Football rules from childhood games

[Hibernia&Alba]

Mind when you were a kid, 'playing oot' with pals and you'd be having twenty-a-side on the local park or in the street. What were the improvised rules you used? Remember these....

Fly goalie - keeper could also be an outfield player and was allowed to join in attacks.

Any man goalie - Any player could save a shot with their hands, but it was still handball if it wasn't a shot on goal.

Next goal wins - Losing 12-3 and need to go home for your dinner? Nae bother, shout 'next goal wins' and the score returns to 0-0 regardless of score. This has to be agreed by both teams.

Nae affside - this means both teams could employ the 'goal hanger', who was available for the long ball. Etiquette dictated that only one goal hanger per team was permissible. More than one was 'cheatin'.

Penalty spot was 'ten steps' from the goal. Pacing out the steps was controversial; they had to be ordinary walking steps and not huge strides. Dispute of the steps required a re-count with everyone counting out loud to ensure the ten were correctly prescribed.


Any other rules you had?

[HoboHarry]

Aye, nae girls allowed.....

[Hibernia&Alba]

A couple more I've just remembered:

Pays and claims on the ball - if a player managed to lose the ball e.g. kick it somewhere from whence it couldn't be recovered, he would have to reimburse the owner for the cost of the ball. Only valid if the owner made it clear before the game began that 'pays and claims' were in effect. They could not be invoked after the event. If a ball was lost without pays and claims, the offender was under no contractual obligation to pay, but, as a matter of gentlemanly conduct, would be expected to offer a contribution to a replacement - usually half the cost. Refusal to contribute was considered bad form and may result in not being invited to play again. 'He cannae be trusted; he's sleekit'.

Rules on new players entering the game - any new player wishing to join in must be agreed by both teams. Further additions were done in alternate fashion, to ensure 'even sides'. You always hoped the next laddie to come along was a 'gid yin'.

Rules on girls joining the game - this was a very touchy subject. As a general rule girls were not allowed to participate. However, there were one or two exceptions: girls who were known to like playing football may be permitted to play, provided she was agreed by both teams to be good enough. If she was deemed to be of equal ability to an average male player, she could play, but only in the position agreed by her team-mates. Numbers were strictly limited to one or two per team; any more and the girls would have to start their own game.

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Aye, nae girls allowed.....

Addressed above, Harry. A very delicate issue

[Hibernia&Alba]

Age restrictions - no lower age limit if deemed good enough to play, but an upper limit of around two years older than the kids in your class. Anything more than that was considered an unfair advantage and you would then be required to find a new game. Being considered of age to play was one of the great rights of passage; a bit like being 'made' in the Mafia. A proud day which you broadcast to as many people as possible.

'Being' a professional player - taking the name of a famous player in the game was permissible but, if from a Scottish club, he could only be from the team you supported e.g. Hibs fans could only play as a Hibs player e.g. Archibald etc. A Hibs fan couldn't be McStay or McCoist. If the player was from a non-Scottish team, you could be anyone e.g. Dalglish or Maradona. Arguments about who was going to be who were very common.

[MyJo]

The height of the goal is roughly equivalent to the height of the goalie and a shot that the goalie couldn't reach above his head was "over"

When teams where uneven the larger team had to have a permanent goalie while the other team played any man in.

When playing any man in the "keeper" had to declare "I'm in" when taking his position in the goals. Saving the ball without declaring "I'm in" was severely frowned upon.

[Hibernia&Alba]

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The height of the goal is roughly equivalent to the height of the goalie and a shot that the goalie couldn't reach above his head was "over"

When teams where uneven the larger team had to have a permanent goalie while the other team played any man in.

When playing any man in the "keeper" had to declare "I'm in" when taking his position in the goals. Saving the ball without declaring "I'm in" was severely frowned upon.

I didn't mention under any man goalie. Handling the ball without being 'in' meant a penalty.

[BH Hibs]

Goal or a penalty rule. Used to solve an argument whether the ball was in or not.

[offshorehibby]

I'm sure we had a 2 corners a penalty rule o x amount of corners a penalty.

[Peevemor]

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I'm sure we had a 2 corners a penalty rule o x amount of corners a penalty.

That was only when playing headers & volleys.

[johnbc70]

When playing English teams it was always Man Utd V Liverpool.

[Just Jimmy]

makers, takers.

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[yonder1875]

Hitters, gitters. Also, poachin' pens.

[sleeping giant]

Heiders by dinnae count.

[Green Man]

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Goal or a penalty rule. Used to solve an argument whether the ball was in or not.

I’d totally forgotten about that, it was much better than goal line technology

[Mixu62]

When using jumpers or jackets for goalposts it was agreed early whether a shot that hit the "post" was in or out.

Playing "3 and in" where you only had a few players so only used one set of goals. Whoever scored 3 first went in goals. Poaching not allowed. If you got a deflected shot at your feet on the goal line you had to take the ball back out and try to beat everyone again.

[Hiber-nation]

"World Cup". A game where each player was designated a different team in the World Cup, usually based on age (oldest got Brazil, youngest got El Salvador), you had 1 set of goals and the goalie would boot the ball as far as he could and all the other players would compete to score. Magic

[-Jonesy-]

None of yous did a "post rebound"?

If the ball went over the pile of jackets the keeper had to take the ball, stand at the post facing away from the pitch and throw it backwards over his head.

[Ozyhibby]

https://www.brookmyre.co.uk/extras/s...ound-football/



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[Bristolhibby]

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"World Cup". A game where each player was designated a different team in the World Cup, usually based on age (oldest got Brazil, youngest got El Salvador), you had 1 set of goals and the goalie would boot the ball as far as he could and all the other players would compete to score. Magic

Or as it’s called down South “Wembley”.

We used to play on a sloping field, when the ball was booted miles down the hill, the person to retrieve said ball was decided by “last to sit down”.

Awkward situations ensued when two or more players sat at the same time and nobody would go collect the ball. This often resulted in the whole game being suspended as both teams sat on the floor.

J

[snooky]

Pairs of late comers were chosen by "cock or hen" or "pug or engine".

We played Comby. 3 or 4 outfield players against the goalie. Shots hit by were counted as a goal for the keeper. Only headed goals counted in the pen. box. Shots had to be from outside the pen. box. Everybody changed round one after 6 goals. I've heard this game called by other names but can't remember them.

[jgl07]

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When playing English teams it was always Man Utd V Liverpool.

Yes I am sure that those in England similarly used Rangers and Celtic as Scottish teams.

[Firestarter]

Nae toe pokes.

[CropleyWasGod]

8 half time, 15 the winner.

[greenlex]

10 half time 21 the winners
Obviously had longer games than CWG

[Ozyhibby]

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10 half time 21 the winners
Obviously had longer games than CWG

Or worse defenders.


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[SonOfDavidFrancey]

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https://www.brookmyre.co.uk/extras/s...ound-football/



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I went looking for this article as soon as I saw the thread. The link here not working for me, but the poppythieves have thieved it here: http://www.londonhearts.com/humour/schoolfitba.htm

I know it's a bugbear of Brookmyre's that this article has been so often pinched.

[greenlex]

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Or worse defenders.


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Or better strikers.

[My_Wife_Camille]

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None of yous did a "post rebound"?

If the ball went over the pile of jackets the keeper had to take the ball, stand at the post facing away from the pitch and throw it backwards over his head.

We did this

[MyJo]

Playing "bangers" on a 5 a side pitch or smaller.

2 man game, one in each goal taking shots at each other but you weren't allowed past halfway to shoot. It was a delicate balance between going far enough forward to have a decent chance of scoring and leaving your goal exposed

the "nae rebounds" rule when playing at the Pitz. If the ball hits the boards behind the goal you couldn't score from the rebound.
Doing a 1-2 with yourself against the sideboards was allowed but not recommended as it was likely to result in a two footed challenge from behind by the person you took the ball past.
Any player holding the ball against the wall was fair game to be kicked anywhere below the hip, repeatedly until the ball was set free.