| OCR Text |
Show NEW CODE WILL wA HELP THE FANS WM (By Walter H. Eckersall, Famous Rk'il quarterback of Chicago UnivcrBlty'B mt ,M Western champions of 1905-00, known K -1 ac tho leading drop-klcker of modern Hk im football and picked bv many as tho H greatest quarterback 'of all time, MfsL writes his opinions of the now code.) KB. 1 Constant changing of the football Bjfl ruleB annually since the abolition of Kffl nmss play following the season of M m 1905 has detracted interested from g. I the game Football is complicated tW, M and unleBB a person knows some of HHfl the fundamentals of tho great collogo jP; II pastime contests will not be 09 in- H'C I tereBtlng as thoy are to those who K 'I understand the differont rules. The V 1 coaches, players and officials have IK'I had hard enough times keeping in IBU touch with the many changes and the Hfl possibilities afforded by the alter- atlons. It Is little wonder, then, that HH the average footba.11 fan ennnot keep in close touch with the game. BH It is my honest opinion that tho HI rules committee at Its meeting in Bl New York last winter did a great UH deal to Hlmplify tho code which will HH allow spectators at the big gameB to B undoratand more fully what js going Bl on and what each team is trving to Hl do. The present alterations" will Bl r equalize more than ever since the iBI inauguration of the forward pass and Hl the ten-yard rule the offense and Hil defense. The new rules also -will not Hll place field goal kicking at the pre- Kl mlum it has boon since tho ten-vard HjI rule -was substituted for tho five-yard Hil clause. Hll Will Be More Line Plunging, RH In allowing four downs to make K;l ten yardB the committee made a wise B'l move. As a result more attempts Hl will be made to rush the ball, with HfV tho coneequent outcome that there BH will be mora spectacular playing, and KH tho efement of luck, such, as has been connected with forward passing, will BH not be suoh an Important factor. BB There Is sure to bq more plunging by KB the backB of fthe tackles. Bfl Split interference plays and other Bfl formations of the deceptive character BBB will be used to gain the dlatance. As EBB the man with the ball cannot be B1 Sushed or pullod and as the entire f&M M ofenshe eleven can tackle him and I eS I rush him back, the extra down will I f B go a long way toward equalizing tho ( Umh offense and defense, k When tho forward pass was used in B 190G and 1907, the firat two years f fB its existence Its success was due more rJlB to the lack of proper Btylcs of de- 'aB fense to meet it successfully tjan fH It was to the deceptive methods mm which were used to bring about it3 fjfv successful completion. As a reBult, Wm the coaches began to spend more fW(M time building up a defense to stop the laiflV play than they did to perfect the of- Qf .nl fenao for the play. As the defense filll became stronger the big teams were m iflfi afraid to take chances with tho plaj, Riffll As a result tho aruclnl contests be- ifiilPVI tween evenly matchod teams devel- Wall oped into punting duels and each de- fjftff I pended upon the element of luck iill which might result from muffed I rJKm punts or fumbles. j ?Mam Should Have Larger Score. Jf II As a team should have some re- SJI ward for earning the ball to within WM I striking distance pf its opponent's ijfl 'goal, the committee has decidadto IIB allow forward passes to be complex- B ed behind the goal line. Tho result H of this ruling easily can bo seen. Tho Bl defense is uuro to be weakened, be- fB cause the opposing eleven must play iffl at least two men back of the goal to rlB Intercept any passes, 1 g$B It is a well known fact that as a j1 -IPfl team approaches an opponent's goal IJr.jfl linos the secondary defense gradual- ' fgfifl Ijr Is pulled up to reinforce the for- liSB ward line. Consequently the offen- uB slvc team has two linos of defense to lifl penetrate, which is extremely hard I$fl when the fact iB taken into consid- ItfB oration that tho man with the ball KlB cannot be cither pushed or pulled. Kfl This is a mighty good rule and should Bfl rosult in more scores being made by f T', legitimate football. IB " 1 IjH |
