What Unique Rules and Twists Has Yorkshire Added to Our Favourite Games?

Many of the world’s best-loved games have a long history of being played in Yorkshire. While the rules might appear the same wherever they’re played, by looking back, we can see how Yorkshire has been the birthplace of interesting new rules and ways of playing.

Local Bingo Calls for Added Flavour

Bingo’s history goes back centuries, with an Italian 16th-century lottery-style game the earliest inspiration for the modern game. It was then made into the modern game we know in the US in the early 20th century. When it reached Yorkshire, many of the region’s theatres and cinemas became bingo halls to meet the demand.

However, the most interesting aspect is that local bingo callers used Yorkshire lingo to add local flavour, paving the way for callers in other places to do the same. These days, British players can find online bingo live games with human callers. Versions such as Break the Bank and Whack a Mole add variety to the classic gameplay. A social aspect is added through live chat, giving the chance to speak to each other using whatever dialect they choose.

The Formation of Rugby League

We can’t discuss this subject without looking at the role played by Yorkshire in shaping rugby league. The original game of rugby football was created in Rugby, Warwickshire, in the 1840s. By the end of that century, there was a split in the sport, with clubs in Leeds and Bradford accused of paying players, while the Northern clubs complained that the sport’s committee was controlled by clubs in the South of the country.

A suspension for Huddersfield for offering cash incentives to star players helped add more fuel to the desire for change in Yorkshire. The matter came to a head in 1895, when the Northern Rugby Football Union was formed with the idea of running a separate competition. 21 clubs met in the George Hotel in Huddersfield to form what would be the basis of rugby league.

Football and the Sheffield Rules

Football has been played since medieval times, with folk games played by large teams across villages in different parts of the UK. The English Game TV series was filmed in different locations in Yorkshire and shows how the sport was made into the global phenomenon it is now. While much of the early history took place in Lancashire, Yorkshire played a huge role with its introduction of the Sheffield Rules.

These rules were created by Sheffield Football Club in 1857 and were put into action when the Sheffield Football Association was formed a decade later. These rules brought in the likes of free kicks and corner kicks, and are credited with helping to bring in heading as a skill. The Sheffield Rules were then used as the basis of the first competitive tournament in history, with the Youdan Cup taking place in Sheffield in 1867.

These unique twists added in Yorkshire all have a big part to play in the history of the popular games we’ve looked at, helping to turn them into the massively popular activities that they have become.