Football history

FOOTBALL
C
HAPTER IX
.
THE DEFENCE.
(
B
Y W. J.
O
AKLEY. )
T
HE
defence, according to latter-day notions, is constituted
of three half-backs, two full-backs, and a goal-keeper. The
addition of the third half-back was in a great measure to
counteract the readiness of many forwards to take the greatest
possible advantage of the opportunities of 'sneaking' allowed
them by the off-side rule as it was interpreted for so long by
umpires and players alike. A rule whichkeeps a man ` on-side'
so Long as there are three of his opponents between himself
and the goal offers a great temptation to an outside wing
player to lie as far up as possible. Hence, with the increasing
skill in the passing game, it was found necessary to strengthen
the first line of defence, and by the introduction of a centre
half enable the wing halves to give more attention—in fact
devote themselves almost entirely—to stopping the wing oppo-
site them.
First of all, in the modern game it is necessary to recognise
that there is an attacking as well as a defensive side to back
and half-back play, and also that
combination is
just as needful
in the back division as it is among the forwards. The old
idea was that a side was divided into two separate parts—one
consisting of the goal-keeper, the backs, and the half-backs, for
defence, and the other of the forwards, for attack.
Combination in defence consists in backs, half-backs, and
goal-keeper playing together, helping one another and allowing