Today's Tidbit... 1876 IFA Rule #49: Puntout Spot

This is #49 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 49 is another instance in which rugby and football rule makers seemed to list the rules randomly at times. Rule 29 described the puntout by indicating that it occurred from behind the goal line, with the ball being kicked to a player on the playing field. It did not tell us where along or behind the goal line the puntout should occur or what the defensive team was permitted to do during a puntout. Between Rule 29 and 49, there were a few rules related to the puntout, so when I covered Rule 29, I described the entire puntout process, including the portion covered in Rule 49.

Rule 49: If the try at goal be by a punt-out (see Rule 29) a player of the side which has touched the ball down shall bring it straight up to the goal-line opposite to the spot where it was touched down, and there make a mark on the goal-line, and then punt out from the touch-in-goal if necessary, or from any part behind the goal-line not nearer to the goal-post than such mark, beyond which it is not lawful for the opposite side (who must keep behind their goal-line) to pass until the ball has been kicked. (See Rules 54 and 55.)