The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-16
Y0ST TALKS FOOTBALL
Famous Coach Does Not Like
Revolutionary Changes ia
Rules This Season.

Coach +. II. Tost OF Michigan. who
has turned out the football champions
of the west for the last two years, is
at Beach Haven, \. j., where the Uni
versity OF Pennsylvania IS training. In
an interview on the new football rules
he is quoted as follows;
81 do not see exactly Eov some Of
the new changes are going So work out
this fall Especially is this so in re-
gard to the rule requiring seven men
TO be on the rush line inside the two
25-yard lines. and permitting the man
who first receives the ball to run with
il. providing he runs out five yards b.
fore ne turns.
You see. the rules committee make
an explanation Ihat owing TO a popular
clamOr they viii use this new system
D inside the 25-yard line. ana on the re-
mainder nj the field VIII use t'e old
rules. giving the public cham this
year TO see what system they most de-
sire.
Now. as 80 per cent of the playing
is done between the 25-yard lines, there
viii be very little chance for a COM
parison between the old and new sys-
TENS
In the first part of the rule. that re-
ferring "a seven men in the line, there
is direct attempt 30 put football hack
. ten years. IS no team with any 'ecOrd
has lately used this system. except
1 Princeton. and for the last three years
the Tigers have not gained sufficient
ground in the Yale game. all told, to
carry the bali from the center of the
field over the goal line.
1T is impossible to gain ground
against a first-class team with this sys-
tenn. or it certainly would be used by
all teams, and it WILL moreover. weaken
the desirable end plays for which il
was evidently made.
''All coaches are bent on developing
end runs, as they are great ground
/ gamers, and are not so wearing on
7 their men as the line bUcking game.
bu; any team can break up an end run
ming game of the old style with a cOu-
pie of fair ends.
Il don't see just how the quarterback
running with the ball Will aid matters,
as he must go out five yards. This is
I bound TO cause an endless number of
+ disputes and a lot of delays. which Will
make the game very undressing to
/ both public and players.
AN chances for disputes should be
eliminated, and for that reason it seems
/ to me they are iniuring the game. This
same point Will give the officials so
much extra work that they really
won't be able to take care OF it.
out west we first thought Of play
ing under the old rules, but gave up
that idea entirely, and now are serious
" considering substituting for this rule
an optional rule which shall read that
YOU can have six men in the rush line,
. permitting a tackle or guard TO be
brought back to carry the ball. but not
allowing the quarterback to run with
/ it, unless there are seven men in the
+ line. Besides. a change shoHld be made
+ stating that the quarterback must run
j outside Of tackle, instead of five yards
I out, as the rule reads
/ If this is adopted i'm the west we
/ viii then have the advantage of both
/ systems and there can be no loss. I
/ think this would satisfy the public, who
/ always want something new. Instances
/ o. these changes due to public opinions
/ were the flying wedge ana the unsuc-
( cessful legislation against George
/ WOGdruf's guards back formation.
/ Il firmly believe that the game this
I fan Will lose its best part, namely
J team work. The individual viii be the
/ whole thing. and the team with a good
! kicker will have a great advantage
over their opponents. 1t seems to me
4 that Princeton. with her long expert
! ence in the three men back Of the line
and a kicker like De Witt, should be
+ right III it.
In regards to the iegisia ton against
/ the headgears and roughiDS the punt
/ en- we are very much in favor of both.
( Why, my team and the scrub We're new
/ err permitted to wear headgears in
: practice, but only in games