Today’s Tidbit… 1876 IFA Rule #18: Crying “Down”

This is #18 in a series covering football’s original 61 rules adopted by the Intercollegiate Football Association in 1876. We review one rule each Friday.

Regular readers will recall the earlier discussion of Rule 10, which states: “A tackle is made when the holder of the ball is held by one or more players of the opposite side.” The discussion of that rule centered around tackling as a process rather than an outcome and discussed how the portions of the runner’s body or equipment legally grasped...