| Show It EXPERT REVIEWS CHANGES IN FOOTBALL RULES 1 I g I r BY JOHN B. B FOSTER INCE tho the congress cons of the rule maky mak- mak y 5 1 ers following the congress cons of ot tho the colleges toot football ball has haz been mental It will be experimental 1 again i. i ifs rs Is year ear From a a. creation of ot fact It t IB retrograded or progressed progressed-as as the del dee 1 Is 13 of ot the tho old school or the tho new newa new new- a condition of or evolution e. No o matter whether the present con con- Uon is pleasant to the football en- en or not it Is not a theor theory which 1 fronts those who are fond of or the thet t pastime It is a very real con- con out of which It will take effort and concerted effort to bring It ck a p. game which shall hall eventually o bee be- be e standard standard- so 30 that it will be pos pos- k tir to compare again with intelli- intelli pence successive annual achievements various colleges an and 1 I Itt reL There ere h ha has been no ito standard since tho the dIe ales were first revised The stylo of or nie has bas varied ao so under tinder the which were wele put lut Into effect b by ell cli til meaning that hRs has been moro more or less Jess a hodge- hodge I dge t for the tho last few seasons T rr It Took Time The The first fitt year that the ho forward pass f 8 m made de permissible erml the thu coUce teams until well along In November o flare etore they discovered what could be 1 by the forward pass In be game Th They C did not know how to Ie B U Jt until Yale paved 1 the way b by Bowing an entirely ly now maneuver Princeton It was such a v po vi play IQ t and productive of so much sod i to alo alo that other colleges at- at empted It and a year car or so 90 later ator the tho off Ible lb men en Who harl had made the play itlay PO pos pos- e to restrict It because It co conform f rm with the somewhat una un- un ertain idea a of or tho game Kamo amo that t they e had it seemed to lend to rough- rough 11 bell Q i and the tho theory of oC evolved ol foot- foot is to eliminate U as much as ns possible u ness from nul fluid 1 activity Ot that that football Is to bo be a mado made a n fr f for r weaklings or those hoSl B i their Is hi l moro more devol- devol C Ui ii the thc coura courage e but to do away banging the bouncing and the which had Ind been the dl ot or Publication of more than titan ono one So Injury list Mat d If game ame which will wili again be 1 und and ely which will present cn en- en ihre Y new this year Veal is 15 not to 10 bo Q or of Vf everybody c who vho plays play it or ort tees c It il Played pla the wa to lo t way help cia 1 lis not to to sit Idl idly b by and abuse abuso ft S those who arc struggling with a task which has hat measured measure 1 Itself ably against them thorn but to lo assist in every wa way to brin bring bring- tho the sport nearer nearer- to the happy da day dav wh when n it will bo be agreed d to lot the rules rufes alone for fOI a u. while The weakness of or tho football rules as the they existed In 1911 was that strictly strictly strict strict- ly observed It was not always I possible for the tho team which played plad the best football to win under their thell wording That I Is a condition which will quickly dishearten the votaries of any sport and It Is hi to the credit of oC rho rite rules committee that they thes- were quick to co cooperate cooperate co- co operate with the tho jJr press SR which called caned for fOI chall changes cI before the tho season was two- two thirds completed An eleven by excellent work worle ml might ht carry the ball hall tel let within five flye yards of tho the opposing goal Koal and then lose it Inthe inthe In Inthe the the- effort to mako make a touchdown That might happen half a dozen times In inthe tho the course of or a con contest lest To tr try to score a touchdown is one of the tho most praiseworthy points that a 1 train team can make maee Football has s been built aroun around that What hat can there be more satisfactory satisfactory satis satis- factory than titan to 10 cross crosb the tue line of or the enem enemy In a perfectly fair lair and honorable honorable honorable honor honor- able manner It may be galling Ailing to the defending al side yet t as in all honorable contests there thero is 19 praise lot for tho the loser bed nw tH well vell as the winner Imagine however the effect that It had bad on au an nil eh eleven cn of fairly good players when three or four Cour times tIle they penetrated penetrated pene pene- tt the tho o lines of or tho the enem enemy to within a n a. a few ow feet of their goal only to be beaten by the other side which never I once was nearer to tho the goal line op- op them than thirty yards ards but was provided 1 with some accurate kicker who in a half dozen attempts manag manas man- man as ag il ll to get the ball ban once between tho the goal posts and over o the bar Not I IOn On tho the ono otto side there was vas an nn c exhIbition exhibition ex ex- of ot that football which Is the basic bailie principle of ot the sport the football football football foot foot- ball which Is football of tho the Rugby t type pe On the thc other aide olde a 3 specialized player a assisted Ti others who wore not necessarily high-class high football players pla could offset all the tho work vork of or eleven cn good men mn on the opposing side sille and almost do the work worl of eleven cleven men menon menon menon on his own side When hen tho the rules w were wro ro first changed such and when the modification was as made malIc which permitted players to be dropped out and others take tako their places with stihi 1111 further liberty permitting permitting- the original players to return it was tho the writer who called c attention to the fact tact that this would eventually work to the disadvantage u of the game eHm in n general In that it would pave the wa way for t thO specialized plu player er the thi man who could could- r do 10 but hut one thing and who after he had hall done dunc that would ho dropped out of or ortho the tho contest to make room for a better around all pla player erIt er It so happened Time The pinch kicker came caine to have his place In football as tho tIme pinch batter has s his place In III base baseball ball Goth are arc rc modifications modification of oC the original Idea of or the tho sports to which tile they owe allegiance Tho Tue primary Intention in intention In- In of or tho ho football and the tho primary intention of oC baseball Is that the contests contests con con- tests testIS shall bo be e decided by a certain number number num num- ber of or men representing each side en engaged en en- en aged who are to take and make the fortunes of the games as the they the come conic and anI not b by a c certain number of oC players who bear the brunt of tho the battle to a point where they tIley are nrc to be he relieved b by a certain number of specialists who can perform but one feat Ceat New e Gridiron This Thin Y Year First of all ull th the chan change e of the tIme size sire of oC the gridiron will be cOnsidered It has hus been heen shortened to yards In length lens ll By the time way a this is a concession concession conces conces- sion slon to the attacking side Ide Later on as nS the time various changes In the rules are arc taken up It will be lie observed l that much mitch of the modification made b bv by the committee com coin In the winter of or 1911 favored the te lOl carrying the hall ball as alS opposed to the team defending the goal Koal This of or course follows tho time theory that the game irume had hail proved a deterrent to a team lenin which possessed a brilliant football at attack at- at tack but which hichi found Cound It unable to penetrate a concentrated defense deemo be beyond beyond beyond be- be yond the twenty five yard line Tho Thin presumption is that players will find It less severe ere to tr try to advance the ball bail over 01 a field which h Is bl bisected at fifty yards ards How much Ie less severe remains to be he proved It always has been een the contention of players that the last five yards of the tho attack arc are the hardest to force That Is la true not so 10 much because of exhaustion on the part of ot the attacking side as of reso lution on the tIme part art of the defending side The Tue chances are that the length of or the tue gridiron was vas reduced alon aJon along th the of making the gaines Raines le less tr trying tot for younger oun er pla players l. ers Collectively el I presume that th the amputation a of ot t ton ten n yards ards of playing playing- surface will wUI result In tho the saving of a C great deal of ot physical encI energy enery If IC one but know the statistics of ot saving throughout the United States Yet young oun blood is so 80 Prone to bestir itself and romp around that whether tho the playing area I Is yards ar or yards the chances are arc that each of the contestants will be E equally eQuall tired vv Off Kick Mound In conjunction with the tho reduced 1 size of ot the field It must be he taken Into consideration con cor sl that when tho ball is put in play pin the We team which blob hd it in its Ita t possession must start from its own yard forty artI line Thus it is i evident that the attacking side from off kick really has to go 0 five yards yard further than was the case before tho the rules were amended True Tru that may be compensated for In the tho possession possession pos pos- session of or a n good placement nt kicker A strong well developed young man with abundance of muscle in thigh and calf and time the ability to know lenow lie how to kick well very likely will lift IUt tho time ball close to the goal oal lino line at sixty yards especially when the wind Is with him At tho the old distance of five fifty yar yards s sIt it was not uncommon for the time ball tobe to tobo tobo bo be Into touch on the kick If ono one were to figure however on 01 the time general average of ot distance from kickoff kickoff kick kick- of off It would be found that the ball more frequently has stopped within fair Call fairground fairground ground than In touch so that the extra five yards yard which have ha been heen added to tho the first effort of or the attack are arc a lit little little lit lit- tle tl tax which the rules committee has imposed on 01 the tIme Ml iid side c first In possession lon of the ball As AR most of ot the Imposts have been placed on the aide which defends 18 the goal Joal against tho the attack this extra five yards perhaps will not to bo be all any vcr very serious factor in settling tho the probable benefits of this I years year's changes Radical Now i In con connection ecton with the shortened short short- coed ened gridiron comes ono of or the tho most radical departures In tho the history of or football It Is a question as to to how walt It will work workout out and Is the greatest greatest greatest great great- est co concession which hus bus been made to those who have not only insisted but have proved pro that the tho game gamo as played In 1911 1111 was unbalanced and unequal un un- un- un equal This year ear the number of ot downs will willbe willbe be five instead of at four Cour One never novel heard much about the fourth down in football because e the fourth down mid arid the first down were ero sort Mort of synonymous synon- synon maui maUll as It H wore were The referee called out first down four foul yar yards to gain aln second down three yards to gain third down two yards to gain but the fourth down never materialized It re resolved re- re soh solved d Itself Into time the first down for tor the the time defense This season there will be an actual fourth wn d In other words th the at attacking attacking Ht- Ht tacking side will wl have throe three tries with the ball The Thie referee will call first do down second down third down and fourth down If It necessary It was sas wen well c established Il last year ear b by s systematic review of the games gaines which were ere played throughout the United States at that the tennis teams could not gain aln successfully on 00 tho the four down basis toY for yards The average Verago distance gained was less than eight yar yards s In fact tact nearer seven sc yards as the r 1 rules es provided for tOI ground round gaining in 1911 In other words the ten yard jard four tour down rule was waa a farce It simply meant that players could run their legs off ore with practically no a assurance urance that the they were about to accomplish anything S Naturally that was wag not good sport and football like any other pastime m must st be good soad I sport port If It It is to be made enjoyable e. e Occasional There were exceptions now and then when some ome eleven leven would carr carry the ban ball brilliantly over OVel the time tiel field Yale made marIo one or two or three efforts In Its games gamos B By strategy and clever cleer maneuvering ma- ma the players got within the twenty twenty- five yard zone b by advancing the ball strictly within the Intent o othe of the time sport Once within the twenty five tive yard yan zone the defending side Mille concentrated concentrate Its players against the team tum with tho the ball balt and almost Invariably the time attacking attacking attack attack- In ing side sullenly had to fall back on tho the attempt to kick hick a field goal oal or was ILS compelled to surrender the ball with the time goal roal In sl sight ht but Impossible to accomplish when the number ol of downs down permissible was not In direct proportion to the tho distance which had to be bo gained The writer went back to the time detailed accounts of or games gaines which hind hall been heen Played in 1909 1910 and 1911 antI and carefully carefully care care- tull fully going over o the statements aa as to tho the dl distance tance gained on the prescribed number of ot downs I came to tho the conclusion sion Iol that It would be better for the sport If the gridiron were changed to toone toone toone one of tit yards the number of oC downs to be retained at ut three and antI the distance dis dis- lance tance to be pained gained alne on downs b be made eight yards Instead of ot ten This would have hav brought forward a gridiron yards ards in length equally subdivided by parallels drawn at distances of eight yards artIs each cacti Of Ot course this gridiron of at yards ii with Ith Its eight yard parallels and Its threw three downs down was ba based ell on the presumption presumption presumption pre pre- that most of time the other r rull rules s would be retained permitting the forward forward for for- ward ivard pass and such pla plays playa s as had been Introduced Into the time game gamo with the orl original revision ilore n The 11 yard gridiron was considered consid consid- ered but It was the opinion of ot some that It tended to make the time g game uno on omm requiring more endurance on the tho part of ot the tho something which the committee was wan trying to 10 moderate moderato increase That opinion rather i than rather that than seems to be rather far fat fetched In view w wot of ot the fact tact that the time players would be bo required but six sis feet more moro than they were asked to gain un under the tho old u i-u rules I cc As th a me e ha hall had 1 been Played the tho S Information gleaned from th the tho J accounts of ot games game of ut three years a as I ha has hus been beon stated It had been found I that elevens cle were vere fairly luck lucky when the they gained eight yards ards in four tour downs B By reducing reducing- the number of or yards ards to be bu S gained from ten tn to eight and so re re- re arranging the tIme gridiron that there could be no possible chance chanco to confuse confuse con con- fuse tho the players It was as the opinion o ut of the writer and of if some sortie of the eXpert exper football men of or the tho east that a happy |
