LONDON, England: A rulebook containing the first codified rules of football went on display in London yesterday to mark the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Football Association.
Known as the 1863 FA Minute Book, the volume contains the 13 original laws of the game, including guidelines on the size of the pitch, what happens when the ball goes out of play, and the rules on handling the ball. Roy Hodgson, manager of the England national team, and FA chairman Greg Dyke presented the artefact to the British Library, where it will go on display to the public.
“Although it is only a small book, the contribution this has made to the modern sport of football is huge,” said a British Library spokesman.
“It has shaped the rules of football worldwide. I think people consider that if this book did not exist, the game as we know it would not exist in this form, either.”
The book, which is reputedly worth £2.5 million, was handwritten 150 years ago by Ebenezer Cobb Morley, the first FA secretary.AFP
