Eton wall game is a ball game played only by boys at Eton College, a private boys’ school in England. They play on a strip of ground about 120 yards (110 meters) long and 51/2 yards (5 meters) wide. The ground runs alongside a wall built in 1717. The players—10 to each team—try to get a ball about half as big as a soccer ball to the opponents’ end of the field and score a goal. They work it along the wall with their feet, shins, and knees. Only their hands and feet may touch the ground, and they may not strike an opponent. There are few other rules, and as a result, the game is rough. About six players from each side form the bully (similar to a scrum in rugby) that starts each phase of play.
The first recorded wall game was played in 1766. Since 1844, the most important match of the year is played on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) between the King’s Scholars (known as the Collegers) and players from the rest of the school, known as the Oppidans. The first rules governing the game were published in 1849 and have been revised from time to time.
See also Eton College.
