The St. Louis Republic., 1903-08-08
Effort Made to Eliminate Objec-
tionable Features in the Col
lege Game.
PROTECTIVE APPAREL BARRED.
If Head Protectors and Shin
Guards Are Worn They Must
Be of Soft Mate
rial.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. Aug. 7.-The football rule.
which will govern the play Of the various
| college teams throughout the country this
fall were published to-day. Tho rules have
! been awaited with more than usual inter-
| est this year, owing to the many important
changes which have been made In the at
| tempt to eliminate the Objectionable fea-
lures Of the game. which have developed
| during the past few years.
Among the innovations this year is the
| rule permitting the quarter back to run
with the ball. while another prevents the
| punter from putting his team on side after
| a kick. This Ia expected to prevent tho
| forwards of the opposing eleven from piling
| on the kicker after the punt, as there will
| be no necessity for holding the punter after
the kick has been made.
Other rules prevent the wearing of heavy
headgear and other protective apparel,
which has been carried to extremes within
the last few seasons. Hereafter all head
guards. shoulder pads, shin guards and
other projections which have become popu-
lar will have to be made Of a soft material
and capable Of infiicting no injuries upon
the players Of the opposing teams.
Among the important rules controlling the
play this autumn the following will be of
interest to both coaches and players:
when the ball Is put in play at any point
Of the field between the two twenty-five
yard lines and the two side lines at least
seven players of the side having the ball
must be on the line of scrimmage. The
player who first receives the ball when the
scrimmage Is within the aforementioned
territory may carry 1t forward beyond the
line Of scrimmage. provided in SO doing he
crosses such line at least five yards from
the point whero the snapper back put the
ball in play.
when the ball is put in play inside the
twenty-fve-yard lines at least five players
of the side holding the bail must be on
the line Of scrimmage. II five players, not
Including the quarter back. are behind the
line, they must occupy one Of the three fol-
lowing positions:
'All FIVE players may be inside the POSI-
tfons occupied by the players at the ends Of
players be at least five yards back Of this
lire. or. II one of the said five players be
outside of the position occupied by the play
other OF these five players must be at least
five yards back of this line; but all five
players may be nearer than five yards to,
be outside the positions occupied by the
players at the ends of said line" :
In explanation of the rule preventing the
mates on side. which reads as follows:
The player, who. standing. back Of his
own line OF scrimmage, receives the ball
from one OF his own side and then kicks it
beyond the line of scrimmage. may not put
other men on side by running ahead of
them nor may he himself get the bail until
ing side" The Rules Committee states
that there may be no excuse for running In
to the full back after he has kicked the
ball.
THE rule renders 1t impossible for him
either to put men on side or himself get
possession Of the ball. and this takes away
all excuse for roughness of this nature. The
rule prohibiting the wearing of heavy ar
NOR or headgear reads as follows:
No one having projecting nails or iron
plates on his shoes. or any projection, me-
shall be allowed to play in a match II head
projectors are worn: no sole leather. papier
mache or other hard or unyielding material
other devices for protectors must be SO ar
ranged and padded as in the Judgment Of