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Show M f NEW FOOTBALL A Httti BIG IMPROVEMENT Hf (Oy Walter Eckcrsall.) D ' Ts the latest style of football bet- HR tcr ,than the old game? Vl There are many who havo their ft - Ulces and dislikes for both games, and H il tho only way to come to a conclusion Kftj in the matter Is to consider the qual- Wn itlcs in the varied styles of play. mll "While the old gamo brought tho pop- mi' ular college pastime to the front. BtY there is little doubt that the present J game with Its possibilities has its Hl predecessor beaten. V There was little incentive for a V ' small team to keep bucking up H against a stronger eleven, knowing i H beforehand that they were to boj H beaten, and the only thing in their' M minds was to hold the score down vi as low as possible. This same con- Hf dltion prevailed year after year, and V ,i the weaker team was merely a tool H j I for the stronger aggregaton to fit H -i Itself for the bigger games scheduled H ( for later in the season. In the days H ' of the old game men were selected H for the squad end sent to the training H table If they were of enormous weight H and possessed strength accordingly. H The present frame places these ro- H qulrcments on tho shelf and gives ev- H erybody, no matter whether heavy or H light, a chance to make good. H . Game Played Mechanically. B . The plays under the new rules re- H , quire a man to go on the field on H i his own responsibility and meet an H attack on his own resources. In the B ' ' old game a team was taught how to H meet an attack and had a defense M for everv play sprang by the oppo- m nents. They were taught plavs In a H mechanical fashion, and If they did ' M not gain they were distinctly up H against It. The players had no re- Bj" course to othor plays and thov had H ! to stay on the field and fight the j Hi , best they could alpng the lines which ' H . ' were taught fheni by the coach. If HL - ' tho style of defense as laid down by ' ' the coach did not successfully cope Wk I with the opponents' attack, the do- Kk V Tnslve tesm wa3 beaten and the 'M size of the score only a question of H Under the present rules the play- H I : ers are obliged to think for themselves, them-selves, and If such and such a style of defense does not meet an offense successfully, they musl evolve one that will, and this they must do without with-out any help or advice from the coach. In this way the game becomes be-comes a benefit to tho players and they are not not wholly responsible I to "tho coach for their victories or defeats. Spectators Sec Ball. In the old days the team that could boast of an average of 190 pounds or over was considered In the championship champion-ship class. Nowadays the team that wins a championship average 170 or ISO pounds and the back field of such an eleven is extremely light, while the center trio is composed of the heaviest men. Another good fen-' 'ture of the present style of play, nnd .one of great Importance. Is the fact that tho spectators have the opportunity oppor-tunity of seeing tho ball all through a contest, which naturally makes tho game of more interest to them. Tho old Rugby game with Its mass plays and quick changes into the line afforded af-forded little chance to the spectators of seeing the ball until the official j had untangled tho pile of struggling humanity, and the constant rcretl-tion rcretl-tion of such plays became woefully monotonous. A kicker, of both the punt nnd drop, was an absolute necessity in tho old stvlc game, .h,ut hp Is of vastly more importance under the new rules. Good Kicker is Essential. Formerly many games wore won because the teams had a man who could boot the picskln down tho field 40 and TO yards in good shape. Tho field goal proposition also led many coaches to look for a man early in 1 the season who showed some promise prom-ise of becoming proficient In this llno A good field goal kicker is the most!, valuable asset any team can possess, and tho art of kicking goals from the field can only bo learned after long and hard practice This practice prac-tice should be done behind a scrimmage scrim-mage line, with an onnoslng eleven brenklnc through endeavoring to block the kick. This enables the kicker to gain self-ccnf'dence and In a great incisure he will learn just how much time he can allow himself without fear of halng his kick, blocked In general tho new gauic with its possibilities, both on the defouso and offense, the benefit the players dome do-me from being thrown on their own resources, fewer chances of injuries more Interest for the spectators, and tho chances for the comparatively weaker teams for victory more than offset the good qualities of the old style. |