An interesting medal for a Trial Match staged by the Football Association at Arsenal FC's Highbury ground to experiment with proposed changes to the o

An interesting medal for a Trial Match staged by the Football Association at Arsenal FC's Highbury ground to experiment with proposed changes to the offside law,  Amateurs v Professionals of the South, 30th March 1925, 15ct. gold, inscribed obverse and reverse, weight 22gr., diameter 29mm., condition good, no case The experiment was with the two-player rule (1925). The Scottish F.A. urged the change from a three-player to a two-player offside rule as early as 1893. Such a change was first proposed at a meeting of IFAB in 1894, where it was rejected. It was proposed again by the SFA in 1902, upon the urging of Celtic FC, and again rejected. A further proposal from the SFA also failed in 1913, after the Football Association objected. The SFA advanced the same proposal in 1914, when it was again rejected after opposition from both the Football Association and the Welsh F.A. Meetings of the International Board were suspended after 1914 because of the First world War. After they resumed in 1920, the SFA once again proposed the two-player rule in 1922, 1923, and 1924. In 1922 and 1923, the Scottish Association withdrew its proposal after English FA opposed it. In 1924, the Scottish proposal was once again opposed by the English FA, and defeated; it was, however, indicated that a version of the proposal would be adopted the next year. On 30 March 1925, the FA arranged a trial match at Highbury where two proposed changes to the offside rules were tested. During the first half, a player could not be offside unless within forty yards of the opponents' goal-line. In the second half, the two-player rule was used. The two-player proposal was considered by the FA at its annual meeting on 8 June. Proponents cited the new rule's potential to reduce stoppages, avoid refereeing errors, and improve the spectacle, while opponents complained that it would give "undue advantage to attackers"; referees were overwhelmingly opposed to the change. The two-player rule was nevertheless approved by the FA by a large majority. At IFAB's meeting later that month, the two-player rule finally became part of the Laws of the Game. The two-player rule was one of the more significant rule changes in the history of the game during the 20th century. It led to an immediate change in the style of play, with the game becoming more stretched, "short passing giving way to longer balls", and the development of the W-M formation. It also led to an increase in goalscoring: 4,700 goals were scored in 1,848 Football League Games in season 1924-25. This number rose to 6,373 goals (from the same number of games) in 1925-26. For the record, the Amateurs won the Trial Match at Highbury 3-1.