The Development of British Rugby League

Some history and how the rules have changed. This is by no means exhaustive and I've tried to tie back to programmes where possible. A lot of sources give slightly different dates - a year here, a year there. I've avoided mentioning what was going on in Australia with slightly different rules, as that just confused me too much...

1845	First written rules of football at Rugby School published – in order to take a punt at goal (place kick) a ‘try at goal’ had to be earned by touching the ball down between the posts. Here they are
	All matches were considered drawn after five days, but after three if no goal has been kicked...
	No player could wear projecting nails or iron plates on the heels or soles of their shoes or boots
1858	Blackheath Rugby Club formed. This is the oldest non-university rugby club still in existence
1862	Rugby School rules were updated – see here
1863	Football Association formed at the Freemason’s Tavern on Great Queen Street in London – rules proposed to get rid of running with the ball and ‘hacking’ (kicking in the shins). Blackheath refused to accept the rules and other clubs followed their lead
1871	21 clubs formed the Rugby Football Union at the Pall Mall restaurant in London. Depending on where you read it, the Wasp’s representative went to the wrong venue on the wrong day or wrong venue on the right day, realised his error but drank too much and stayed there. Good lad...
	First Rugby Football Union laws were laid out – see here
	Games to be decided by majority of goals only. Reward for a ‘try’ continued to be an attempt to kick the ball over the posts
	Place kicks, goals from marks and dropped goals all counted as one point. A touchdown was worth nothing except to have a ‘try at goal’
	‘hacking’ (kicking opponents below the knee) was outlawed
1873	The Glorious Wakefield Trinity were founded as the Young Men’s rugby arm of the Holy Trinity Church on George Street (demolished in 1952)
1875	Scoring modified slightly – number of goals still decided a match, but if the number of goals were equal or no tries had been scored, the match was decided by number of tries
1877	Number of players reduced from 20 to 15 a side
Pre-1886	Some clubs and unions had their own scoring systems - touching the ball down behind your own goal line was awarded a ‘minor point’ or ‘rouge’
1886	Match decided by the scoring of points. Pre-1886 various clubs had their own points scoring system
1888	Goal – 3 points, try – 1 point. When a goal is kicked from a try only the goal is scored
1888	penalty goal – 2 points
1891	Try – 2 points, penalty goal - 3 points, goal from a try – 5 points. Any other goal – 4 points
1892	Rugby Football Union decreed that the rugby ball had to be oval in shape (some brief experimentation with round balls)
	Foundation of the Yorkshire and Lancashire leagues
1893	Try – 3 points, conversion – 2 points. Converted try - 5 points
1895	29^th August 1895 21 clubs met at the George Hotel, Huddersfield to form the Northern Rugby Football Union and break away from the Rugby Football Union – but was still against professionalism, aiming only to make broken-time payments to players – breakaway clubs played in a single league
1895	Scrum-half had to retire behind scrum until ball was out
1896	Introduction of Yorkshire League due to problems of travelling
	A deliberate knock on led to the opposing team getting a free kick as opposed to the previous scrum
	Scrum-half had to feed the ball into the scrum from the same side as where the referee was positioned
1897	First Challenge Cup Final
1897	Line-out was abolished and replaced with a punt-out (a kick from the touchline into the field of play). Player could kick the ball into play in any direction
	The value of all goals was reduced to two points
1898	Professionalism legalised but included ‘work clauses’ that players had to be in employment
1899	Location of restart following a try was moved from 25-yard line of the non-scoring team to the halfway line
	Loose scrum now restarted play after a player had been tackled
1900	Defenders banned from charging at players taking a kick at goal
	Location of where a penalty was awarded for obstruction was moved from where the incident occurred to where the ball landed
1901	Northern Rugby League formed
	Two divisions introduced
	If a player went into touch with the ball the game restarted with a scrum, not a punt-out. Punt outs still used if the ball was kicked into touch
	Knock-on rule – a clean catch was no longer required and a knock-on given when if the ball was juggled forward but then caught
	If an attacker knocked on and a defender caught the ball without it touching the ground, play continued
1902	Punt-out or kick-in was abolished. Scrum from 10 yards infield if ball was kicked into touch
1903	Kicking ball directly into touch was outlawed except for penalties
	Penalty for ‘feet up’ in the scrum was introduced
1904	Rules changed to allow for full time professionals
	Team had to have only 3 players in the front row of the scrum. Previously unlimited
	If an attacker knocked on and a defender caught the ball, either with or without it touching the ground, play continued
1905	The ‘work clauses’ were repealed by the Northern Union
	The Yorkshire and Lancashire Cups were introduced
	One league re-introduced
1906	Play-the-ball rule introduced to replace a scrum after each tackle
	Number of players reduced from 15 to 13 to allow more room for creative play
	Player could be ‘held’ whilst on the ground or still on their feet
	If the ball was kicked out on the full a scrum would be formed from where it was kicked out
	Top 4 play-off introduced
1927	Play-the-ball rule altered to allow two defensive markers, tackled player and acting half-back
1929	First Challenge Cup Final at Wembley
1930	Loose forward had to be at the back of the scrum between the second rowers -
	Scrum feed switched from attacking to defending team
1932	Scrums had to be formed at least ten yards from touch with referees on the blind-side
1935	Tackled player was required to drop the ball and heel it back, instead of placing it on the ground
1938	If a defender made the ball ‘dead’ a drop-out from under the posts was awarded rather than from the 25 yard line
1946	Play-the-ball rule changed – acting half-back had to be two yards behind tackled player/tackler and all other players had to be five yards behind
1948	International Rugby League Board established
1950	Field goal abolished (scored by kicking a loose ball above the cross bar and between the posts)
1954	First Rugby League World Cup took place in France
1959	Option of tap penalty was abolished - had to kick for touch or for goal
1964	Substitutes could be used to replace an injured player up to and including half-time
1962	Introduction of two divisions
1964	Top 16 play off replaced top 4 play off
1965	Re-introduction of one division
	Substitutes could be used for any reason up to and including half-time
1966	Four tackle rule introduced ending unlimited tackles
	No-tap penalty rule abolished as the attacking team got a tap after finding touch following a penalty
1967	Teams allowed to play on Sundays to avoid competition with football
1969	Substitutions now allowed after half-time
	Rugby league gains recognition as a sport in British Universities and Colleges. That was nice of them...
1970	Final Yorkshire County League Championship
	A substituted injured player could return to the pitch and replace the substitute, but only once in a game
1972	Six tackle rule introduced
	Introduction of timekeepers to replace referees
1973	Two divisions re-introduced
	Top 16 play-offs abandoned
1974	Drop-goals value reduced to 1 point
1975	Premiership play-off introduced for top eight Division One teams
1976	Introduction of differential penalty at the scrum (i.e. any scrum offences)
1981	Three point drop goal introduced - if a player was fouled whilst attempting a drop goal he would get a penalty kick under the posts
	Maximum of four substitutions allowed
1982	County Championship ended
	Differential penalty if scrum-half is adjudged offside at the scrum
1983	Hand-over introduced after sixth tackle, replacing a scrum
	Non-offending team got head and ball at the scrum (previously varied according to which half of the field the scrum was being formed in)
	Value of a try increased from 3 to 4 points
	10 minute sin-bin introduced for technical offences or dissent
	Feeding the ball at the scrum must be on the ground (previously fed below the waist in a downward direction)
	Loose forward had to remain in the scrum unless team wasn't at full strength (could previously detach from scrum at any time)
	From kick-off, if the ball bounces over the dead ball line or goes to touch-in-goal without being touched by a defender, the defending team have to drop out (previously a 25 yard tap)
	If balll is kicked out on the full at kick off, the defending team get a penalty kick from the centre spot
	At the play-the-ball both sides must remain onside until the ball is clear of the tackled player and the player marking him (previously players could move up once the ball touched the ground)
1987	Any infringement after 5th tackle that didn't incur a penalty (knock-on, forward pass or direct kick into touch) was followed by a handover as opposed to the previous scrum
	Sin bin used for any aspect of foul play
	Tap from 22m line if the defending player catches a kick from his opponent on the full in general play (i.e. not following the kick-off or from a penalty kick) and does not elect to run
1988	No longer obligatory to send off a previously sin binned player
	Player could no longer play the ball to himself if there was a marker
	Only one marker allowed for the defending team
1991	Blood bin introduced
	Illegal to steal the ball in the tackle
	Heading the ball forward illegal
1992	County Cups abolished
	10 metre rule introduced for the defending team at the play-the-ball
1994	Players could now go ‘on report’
	Players lifting in the tackle to be penalised – ‘spear’ tackle
	The three British Armed Services recognise rugby league as a sport
1995/98	Super League War
1995	Super League International Board formed to administer Super League globally
	Rugby union declared an ‘open’ professional game by the International Rugby Board
1996	Historic Wigan v Bath rugby games
	Scrums now set 20m from the touch-line
	After a try the scoring team was now to restart
	Play-the-ball – defending team could no longer challenge for the ball
	Play-the-ball – tackled player could no longer tap forward to himself
	Video referee first trialled at the Super League World Nines
	Zero tackle rule introduced – first tackle doesn’t count if a player gets the ball from the opposing team in general play
	Ball stealing allowed in a one-on-one situation
	6 interchanges allowed in Super League only
	If the attacking team kick for touch and the ball goes bounces into touch off a defender who didn’t attempt to gain possession of the ball, the defending team still get head and feed at the ensuing scrum
	Automatic two year ban for anyone testing positive for anabolic steroids. Lifetime ban if a second offence occurs
1998	The Rugby League International Federation was founded in Sydney, replacing the Super League International Board and is now responsible for the laws of the game
1999	40/20 rule introduced
2001	20 metre restart no longer delayed by referees
	First and second halves end when hooter blows.
2003	Interchanges increased from 6 to 12
	Knock-on given if no attempt was made by the attacking player to play the ball
2008	If a team kicks from the 20m restart and the ball bounces into touch or over the dead ball line they will get head and feed at the scrum
	Loose forwards can no longer trap the ball in the scrum
	Defenders must stand with both feet behind the referee’s front foot to be onside at the play-the-ball
	Defenders (when more than one involved) stealing the ball over the line will result in a penalty rather than a penalty try
2009	Golden point rule first applied in the UK in the Challenge Cup only to settle a drawn game
2010	Player ‘held’ if one leg of the ball carrier is lifted by a defender in the tackle. Previously only complete if both were lifted
	Player held if being dragged by more than one defender
2012	Only 10 interchanges in a match – down from 12
	If a player in possession touches the corner flag he is no longer deemed to be ‘in touch’