One board game for two players designed to simulate the annual Yale vs. Harvard football game. The box cover depicts about 12 players in a scrum on a football field. Players wear either blue for Yale or red for Harvard, and the cover features Harvard and Yale pennants on the top left and the top right of the box. The box also features a referee watching the action, a grandstand filled with fans, and a single goalpost.

The cardboard game board depicts a football field with cheering fans behind each end zone wearing red for Harvard or blue for Yale. The game board has 266 squares laid out in a grid (19 x 14). The last row of the grid on each end of the board features four squares with footballs immediately in front of two additional squares in the center of the grid labeled “Goal.” The main board has seven blue and red dots to indicate the starting position for each team’s tokens.

One side of the board has a pull-out drawer that holds seven blue and seven red tokens. Each team has three tokens with the number “3,” two tokens with the number “4”, and two tokens with the number “5.” The numbers indicate the maximum number of spaces each token can move on the board. This collection is missing the football token that represents the ball. The first team to control the ball and maneuver it into one of the “Goal” squares is the winner of the game.

The inside cover of the box contains the game rules, which read:

“Rules for playing the Yale-Harvard Game, copyright 1894 by Parker Brothers, Publishers, Salem, Mass., U.S.A.

Highest awards for games granted Parker Brothers, World’s Columbian Exposition, 1893.

The game is particularly suited for players fond of games which give an opportunity for the use of skill and strategy. Out of nearly two hundred games in our line, the public has recommended this as one of the best.

While, in a general sense following the modern idea of “Foot-Ball,” the inventors have not limited their process of playing to restrictions so closely following the game that they would hamper rather than aid.

Pieces. One player should take seven red pieces, signifying the Harvard side of the game, and the other player should take seven blue, or Yale pieces. Three of each side should be numbered No. 2, two numbered No. 4, two numbered No. 5. Each seven pieces should be placed on the seven round spots of their own color; the Ball (the tall piece) should be given to the side which is to make the first move.

A player may place his men on the spots in just such an arrangement as he chooses. That is to say, he may put his pieces on any of the spots of their own color. He may, for example, put one No. 5; two No. 3’s and one No. 4 in the front “Rush Line” as the line nearest his opponent’s goal is called. Or, he may change the entire order, if he chooses. As a rule, it is well to have on No. 5, on No. 3, and two No. 4’s in the “Rush Line.”

The object of the player on one side is to secure the ball, and “run” with it to the other side of the board in hopes to get it into the opposing goal. The side first accomplishing this object wins the game.

The number on a piece indicates the number of squares over which that piece can move in a straight line. A piece need not move the exact number of spaces over which it has power to move, but can move a smaller number in a straight line, if desired, except when carrying the ball, in which case it must be an “exact move,” that is, move as far as its number indicates. Example. A No. 5 not running with the ball can move either one, two, three, four or five squares as the player may choose. But, if bearing the ball, the No. 5 piece must move five squares in a straight line, in other words, make an exact move, or some other piece must be moved.

Pieces can move in any direction in a straight line from space they occupy, either forwards, backwards, sidewise or diagonally, provided no piece blocks their way. A piece cannot move over another piece if it is in the way.

1. To start the game, one side takes the ball, and by placing it on any one of the four men in the “Rush Line” moves as many squares in a straight line in any unblocked direction as the number on that piece indicates. Example. If the player puts the ball upon a No. 4 piece in his “Rush Line,” he must move the ball and piece together four squares in a straight line either forwards, sidewise, or diagonally (or backwards if he wishes) with the ultimate object of reaching the opponent’s goal.

2. Of course, the natural move is to go forward, either directly in front, or diagonally, a player governing the direction of his move so as to avoid the capture of the ball by his opponent. It then becomes the other player’s turn to move, he moving either to protect his goal, or trying to get his men into such a position that he may with one of them, succeed in capturing the ball from the opposing piece bearing it.

Players move alternately.

Capturing the Ball.

3. The ball may be captured from the piece running with it when an opposing piece can, by exact move, land upon the same square occupied by the piece “running with the ball,” pushing that piece just one square beyond in a direct line, or if the piece is at the edge of the board, and cannot be put ahead, pushing it one space toward the square the capturing piece last played from.

4. On thus seizing the ball, the player has one other move, which, of course, must be an exact move. His object being to get the ball to his opponent’s goal.

Passing the ball.

5. This is a very pretty and useful move. When a player has two or more pieces in the same horizontal row, one of them carrying the ball, he may pass the ball from one piece to the other, if it his turn to play, and if there is no opposing piece between them, he must then continue as a part of the same move to play the piece to which he passes the ball as an “exact move.” Example, if red has two pieces on the same row, one piece numbered 3, bearing the ball and the other piece being numbered 4, if it is his turn to move, he may pass the ball from No. 3 to No. 4, moving No. 4 four squares with the ball in any direction.

6. N.B. A player cannot pass the ball from one of his pieces to another of his pieces unless they are in the same horizontal row (not when in a row running lengthwise of the board.)

7. N.B. If red has three pieces in a row, there being no interposing pieces between them, he may pass the ball to either one of the two which he chooses even over the head of one of his own pieces, but never over the head of an opposing piece.

Holding Down. 8. It sometimes happens that it is advisable to hold down an opposing piece to prevent its further interference. This can be done when the player has a piece just far enough from an opposing piece to reach it by an exact move. The player may, in this case, put his piece on top of his opponent’s piece; his opponent, then, being unable to move that piece until the other has moved off. As players progress in the game, they will find this move a decided advantage at times.

9. A piece holding another down can “let go” its hold, that is, move off, counting its move just the same as if it was on the flat board. Until the upper piece “let’s go,” the under one cannot be moved.

Goal Move

10. To win the game, a player must succeed in carrying the ball on to one of his opponent’s two Goal squares. A player need not reach Goal by exact move, should his exact move properly take him past the Goal; that is if piece No. 5 has reached a point three spaces away, in a direct line from one of the Goal squares, on his next turn, he moves his piece to the Goal square and wins the game.

11. This move is called a Goal-Move and it is only while making a Goal-Move, that a player running with the ball is allowed to move less squares than the number on it signifies. And, of course, a piece can never move more spaces than the number on it signifies.

12. Should a player be unable to move his piece bearing the ball the full number of spaces on account of his being blocked in or surrounded, he must move some other piece. It is very rarely that a piece is so cornered but that it has one or two ways of making an exact move.

13. The red and blue spots on the board have no significance, save to show where to set the pieces at the beginning of the game, but the four spaces in front of the goal spaces have.

14. Players defending their goal squares cannot move into their goal squares nor on the four football squares in front of them to block their opponent from getting in.

15. Be sure to move all pieces in a straight line, whether forwards, backwards, sidewise, or diagonally. The two tints upon the board will aid the player in doing this correctly.

Remarks.

Remember that an Exact move is a move in a straight line (forwards, backwards, sidewise or diagonally) of as many spaces as the number on the piece indicates.

No. 2. Remember that a piece carrying the ball must make an exact move, except sometimes when making the goal move.

No. 3. Remember a piece not carrying the ball is not obliged to make an exact move, but can move fewer spaces in a straight line than the number on it indicates, if desired.

N.B. A player one of whose pieces carries the ball need not move the ball every turn. It is often advisable to move other pieces instead.

To Lovers of Games.

Out of two hundred games published by the firm of Parker Brothers especially recommend the following: Ask for them. Popular Board Games. Innocence Abroad, $1.25. Bicycle Game, 60 cents. Travel (new, popular education) $1.25. “The Limited Mail” (new and popular) $1.25. Barnum’s Greatest Show (realistic amusement for children) $1.25. Hopity, the popular game of skill for two, three or four players (famous for its jumping move) is admirable for children or adults, $1.00.

Board Games of skill. These are high-class games of rare merit for players over ten years of age and for adults. Chivalry (the most brilliant of all games of skill) $1.00. Card games for children. The Brownies and Other Queer Folk (card game in colors) 30 cents.

Dr. Busby (popular old card game in colors) 30 cents. Corner Grocery (trading game) 25 cents. Auction (new and very amusing) 50 cents.”

The bottom of the drawer holding the tokens reads:

“Parker Brothers’ Games took highest awards World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893.

The Parker Game Board, patented Oct. 2 1894.

The most convenient game board yet devised, holding the pieces. Can be used upon the lap as well as upon a table.

Send 1 cent stamp for Parker Brothers’ Illustrated Catalog of Game (175 games illustrated and described); lots worth having!”