What crap! The nanny crowd is raising woosies.
When I was in 8th grade (’56), boys would get to school about an hour early in good weather. About 30-40 boys would play ‘tackle the man with the ball’, and just as many girls would stand around to watch. For kids that age, it was sorta like proving your ‘manhood’ to others and trying to impress the girls (like birds do before mating) all at the same time.
A football would be thrown high in the air and the boy who caught it would then be chased by everyone until tackled to the ground. He would then throw the ball and everyone would chase after that ball catcher. ...Just our regular school clothes.
First class period found many boys with busted lips, bloody noses, torn shirts and lots of grass stains. No one went to the nurse’s office. The little minor boo-boos were like badges of honor.
Ha!
We did the same thing when I was in the 8th grade (5 years after you), except we called it “Maul Ball.” Great fun...
Back in the 60s, we called the game "Kill the Guy with the Ball." This may explain my passion for rugby.
Yeah...We called it “Pitch Up and Smear”....
My son and the neighborhood kids loved pick up football.