The Football Act of 1424 (c. 18) was a doctrine passed by the Parliament of Scotland during the reign of King James I.

As recorded by the Records of the Parliament of Scotland to 1707, through the University of St Andrews,[1] the act states: Or, in the official modern English translation of the act: This banning of football is mentioned in many other acts in this era of Scottish law, which additionally ban the sport of Golf (see Golf in Scotland), instead requiring further practice of archery by its citizens.

Through the repeated reference to the ban, it can be speculated that football still was played by the masses and the armies of the land, in spite of the decrees.

This playing of football was seen as a threat to the state's traditions at large, necessitating repeated bans and a further requirement of archery to be practiced by the masses in order to maintain their armies and traditions.

The ban was additionally a way for the nation of Scotland to remain separated from their rival nation of England, in face of their repeated attempts to absorb Scotland into English borders (see Wars of Scottish Independence).