Show jj ving r Premium for Fouling FRANK K BAKER BAKER- One would hardly expect the rules committee to intentional violation of the football put a premium on code but that very thing has been done by the practice of permitting members members' of the kicking tea team to down per rJ j the ball bail S f. f I For a long time the ends have practiced the art of go going going go- go kicks to down the balland ball balland ing under their teams team's k from returning it and prevent the enemy This thing is particularly practiced when the ball rolls Inside the enemy yard 20 line the idea being to keep it from going over the goal line S S S f 0 The practice has been used so long that most folks have forgotten that it is a violation The penalty for t 1 j su such h a violation section G 6 is loss of ball to opponents of foul a at t spot In truth it hardly seems like like a penalty for that is L exactly w what at the offender wants to bring about Force l the enemy to take the ball at that spot instead of some other place on on tl the e field S S S That the play is definitely regarded as a foul however however how hoW- ever cyer is indicated by the other section of rules which specifies that the play shall be recalled if the defensive the which the thc t team am makes a violation on same play on kicking team downs its own punt In other words downing the ball shall constitute a foul that is offset bythe by bythe t the the enemy enemy- violation and demand deman that the play be made again agam S S S Fouling on Purpose Not Proper S Spirit irit for Game Lieutenant Charles H. H Swartz of the R. R O. O T. T C. C unit at the University of Utah and one of the Rocky Rock mountain football officials believes that something should be done to clarify the situation He says the problem has been one of his pet hobbies for several years sears cars during which time he has officiated In various sections of ot that country and for the games in mi Hawaii The present setup has been in vogue so long that it seems a bit strange to have it questioned but as affairs now are the rules permit a player to profit prom by fouling That certainly is a poor spirit with which I to infuse a player and what Swartz has to say grows on one with a little study S S S Permitting a pla player er to down the ball ordin ordinarily en enI enL enables en- en L ables the kicking team to cover up a poor punt By that Z- Z I 1 mean that the team is always eager to keep keel a ball I 4 from rolling back toward t the e spot from rom which it was kicked or from continuing on across the goal line In which case the ball is put in play from the yard 20 line I Lieutenant Swartz argues that a a. a punt punt which goes out of bounds on the five or yard six-yard line is a dandy bit bitof bitof l' l of kicking but a punt that would roll across the goal line unless stopped by a member of the kicking team team tean is isI t not good eno enough gh to e entitle itle the team to put the enemy in such a precarious position I In fairness he points out the receiving team ought to have the thc chance of letting it roll on across the line OJ ri r- r n I i Iii In case the ball loses loses' its own momentum and finally f. f comes comes to rest a few inches from the goal line it is kicking kicking kick- kick j ing success to which the the pu punters are entitled Yardage Penalty Might Solve I I Present Situation I Iball The lieutenants lieutenant's comment Is Interesting Either the downing of the ball by the kicking t team am should not be regarded as a violation in the t first place or if it is to be taken in that light it should carry a yardage penalty say a live five or ten yard loss from the spot of the violation One of the eastern games recently presented a situation supporting the lieutenants lieutenant's argument A punt was bounding unerringly toward the thel thelI I goal line A member of the kicking team tried to down it but couldn't 0 quite reach it He did the next best thing thing batting batting it out of bounds on t tO the yard one-yard line As a result the receiving team had the ball on the yard one-yard line instead of the yard 20 line Because of the present rules it it was a smart move by the player who batted the ball out of bounds but the kick didn't merit putting the enemy in such a hole S S S Now Whose Face Is Red H i i Copy readers are like athletic officials You tolerate them be a j cause causo you have to They're really not a a. bad lo lot lot either either the men with th the whistles j t or the guys S 'S with the red pencils except pencils except they have a disturbing P habit of putting a a. fellow on the spot 5 Only Ony this week In one of my weaker moments I captioned a a. I. I about the elimination of the center jump in ba basketball In this S fashion I J Shall We Abolish It j i x The next day the stand standing In head bead to this column was appended to a ballot marked Yes and No and placed prominently In my T typewriter I t 1 Every last one of ot the copy readers had bad put his X In the Yes Ye pace space j. j Truly a prophet is not without honor save In his own office |