One of the two known copies of the first edition of the football regulations, on which modern sport was developed and printed by the Sheffield club (oldest club in the world), where the first written football rules were drawn-up, was sold at an auction for 56,700 pounds ($ 77,200) in London, Sotheby's reported.
The 16-page booklet in good condition was found in a Victorian-era album that contained memorabilia from the institution. In addition to offering a first codified version of this sport, it also includes the evolution of the rules, with handwritten annotations and a printed apostille highlighting the prohibition of "hitting" or "pushing" the ball with the hand, which was previously permitted. The club played a crucial role in the development of the modern game: the indirect free kick, the corner kick and the crossbar are innovations of the game of Sheffield, a club described as "the first expression of modern football culture". The book includes the pencil signature of William Baker, one of Sheffield's best players and a member of its committee, who approved the final draft of the regulations on 21 October 1858. This was printed the following year and distributed to all club members, according to the auction house. The other known specimen was part of the club's archives, which were sold in July 2011 for £ 881,000.
Changes that marked the history of football
In 1866, as FIFA and the IFAB had not yet been founded, the representatives of the English Federation were forced to vary the rules set years before. To differentiate itself from rugby, forward passing, hitherto unauthorized, was allowed. A quarter of a century later, it was time for new fundamental changes. Then a referee was introduced to apply the rules of the game on the field and practically at the same time the penalty was invented. At the beginning it was taken from an imaginary line eleven meters from the goal. The exact point to shoot the penalty was not implemented until 1902. Changes in the regulations often affected goalkeepers. 100 years ago the goalkeeper were prohibited from touching the ball with their hands outside the area. Three years before it was imposed that the color of his clothing should be different from that of his teammates and should be green. Until 1925, the referee called offside when three opposing players were closer to the goal line at the time of the pass than one attacker. The number was reduced to two. It would take another 65 years to decide that players at the same height were no longer offside. In turn, the game became more physical. In 1958, the substitutions were therefore authorized. Only in case of injuries could the goalkeeper and another player be changed. Until the end of the 1960s, substitutions were not authorized for tactical reasons. Currently up to five modifications are allowed, but due to an exceptional situation such as the coronavirus pandemic, since in reality the limit is three, or four in case there is extra time. After the introduction of the yellow and red cards, it took until the 90s to see the last big change. Again it affected the goalkeeper, who since 1992 cannot handle a ball received from a team-mate with his hands. Skepticism was big at the time, but IFAB's decision turned out to be a success. The game became faster and a new type of goalkeeper was born, participating more in the game.
Source: Infobae
