The sun., 1898-10-23
FOOT BALL GENERALSHIP.
Clear Headed Work and Careful
Planning Necessary-..Strong and
Weak Points Must Be Studied.

Iear-Headed Work and Carefu
Planning Necessary-..strong and
Weak Points Must Be Studied.
Running foot ball team on the field
Of action is not only the most difficult o
tasks, but it is also the cornerstone o
success. 1t makes no difference how
good an individual player you may be-
nor the grade OF your material on tht
team, should you lack the faculty OF di
recting it properly the result is bound tt
be sad failure. There have been oc
caslons well known in gridiron history
where poor team and good fieid-gen.
eral have won the championship.
1t is difficult matter tn keep ones
own game up to the limit OF possibilities,
and at the same tim. develop scheme
of play with the men at hand which will
advance the bail to victory. 1t requires
the keenest kind ofquick thinking and
the coolest OF judgment. Years OF ex.
perience will alone furnish the means tc
handle foot ball team in way that
will drag out the last ounce OF power.
First OF all NUT be studied the strong
and weak points OF your own team, just
where they are strongest in offence and
defence. One must have an intimate
Knowledge of the natural characteristics
OF each player to be able to judge how he
will act under trying circumstances. II
does not do to be ignorant even of small
characteristics when crisis in foot ball
is imminent
With the full knowledge of ones own
team must come the ready ability to
choose and pick out the soft spots IN
your opponents line, and to think and
plan out what they will probably d.
under the circumstances, and. therefore,
devote your attention to blocking it ol
spelling their attack. This means Il
deep familiarity with human nature tht
faculty Of knowing what a man is going
to do by his looks and actions. Ii you
are able to correctly judge OF all these
probabilities, you can then direct youl
attention to forestall him. 1t is not
necessary to follow old maxims or stale
rules, but to adapt yourself to the stu.
alton as it is. 1t is foolishness and fail.
ure to follow out lines of play that have
been carefully laid out on paper, for tlle
chances are all against their success,
There are always thousand and one
obstacles that suddenly appear, which
will prevent the success OF this or that
play. The formation must be changeu
to suit the situation, and the man who Ii
able to do it on the spur OF the moment
viii stamp himself as successful gen.
eral
1t might be we'll to lay down few
maxims in running team, not that they
can be followed confidently, but simply
to illustrate how much thought and
headwork can be used in this depart.
ment of the game.
First of all, remember that if you can
get your opposing team worried over your
offence they Ii not be able to perfect
daring plays. Keep your men continually
in action, rolling one pay after another
as fast as it can be done we'll. Pick out as
SOON as possible the weakest spot in your
opponents hnc and hammer it contin-
uailv, not usiig, of course, the same man
TO ram wi; ia the ball, but directing differ
ent mvn in different plays at that same
spot. 1t is ike the tear in the boy
trousers, the more you put your hand In
it the wider it grows.
When Judgment dictates do not esi
tate to kick on the first down. Fifty
yards Of ground gained well repays one
for the loss of the bail. 1t is mere child.
ishness to feel afraid OF the fact that the
other side has possession oi the plgskin.
Get your fifty yards on the kick and let
them have the hai You will find it will
Take them long time and will necessi-
tate the loss Of much energy to run back
that distance.
When you find that your opponents S
defence is being centred behind the spot
you are hitting shoot off one or two
ground gaining plays in the other dlrc-
tion, thus opening NJ their weakness for
further attack. The main object in foot
bail is to concentrate the power and abil-
itv of all your men and direct It at the
weak spot OF your opponent, AID it is
not bad play, by any means, to continue
over and over again this schen" In
fact, repetition bothers the other size all
The more, for they are continually think
ing that the next play yon viii Change
your attack, and arr therefore, tu!' Of the
lndecison of guess.
Do not work any one player to excess
except yourself. Keep the plays well
mixed up SO that everybody will have
his shoulder to the wheel and no man in
particular will be doing all the pushing.
If you have drop kicker use him at
every chance you get There is nothing
that bothers foot ball team more than
to be at the mercy Of clever drop
kicker. There is no secure defence
against this scoring.
In other words, the more varied a
game you can play, So long as it keeps
Ihe distincliveness of ground gaining,
straight ahead work, the better.
HARRY BEECHER.