Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #10

I recently had occasion to visit Cambridge, England and while I was there, I was interested to learn a unique piece of football history. Apparently, the first known instance of codifying (or writing down) the rules of association football happened in Cambridge. In 1848, a group of Cambridge University students wrote out a set of 11 rules. They nailed these to the trees surrounding Parker’s Piece, a large grassy park in central Cambridge. Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I take a look at Rule 10: In no case is holding a player, pushing with the hands, or tripping up allowed. Any player may prevent another from getting to the ball by any means consistent with the above rules. What happens when we get fouled or cut off on the field? There is a referee (hopefully) and VAR to enforce the rules and to make sure that play is fair and that the contest is balanced. But in life? In faith? We can get tripped up. We can get triggered — and all of this without someone to adjudicate. Listen to today’s podcast to hear more about this Cambridge Rule of 1848 and a life lesson from it. From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer). Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd, in the Apple and Google store.