Did William Webb Ellis Pick Up the Ball?

Sean Fagan

Many texts and articles say that rugby was invented in 1823 at Rugby School with schoolboy William Webb Ellis picking up the football in a soccer match and running with it - thus giving birth to rugby football.

Here is what the Rugby School plaque states:

From the above plaque we can readily discern that a new feature (running forward with the ball) appeared in the Rugby School version of football in 1823. However, for that to be so, the Rugby School version of football must have been been in existence before 1823. What year rugby football was first played is now impossible to tell - it clearly was not born in 1823.

Interestingly, the plaque does not state that Ellis picked the ball up from the ground. Indeed, Rule 8 of Rugby School (in the first documented laws of 1845) still expressly prohibited a player from picking the ball up and seeking to run ahead: Running in is allowed to any player on his side, provided he does not take the ball off the ground, or take it through touch.

Once the ball was on the ground all that could be done was to kick it - picking the football up from the turf was still illegal decades after Ellis had left the School.

Putting aside arguments as to whether the deeds of Ellis are a myth, the "distinctive feature" he allegedly originated was running forward towards the goal line after taking a catch.

The rules of Rugby School in 1823 allowed players to catch the ball, and to run backwards, but not to run forwards and attempt to score a try.

Ellis did not pick the ball up from the ground in a soccer match. Soccer was not born until 1863 with the formation of rules at the founding of the Football Association.

Rugby History Article © Sean Fagan