bar across the goal posts eight feet from the ground as in Rugby was lost on the casting vote of the chairman, Bell's Life in Victoria, 13 May 1865' (Note 121, Running With The Ball, p. 169)
The distance between bounces was now the controversy, while running with the ball remained contentious. J.E. Clarke, in a Royal Park vs. Melbourne match, dared to 'overrun the orthodox 40 or 50 yards' to score a goal. With the MFC authorities actually playing, including HCA Harrison, an agreement was brought about by this incident that resolved that 'the ball should be bounced at least once in every ten yards…', Bell's Life in Victoria, 22 July 1865 (Note 122, Running With The Ball, p. 169)
Such changes were incorporated in the 1866 rules - the Victorian Football Rules, which incorporated minor details and only a couple of major changes from the original Melbourne Rules of 1859. Harrison effectively created the ten metre bouncing rule of the modern game with his drafting of the 1866 rules.
These rules were:
Victorian Rules, 1866
Drafted by delegates of the Carlton, Melbourne, Royal Park and South Yarra clubs at the Freemasons' Hotel, Melbourne, 8 May 1866.
1. The distance between the goals shall not be more than 200 yards; and the width of playing space, to be measured equally on each side of a line drawn through the centre of the goals, not more than 150 yards. The goal posts shall be seven yards apart, of unlimited height.
2. The captains on each side shall toss for choice of goal; the side losing the toss, or a goal, has a kick-off from the centre point between the goals. After a goal is kicked the sides shall change ends.
3. A goal must be kicked fairly between the posts without touching either of them, or any portion of the person of one of the opposite side. In case of the ball being forced (except with the hand or arms) between the goal posts in a scrummage, a goal shall be awarded.
4. Two posts, to be called the "kick-off" posts, shall be erected at a distance of 20 yards on each side of the goal posts, and in a straight line with them.
5. In case the ball is kicked behind goal, anyone of the side behind whose goal it is kicked may bring it 20 yards in front of any portion of the space between the "kick-off" posts, and shall kick it towards the opposite goal.
6. Any player catching the ball directly from the foot or leg may call "Mark"; he then has a free kick from any spot in a line with his mark and the centre of his opponents' goal posts; no player being allowed to come inside the spot marked, or within five yards in any other direction.
7. Tripping or hacking are strictly prohibited. Pushing with the hands or body is allowed when any player is in rapid motion. Holding is only allowed while a player has the ball in hand, except in the case provided in Rule 6.
8. The ball may be taken in hand at any time, but not carried further than is necessary for a kick, and no player shall run with the ball unless he strikes it against the ground in every five or six yards.
9. When a ball goes out of bounds (the same being indicated by a row of posts), it shall be brought back to the point where it crossed the boundary-line, and thrown in at right angles with that line.
10. The ball, while in play, may, under no circumstances, be thrown.
11. In case of deliberate infringement of any of the above rules the captain of the opposite side may claim that any one of his party may have a free-kick form the place where the breach of rule was made.
12. Before the commencement of a match each side shall appoint an umpire, and they shall be the sole judges of goals and breaches of rules. The nearest umpire shall be appealed to in every case of dispute.
1866
Controversy regarding the rules of the game, and violence in the game, continued throughout the 1860s and early 1870s, supplemented by the return of British regiment teams from the Maori wars to their stations in Melbourne in 1867-1869. They reintroduced some of the violence of Rugby which had previously been cut out. Further rule changes and adaptations were necessary.
1872
New rules:
• Changing ends at half-time
• Referring disputes to an umpire, instead of captains
• Decision made that goals should always be kicked rather than forced through.
1874
New rule:
• Any player, caught while running with the ball, had to drop it immediately, not handling it again before it was kicked, under penalty of a free kick. This apparently reduced the number of scrimmages.
By this time, enclosed grounds were steadily being introduced, with the oval grounds taking over from the original rectangular playing fields. The Victorian Football Association was founded in 1877 as the game's governing body, bringing with it further refinements and adaptations of the original rules. The first elements of professionalism were coming into the game, such as gate money, betting and even the first matches under lights.
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