Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-19
Hurry Up Of Michigan Sug.
gests Changes in the Play
ing Code.
AIM FOR MORE CLEARNESS.
Greatest Coach Of the Day Shows How
Present Rules Are Indefinite ia
Their Meaning.

In a communication to the Chicago
Record Herald, f. II. Yost Of Mlchi-
gan, the great football leader suggests
several changes in the rules, which, IN
his opinion, would make the code more
explicit and easier to interpret,
The hurry up" coach has often been
asked to decide disputed points In
games and he has found the rules am
biguous in several instances.
During the past year much discus
sion has arisen regarding the interpre-
tation of some rules" says Yost.
When the play Is made near a side
line may any of the players line up
out of bounds? This should be stated
positively, yes or no. as this Is very Of
ten ground for excuse.
Rule says, "A goal Is made by
kicking the ball In any way, except
by punt, from the field of play over
the cross-bar of the opponents goal
Now this should read; A goal is made
by drop kick or place kick from
the field OF play
During the past season the results OF
two games were left TO me for decision
based upon the following conditions:
In one game the center had passed the
ball to the quarter back, Who standing,
held the bah in his hand and the full
back kicked It over the CROSSE bar of the
opponents goal. Another time the ball
had been fumbled by one side on their
town 25-yard line, when one of the OPP
ponents came through and kicked il
as it lay on the ground and It acct
dentally went across the cross-bar.
Under the rule as II now Is you could
not do otherwise than allow a goal.
Yet under rule 2 no such methods of
kicking are described.
Under rule 10. section S, much dis
cussion has arisen as to how a player
must be punished for running into or
interfering with the kicker after he has
kicked. The rules committee request
that the officials punish this offense Sc
Verely, but do not state how. Why not
state that the offending side shall re-
ceive so many yards, or II in the opin-
ion OF the officials the offense is very
severe, disqualification. However Il
player could be disqualified under the
rule for unnecessary roughness.
Rule q, section A, as regards the
loss of 20 yards, has been the subject
of much dispute, most teams claiming
that II they were put back 20 yards for
holding on first down, and If they then
put the ball in play by swapping the
ball to the quarter back and he touched
It down, they would have a first down.
as they had lost 20 yards. In this way
they avoid the rule. which said when
they were put back under the penalty
the point to be gained remained UNI
changed The rule should read: The
loss Of 20 yards, exclusive OF penalties
This would be none too severe for hold
ing.
Rule 20, section A, IN regard TO
touching the ball in from out of bounds
and then kicking II is indefinite. Must
the man touching II in be inside of the
side line when he kicks and, IL so, how
far may he come IN before kicking?
Rule 20, section A, says the oppon-
ents must remain behind the goal line
until the ball is placed on the ground.
Now, in case of violation of this rule
II should state they must be put back
five yards In their own goal, otherwise
there can be no penalty for the viola
ton.
Under the rule for charging before
the ball touches the ground on free
kick | think this is true anyhow, but
many officials say you cannot put them
back in their own goal.
Rule H., section b. should limit IN
some way the number of times the side
having a free Kick can have a short
kick, which does~not go ten yards, be-
fore being touched by an opponent
Under rule 2S, section b, the penalty
for throwing, passing or batting a ball
toward the opponents goal as II is at
present is a shifting penalty and at
times seems very unfair If the rule
read, "The point to be gained remains
unchanged the penalty would always
be just one.
Instead Of rule IS, sections b, C, d
and Il. why not substitute a general
rule which will say that at least six
players must be on the line OF scrm-
mage at all times but II seven players
are on the line OF scrimmage between
the 25-yard lines then the first player
receiving the ball from the center or
snapper back may carry It beyond the
line of scrimmage, provided In so doing
he crosses such line outside the second
man from the center on said line?
This rule would make It easy for Of
flcials to know positively when any vio-
lation occurred. The way IL is now II
is almost impossible to do so. II this
rule were adopted It would make 1t OPP
tional to use either style of play be-
tween the 25-yard lines.
"The past year, | believe, has clearly
demonstrated that the game had not
shown any more open work between
the 25-yard lines than under the old