Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-08

Plays.
| WRITTEN FOB THE pIsPArcH.l
A most interesting article might be
written on the history and development of
the game of football, but it will be of more
practical value, both to those who witness
contests and to those who are learning to
play, to conine this paper to the points Of
play. Let rs imagine that tie field is
properly laid out according to the rules OF
the game, that We have a rectangular piece
of level land $50 feet long by 16o feet wide,
inclosed BY heavy lime lines; that at dis
tances of Eve yards lengthwise of this field
are other wefl-defned parallel lines, the
fifth from either end being indicated by a
| special mark as the stwenty-fve"- "-yard
| line, and the middle point of the eleventh
line as the ''center" Of the field; that mid
way on the boundary lines of the short side
Of the field goal posts are erected, with
standards 20 feet high and Is feet inches
from each other, connected 10 feet from the
ground BY . crossbar.
| We are now ready to consider the play.
ers themselves Twenty-Five men are neces-
| sary to play the game properly. II on q
side Seven Of these called the e''rushers" or
''forwards" stand opposing q corresponding
seven Of the opposite eleven whenever the
four occupy positions varying according to
whether they or their opponents have the
ball, and are called the 'backs"
Points OF the Rush Line.
An eleven could very probably be divided
Of players who have similar dutiea The
rush line, like an army, is made up of
center and two wings. The center 10 COM
posed of the center rusher, the right and
left guard and the quarter back. Eich
wing is made up of . tackle and an end
rusher. The two half backs and the full
back, who formerly was the goal-keeper, but
is now practically third half back, make
another division.
The center. like the center of an army,
also is the strength of the eleven, the back
bone of the team. If weak here an eleven
cannot be strong either Extensively, when
they have the ball, or defensively, when it
is in possession of their opponents For
this reason hardy. powerful men are al.
ways selected to fill the position of the
center rusher and right and left guard.
1t 10 from the center that every scrimmage
starts, the center rushef putting the ball
in play bv rolling it back on the ground
between the legs to the quarter back, who
can not run forward with it. and is there
fore forced to pass it Ell to q third man.
This necessitates some very quick, accurate
work on the part of the quarter back, and
unless the center blocks well the opposing
rusher will be through and spoil the play.
Usually when the center is weak the quar-
ter back gets Hurried 20 that he fails to
pass the ball accurately, and the half backs,
if they receive 1t, are likely to be downed
in their tracks
Qualities Of the Center Rusher.
In picking q center rusher the one phys
ical property sought for besides weight and
strength. is the ability to stand firmly on
his feet and so be able to snap the ball back
accurately and at Q uniform rate of speed
A little unsteadiness under the annoyance
Of q tricky opponent will cause the quarter
back deal Of trouble 10 handling the ball,
and be very likely TO result in some very
bad fnmbling. There are two methods of
standing in swapping the ball, one intro
duced by Princeton few years ago, where
one foot is placed behind for brace and
the ball is snapped back q little to one side;
the other. used almost entirely BY Yale,
where both feet are widely spread for in er-
ference with opponents breaking through,
and at the same time to avoid getting in the
way of the ball, which can be snapped
straight back.
The main work Of the guards may be
summed up as blocking, that is in 'guard-
ing" as their name indicates, the quarter
back until he has passed the ball; making
openings for the passage of a runner when.
ever certain signals are given; breaking
through the line to interfere with the quar-
ter-back in passing the ball, or to tackle the
runner or to stop kick. The guards, with
the centel rusher have the most laborious
positions ON the eleven if they fulfill their
dutiea
Further, they have little time to catch
their wind when play IL being made
around the end for almost the first point
which is pounded into their brains by the
daily criticism of the captain or coach is
always to be on hand the second the ball
is down to make or prevent quick play.
Work of the Quarter Back.
place the quarterback in the division
with the center, because he is so intimately
connected with center work, although in
name and position he is counted with the
backs. 1t is his duty to handle every ball
which the center rusher rolls back. and he
Is expected to receive it under all condi.
tions, coming fast or slow, wi h bound or
not, straight or crooked, for the ball ie in
play as soon as the center passes II, and he
must deliver II to q third person before a |
gain can be attempted. A tumble or a wild |
pass is o bad set back and may mean |
touchdown and victory, as it did in the run |
which Dean, of Harvard, made in the Yale |
Harvard game last year, when he broke |
through the Yale rush line at a most oppor- !
tune time. and selling the ball, which had |
been snapped back crookedly and fumbled, |
made his 40-yard dash and placed the bali |
down behind the Yale goal ,
In assuming the position for receiving the |
ball the quarterback should stand as far |
away from the center rusher as he can and |
be able to give him the signal conveniently |
for swapping the ball If he is careless on |
this point he will every now and then re- |
ceive q reminder from some long-armed |
center rusher or guard, who will reach over |
and grab him before he has passed the ball |
l remember seeing Victor Harding, of the |
Harvard eleven, spring headlong over the |
Yale center rusher and perform this very |
feat at an exciting point in the Yale-Har-
ward game OF 1887. The signal for the ball |
to be snapped is usually given by pressing
the thumb on the inside OF the calf of the |
leg. 1t used to be given much higher up,
but change of place was found necessary |
on account of the trickery of opponents, !
who sometimes would reach over and give |
the signal before the quarterback was in |
readiness. This always resulted in either a |
loss of ground or the ball
Manner Of Passin. the Ball.
There are three styles of passing q ball |
used by quarter-backs Hodge, the we'll |
known Princeton quarterback, was accus- |
toned to use both hands in passing the ball. |
This insured accuracy, but placed limita- |
tions upon the dist nee it could be thrown.
Beecher, Yale'J famous quarterback, used |