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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 (or, what we Yanks call soccer) 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 4, which states:

The ball is out when it has passed the line of the flag-posts on either side of the ground, in which case it shall be thrown in straight.

Rule #4 is is where we begin to mark out the boundaries for the game. Boundary lines are good — not only in the Beautiful Game, but in life. Sometimes we struggle when constraints are placed on us, we don’t like rules, but this Cambridge Rule of 1848 sets out solid lines which help the game. God has given us some solid rules for life — for our preservation and protection

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.