Today's Tidbit... 1876 IFA Rule #37: Kickoff Timing

This is #37 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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Rule 36 told us kickoffs occur from the center line, cannot count as goals, and the opposing team must stand at least ten yards back from the ball. Rule 37 tells us when kickoffs should occur.

Rule 37: The ball shall be kicked off (i) at the commencement of the game (ii) after a goal has been obtained.

By 1881, the rulemakers recognized they had omitted how to start the second half. Totten's Laws of Athletics and General Rules (1881) indicates that the IFA's Rule 37 reads as follows:

Rule 37. The ball shall be kicked off: i. At the commencement of the game, ii. After a goal has been obtained, iii. After change of goals at half-time.

Likewise, the 1883 IFA rule book includes Rule 25, which reads: