The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-09
RULES OF THE GAME HAVE DEEN
ALTLKED.
COMPLETE LIST OF CHANGES
The Official Guide for the Season Pre-
sents Food for Study and Thought
-. Nothing Changed That
e. Effects fIay. ',

more dlter the ORDER or rendering more
explicit the existing rules and placing
sufficient power in the hands of the off,
Gals to insure the enforcement or those
rules.
For the last three years the popular
feeling has been that the game, when
properly conducted, is thoroughly salts
factory, and that if the officials enforce
the rules the result is always a fair one,
and the game of the most inlefes .li.y
kind when equally matched teams meet
The exact alterations which have been
made in the rules this season " the
committee are as follows:
In Rule of the Guide, Section d, there
is further definition of safety, name
ly, that a safety is made when the bali,
kicked by a man behind his goal line
crosses the extension of the side line be-
hind the goal line. 1t was generally sup
posed that the rules did not provide for
such contingency, but as a matter of
fact. they did. When a man, standing
behind his own goal, attempts to kick
the ball out and made such poor kick
Of it that the bali did not cross his goal
line at all, but crossed what would be
the extension of the side line, and thus
went into touch, by the existing rules
the ball was dead as soon as it crossed
the side line. But also by another rule
when a ball was kicked out of bounds it
did not go to the man who first obtained
possession Of it, but to the opponents.
Hence kick Of this kind would result
in the opponents having possession Of
the ball in touch. But then they must
bring it to the point where the side line
was crossed by the ball and there put it
in play. The result would be that they
would bring it down behind the kicker's
goal, and Immediately upon putting it in
play there, they would hold it on the
ground, and thus secure touchdown.
IN other words, a ball which kicked by
a man behind his own goal line did not
cross the goal line, but crossed the side
line, meant. if the rules We're followed
out, touchdown for the opponents.
This seemed rather a severe penalty for
the miss play, and it was determined by
the rules committee that such a play
should be ruled a safety instead of a
touchdown for the opponents. Hence the
new; ruler t,,"G4,.e.ss { .s=--
The second alteration is under Rule 10
of the Guide, Note. This formerly de-
fined "ahead of the BALI as "between
the opponents goal and line parallel
to the goal line and passing through the
center of the ball.. AS matter of fact
this was inconsistent with some of the
other rules where the forward point of
the bali is taken as the line. The rula
was therefore altered SO that instead of
reading as it did in the former edition,
it reads, passing through the point of
the ball nearest the goal line of the side
not in possession of the ball."
The next alteration occurs in RUE II
of the Guide, Section (e). The difficulty
that caused the alteration in this rule
has not been appreciated very much in
the big games in the east, but there
have been occasions even there where
the delay of the game was prolonged
linreasonably. AS a mater of fact it
was found that although the Rules
Committee intended that no delay should
result over two minutes. an obstrep-
erous team would make it more nearly
four minutes in this way: Acting un-
der Rule IL (e) that no delay arising
from any cause whatsoever should con-
uinue more tnan Two minutes, they
would delay. supposedly for injured
player, for the full two minutes. Then
the referee would tell them time was up,
and they must play. But they would
manage to occupy nearly two minutes
longer by refusing to play, claiming UNI
der Rule %, Section 60 that the referee
could not give the game to the other
side until fully two minutes after he
had ordered them to play. just before
the expiration of the fourth minute they
would play. With this contention in
mind, the Rules Committee added to
Rule IL, Section (e) the following:
ANY delay thereafter shall be penal
dzed under Rule 2. (e) 20 (c). 1t means
that after the consumption of two min
utes five yards shall be given for fur
Their delay of the game, this IN no way
interfering with the refree's making
them forfeit the game at the end of two
minutes of such delay. In other words,
they will lose distance for delays as we'll
as forfeit the game if they do not go on
at the end of two minutes more.
Rule 13, Section (d) first line. the word
kick is changed to read punt or drop
kick for further clearness
Rule IA, Section CO. the words are in
serted after the words flair catch"
"W1hen kicked after touching the ball In
at the side line" This was an omission
in the former rules.
Under Rule II there has been added
to Section (a) "any such interference
shall be regarded as delay of the game"
Rule % (c). This was to ensure the
abandonment of pulling and hauling the
opponents in the rush line.
d Rule q of the Guide, Section (b) the
following clause was added: Unless
this should result to the advantage or
the offending side. when $50 down and
the distance to be gained shall remain
the same" It rs clear that this is what
was intended in former ruling, but 1t had
mot been made definite enough.
Rule %, Section (a) before the WORD
'<r," are inserted the words lat least
ten yards" That is. a man touching
the ball I'm at right angles to the side
line and thus putting it in play by
kick, must kick it at least 10 yards.
Rule Is, to Section (a) was added the
clause providing that the referee snail
make a signal with his hand when
team is trying for goal immedsateiy
upon the touching OF the ball to the
Ground. This has been the custom OF
oo,o;alc FIR some time. but has never