History of Football The Origins

Modern ball passing tactics

Main article: Passing (association football)
The earliest reference to a game of football involving players passing the ball and attempting to score past a goalkeeper was written in 1633 by David Wedderburn, a poet and teacher in Aberdeen, Scotland.^[80] Nevertheless, the original text does not state whether the allusion to passing as 'kick the ball back' ('Repercute pilam') was in a forward or backward direction or between members of the same opposing teams (as was usual at this time)^[81]
"Scientific" football is first recorded in 1839 from Lancashire^[82] and in the modern game in Rugby football from 1862^[83] and from Sheffield FC as early as 1865.^[84][85] The first side to play a passing combination game was the Royal Engineers AFC in 1869/70^[86][87] By 1869 they were "work[ing] well together", "backing up" and benefiting from "cooperation".^[88] By 1870 the Engineers were passing the ball: "Lieut. Creswell, who having brought the ball up the side then kicked it into the middle to another of his side, who kicked it through the posts the minute before time was called".^[89] Passing was a regular feature of their style.^[90] By early 1872 the Engineers were the first football team renowned for "play[ing] beautifully together".^[91] A double pass is first reported from Derby school against Nottingham Forest in March 1872, the first of which is irrefutably a short pass: "Mr Absey dribbling the ball half the length of the field delivered it to Wallis, who kicking it cleverly in front of the goal, sent it to the captain who drove it at once between the Nottingham posts".^[92] The first side to have perfected the modern formation was Cambridge University AFC^[93][94][95] and introduced the 2–3–5 "pyramid" formation.^[96][97]

Cambridge rules

Main article: Cambridge rules
In 1848, at Cambridge University, H. de Winton and J. C. Thring, who were both formerly at Shrewsbury School, called a meeting at Trinity College, Cambridge, with 12 other representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury. An eight-hour meeting produced what amounted to the first set of modern rules, known as the Cambridge rules. No copy of these rules now exists, but a revised version from circa 1856 is held in the library of Shrewsbury School.^[98] The rules clearly favour the kicking game. Handling was only allowed when a player catches the ball directly from the foot entitling them to a free kick and there was a primitive offside rule, disallowing players from "loitering" around the opponents' goal. The Cambridge rules were not widely adopted outside English public schools and universities (but it was arguably the most significant influence on the Football Association committee members responsible for formulating the rules of Association football).