Practising men for special positions.—It is essential that Goal-keeper, Point, Cover-Point, Centre and Home should he special men accustomed to those positions; and we purpose giving their necessary qualifications and duties in this place.
Goal-keeper.—(See Chapter xiii.)
Point—Should stand in a line opposite Goal-keeper, at a distance of not more, usually, than forty feet, though his exact position should be regulated by the size of the ground, the disposition of his nearest opponents, and the fortunes of the game. He has one of the most important posts on the field,—a sort of key of the defence,—needing considerable self-reliance. A good Point keeps many a ball from the goal, and, in a hard-pushed game, is of invaluable service. He is supposed to be destruction to all attempts at dodging, good for any “shouldering” if necessary, a good runner, and last, but not least, a fair goal-keeper: indeed, the perfection of Point is to combine the qualifications of every player with a reliableness which peculiarly marks his position. He should avoid dodging near his own goal; be perfectly
