▁in ▁a ▁" sc rum " ▁– ▁a ▁circle ▁of ▁players ▁" into ▁which ▁the ▁B aret te ▁is ▁dropped ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁roll s ▁on ▁the ▁ground ". ▁The ▁sc rum ▁would ▁then ▁kick ▁the ▁ball ▁until ▁it ▁emer ged . ▁All ▁players ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁between ▁the ▁ball ▁and ▁their ▁own ▁goal ▁line ▁– ▁the ▁penalty ▁being ▁a ▁free ▁kick . ▁If ▁the ▁b aret te ▁crossed ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁s idel ines ▁the ▁ball ▁would ▁be ▁thrown ▁into ▁what ▁was ▁almost ▁identical ▁to ▁a ▁rugby ▁line - out . ▁A ▁clean ▁catch ▁was ▁reward ed ▁with ▁a ▁free ▁kick ▁( like ▁a ▁" mark " ▁in ▁rugby ▁or ▁Australian ▁R ules ) ▁ ▁Rugby , ▁and ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁b aret te ▁Rugby ▁was ▁first ▁played ▁in ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁- ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁as ▁b aret te ▁was ▁cod ified ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁expand . ▁This ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁created ▁fert ile ▁ground ▁for ▁rugby ▁to ▁expand , ▁which ▁it ▁did ▁– ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁b aret te - play ing ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁south - west . ▁As ▁rugby ▁expanded ▁so ▁b aret te ▁decl ined . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁the ▁game ▁did ▁have ▁a ▁brief ▁rev ival ▁as ▁a ▁purely ▁women ' s ▁team ▁sport . ▁With ▁the ▁active ▁support ▁of ▁leading ▁French ▁rugby ▁players ▁such ▁as ▁André ▁The ur iet , ▁national ▁champion ships ▁are ▁developed . ▁Film ▁and ▁photograph s ▁from ▁the ▁period ▁show ▁a