Today’s Tidbit… 1876 IFA Rule #19: Maul In

This is #19 in a series covering football’s original 61 rules adopted by the Intercollegiate Football Association in 1876. We review one rule each Friday.

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Rules 19 and 20 concern maul-ins, which largely left the game in 1885, while some elements remained until 1910. Some aspects of maul-ins returned to football in recent years and were on full display in Super Bowl LVII (the one played in 2023 since few remember the Roman numerals).

Rule 19 defines maul-ins and their two potential outcomes, while Rule 20 covers which players may participate in a maul-in.

Rule 19: A maul-in goal is when the holder of the ball is tackled inside the goal-line, or, being tackled immediately outside, is carried and pushed across it, and he, or the opposite side, or both, endeavor to touch the ball down. In all cases when so touched down, the ball shall belong to the side of the players of the side who first had possession of it before the maul commenced, unless the opposite side have gained complete possession of it.

Critical to understanding Rule 19 is recognizing that "tackled" refers to the process of tackling, not its outcome. A ball carrier is tackled when grabbed by an opponent. "Tackled" was not equal to “down” in 1876, despite our intermixing the two today.