Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 | Soccer Chaplains United

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #11

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:36 — 12.1MB)

Last summer, I was blessed to visit Cambridge, England for a Sports and Christianity Conference. 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 look at the final rule, Rule 11:

Every match shall be decided by a majority of goals.

Our final life and faith lesson from these Cambridge rules will take a look at what this means for a person of faith. Is the world adage true, the one who dies withe most toys wins? Or, is life about more and something different. 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.

January 11, 2023

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #10

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:39 — 14.0MB)

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.

November 9, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #9

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:30 — 13.7MB)

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 9:

If the ball has passed a player, and has come from the direction of his own goal, he may not touch it till the other side have kicked it, unless there are more than three of the other side before him. No player is allowed to loiter between the ball and the adversaries’ goal.

Whew! That’s a mouthful of a rule! Rule #9 — this is one of the more unique and hard to understand rules (I think). Essentially we get our offsides rule (in the modern game) from this Cambridge Rule. The life lesson? I talk about positioning. Listen to learn more.

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.

November 2, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #8

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:37 — 14.0MB)

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 8:

When a player catches the ball directly from the foot, he may kick it as he can without running with it. In no other case may the ball be touched with the hands, except to stop it.

Rule #8 — this one’s a little bit more difficult to understand when you think about the modern game. There is no touching of the ball with the hands except for the goalkeeper and except within a certain area of the field. In today’s podcast though, I talk about why this rule might be there and what it represents from the aspect of having to compromise. You’ll have to listen to learn more.

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.

October 26, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #7

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:43 — 14.1MB)

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 7:

Goal is when the ball is kicked through the flag-posts and under the string.

Rule #7 — we finally get to the good part: goals! Goals are about finishing; goals are about getting past the line in the determined area — and not only in football, but in faith and in life. Sometimes its hard because we cannot see the outline of where we need to be or where we need to go as clear as the goalmouth on the other end of the pitch. I look more at the similarities and this week’s Rule of 1848 on the podcast.

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.

October 19, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #6

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:12 — 15.0MB)

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 6:

When the ball is behind it shall be brought forward at the place where it left the ground, not more than ten paces, and kicked off.

Rule #6 carries with it a pathway towards restoration. When the ball goes out of play, there is a way to kick it back in to restart play. In life, we need pathways and processes toward restoration and I believe that this Cambridge Rule of 1848 does well in illustrating this for us. For example, to bring the ball back in where it went out or to give some relief from the boundary line — these are all helpful ways of getting back where we need to be. This helps us when things get “behind” the goal, as it were. Listen as I extrapolate this more in today’s podcast.

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.

October 12, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #5

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:55 — 10.8MB)

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 5:

The ball is behind when it has passed the goal on either side of it.

Rule #5 sets out another boundary line for the game. Last week, we talked about the value of boundary lines in soccer and in life. This week, we look at some distinctions that occur in God’s commands for us that are similar to the differences between the touchlines and end lines of the Beautiful Game. Specifically, in the 10 Commandments, we see that there are commands that have to do with our relationship specifically with God and commands that have to do specifically with our relationship with others.

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.

October 5, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #4

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:07 — 11.2MB)

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.

September 28, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #3

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:11 — 13.2MB)

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, what is today a large grassy park in the heart of central Cambridge.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I take a look at Rule 3, which states:

After a goal, the losing side shall kick off; the sides changing goals, unless a previous arrangement be made to the contrary.

At the heart of rule #3 is a sense of fairness to the game. Even when two teams may not be equal (in skill, strength, or some other tangible way), there is a degree in which the rule is designed to give a losing team a chance. Today, I reflect on this Cambridge Rule of 1848 and look at some commands of God in scripture which help give advantage to those who are disadvantaged.

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.

September 21, 2022

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #2

From The Touchline

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:45 — 10.5MB)

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, what is today a large grassy park in the heart of central Cambridge.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I take a look at Rule 2, which states:

At the commencement of the play, the ball shall be kicked off from the middle of the ground:

after every goal there shall be a kick-off in the same way.

The start and restarts of the game take place in a particular and appointed place. Could the same be true of life? Whether you go through an injury or after a season, are there reset points where we can “begin again?” Today, I reflect on this Cambridge Rule of 1848 and a reference points where Jesus would get to a “middle ground” to pray, refocus, regroup, and rest.

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.

September 14, 2022

Posts

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #11

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #10

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #9

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #8

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #7

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #6

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #5

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #4

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #3

Cambridge Rules of Football 1848 — Rule #2

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