Today’s Tidbit… 1876 IFA Rule #20: Maul-In Participation

(‘Football at Rugby,’ Illustrated London News, December 20, 1845.)

This is #20 in a series covering football’s original 61 rules adopted by the Intercollegiate Football Association in 1876. We review one rule each Friday.

The coverage of Rule 19 described maul-ins and how they related to a ball carrier’s attempt to score a touchdown. In short, a maul-in, which was a maul occurring behind the goal line, was an effort by the defense to keep the ball carrier from touching the ball to the ground while...