The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-10-18
THE FOOTBALL RIFLES or 100?
Comments by Referee Dashiell.

To THE kDIToR or THE SrN- SIR: In the
October issue of Outing the editor. MIR. Caspar
Whitney, criticises sharply the work of the
Rules Committee in their revision OF the foot
ball rules for 1870? The article will carry
little weight with players and those who
have much knowledge OF practical footbsll;
but lest others may receive q wrong impress
sion feel that an ans wer is in order. In plain
Justice TO the gentlemen who compose the
committee. and whose work has been jealous.
thoughtful and systematic. While ] do not
propose to open a discussion for which have
neither time nor inclination, | do wish as
chairman of the committee. to make q brief
reply. As am not an editor and free lance
in any publication OF my own. my only way
is TO ask you respectfully to publish this en-
tirelY at my own responsibility,
The committee is composed OF sixmem-
bers. five of whom are selected representa-
tlves OF as many OF our fading universities.
the sixth being from one OF the two national
military schools Their work for years has
been performed not with the idea of revo-
lutoniaing an already good game. but 10
make such changes as seemed desirable to
the men who play the game and those who
have been most closely thrown with it in recent
years. Each representative conferred with
the players and coaches at his institution
from other institutions, and all were given
careful consideration as they came from
universities. colleges. and even schools. The
chan yes made represent what u wanted by
those who are conceded TO know most about
the game and the bearing Of the finer points
upon one another The work was honestly
ont tho college world
JUST before the committee met AIr. Whit.
especially. II seems 20 be a matter Of sur
peril e SnS ssss no him ss & Ii. and ssx
on attack formations, and that the committee
could formulate no single rule which would
surely do away with ,ide-line coaching, Not
one single suggestion came from any in-titu-
ton TO modify the rule which governs the
number Of men alloTed back Of he line q
follow such alteration appeal at once to play
ers and need not be discussed here.
Sdc,lime coaoh ing. Is o, obnoxious to ths
thorough investigation OF the many method,
employed for evsding the rule which pro-
hiblts II makes II plain how extremely difficult
il would he to stamp II out by any single rule B.,
Coaching OF this kind is most often done sur
teptiilously by message =, from the side line
most prominent teams have been coached
during play nv systematic prearranged visi-
mittee altered the rule of last year and made
il so stringent that marked Improvement
will he seen this season. u was proposed to
like eide of such practice and thus endea vor
TO set sentiment against the more ingenious
The alterations made we're considered a. a
sufficient evidence nj the committees att
tude and the suggestion was abandoned. u
il quite In keeping with the rest Of his article
that Mr.. Whitney makes quotation OF
note that doe. not cy II in the rules book and
considers highly nnlising paragraph that
ws- never printed
From the article IL Outing some might no
led TO suppose that the committee did its
work f'ippantly. or ignorantly. or arbitrarily,
and that meaaur might have been adopted
which we lacked the courage to pass. Such
il really not the case. tonceding that the
professional critic must write something.
careless and ignorant criticism l. annoying
to men who are striving their best for the
best end.
Mir Whtney's views upon the ethics OF the
players and tho game generally are in the
main good and he has done much TOR he cause
of pure sportsmsnship but he would really
better leave the finer playing points and their
mutual bearing to hose who have had practi-
cal experience and who have been really
close to the game. do not think that ex-
aVgerate when say that for years those
port ions of his criticisms which might reveal
practical and intimate knowledge of foot ball
have among the players ut practically all of
our big collie ges aud At many little ones caused
a smile hat he alone seems to have ia He'd TO
PAfE y. DAsHltII.
ANNAPOLIS Md Oct a.