ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

Football, is an outdoor game of considerable antiquity in former times, towns and villages were often matched against each other, the whole of the able-bodied inhabitants taking part in the struggle; to take the ball past its adversaries, the goals being often miles apart, and usually consisting of natural objects, such as a brook or river. When a goal was made, or at some other arranged interval, the parties changed ground for the next struggle, there were no definite rules regulating the numbers engaged, or the size of the ground. This game is still played once a year at Ashbourne and elsewhere.

The public schools each play games according to their own rules, such as the games at Winchester and Harrow. At Eton teams play the notoriously tough Field Game, a favourite game of both Prince William and his younger brother. Prince Harry, is also known to enjoy the mysterious and violent 150 year old Wall Game.

In 1863 a serious attempt was made to bring into one harmonious codes the laws that governed the varieties of the game. There were more than 2,500 clubs, within a radius of twelve miles from Charing Cross, the London Football Association formed and these played several or more games every Saturday.

The modern form of the game developed with players, on a large level piece of ground, generally oblong in shape, and having in the middle of either of the ends a goal formed by two upright posts 6 to 8 yards apart, with a bar or tape extended between them at the height of 8 or 10 feet from the ground. by the end of 1863 there was a split, a second form of the original game brought about Rugby Union. In both games the main object is for either party to drive the ball (which is kicked off in the centre of the field) through the goal that their opponents are guarding, and thus count a goal against them. The football Association game discourages rough play and relies mainly on the skillful maneuvering of the ball with the feet, it being forbidden to touch the ball with the hands; while by the Rugby rules the player may catch the ball in his hands, run with it, and kick it.

Soon these two games, were being played in practically every boy's school in the land. Since then the two governing bodies have each pursued their own course, and since then they have progressed at an astounding rate.

THE F.A. CUP

The earliest round of the F.A. Cup is played at the beginning of September, but it is confined to the amateur clubs and the minor professional clubs. The qualifying competition finishes in November, the several hundreds of clubs that set out with such high hopes early in the season having now been reduced to 26. These are drawn with the clubs from the two Sections of the Third Division of the Football League, and they play two rounds. These reduce the number to 17, and these 17, together with the clubs in higher Divisions of the League, are drawn together for the third round competition proper. There are 32 ties in this round, and a sufficient number of rounds is played to bring the number down to two, who compete in the final.

The Final Tie for this trophy is one of the great national sporting events of the year. It is usually played at the Wembley Stadium, and so keen is the desire of the public to witness it that applications for tickets for the match are generally four or five times more than the available accommodation. The tickets sold number between 93,000 and 94,000, when all the expenses incidental to the match and the hire of the ground have been paid, the remains are equally divided between the two clubs and the Football Association. The winners of the Cup do not receive more than the losers. Medals are presented to the 22 players, but those given to the winners are more valuable than those to the losers.

The Association Challenge Cup was offered for competition in 1871. There were 15 entries that year, and the Cup was won by the Wanderers, and since then the matches for the Association Cup have been amongst the most popular sporting events in the land.

From the time that professionalism was legalised in 1885, the game advanced in popular favour to an extraordinary extent. The first players were all amateurs, mainly old boys from the public schools, while the universities of Oxford and Cambridge met in an annual encounter, but now the popularity of the game had spread to all classes. In 1893 the Football Association considered that as the amateur clubs had no possible chance of winning the chief trophy, a separate one should be offered confined to clubs that did not employ professionals, and the best amateur players formed the Corinthians. This, and the various amateur leagues that have been formed, have kept the amateur side of the game well to the fore, and it is in a more flourishing condition than at any previous period of the game's history.

There are also Scottish, Irish and Welsh Associations, each of which offers a cup, as do many other local associations. The Football Association at 22 Lancaster Gate, London, W., is the controlling authority in England and acts in unison with the other associations in revising the rules.

THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE

In England there are thousands of small clubs, and during the playing season, from the last Saturday in August to the first Saturday in May inclusive, matches are played weekly. There are now many hundreds of Leagues in the country confined to amateur clubs, but the professional league system, is now the mainstay of the game.

In 1888 the league was formed, by a dozen clubs; it now consists of 88 clubs, all professional (the majority of professional clubs are limited companies). The Football League originally limited the wages of its clubs to £8 per week in the playing season and £6 per week in the close with bonuses for wins and draws in games and Cup ties.

The league system spread rapidly, and is known as one of the worlds greatest. The first, or original, league was divided into divisions with a system by which a club could rise from one to another. Each club in a division of the league must play two matches, in the season with every other club therein. Originally Two points ( now three ) were awarded for each win and one for each draw. At the end of the season the club with the largest number of points wins its particular division, and in the event of equality on points, goal average decides the question of precedence. There are now four divisions: each with approximately 22 clubs, The three clubs with the lowest number of points in each Division are relegated, and the clubs with the highest number of points in the lower Division promoted.

The great professional clubs such as Aston Villa. Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End, were members of the original league and their matches every Saturday attracted vast crowds. The championship of the premier league is as great an honour as the holding of the Association Cup.The four national associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland occasionally played international matches, against each other.

WORLDWIDE

Soccer caught the imagination of the world, and is now played in more than 50 countries. The game is now even an event at the Olympic Games were professionals players are barred. The Footballing countries have united for their mutual interests by means of an international football federation, (F.I.F.A.) it meets to make important decisions which have had an impact in all parts of the world. The laws of the game are made by an International Board consisting of representatives from the Footballing countries. A change cannot be made in the laws unless the majority of those present at the meeting vote in its favour.

RULES

The game is controlled by a referee and two linesmen, the first-named being the chief official, and on his decisions on all questions of fact are final. Before referees are permitted to act in any competition match they must satisfy the authorities that they have a practical and working knowledge of the laws. The referee has extensive powers.

He may send any player off the field for misconduct; he must keep the time; he may suspend or terminate the game when - by reason of darkness or interference by the spectators or other cause - he may deem necessary; and generally be is responsible for seeing that the game is played strictly according to the laws governing it.

The Association game is played with a round ball with a circumference of not less than 27-inches, and not more than 28-inches. The outer casing is of leather.

Played by eleven players on each side, these are a goalkeeper, two backs, three half-backs and five forwards.

The dimensions of the field of play are a maximum length of 130 yards and a minimum of 100 yards and the maximum breadth is 100 yards and minimum 50 yards. The usual size of a pitch varies from 110 to 117 yards in length. and 70 to 75 yards in breadth.

Each game lasts 90 minutes, and at half time the teams change ends. A goal is scored when the ball has passed between the goal posts and under the bar, provided it has not been thrown, knocked on. nor carried by any player of the attacking side. Each match is decided by the number of goals scored, in the event of no goals being scored, or each side scoring a similar number, the game is drawn.

When the ball passes out of play at the side it is thrown in by a member of the side opposite to that which played it out, but when it passes out at either end of the field a goal kick is taken by the defending side; or if one of the latter has sent it behind, a member of the attacking side kicks the ball from within one yard of the nearest corner flag-staff. Except for the throw-in, the goal-keeper is the only player who may use his hands, and he must not do so outside his own penalty area, but if he takes more than four steps while holding the ball he has a free kick given against him.

One of the most puzzling laws is that relating to off-side, and yet it is very simple A player is off-side if, when the ball played by a member of his own side, he is not behind the ball or has not at least two opponents nearer their own goal line than himself A player need not play the to be off-side; it is sufficient for an infringement of the law if he interferes with the play or with an opponent. A player cannot be off-side if he were in his own half of the field when the ball was last played.

It is against the laws to trip, kick, strike, jump at a player, handle the ball except under the conditions mentioned above, push an opponent, hold an opponent, or charge an opponent violently. For either of these offences committed outside the penalty area, a free kick is given, and from this a goal may be scored direct by the kicker. If the offences enumerated take place in the penalty area a free kick is taken from the penalty which is twelve yards from the centre of the defenders goal. All players except the taker of the kick and the goal-keeper, must be outside the penalty area when the kick is taken. A goal may be scored direct, but if the ball hits the bar or an upright and rebounds into play, the kicker must not play the ball again until it has been played by another player.

There are now other various styles of playing the game, of football in many different countries but the two most important are the Rugby game and the Football Association game.