The Paris Rules of Barrette at the end of the 19th century

• The ‘barette’ was an ovoid-shaped inflated bladder some 30cm long and 20cm wide covered in a heavy leather sheath

• Ideally the pitch was 60m x 50m

• In the middle of the two short sides there was a threemetre-wide (9.8ft) goal with posts at least 4m high, and a tape or cross bar 3m above the ground.

• The aim of the game was to score a goal by first dropkicking the ball over the tape or bar and then touching it down. Failing that a ‘winning advantage’ could be scored by touching the ball down anywhere behind the goal line, which would result in a free kick at goal.

• If a defending player touched the ball down they were awarded a free kick 25m from the line.

• The barette could not be thrown or punched forward, though it could be kicked or carried in the hands.

• At the kick-off, the opposing team had to be 10m from the ball, and the ball had to remain in the field from the kick.

• The ball carrier could be blocked, but the aim of the defending team was to touch the ball – when they would call ‘touch’ or ‘hit’.

• This would result in a ‘scrum’ – a circle of players ‘into which the barette is dropped so that it rolls on the ground’. The scrum would then kick the ball until it emerged.

• All players had to be between the ball and their own goal line – the penalty being a free kick.