Suddenly the excitement ceases. The ball has crossed the "touch line" B B, and so is "out of play." It may be brought into play again either by being placed on the line, and a scrimmage formed over it, or it may be thrown out between the two parties, and then they fight for it.
But what is a "scrimmage"? Well, I have been waiting for a real good, hard-and-fast scrimmage to take place, and here we have it. For the reds have forced the ball down toward blues' goal line, but have been unable to take it into the middle of the field; and so the ball is again touched down, and this time near the corner where the goal line and touch line meet.
The ball is placed upon the line, and a "scrimmage" formed over it. All the forward players of each side surround the ball, the reds forming a solid mass to push one way, and the blues to push the other way. The half-backs hover round outside the scrimmage, and watch the ball so as to be ready for it if it should get pushed through on their side. The umpires are close at hand, and they, too, are peering into the forest of red and blue stockings. The mass heaves and pants and groans, the poor ball looks as if all the air must surely be squeezed out of it, and the spectators are breathless with excitement.
"Hold on there!—man down!" cries a blue, and red faces and rough heads are raised for a second or two, while the unlucky blue with difficulty rises to his feet. No sooner, however, has he done so than the scrimmage forms again, and the reds, being the heavier lot, gradually but surely force their opponents down to their goal line, and get a "touch down in goal." This is a great advantage for the reds, for now they have a fair kick at their opponents' goal. Digging his heel into the spot where the ball crossed the line, the red Captain carries the ball at right angles to the goal line, and makes ready for his kick off. It is not a straight kick, and so not an easy one; and if he misses, a blue is pretty certain to make a "touch down for safety"; that is, touch the ball down on their own goal line, and so earn a kick off. And this is just what happens. The umpires have gone up to the goal posts to judge whether it is a goal or not. But there is no doubt about it. The ball flies away to the right hand of the further goal post, and a blue has touched it down "for safety."
A "PUNT."
A "DROP-KICK."
The blue Captain makes a splendid kick. It is against the wind, but what of that? It only gives the blues more time to follow it up, and this they do bravely. The red back has received the ball, and tries to "punt" it back over the heads of the advancing blues, but his effort is a failure. The ball rebounds from a blue jersey and crosses reds' goal line, where a blue, who has been carried forward by the rush, touches it down.
Now it is blue's turn to try for a goal, and the blue Captain has a great reputation as a kicker of goals. Carefully placing the ball, with a due allowance for the direction of the wind, he sends it just high enough to be out of reach of the reds who face him, and a few inches over the bar between the poles.