Below is the text of the playing rules of the Quebec Rugby Football Union (QRFU) used in the 1905 season, as printed in Spalding's Athletic Library's Official Canadian Foot Ball Guide for 1905. Note that at the time, the Quebec, Ontario (ORFU), and Intercollegiate (CIRFU) unions each had their own playing rules. Compare with the very similar 1904 rules of the Manitoba RFU. I extracted the text from a PDF scan using OCR software, and while I carefully edited the result it is possible there are errors that I missed or inadvertently introduced. Errors that I have noted in the original are noted with [sic].
A diagram of the field is included elsewhere in the Guide without being specifically associated with any of the three sets of rules. Aside from details of internal markings, the diagram is generally applicable to all three unions.
Playing Rules of the Game of the Quebec Rugby Football Union
DEFINITIONS.
1.—(1) The GAME is played by teams of fourteen on each side, with a No. 5 Match Ball, and on grounds 110 yards long by 65 yards wide, or as near these dimensions as practicable, with the boundaries distinctly marked. A goal is placed in the middle of each goal line composed of two upright posts exceeding twenty feet in height, placed eighteen feet six inches apart, and with a crossbar ten feet from the ground. Twenty-five yards behind each goal-line and parallel thereto is drawn a line which is called the dead ball line. If the natural boundary of the field be less than twenty-five yards behind the goal-line, at either end, then such boundary constitutes the dead ball line at that end. The playing field must be marked off in regulation five yards on the day of champion competitions.
(2) A DROP KICK is made by dropping the ball from the hands and kicking it the instant it rises.
(3) A PLACE KICK is made by kicking the ball after it has been placed on the ground.
(4) A PUNT is made by letting the ball fall from the hands and kicking it before it touches the ground.
(5) A FLYING KICK is made by kicking the ball without touch-it [sic] with the hands.
(6) KICK-OFF is a place kick from the center of the grounds.
(7) KICK-OUT is a drop kick from not more than twenty-five yards from the kicker's goal line.
(8) When players of opposite sides have hold of the ball, the player who had first hold of, and has not lost the ball, is the POSSESSOR.
(9) The ball is in TOUCH if it, on a player with it in his possession, is on or across the touch-line; it is IN GOAL if it is on or across the goal-line.
(10) A PASS is when the ball is thrown by the player in any direction except toward the opponent's goal.
(11) A FOUL is when the ball is knocked forward with the hand or arm; or thrown forward, except when being thrown out from touch.
(12) The ball is DEAD when it is absolutely motionless on the ground.
(13) A TOUCH-DOWN is when a player, having possession of the ball, stops it so that it is dead.
(14) A TRY is when (a) A player makes a touch-down, or is fairly held in his opponent's goal; (b) A player having crossed his opponent's goal-line with the ball in his possession goes without losing possession into touch-in-goal.
(15) A ROUGE is: (a) When a player getting possession of the ball in his own goal makes a touch down, or is fairly held there; (b) When the ball or a player of the defending side, having possession of it, is in touch-in-goal; (c) When a foul is made in goal; (d) When the ball or a player with it in his possession touches, or is on or across the dead ball line.
(16) A SAFETY TOUCH is when a player kicks, carries or passes the ball from the grounds, and he, or one of his side, rouges it.
(17) When a player having possession of the ball is tackled, the ball is FAIRLY HELD; (a) When the player possessing it calls "held"; (b) When it is not moving.
(18) A FAIR-CATCH is a catch made within the grounds, direct from a kick or a foul by an opponent.
MATCH.
2.—Each side shall have a Captain who, before the match, shall toss for choice of goals or kick-off. Matches shall last for one hour actual play, with an intermission of ten minutes at half-time, and, in case of a draw, if in the opinion of the referee it is practicable, twenty minutes extra time shall be played, each side playing from the end from which it started the game for ten minutes, and then ends being changed for ten minutes. No delay shall exceed five minutes.
TIME.
Each side shall play an equal time from each goal. The playing time shall be divided into quarters of fifteen minutes each. Ends shall be changed at the expiration of each quarter, but, there shall be no delay between the first and second quarters or the third and fourth quarters. Ten minutes intermission shall be allowed at half time. Time shall be deducted while the ball is being brought out, for a try, kick-out, or kick-off for bringing the ball into play after going into touch, and for all delays.
The game shall not be stopped for time, or on account of injury to a player, until the ball is dead or out of play, but in the case of a try or free kick, the kick shall be allowed.
REFEREE.
3.—There shall be only one Referee for a match. He shall enforce the rules and penalties; adjudicate upon disputes, or cases unprovided for by rules; appoint an umpire, touch and goal judges, and a timekeeper, who shall not be a member of either of the competing clubs; keep the score, and at the conclusion of the match declare the result.
UMPIRE.
The Umpire shall have power to stop the game by sounding a whistle for any infringement of the rules regarding off-side, charging, hacking, or obstructing, when the ball shall be considered dead, and his decision shall be final in such cases.
TOUCH AND GOAL JUDGES.
Touch Judges shall inform the Referee how and where the ball goes into touch, and when it is not brought out at right angles to where it went in. Goal Judges shall inform the Referee when the ball goes over the cross-bar and between the posts (or the posts produced), of the goal.
The ball shall be considered in play until the Referee or the Umpire (in those cases where authority has been delegated to him under above rules), stops the game, which he may do at any time, and which he must do at once when irregularity of play occurs, by sounding a whistle. His decision shall be final, and not subject to any appeal.
GOAL.
4.—When the ball is kicked (except by a punt, flying kick, kick-out, or kick-off), from the grounds without touching the ground or any other player, over the cross-bar between the posts (or the post produced), of the opponent's goal, it shall be a goal.
SCORE.
5.—A match shall be decided by a majority of points. A goal kicked from a try shall score six points (in which case the try shall not be scored); from a drop-kick or place-kick in course of play, five; from a free-kick, four; a free-kick, by way of a penalty, two; a try shall score four; a safety-touch, two; and a rouge, one.
KICK-OFF.
6.—The ball shall be kicked-off: (a) at the commencement of the game, by the side making that choice; (b) after change of goals by the opposite side; (c) after a goal or try has been scored by the side losing the goal, or having the try scored against them.
The ball shall be kicked more than five yards, and shall not pitch in touch, the opponents shall stand at least ten yards in front of the ball, until it is kicked.
In case of infringement the ball shall be kicked off again if the Captain of the opposite side require it, but if the ball pitch twice in touch on the kick-off, it shall be scrimmaged by the side not offending, on the spot where it was kicked.
KICK-OUT.
7.—The ball shall be kicked-out by the side in whose goal it has gone, after a rouge or safety-touch.
The ball shall not pitch in touch, and the opponents shall not interfere with the kicker within twenty-five yards of his own goal-line.
In case of infringement the ball shall be kicked out again if the captain of the opposite side require it, but if the ball pitch twice in touch from the kick-out it shall be scrimmaged, by the side not offending, on the spot where it was last kicked.
SCRIMMAGE.
8.—When the ball is fairly held within the grounds, one of the side to which it belongs shall immediately bring it into play where it was held by placing the ball on the ground dead in front of him not further back than on a line with the front foot of the foremost scrimmager. Any player may then put the ball in motion in any direction with his foot.
If any player being on the ground does not immediately get up; or if the ball is not immediately put into play; or if an opponent interferes with the ball being put into play; or if during a scrimmage any player gets upon his knees, lies upon the ball or touches it with his hand; or being out of the scrimmage stands in front of the ball, the side not offending shall have a free kick.
9.—No team shall be allowed possession of the ball for more than three scrimmages, unless during the last scrimmage the ball has been advanced five yards, by a run, or unless the ball has been kicked toward an opponent's goal and has been blocked by an opponent.
The advance to be left entirely to the judgment of the Umpire.
TOUCH.
10.—When a ball goes into touch off a player it shall belong to the opposite side; when it is carried into touch it shall belong to the side possessing it.
One of the side to which it belongs shall immediately bring it into play at right angles to where it went into touch; (a) by bounding it in the grounds, or (b) by throwing it out.
In case of infringement, the opposite side shall immediately bring it into play.
OFF-SIDE.
11.—A player is off-side if during a scrimmage he is altogether in front of the ball, or if the ball has been last touched by one of his own side behind him. A player cannot be off-side in his own goal.
An off-side player is placed on-side: (a) when the ball touches an opponent; (b) when one of his side has run in front of him with the ball; or (c) when one of his side has run in front of him, having kicked the ball when behind him.
If a player being off-side, in the grounds, or in touch, touches the ball (or comes within five yards of the place where an opponent touches the ball) or obstructs or annoys an opponent, the opposite shall have, at their option, a free kick where the off-side play occurred or a scrimmage on the spot where the ball was last played by the offending side before such off-side play occurred, unless such spot was behind the goal-line, in which case a free kick only shall be allowed. If the off-side play occur within goal the free kick shall be taken five yards in front of the goal-line.
12.—When a side has obtained a try, except in touch-in-goal, one of its players shall bring the ball straight up to the goal-line, and thence out into the grounds, not more in front of the goal than where it was touched down, or fairly held, and there place it for one of his side to kick.
When a side has obtained a try in touch-in-goal as under Rule 1, Section 14, one of its players shall bring the ball out on the nearer touch line and then place it for one of his side to kick.
The kicker's side shall not be in front of the ball when it is kicked, and no player of his side except the placer shall touch the ball until it is kicked, and in case of infringement a goal cannot be scored from such a try.
The goal shall not be disallowed because of the player being off-side or in touch.
FAIR CATCH.
13.—When a player makes a fair catch he shall be awarded a free kick, if he marks the spot with his foot, does not attempt to run after making such mark, and none of his own side touches the ball. When a side is awarded a free kick by way of a penalty, the Referee shall mark the spot, and any one of its players may take the kick.
A player who has been awarded a free kick shall kick or place the ball, from any point directly behind the mark.
The ball must be kicked five yards or touch an opponent, and in case of infringement of this rule, the opposite side shall scrimmage the ball where the mark was made.
14.—Where one side has been awarded a free kick by way of a penalty its Captain may claim and in the discretion of the Referee (if he considers the offence for which the free-kick is given to have been deliberate), be awarded a scrimmage ten yards in advance of the mark where the free kick was given, except where such mark is within ten yards of their opponent's goal-line, in which case only the kick shall be allowed.
15.—In case of a try at goal the opponent may charge from the goal-line and in case of a free kick, from in line with the mark, as soon as the ball is kicked, or touches the ground, or another player of the kicker's side.
If an opponent charges or interferes when he has no right to do so, the kicker shall have his kick over again, if he claims it.
16.—In case of a kick-off, kick-out or free-kick, the kicker's side shall not be in front of the ball when it is kicked, and in case of infringement the opposite side shall scrimmage the ball where the kick was made or allowed by the Referee.
PASSING.
17.—A player may pass the ball at any time. If a player makes a foul within the grounds, unless a fair catch has been made, the opposite side shall scrimmage the ball at the place where the foul was made.
HACKING, OBSTRUCTING, ETC.
18.—No player shall hold with his hands or arms an opponent who has not the ball, and, when not running at or with the ball himself, shall not charge or obstruct an opponent who has not the ball, under penalty of a free-kick to the side not offending or the offending player being ruled off.
A player may obstruct, charge, interfere with, or hold an opponent who has the ball.
No player shall hack, trip, scragg, or tackle an opponent below the knee under penalty of a free kick, and no one shall play in a match wearing projecting metal or gutta percha on any part of his clothing.
During the scrimmage players may obstruct or block opponents with the body but shall not hold with the hands or arms.
19.—No play shall be allowed wherein two or more players are massed by the side having possession of the ball in front of the player having possession of the ball under penalty of a free kick, or of the loss of the possession of the ball.
ROUGH PLAY.
20.—If a player makes any unfair or rough play, or disputes any decision of the Referee, the Referee may rule him off for the remainder of the game, or for such time as he may deem expedient, and no substitute shall be allowed. In any case the Referee may report such player to the Union, and the Union may suspend such player, and any club which plays with him.
Any player suspended or expelled by any District Union shall not be allowed to play in any of the other unions affiliated with the Canadian Rugby Union, until suspension or expulsion has been revised at an annual meeting of the Canadian Rugby Union.