Eton field game

The Field Game is one of two codes of football devised and played at Eton College. The other is the Eton Wall Game. The game is like football in some ways – the ball is round, but one size smaller than a standard football, and may not be handled – but the off-side rules – known as 'sneaking' – are more in keeping with rugby. There is also a small scrum or "Bully" of either six or seven a side. Goals can be scored much as in soccer, although there is no goal-keeper. But a team gains more points for scoring a 'rouge'. To score a rouge a player must kick the ball so that it deflects off one of the opposing players, or achieve a charge-down, and then goes beyond the opposition's end of the pitch. The ball is then 'rougeable' and must be touched – although not necessarily to the ground – by an attacking player to complete the rouge for five points. Rouges are similar to tries in that the scoring team then attempts to convert them for two points.

It is the only game at Eton that virtually every boy plays, at least for his first three years in the school, and it occupies prime position in the games programme throughout the Lent Half.

History

In 1815 Eton College documented its football rules, the first football code to be written down anywhere in the world.^[1] In the modern era, referees are first advocated in English public school football games, notably Eton football in 1845.^[2] In 2009, Kings Langley (Langley Park School for Boys)were the first non-public school to take part in a friendly with Eton, with boys from their sixth-form learning the game from a former pupil. The game ended with victory for Eton, but a rouge was scored for Kings Langley by a boy named Oliver.

Positions

The positions in the field game are divided into two main groups: The "Bully" and the "Behinds".

Bully

The "Bully" is most aptly compared to the forwards in the game of rugby and consists of, 3 "Corners", 2 "Sideposts", 1 "Post", 1 "Bup" and the "Fly".^[3]

Behinds

The 'behinds' are a group of players made up of two 'Shorts' and a 'Long'. The job of the Shorts is to kick the ball over the Bully, and allow players of their own side to run onto the ball, and hopefully to either score a goal or rouge. The opposing Shorts are trying to do the same thing, and so a kicking war often develops between the two teams of Shorts. This can be advantageous for a team with a fitter bully, as it gives them an opportunity to create an off-side "Sneaking", and then win a kick. The Long essentially remains in the goal-mouth, and his job is to kick back any ball which goes over the Shorts, or to defend the goal. He is not like a goal-keeper in football, however, as he cannot use his hands to prevent a goal.

Laws

Penalties

When a foul occurs, there are two main ways of restarting the game. One way is a bully, with the non-offending team having "Heads". Alternatively, for more serious offences, a kick can be given, which is similar to a free-kick in football.

Scoring

There are two main ways of gaining points in the Field Game, either a 'rouge' or a Goal.

Goals

There is a goal at each end of the pitch. The goals are smaller than in soccer but no player is allowed to use their hands to touch the ball. If a player kicks the ball into the opponent's goal his team scores 3 points.

Rougeables

If the ball comes from a player and goes behind the infinite line created by extending their goal line, it is rougeable. The ball is also rougeable when a defender kicks it so that it rebounds off an attacker over the goal line, in such a case where the attacker makes no deliberate attempt to play the ball over the line. Whether this is or is not the case is judged according to the referee's discretion.

When a ball is rougeable players from both teams race to reach it first.

If an attacker reaches it first their team scores a 'rouge', worth five points and also attempts a conversion (see below).

If a defender reaches it first the attacking team has a choice of 'point or bully': they can choose either to be awarded a single point or to form a bully (like a scrum), close to the opponent's end of the pitch. If they drive the ball over the end of the pitch they score a 'bully rouge' (5 points) and as before can convert it.

Conversions

In a conversion the attackers move the ball down tramlines at the end of the pitch from the side towards the goal. The attacker has to keep the ball moving and avoid it leaving the tramlines. They try either to score a goal or to hit the ball off a defender to score a rouge.

The conversion in its current from was introduced by rule changes in 2002. It replaced the "ram", in which a column of four players from the attacking side lifted their feet to the sound of "left up right up left up right up, one two three..", then, to the shout of "ram", charged a defensive goalpost scrum from a range of 2.5 yards with the aim of forcing the ball over the line between the posts.^[4]

See also

• Football
• English public school football games
• Eton Wall Game

References