Google honours Ebenezer Cobb Morley: Who was the Englishman who wrote the first set of football rules?

Google Doodle on Thursday celebrated the 187th birth anniversary of Englishman Ebenezer Cobb Morley (1831-1924).

Who is Ebenezer Cobb Morley?

Born in Kingston upon Hull, a city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Morley is remembered as the Father of Football Association – the first man to write down the rules of football.

By profession, he was a lawyer initially. Son of a minister and an eventual sportsman, Morley liked rowing and often took to the Thames like a duck.

He lived in Hull for 22 years before he moved to Barnes in 1858, where he formed the Barnes Club. Although there is no authentic proof, Barnes Club is considered as the world’s oldest football club in all codes.

Morley played his first match against Richmond in 1863, and scored in the first representative match, between the clubs of London and Sheffield on 31 March 1866. However, his legacy lied in being the first man to write the first set of rules of football on paper.

Prior to Morley, football was nothing but a chaos. There were no specific rules and different schools used rules according to their conditions. The situation worsened when students used different rules on the university level.

Barnes Club was also the founding member of the Football Association, which was created because of Morley. According to old reports, in 1863, Barnes Club Captain Morley proposed a body for football similar to Marylebone Cricket Club.

He wrote a letter to Bell's Life newspaper recommending a governing body for the sport, which led to the first meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern. The meeting was attended by the footballing giants like Blackheath, Perceval House, Kensington School, the War Office, Crystal Palace, the Crusaders, Charterhouse and many more.

The eventual result of the meeting was the inception of Football Association (FA) and Morley was appointed its first secretary before he was named the second president of the association later on.

Morley’s first draft was comprised of 23 rules. Football still remains a rough sport but bringing in perspective how brutal it was in the 19th century, Morley’s 13th rule said, “No player shall wear projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta percha on the soles or heels of his boots.”

Morley’s draft allowed players to ‘hack the front leg,’ and received some support for it. Francis Maule Campbell of Blackheath felt it was essential to promote “masculine toughness” and another supporter suggested that without hacking tackles, “you will do away with the courage and pluck of the game and it will be bound to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice.”

However, the controversial law was eventually removed when the finalized version of the first rules was published in the FA's December 1863 pamphlet, Laws of the Game.

It was understood that the rules were adopted by London and later on by the entire country followed by the world as well.

Here is the Google Doodle celebrating Morley's 187th birth anniversary: 

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Here is the full list:

►The maximum length of the ground shall be 200 yards, the maximum breadth shall be 100 yards, the length and breadth shall be marked off with flags; and the goals shall be defined by two upright posts, 8 yards apart, without any tape or bar across them.

►The winner of the toss shall have the choice of goals. The game shall be commenced by a place kick from the centre of the ground by the side losing the toss, the other side shall not approach within 10 yards of the ball until it is kicked off.

►After a goal is won the losing side shall kick off and the goals shall be changed.

►A goal shall be won when the ball passes between the goal posts or over the space between the goal posts (at whatever height), not being thrown, knocked on, or carried.

►When the ball is in touch the first player who touches it shall throw it from the point on the boundary line where it left the ground, in a direction at right angles with the boundary line.

►When a player has kicked the ball any one of the same side who is nearer to the opponent’s goal line is out of play and may not touch the ball himself nor in any way whatever prevent any other player from doing so until the ball has been played, but no player is out of play when the ball is kicked from behind the goal line.

►In case the ball goes behind the goal line if a player on the side to whom the goal belongs first touches the ball, one of his sides shall be entitled to a free kick from the goal line at the point opposite the place where the ball shall be touched. If a player of the opposite side first touches the ball, one of his sides shall be entitled to a free kick (but at the goal only) from a point 15 yards from the goal line opposite the place where the ball is touched. The opposing side shall stand behind their goal line until he has had his kick.

►If a player makes a fair catch he shall be entitled to a free kick, provided he claims it by making a mark with his heel at once, and in order to take such a kick he may go back as far as he pleases, and no player on the opposite side shall advance beyond his mark until he has kicked.

►No player shall carry the ball.

►Neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed and no player shall use his hands to hold or push an adversary.

►A player shall not throw the ball or pass it to another.

►No player shall take the ball from the ground with his hands while it is in play under any pretense whatever.

►No player shall wear projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta percha on the soles or heels of his boots.