New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-04
ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
SECRET PRACTICE-THE CHARGE FOR EN-
TRANCE TO THE GAMES-THE PROG
RESS OF THE BIG ELEVENS.

SECRET PRACTlCE-lfi CHAftSE FUN r>-'-
TRANCE TO THE GAMEs-THE PROG
REss OF THE BIG ELEvENS
With this week the secret practice has begun
and the difficulty of getting accurate information
is OF course considerably increased. Yale on
Monday began hers at New-Haven HarVaru
by this time is playing behind the fence and
Princeton's daily work is as good as secret Inc
question of concealing the condition and standing
of an eleven has been pretty thoroughly discussed
from time to time. and do not know that there Is
much to add IL is not the right CONDITION
for athletic sports fall into, and yet In the game
OF football the question is so complicated with SIDE
issues that the whole subject becomes one to be
carefully considered before any snap judgment Is
passed upon the methods employed in the manage
ment OF the different eevens University athletics
are OF course primarily for honest sport heathiui
exercise, thorough physical training and suitable
diversion to the more sedentary ana serious "orh
Of college studies AS such. secrecy conceament
and "A desire to games by surprises only
achieved by the most careful avoidance OF any
publicity are not methods that should be EN- EN-
the member OF Varsity team. There are. now
ever. as | say, other considerations which enter
into the question. and these not only neutrallzc
the very Just censures put upon secrecy IN prac-
tice. but quite outweigh them For example. II
is perfectly possible to stand on the Iiir id,e i
during game between Yale and some minor col
ege. and after having taken Gown me sr rsnor,
given and having obtained a stenosrapnc repo =,
OF The plays which resulted from such sshaais' 10
tell the whole system OF aleS
signals at short notice, the team must use them
perfectly familiar with them II howeye.ii 'ne
practice is public. any one may Keep records OF
plays and individual signals. and thus discover the
system. his being once known, wren tls ~ ~
important teams come together a given sisna Is
known to the opposing team as well as TO the team
whose quarterback announces it. the result being
that many OF the plays are Intercepted before tlsy
game man sIilful pieces OF strategy, go FOR
nausht. It is as If the chess player were obliged
toll rtsin nj a
other words. it is TO ruin capital point IN, IN me me
eleven 10 begin to practise its final signals. the
practice must be done in secret or the signals
will become useless.
Furthermore. one of the most interesting as well
as one Of the skfu parts of modern foot
ball IL the study of what combination plays can
be- invented which, while keeping to the letter and
following out the spirit Of the rules. yet from so
strong a power TO advance the ball that they win
point for the eleven which discover them such
PLAYS were for example Mr.. Deands flying wedge
OF some years back. which was 50 generally adopted
in the year after it played by the Harvard
eleven. the long pass used by Princeton last year
in the Yale game. which nearly resulted In touch
down: the centre rush running with the ball. which
virtually won the Harvard-Yae game in 1885,,
though the last In reality more OF a skitu ma
nipulation OF the letter of the rules than carry
ing out Of their spirit Many II not all, or tnese
plays depend for their efficiency on the suddenness
win which they are played the famaf Sar WIZ,
GefaU and the unfainiiarity with which the op-
posing eleven does its best TO cope with then' AZ
such plays depend for their success upon the SUD
denness with which hey are presented ana r .nds
can only be- achieved at the same tine Una, pr ,U
cheney In them is acquired by the eleven praying
them 10y practising them in secrecy
one Of the great answers made to such an argu-
nent is that no ever won on "tricK pays
and this answer has more or less significance
Hard vigorous steady football-paying Is what
wins az course. vet at the same time the kno"l-
edge or the suppostlon. that your opponent mas
several surprises in for you, one or when ne
presents at disagreeaby frequent intervals during
the progress Of the game. has a very strong ihhu-
once upon you and your playing. You are con-
s,nntlv on the watch for surprises, ana cohse-
ouently do not play your usual vigorous game
More important than all this however. secret prac-
ticc Il resorted to 70 conceal the special geheFa
ship 10 be- employed in the final game, the strength
and weakness OF individual players and such I'M
portant features as the particular system Of Sys-
TENS of Interference 10 be employed II IS evident
therefore that to-day practice brings ont the
,..rv Qualities which make the game interesting 70
watch and Instructive for the young coHeslaiSS
menf in the current interpretation OF thar WORD
secret practice is Therefore, n0tnlhS NOR man ~
any strategic method employed by an army IN
preparing FOR a battle In the near future; w =
shall see lttle OF Harvard Yale ana tr.hc ,S'
fnnfb,ll therefore. for some fortnight 10 come
and what we do will be only the common every
day plays secuted; oi COURSE 'S ,w remainin..
games they have to play before the important At
,nrfches come off. but executed only according 10
,ba regular historic football method. Ana Whle
his is disappointing TO enthusiasts OF the game
H. is not only reasonable but distinctly proper.
and above all, for the interest and Improvement
Of the sport
We may not perhaps. have ground for complaint
AGAINST the secret practice. but We certainly nave
the dru..st ground To complain against the prices
CHARGED for admission TO games. And there Is a
,d cas-. against the s. and s. 20 charge. for the
nl defence brought up its favor IS the fact that
II keeps ont all but the better class OF peoPe VINO
are i credit to the sport. and keeps II ont OF Inc
,ren,inels of professionalism Without pausinS 70
argue the question as 10 whether the class when
can n a pinch pay 81 80 to see one Of these games
.xciulss ALI objectionable characters. IL WOULD De
interesting 10 20 into the question OF the adVlSaoHV
of allowing undergraduates TO pile up such enormous
sums as $1,000 in two months. If there were ohy
snace n do So The fact Of the case Is, however
that when the attendance at games was smalI-ahd
thar was a short five six years ago-the man
,p.rs were obliged charge these sums IN oruer
IN nav the expenses of the teams In getting 10 d
common place OF meeting. in putting the heids mo
rdl,ion and In providing for the necessary mat'ers
thar nert,lned thereto But now that the at'eia'oe
., one Of these games - ten times as great as
ralu has