Today's Tidbit... 1876 IFA Rule #54: Charging

This is #54 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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Until at least the 1960s, most technical football books -those written for fellow coaches- concerned offensive football, and coaching books that covered both devoted the lion's share of thought and space to the offensive side of the ball. From a coaching standpoint, defensive football focused on individual techniques and alignments. You coached up your players, literally put them in a position to succeed, and let them react to whatever the offense did. Times have changed. Defenses today are more strategic, and players have specific rules and assignments not dreamed of 50 years ago.

The football rules of 1876 are similar to the old coaching books in that the overwhelming majority of the 61 rules address the team possessing the ball. (To verify, scan through the 53 rules covered to date listed at the bottom of the page.)

With that perspective, Rule 54 is interesting because it primarily addresses team players who do not possess the ball. However, it also tosses in a few comments about the offensive side. The rule covers charging or rushing toward the ball by the defensive team.

Amazingly, the rule has only two sentences, though the first one runs longer than Wyllys Terry's 115-yard touchdown run of 1884.

Rule 54: Charging, i.e. rushing forward to kick the ball or tackle a player, is lawful for the opposite side of the ball in all cases of a place kick after a fair catch, or upon a try at goal immediately the ball touches the ground or is placed on the ground; and in cases of drop kick or punt after a fair catch, as soon as the player having the ball commences to run or offers to kick, or the ball has touched the ground; but he may always draw back, and unless he has dropped the ball or actually touched it with his foot, they must retire again to his mark (see Rule 56). The opposite side in case of a punt-out or punt-in, and the kicker's side in all cases, may not charge until the ball has been kicked.