. ▁These ▁rules ▁are ▁the ▁earliest ▁that ▁are ▁definitely ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁a ▁major ▁step ▁in ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁rugby ▁league , ▁rugby ▁union ▁and ▁other ▁handling ▁variants . ▁The ▁Rugby ▁School ▁rules ▁made ▁a ▁clear ▁distinction ▁between ▁handling ▁and ▁d rib bling , ▁the ▁latter ▁being ▁defined ▁as ▁running ▁with ▁the ▁ball ▁at ▁one ' s ▁feet . ▁▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁▁ 2 4 ▁February ▁( Sh ro ve ▁T ues day ) ▁– ▁Local ▁authorities ▁in ▁Derby ▁attempted ▁to ▁ban ▁the ▁traditional ▁Sh ro ve ▁T ues day ▁match ▁on ▁the ▁pre text ▁that ▁it ▁bre ached ▁the ▁Ri ot ▁Act . ▁A ▁match ▁began ▁and ▁Mayor ▁William ▁M ous ley ▁read ▁the ▁Ri ot ▁Act ▁prior ▁to ▁sum mon ing ▁the ▁local ▁milit ia . ▁The ▁match ▁was ▁never theless ▁played ▁and ▁a ▁goal ▁scored ▁despite ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁soldiers , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁became ▁act ively ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁game . ▁Fif teen ▁arr ests ▁were ▁made ▁afterwards ▁and ▁no ▁attempt ▁made ▁to ▁stage ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁event . ▁▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁about ▁this ▁time ▁that ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁written ▁rules ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁existence ▁at ▁E ton ▁College . ▁Although ▁E ton ▁allowed ▁the ▁ball ▁to ▁be ▁touched ▁and ▁controlled ▁by ▁hand , ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁running ▁with ▁the ▁ball ▁in ▁the ▁hand ▁or ▁passing ▁of ▁the ▁ball ▁by ▁hand . ▁As ▁in ▁cr icket , ▁games ▁were