OCR Text |
Show Several Coaches Organize 'War' On Football Platoon System By Oscar Fraley NEW YORK, Nov. 15 (UP) The high-powered two-platoon system, sys-tem, which Michigan and Army developed Into the scourge of the gridiron apparently was doomed Tuesday as the battered and beaten "have note" tethered their forces for an all-out attempt to outlaw football's free substitution. The opening shot waa fired by Hsrvey Harmon, Rutgers coach who Is a member of the coaches rules committee, as he revived the year-old controversy with an a-sertion a-sertion that the two-platoon ays-1 tern would have to be ruled out "before It destroys the game." Harmon drew Immediate support from Jim Tatum of Maryland. George Sauer of Navy, Rip Engle of Brown, Ed Danowskl of Ford-ham Ford-ham and Hooks Mylin of N Y U as he outlined these points of opposition opposi-tion against the two-team system whereby separate teams are used oa offense and defense I Few Close Games 1. The "haves" and the "have note" are separated so definitely that there now are few close college col-lege games. t. Ninety per cent of the nation's coaches are against the system. 3. A two or three player substitution substi-tution limit Is fsvored. 4. Schools with huge athletic appropriations hsve an edge on smaller schools because they can afford offensive and defensive coaching stsffs with what amounts to two squads. 5. Undsr tha two-platoon system, the coaches are losing touch with the boys and no more are there ruggedly conditioned 60 minute men. The ever-growing dissatisfaction with the system hss mushroomed this season after subdued rumblings last yeer. The coaches point out thst a great number of games are cloae In the first half while boys playing both offensive and defensive defen-sive ball are facing fresh opponents every time the ball changea hands. Then, when those players who are In the game constantly tire. In tha second half the game becomes a rout Win Destroy Football There la a lot of talk about domg away with the two-platoon system and I, for one, hope something some-thing Is done about It" Harmon sternly told the New York Football Writers Assn. "It will destroy foot-ball foot-ball If you keep It In." Harmon asserted that he used the two-platoon system at Rutgers "In self defense." He explained that he has seven good boys, who tired so badly playing both offense and defense against ever changing rivals that he had to use them on offense only and thus weakened his defense. "The teams with the huge appropriations ap-propriations which esn afford two coaching staffs have the edge, too," added Tatum, who also proposed nstional legislation against televising tele-vising of football to the detriment of local games. Rather Obvleas Engle agreed with tha remark that "if you have two factories you certainly can produce mora than a guy with one factory." Sauer, the oft -beaten Navy coach, who Intimated that the middies might be out to soften their brutal schedule In the future, argued that elimination of the two-platoon two-platoon system would do much to provide closer contests. Lou Little, chairman of the coaches rules committee, made a limited defense of the two-platoon system, protesting thst "you can't make the strong weak and the weak strong and that while you can legislate against numbers you can't legislate against ability." But you can legislate against the numbers with ability and that's what Little will discover, according to the coaches, when he bfllto them w,rt wa; w a P'l which probably will run the two- Jilatoon system right out of college ootbaa |