Today's Tidbit… IFA Rule #27 Knocking On

This is #27 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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We kept last week’s review of Rule 26 short to avoid stepping on Rule 27’s toes. As you will recall, Rule 26 told us it was legal to toss the ball backward, including passing it to a teammate. Conversely, Rule 27 says knocking on or throwing a ball forward is illegal.

Rule 27: Knocking on, i.e., deliberately hitting the ball with the hand, and throwing it forward, i.e., throwing the ball in the direction of the (sic) opponents’ goal-line, are not lawful. If the ball be knocked on or thrown forward, the captain of the opposite side may (unless a fair catch has been made as provided by the next rule) require to have it brought back to the spot where it was knocked down or thrown forward and there put it down.