The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-06

Changes in the Rules.
The changes in the foot ball rules for
,his season of 1901 will not prove Scri-
pus in the way of their effect upon the
play. They are more after the order
Of rendering NOR" explicit the "Nlst-
ing rules and placing sufficient power
in the hands of tn" officials To insure
the enforcement of those rules.
For the last thre" years the popular
feeling has boon that the game. when
properly conducted is throughly satis-
factory. and that If the officials en-
force the rules the result il always
fair one. and the game Of the most in
teresting kind when equally matched
teams meet
The exact alterations which have
been made in the rules this season by
the committee are as follows:
In Rule Of the Guide, Section td)
there is a further definition OF safety.
namely. that a safety is made when
the ball kicked by man behind his
goal line, crosses the extension Of the
side line behind the goal line. 1t was
generally supposed that the rules did
not provide for such a contingency,
but, AS a matter of fact they did.
When a man. standing behind his
own goal attomnted to Kick tn" ball
ou: and made a poor kick OF it that
the ball did not cross his goal line at
all but crossed what would be the cX
tension 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
L; = I,, 10
it did not 60 to the man who first OBJ
tanned possession of it. but To the OPP
ponents,
WOULD GET THE BALL.
Hence a kick of this kind would re-
suit 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
he that they would bring it down be-
hind the kicker's goal. and Immediately
upon putting it in play there, they
would hold il on the ground, and thus
secure a touchdown. In other words.
ball which kicked by man behind
his own goal line did not cross the
goal line. but crossed the side line.
meant. If the rules were followed out,
q touchdown for the opponents. This
seemed rather a severe penalty for the
missplay, and il was determined by
the Rules Committee that such a play
should be ruled safety instead of "A
touchdown for the opponents. Hence
the new rule.
The second alteration is under Rule
10 of the Guide. Notc This formerly
ssaI
the opponents goal and line parallel
II the goal line and passing through
the center of the ball" As a matter
of fact this was consistent with some
of the other rules where the forward
point Of the BAH is taken as the line
The rule was therefore altered so that
instead of reading as it did in the
former edition, it reads. passing
through the point of the ban nearest
the goal lin" of the side not in pos
session of the ball
WHY CHANGE WAS MADE.
! The next alteration occurs in Rule !.
= Of the Guide, Section (el. The difti.
A Guilty that caused the alteration il
this rule has not been appreciated very
much in the big games in the East. but
| there have been occasions even where
/ the delay of the game was prolonged
| unreasonable. AS "A matter of fac
II was found that although the Rules
Committee intended that no DELAY
should result over two minutes. al
ubstrepcrous team would make it NOR,
nearly four minutes in this way; Act
ing under Rule II CeD that no della,
arisinG from any cause Whatsoeve
should continue more than two minute
they would delay, supposedly for in
jurCd PLAYERS, for the two fun minutes
Then the referee would tell then
time was up, and they must pllj. Ru
they would manage to occupy nearl,
Two ll.nutcS longer by refusing I,
play taiIIlnG under Rule ~, Sectioi
go that the referee could not give tn
game fMfeIt to the other side anti
f"lly two m.nL;ts after he had ori"rs,
them to play. Just before the eXpira
ton of the fourth minute they woul
play. With this contention in min
the Rules Committee added tn Rule /.
Section (e) the following: Any della
thereafter shall be penalized under Rul
p (c) rs (c). II means that after IN
consumption of two minutes five yard
shall be given for further delay OF tn
game. this in no way interfering wit
the referees making them forfeit tn
game at the end of two minutes of sue
delay, In other words, they viii los
distance tor delay as well as FORTE
the game IL thy do not gon on at III
end of trC minutes more.
KICK CHANGED TO PUNT.
Rule 10, Section (d) first line, tn
word kick" is changed to read pun
or drOp kick" for further clearness
Rule IA, Section (b) the words al
inserted after the words fair catch
'when kicked after touching the ba
IN at the side line" This was an omi.
sion in the former rules.
Under kulc IL there has been adde
10 Stcuon (a) "any such interference
shal be regarded as delay of II