The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-29
IDEAS Of the Game Intended for HoYices
Wha Show An Appreciation fOrthe Sport.
THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF THE GAME.
The Importance of Intcrfering-The
Arrangement of the Limo Up
kicking Of Gonis-TacItlinG, RIoch.
Ing, OTs Plays and other Tech.
MICAH Points of the Great Game.
Chicago Record.)


A great many people take considcrn-
pie interest in football who do not real
ly understand much about how 1t Is
played. They know from reading the
paper that when any one bucks the
line" and gains few yards he has
done good thing for his side; tLey
feel sure that If any one should make
forty-yard run Willie they are looking
on they would know 1t. About punt
Ing they are not SO sure. They have
an Indefinite idea that 1t must mean
simply kicking, and they expect to find
out about 1t when they go to the game.
they wonder why SO much 'furblir,g"
Is done of so big O ball and take it
Tor granted that they will know Il funl-
Die when they see 1t. They have only 4
confused notion of what is meant by
the line" "offside play" and so on. /. is
easy to guess what "tackling'' means.
although at first they are not sure tEst
the tackling is not indiscrminate be-
tween sides instead of being confined
to the mailing" of the man who has
the ball. 1t is not hard to tell what
breaking through" means but when
the paper says Murphy broke through
and blocked Bairds kick" they know
Murphy did 1t. but do not comprehend
why the play was difficult or unusual.
GOES OUT BECAUSE 1T Is POPL-
LAR
In short, the beauties OF football are
lost upon half the spectators of about
every game that is played. ..his half
goes out ,Nbecause it is the sport that
everybody is talking about. Wnen 1t
gets there it sees lot OF players rolling
around and piling on top of one aneth-
er, with the crowd cheering occasional
~, all the while ii can see little TO be-
come enthusiastic about. Perhaps once
or twice In the game some one gets
the pail and circles the opposing team,
making gain OF fifteen or tweI ~
yards. with everybody else making fran
something in this that appeals and
the novice gets up and shouts. He
reels thrill of appreciation too, when
ne sees the ball suddenly rise in the air
una circle quite Il distance up field, for
he knows somebody has kicked Il and
he has been told that the BAH is not
round, but is oval shaped, making II n
very difficult thing to kick it accurate
~. Yet these plays that appeal most
readily to the grand stand are often
me easiest and simplest In the game.
Town there in the thick OF the fight
where the players stand grouped. every
now and then plungnE at each other
ana piiing up In Il confused mass-there
is where the greatest skill. strength and
Teailv good playing is generally done.
~ is hafd for even the old-timc foot :
pal! enthusiastic to keep track of III.
paii enough to discriminate where Tho
good playing is being done. and tn.
newcomer is helpless. He fails 10 SEQ
any beauty In that continuous piling
up OF men and has no idea at all what
is being done with the ball
ARRANGEMENT IN THE LINEUP
But to return to the teams at their
1rst 'line-up." Here the men are seen
III the positions that they occupy over
ana over again all through the game
me side with the ball is well tlra wn to-
sether the entire line being in place
Win the quarterback standing lust
behind the centre man, through whom
always the ball is put into play Close
to the quarterback are the two halls
ana usually the fuilbacli also. although
the latter, when kick is In order tlrops
back few yards. On the other side
the defensive--thc arrangement Of men
rs not quite the same. The fullback
stands far back of the others, prepared
to stop any runner who may set past
the line or to get Il punt The two ends
instead of staying I'm line station
themselves out at the ends. prepared TO
stop runners. look out for criss-cross
plays, etc. In n rough way the follow
ing table will show the ordinary line
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