It is perhaps difficult for us today, playing to a strict code of rules laid down by the sport’s governing body, to appreciate that, in the early days of hockey, rules were very fluid as the sport was quite literally evolving through the last decade of the 19^th century. We know of at least a dozen different versions of the rules of hockey from that era and recently THM uncovered another. These come from Clifton High School for Girls in Bristol dated November 1894 (download the PDF by clicking the icon to the right).

From these we note that rule IX has a line 7 yards from and parallel to the goal line. This was their alternative to a circle. Rule X is an ‘offside’ rule. Rule II indicates that you cannot push the ball, only hitting is allowed. This begs the question: if you entered the striking area but dribbled with the ball into the goal, essentially pushing the ball along, and did not strike it into the goal, would it be a goal?