If the 'walls' cannot force their way through their opponents, the ball finds its way out to the 'seconds,' who in their turn try and gain ground, generally by kneeling on the ball, and with hands on the ground or not as they are able, crawling along and often forcing their opponents to retire several yards. On such occasions the 'walls' back up the 'seconds' and are ready to take the ball again when the 'seconds' are obliged to relinquish it; all in the bully should, in fact, be ready to assist one another, and when the ball is 'loose' or one of their number is down, to get hold of it with their feet and try to move further on.

If, as is generally the case, the ball comes out from the bully amongst the 'outsides,' i.e. the 'thirds,' 'fourths,' and 'lines,' it is their duty to try and charge the ball through their opponents and kick it as far as possible towards the enemy's calx, but always out into the field, so as not to give the opposing ' behinds' a chance of returning it. And again, if the ball rolls out from the bully to any of the three behinds, it is their duty to kick it as far as possible in the same direction, but as above mentioned, always into the open field and for the same reason. An 'outside,' when the ball is 'loose,' not unfrequently attempts to dribble the ball down the play; but this rarely pays, the ball being light and the space confined. It is when the ball is amongst the outsides that the most exciting play takes place, the opposing sides kicking at the ball and at one another in the wildest manner, so much so that an inexperienced spectator would probably characterise this part of the play as very rough. These 'loose' bullies seldom last more than a few moments, one of the kicks soon taking effect and landing the ball out of play.

When the ball is kicked over the boundary line, it is the duty of at least two or three of the side and always of the 'line,' to run out into the field, the one side to stop it as soon as possible, and the other side to prevent it being stopped.

It sometimes happens that those in the bully of one side are able to hold the ball for a long time and keep it to themselves. This is always very tedious for both spectators and the rest of the players, and unless a side is playing for a draw or having scored is afraid of yet being defeated, it is always better and is generally customary to break the bully early, and by a series of charges, 'loose' bullies, and scrimmages to gain ground.

Anyone who has both feet in front of the ball is said to be 'sneaking,' or 'off-side,' as it is termed in other games, and must at once get back amongst his own players. A player may be 'sneaking' whether in the act of playing the ball or not. The only penalty for this is a fresh bully, but if the ball is being held tight at the time when the offence is committed, no advantage can accrue to the other side, and the penalty is therefore not demanded; if, however, the ball is ' loose' and the offender gains an advantage, the penalty is claimed and allowed nor not by the umpire, and the fresh bully formed against the wall at the spot where the offence was committed. It is permissible also for any player to catch the ball or stop it with his hands and then to kick it in any way he can; but if the ball hits the hand or wrist accidentally, the penalty if demanded and allowed is a fresh bully.

A point is scored by either side getting a goal or a shy. A goal can be obtained from any part of the play; a shy only in calx. A goal outweighs any number of shies, but is very seldom obtained. A shy is obtained in the following manner: When the ball is forced into calx the bully is formed in a slightly different manner. The side who have forced the ball into calx have the advantage of forming down under; one of their players called a 'getter' forms down with his head to the wall, and has with his foot to raise the ball when placed in the bully against the wall; another forms down behind him and has to prevent the opposite side drawing or 'furking' it out (these two are backed up by the heavy weights of the side); another called 'a toucher' has to assist the 'getter,' and when the ball is off the ground and against the wall and resting on his own foot of on that of one of his own side, to touch it and claim a shy. Anyone besides the 'toucher' can obtain a shy, but he must be behind the ball, i.e. on side.

If the shy is allowed the player who touched it throws it at the goal, i.e. the tree or the door according to which calx it is, which he hits or not according to the accuracy of his throw and the quickness of his opponents in running out of the play to the goal and stopping the ball with their hands. The rest of the side except (say) two 'be-hinds' stand outside the bully ready to charge and prevent the ball being forced out of calx. The defending side in calx forms down by one of their number standing against the wall, leaning over the 'getter'; he is called a 'stopper,' and his duty is to prevent the ball being raised and a shy gained, and also to try and get the ball out of the bully to the 'kicker-out' behind him; another next to the ' stopper' to assist him, one or two to back these up, one to ' furk' the ball back, one to kick the ball out of calx at the door end and to touch it down over the base line at the tree end, and the rest to stop 'running round.'

The game generally lasts an hour, and ends are changed at half-time. It is peculiar to Eton, and would in all probability die out altogether except for the annual match between the collegers and oppidans on St. Andrew's Day.

The Eton Field Game is played in an open field about 100 to 120 yards long by 80 to 100 yards wide. The boundaries are defined by a small line cut in the turf; the goals are in the middle of the two base lines, and are about 12 feet wide by 6 feet high, formed by two upright posts with a slender crossbar at the top.

There are by rights eleven players on either side, though in ordinary games there is no objection to a larger number, and this is one of the advantages of the game, that with sides of small boys very often far more than the orthodox number can play.