Quote Originally Posted by Lee Lifeson-Peart View Post
Did the definition of "forward" in Law 12 once say towards the opposing team's goal line and not dead ball line so by virtue of being beyond the goal line an attacking team couldn't knock on in in-goal?

I heard that one about 25 years ago.
In the early days there was no definition of "forward". Unusually, Royds does not pick up on the subtle difference and I have only a few snapshots betweeen 1871 and 1974, so I can't be sure when the changes occurred.

1871
27. Knocking on ie deliberately hitting the ball with the hand and Throwing Forward ie throwing the ball in the direction of the opponents' goal line are not lawful, and in either case the Captain of the opposite side may require the player to bring it back to the place of the infringement and there put it down.

1908
Knocking-On and Throwing-Forward, are propelling the ball by the hand or arm in the direction of the opponents' in-goal

1949
A knock-on occurs when the ball, after striking the hand or arm of a player, travels in the direction of his opponents' dead ball line.