The evening times., 1896-04-21
FOOTBALL RULES CHANGED
Mass Plays, Fair Catches and Off,
cials the Most Important.
John c. Bell, Chairman of Pennsylvn-
MAS Football Committee, Makes II
Statement In Regard to Them.

The intercollegiate football rules conf
nittee, appointed by the University Athletic
Club OF New York, for the purpose OF re-
vising and adjusting the differences in the
various codes in force last year, has COM
pleted its work, and in fortnight will pub
lish the ne w rules, which have been unan-
mously agreed upon.
A complete revision and codification were
effected with an idea OF avoiding the taut-
ology and ambiguity Of the old Codes but In
the main the changes were merely minor
alterations in the phraseology, looking to this
end. The three important questions which
were considered and which will affect the
game S pla ycdnext year were those of mass
momentum plays, fair catches and officials.
The rules on all three OF these points have
not been announced in detail, but John c.
Bell, last evening, in conversation with
reporter, discussed the subject freely, and
substantially he made the folio wing state
ment OF the facts:
Tie question of fair catch. which was dis
cussed and decided at the previous meeting,
was reconsidered, and the rule which was
adopted was practically the reinstatement OF
the old rule relative to fair catch in force in
1898. At the previous meeting OF the conf
mittee it was decided To adopt the Harvard
Princeton rule.
Theargument was adva need a Saturdays
meeting, however, that the football player
of today had been educated TO avoid the un
accessory tackling of the catcher, a nd that
any rule further than the old penalty was
unnecessary. and simply served to hamper
development of the game. The time lost
-. f,,n ,,.f
touchdown the BAH was too valuable TO be
lost ncedlessly, and it was, therefore, de-
ciled to revert to the old rule. AS 10 Off
cials, 1t was decided that there should lie
three. as i'll 1884 referee, anIumpire and
a lnesman: 30
The referee and linesmsn We're re
quired to give evidence relative to fouls
only upon request of the umpire, except
that 1t was their duty to give such evidence
unasked in the event of tile Indulgence OF
any OF the pla yers in unnecessary roughness,
foultackling, or any such tactics.
As to the mass and momentum pla ys after
much debate, on which Harvard and Penn
sylv1nia opposed any rule which required
men to occupy fixed positions, Yale and
Princeton taking the opposite view, com
promise rule was finally adopted, and the
question was settled in this wise: 1t was de-
cided to permit OF no momentum plays. +'
They would be eradicated by the adop-
ton OF rule providing that no man should
start before the bali was in play. with the
exception that a player might leave his
position and run toward his own goal.
and that the rule should not be so con-
strued as to prevent any player from tax
cta fnrt nrl ,.t,-
to effect the play. The reason for this is
the tremendous power placed in the hands
Of an umpire. who, through ignorance or i
disposition to treat one team unfairly,
may. by strictly enforcing to the letter
the rule providing that no man shall start
seriously Handicapped and interfere with the
work OF one team. completely running the
game. as was the case at Cambridge last
fall. when Harvard a nd Pennsylvania played.
This change is in effect the rule suggested
by George Woodruff in order to avoid the
dangerous elements of the proposed change
no man to start.
As to mass plays, Harvard and Pennsyi-
rania opposed any rule which should re-
Iuire the occupation of fixed positions by
my particular men. Yale aud Princeton
Urged the adoption OF the Yale-Prnceton
'ule OF last year for its alleged effect in !
preventing mass plays upon The center,
Penns ylyania and Harvard eventually |
agreed to compromise, which provided |
hat five men should be on the line of |
when the ball was put in play, |
and that five men, in addition to the quar- |
er back, would be permitted to occupy posi-
ions behind the line, provided but three
If the men came within the position occu-
,ied by the virtual tackle, unless the addi-
ional two should be at least five yards
,ehind the ball.
This rule, while it satisfies Yale and
rinceton's idea, does not prevent of
systems of play such as used by
Harvard and Penns ylvania in their re-
'pective so-called five formation land
guards back" since in each instance
lumber, If not all. of the players at all
INES occupy a position five yards behind
he ball.
As will be readily seen, these changes do
lot materially affect the game. They might
,e termed precautionary regulations to
void possible evils. Without the threaten
d abridgement the game should have a
most successful season this wear