The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-25
CHANGES IN RULES.
Several Doubtful Points Are Made
Clear.


The intercollegiate, football rules
committee, composed of Walter Camp
of Yale, Robert D. Wrenn of Harvard
Paul ]. Dashiell of Johns Hopkins,
John C. Bell of University of Penn
sylvania, Alexander Moffat OF Prlnce-
ton and l.. M. Dennis of Cornell, held
a meeting recently with the idea of
making clear several points in the new
code drawn up last year No radicai
changes have been made in the meth
DDS of play, but the rules as they now
read cannot be misunderstood.
There was enough controversy over
the rule relating to a fair catch" last
year to make that the subject of much
thought by the committee. AS the RUE
stood, a player making eaten Waa
compelled to mark the turf with ms
heel. AS many catches were made I'M
der Roadway. it was impossible to heel
down" the moment the ball struck the
catcher's hands. Accordingly, If an
other step was taken, the charge was
made that the back has tried to run
with the ball and was consequently not
entitled to a fair catch" Rule Z has,
therefore. been changed to read as fol-
lows;
"A fair catch consists in catching the
ball after it has been kicked by one OF
the opponents and before it touches
the ground, or in similarly catching a
punt out by another of the catcher 8
own side. Provided the player, whil2
making the catch. makes mark with
his heel and takes not more than one
step thereafter. 1t is not fair catch
if the ball. after the kick, was touched
by another of his side before the catch.
Opponents who are offside shall not
interfere in any way with a player at
tempting TO make a fair catch, nor
shall he be thrown to the ground after
such catch has been made unless he
has advanced beyond his mark, as
explained"
In rule Ii, referring TO the ball when
dead" the explanatory note has been
changed to read:
should the ball strike an official, it
is not regarded as dead but play con-
tinues exactly as if the ball had not
touched him"
The original note was ambiguous and
caused trouble in some of the schools.
Rule %, covering penalties for fouls
and offside play, has been pretty thor
oughly overhauled. Section E has been
made to read as follows:
I'm any case of a free kick (rule f.,
il the kicker advances beyond his mark
before kicking the ball (rules a. and
Is b.. no matter whether he then kicks
or not, the opponents shall be allowed
TO line up five yards nearer the kickers
mark, and the kick shall then be made
from some point back of the first mark
and at the same distance from the side
lines. This shall also apply when the
side having a free kick allows the bal
to touch the ground (rule 10 b., and
then fails to kick it, kick off and try
at goal after touchdown excepted. The
same ruling shall be given in case OF
any Player of the side making a free
kick is ahead of the ball when it is
kicked (rule IL az"
Section F of the same rule which re-
stricts starting before the ball is put
in play has been made Enthusiastically
clear, as follows:
In the case of unlawful starting be-
fore the bali is put in play for scrim-
mage Gule Is, a., provided there is nc
infraction of rule 10, the ball shall be
brought back and put in play again. II
this occurs again in the same down
the ball shall be given to the oppo-
nents. If again during the game that
side infringes the rule bearing on this
act, the ball shall be Immediately given
to the opponents. The same ruling
shall be made in cases of infraction OF
rule is, b. and C."
Several typographical errors that APP
peared in the rule book last year have
also been corrected.