Rule Book Specifications

I must apologise for the temporary chaotic state of this page. My hope is to display on this page images of exemplars of the different cover types used for CRU/CFL and similar rule books, in addition to providing specifics of their physical characteristics (dimensions, number of pages, content, etc.). For general purposes, I shall restrict myself to detailing the period 1876 (the earliest Rugby rule book of the Foot Ball Association of Canada) to 1984 (the final Spalding-CFL rule book). Rule books of the first two CRFUs, ORFU and QRFU will be included--if they ever turn up! As might be expected, the earlier years will likely be a bit more of a ghastly struggle, so any collector possessing multiple CRU rule books from 1920 or before is invited to contact me.

Various publishers, to 1948
10.5cm x 16.5/17.0 cm
Earlier rule books contain the constitution of the CRU and member unions and run about 100 or more pages. Others, particularly later years, contain just the rules and CRU Executive and champions. I have yet to inspect enough of these books to provide a definitive catalogue of them.

Spalding Rule Books, 1949 to 1984
The rule books published by Spalding between 1949 and 1984 (except 1961: Wilson) are the most commonly encountered rule books, thus a more systematic effort is here undertaken to catalogue their specifications.

Cover styles:


1949-?1950 (1949 shown)


1951


1952-1953 (1952 shown)


1954-1955 (1954 shown)


1956-?1959 (1956 and 1958 shown, modified Spalding logo first used in 1958)


1960


1961


1962-1966 (1966 shown)

Physical specifications

1949 to 1962
11.25 cm. x 13.75 cm.
Printed on stock of varying quality (1957 is particularly acidic). Note that the 1961 book was published by Wilson, who had the CFL ball contract for that season. For each year, the colour of the covers, number of pages and any other items of note are listed below.

1949 - medium blue cardstock with red and dark blue lettering, 88 p. (p. 88 blank)
1950 - medium blue cardstock with red and dark blue lettering
1951 - medium blue cardstock with red and dark blue lettering
1952 - dark green
1953 - dark green
1954 - dark green, 104 p. (pp. 102-104 blank)
1955 - dark green, 104 p. (pp. 103-104 blank)
1956 - red, 104 p. (pp. 103-104 blank)
1957 - blue, 104 p. (pp. 103-104 blank)
1958 - orange, 104 p. (pp. 103-104 blank)
1959 - ?
1960 - orange, 104 p. (p. 104 blank)
1961 - blue cardstock with black printing, 104 p. 25 cent cover price
1962 - light brown, 104p. 25 cent cover price

1963 to 1966
11.25 cm x 14.75 cm

1963 - light blue-green, 104p. 35 cent cover price
1964 - light brown
1965 - ?
1966 - light brown, 108 p. (pp. 107-108 blank), 75 cent cover price

1967 to 1984
12.25 cm. x 17.75 cm.
Rule book entirely re-written before 1967 season by the CFL and the Canadian Amateur Football Association (formerly the CRU), eliminating much of the confusing mix of rules, notes and authorised interpretations that cluttered up the old codification. (The pre-1967 rule book had accumulated without any systematic re-writing from the ORFU recodification in the spring of 1891, and had long been an unwieldy piece of legalese by the time it was revamped.) The new physical specifications brought the rule book in line with the size of the CFL Record Manual, introduced in 1966, as well as what would become the standard size of team media guides.

1967 - white
1968 - white
1969 - white, 64 p.
1970 - white, 64 p.
1971 - white, 64 p.
1972 - powder blue, 64 p.
1973 - powder blue, 72 p. (Final year of joint CFL/CAFA rule book)
1974 - powder blue, 72 p.
1975 - green, 72 p.
1976 - yellow, 72 p.
1977 - orange, 64 p.
1978 - red, 64 p.
1979 - red, 64 p.
1980 - green, 64 p.
1981 - tan, 64 p.
1982 - silver, 64 p.
1983 - gold, 64 p.
1984 - pale orange, 64 p.

From 1985 through 1990, the CFL rules were printed exclusively in the league's new Facts, Figures and Records publication. CFL, since 1991
10.10 cm. x 20.25 cm.
Somewhat varying in content and number of pages.

Exact measurements may vary from year to year or even copy to copy because of different printers or cutting tolerances.

Last updated: 4 August 2001
This page maintained by Ian Speers
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