Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-12-01
There fire Two Sides.

/
last Saturday, thA annual football
game between the Platteville and
Whitewater Normals occurred here.
at Whitewater. As usual, it ended
in very unsatisfactory manner. AS
the Platteville delegation carried back
to Grant county very wrong impress
sions of the game, | wish to vindicate
this school and team by a statement
of facts as they are.
Captain Earl kicked off for Platte
vile but the ball was returned ten
yards. Three plays were made by
which the ball was advanced to the
middle of the field, where White
water fumbled it but it was secured
by a Whitewater man. The referee,
Mr.. Jerdeau, Of Platteyille, gave the
ball to Platteville but they made no
gain in two downs and was compelled
to punt or the third Whitewater
got the ball and in a very few min
utes was over the line for touch
down. The goal was kicked and the
score stood 6 to 0 in favor of White
water.
Earl again kicked off. The ball
was caught by Captain Harris, of
Whitewater, who advanced 1t twenty
yards to the center of the field
Whitewater then made touch back
kick. Platteville got the ball and
kicked to the centre of the field
where Whitewater secured it, but
Platteville's obliging referee declared
| that it belonged to Platteville 1t
was given to them peacefully. They
fumbled on the first lineup and
Whitewater again fell on the oval and
with it in their possession pushed
Platteville back to their fifteen yard
line. when the ball was taken from
Whitewater-no one knows why-and
given to Platteville, who made no
gain on the first two downs and was
compelled to punt. Whitewater
caught the ball and carried it to
Platteville's twenty-five yard line and
then made a quarterback kick, which
was caught on Platteville's six yard
line by Whitewater and carried over
the line tor touchdown. This was
new play for Mr.. Referee, so he
declared that the ball must be taken
back. This was the most brilliant
play of the day and having given in
three times to the arbitrary decision
of the referee, Captain Harris refused
to grant this point too. He was sup
ported in his decision by every mem
Der of the team. When the referee
was convinced by the rules that this
was legitimate play, he resorted to
the argument that the ball had not
advanced ten yards by the punt but
to the disgust of all, he refused to
measure the ground over which it
passed. How a ball could pass over
three five-yard lines aud not advance
ten yards. IS a problem we are unable
to work out 1T this end Of the line.
The matter has been referred to Cap
tain O'Dea and Coach King, Of Madi-
son, and both say the ball does not
have to advance ten yards. AS a
farther proof of our position, would
refer the referee to the note on Rule
q. Page IA, of Walter Camps Foot
ball Rules, which says: ''Consecu-
tive" means without going out of the
possession of the side holding it, ex-
cept that by having kicked the ball
| they have given their opponents fair
and equal chance of gaining posses
sion of it. No kick, however, pro-
yided 1t is not stopped by an oppo-
nent, is regarded as giving the oppo-
nents fair and equal chance of posses
sion uaaless the ball goes beyond The line
of scr5nmage. How about it Mr..
Referee? You didn't question the
ball having gone beyond the line Of
scrimmage did you? 1t went far
beyond the line Of scrimmage, which
gave Whitewater the right to get it.
They did get it and were able to carry
it across the line for a touchdown.
When the referee would not allow
this touchdown, is it any wonder
our team refused to played? From
the standpoint Of a football player, it
was to much to play with such out
rageous decisions. While irving to
convince the referee of his mistake, if
we may be kind enough to call it
a mistake, he declared time was up
and that Whitewater had forfeited the
game to Platteyille to O.. Captain
Earl Immediately ran like mad man
across fields and pastures to the depot
TO telegraph the joyful tidings to the
"anXi0us ones at homen / wonder
il he has explained how they came by
the score; how badly they were de-
feated; and how they were outplayed
at every point. The rest OF the
Platteville team were gathered togeth-
er and were willing to play the rest
Of the game, as, Whitewater il order
to continue for the benefit Of the
spectators was willing to give in for
the fourth time to the visiting team.
but Captain Earl knowing the strength
OF the Whitewater team, refused to
come back from the telegraph Office
even in the buss which was sent for
him. We are sorry the game should
have been such disappointing one
and lay il to nothing but the igno-
rance Of football rules of the referee.
We are sorry that the rough element
/ 0f This fru-n cECxr-nd tLl,,,,4.1.l 49, i Il.