The evening times., 1900-03-05
TRAINING At PRINCETON
Yale's Spring Football Plans Mott
Be Followed.
Captain PelI Gives Good Reasons for
Not Ipnuyurating a Change i'm Pro-
gramme-A Scheme That May WORK
All Right in New Haven. Hut Net
at the New Jersey Institution.


Princeton will not follow Yale's new idea
of making the spring football training
season by itself, for the development of
new plays and the exposition Of theories.
On the contrary, Captain Pell will follow
the precedent of other years, and Will con"
duct the spring practice and the fall work
also on the same lines that have beeh
followed out in previous years.
The reasons for this decided stand on the
question as to whether or not some of the
radical innovations planned by the New
Haven University should not be introduced
at Princeton. were set forth by Captain
Pell in a recent interview. While he ad-
mitted that the plans cantained undeniaole
merit and advantages as being applicable
to the situation at Yale, still. on the Other
hand. as far as Princeton was concerned
these innovations would not only be impos-
sible as things stand now, but would be
wholly unnecessary for the further devel-
opment Of the New Jersey eleven
In the first place, the Princeton captain
showed that the conditions prevailing at
the two institutions were wholly different.
While at Yale the adoption of Captain
Browns policy would be advantageous, at
Princeton it would be positively detrlmen-
tai to the other branches OF athletics. Al
New Haven there are between $500 and
30G0 men; at Princeton half that number.
1t is evident that the resources OF the two
universities are wholly different. Natural
ly where this condition of affairs exist at
a smaller college the men who enter atm
letics must be more versatile and must
make I'D the membership of not only one
but of other teams also. This condition
of things is true at Princeton. AT New
Haven on the other hand where there are
so many men to draw upon 10 make UP
the different sports, a man can ana usual
ly does make a speciality of one thing. OI
course there are exceptions, bur this prln-
ciple on the whole will hold true. 1t will
be seen tina: Yale has enough men TO play
football alone TO make up good-sized
spring squad for the experiments that are
plapned without weakening any OF the
other athletic teams by taking from them
men VINO are members of both teams.
The situation at Princeton.
At Princeton the reverse is true. II the
plap promulgated at New Haven were TO
be adopted at Princeton OF making the
spring practice so important a part OF the
football wear. it would necessitate the with
drawal of enough men from other Prince
ION teams to take part in the practice TO
not OILY NiiAHAt' bSN PON~'~'s
other spring teams.
Accordingly the spring work al the New
Jersey institution will be of the same or
der as in previous years. IL viii begin
about the middle of next month and VIII
cover three and possibly four weeks. The
work will be almost exclusively Tor the
hacks, They will. as usual. be Instructed
in kicking. running the ball. handling
punts and returning the same, or running
the ball in upon the catching OF Kicks. Al
though the limited resources OF Princeton
are assigned by Captain Pell as the reason
of the failure Of the New Jerseymen TO
take UP the new plans Of Yale, the real
reason may possibly be found elsewhere.
Apparently relying upon the prestige that
the victories of the past two years have
given Princeton, Captain Pell feels that
nothing out of the ordinary is necessary IN
order TO turn the trick again next fall. He
saws that he is perfectly satisfied with the
material and is confident OF turning out
very good eleven next fall. On the other
hand the plan outlined by Yale was quite
! feasible for that university as with the
| defeats of the past two years fresh in re-
membrance something radical had TO be
| done 20 regain some OF the football cham
! pionships that formerly fell TO the lot Of
! the New Haven team.
| In view of these reasons Captain Pell un-
! hesitatingly stated that the plan Princeton
was following out and would follow out was
! virtually the same as that of other years
! with possibly one exception. This eXcep-
| tion is that several Of the line men had
| been taught boxing and wrestling and nave
| thus been getting into condition or rather
kept in condition. 1t may be interesting 20
note that this idea of training men by box
| ing and wrestling methods is pet theory
Of A. A. Stagg. OF the University OF Chica-
CO. This idea has also met with the ap-
| proval of the Yale authorities TO certain
extent. But as Mike Murphy, Of the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania, who returns to
Yale next fall has publicly expressed his
| disapproval of this scheme, it may safely
| be expected that Yale will have TO dispense
| with that idea after this year.
| 4 Change i'm Ideas.
II Princeton thought it to her advantage
to adopt this idea of spring work, the
| fact that it was brought before the foot
| ball world by Yale, or any other univer-
sity. would not affect her decision in the
| matter in the least This is decided va
rance with the condition a few years ago,
when each of the so-called Big Four had
| style of play peculiarly its own. In this
style they had every confidence, so much
| So In fact that they refused to deviate
| from il for any cause whatsoever This
stubbornness in refusing to avail them
selves of good ideas simply because they
| were brought forward by other colleges,
naturally retarded the development of the
| game But now all these big universities
| with the exception of the University of
PENNSYLVANIA virtually play the same kind
| of game This game is directly traceable
| to two causes, First the rule committee,
| and secondly the defeats that have been
| suffered in the past. IL has been gradu-
| ally forced upon them after several sue
| cessive defeats that some other football
team might possibly have some good ideas
| upon the subject as well as they them
| selves This has naturally tended to
| broaden the spirit of inter collegiate foot
| ball considerably.
| The situation of few years ago was
| practically this: Harvard was noted for her
| flying interference and other chess board
| stunts. Princeton for her close formations,
| known as 1.-The turtle back revolving
wedge" The University of Pennsylvania
| for her famous guards back, and Yale for
| the formation of interference for end runs
and her general open style of play.
When Harvard first introduced her fly
| ing interference it was not developed to
| anything like its real possibilities. and the
| other colleges got together and through
| their representatives on the rules commit
tee saw to ii that it never was, and 1t was
| ruled out as being dangerous TO life and
limb. Harvard was thus compelled TO
| adopt something else, and she adopted
| open tactics.
Princeton's turtle-back wedge two years
later met with the same fate; that is, that
of abolition at the hands of the rules COM
mittee. Now the committee thought they
had Strengthened matters out so that the