Show FRANK I K BAKER BAKER- If the proposal t to give a point for each first down downin in In f football does nothing else it may bring about more c careful reul officiating in the die matter of first downs r Th recommendation co erid by y eastern gridiron officials that the t touchdown be eliminated and that the policy of granting granting grant grant- ing ang a point for each f first down clown be substituted i in the scoring r- r teis tern s worthy of s sober consideration n It sounds strange to be true r e but there is much that can be bek 1 k id in its ts s behalf Football ball men never have been fu fully y s satisfied with the c point af after r touchdown but have clung to it t virtually because they they- have been unable to substitute s something decidedly better V The conversion sion was originally put in the game as a pre premium premiumS lum S or r a reward fo for making a touchdown Gridiron authorities felt th that t it would be a means of minimizing the number of tie games Iut years of f usage h have ve left the impression that many victories fj L by a kick after t touchdown have ave scarcely been earned arned I S C r r t t A good becomes unduly valuable to a Ii team The Thc dub club u which actually earns its iu touchdown with a long 0 march arch but bu misses the he tr try for the tho extra point to too fr frequently I i v loses to the club which scores score on a a. fluke and arid converts VV v S v Th There e are ares are's some me comp complications however to the introduction first down which must be carefully weighed before of a point per t. t the idea d a is adopted In the first place means should be provided to mea measure ure the theto 10 to yards a team must make in four downs far more accurately l c than can be done dona under under the present practice It always has been little a-little inconsistent to carr carry the he chain onto the field fi ld for a careful measurement to s see e if the required distance has been made when t the e starting point of of- each assignment is established purely by guess This department has long fong contended officials should should should-be t be as chain they are in measuring to toc careful in locating the yard 10 as c tee see ce if the team is e entitled t to another first down First downs are frequently allowed or denied on a matter of one or two inc inches es yet th the chain may have bave been ee one or r two feet off line with the ball when hen the series series- of downs started f. f e 1 Decisions gi given en on this haphazard system have um undoubtedly edly meant the difference victory and defeat in many manyU J U g games mes From that viewpoint t the e problem has been en worthy of more careful administration in the past Authorities would be more convinced ced than ever of importance of each first down I W should a a. a tea team get a point for each one of them 1 y Experimentation has already been carri carried d on to perfect the head linesman line up an instrument with which may j J the chain with the ball baU The instrument is similar in theory to the surveyors surveyor's transit ana anil may be exactly what is needed I is not perfected the officials If it or s some I e similar instrument distance to the ball from the chalk t nUl may have to measure the j v lines to to toa a accurately cur tel plant the yard 10 O- O Oard ard stakes just stakes just as as they ii 4 now do to see if the required distance is 15 made Such operation operation opera opera- 1 would a another other uninteresting un- un t tion lion after each long run however mean J j W interesting de delay ay to the game t the phase after all is the theS 2 Perhaps most ost important S demand the new idea Ide would pla place e. e upon offensive ball l Could afford to lay back on the he deJ de- de 11 J- J JA A te ten team ni no longer ge J f nse aft after r scoring the first touchdown and nd play for forthe the bie breaks ks t f Instead of kicking ng on op e early dawns downs and making thel the l opposition do t the e heavy work a club would find it far 6 safer to hang onto the ball every play it possibly could Otherwise the opposition could r roll ll up enough first 4 downs owris to wipe out the touchdown margin f By the fhe same t token ken a team would probably be induced to ta dig in defensively a little sooner than most of of them now tt do Instead of kicking to th the opposition an and taking things a h. h L F little little easy so long as the thc ball bill was in enemy territory a team would woula v uld put on a a little more more defensive pressure all aU over over the field because each first down saved would be a point earned co so to speak In o one respect such a scoring system would add a lot of spice to midfield ld play and might inject enough thrills Jo to compensate for for some of the traditions it it would s supplant |