The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-18
FOOTBALL CHANGES
NEW MARKING WILL BE NESES
 SARY FOR QUARTER BACK.
Football Fields of the Future Will Resemble Checkerboard Rather Than
 Gridiron.

The football rules committee has conn pleted its work of revising the present code. At the last meeting 1t was agreed that seven men should be played in the rush line by the attacking team Conse- quently there will be four men back of the ball. But this rule only applies when the ball is outside the 25-yard lines. When 1t Is within the 25-yard lines the game will be played as heretofore at the discretion of the team having the ball.
 If other changes as suggested by the committee are made the' playing field will no longer be a "gridiron," but a ''checkerboard." for the field will be marked into squares of five yards. This will be done to allow the quarterback to run with the ball as the committee has decided upon.
 Now it has been legislated for seven men to play in the line. The question of what change should be mad along that line long troubled the committee. The present rule was only adopted after four protracted sittings. There were men on the committee who did not wish the rules changed at all in that respect. and there were others who wanted even more radi- cal measures taken to make the game a more open one. Therefore, this rule Is in the nature of a compromise When a team IS WlIIlH US own ZO-ydTu line IL may play as heretofore, and also when it is fighting for a touchdown within the 25- yard mark of it's opponent. But between the lines-that is. in the large territory in center field, seven men must be em- ployed in the rush line. This change, it Is believed, will lesen the severity of the mass plays, over which there has been a great howl. Having only four men back of the line, 1t will not be possible, 1t Is argued, for a team to concentrate so much energy and force at a given point. Thus it Is believed that there will be less chance of injury. The old style and what has been termed deadly mass plays can be used within the 25-yard lines, when naturally both sides are fighting desperately and when injuries are most likely to occur.
 Another change that will be suggested by the committee was made with the idea of making the game more open; it Is al- lowing the quarterback to run with the ball This was decided upon at one of the earlier meetings, but 1t was decided that the quarterback must run at least five yards to one side or the other of the center. Tn other words. he will not be allowed to receive the ball from the snap back and plunge right through the center of the line. He must run out five yards.
 In order that the officials may be sure that the man does run out the required five yards. the field Is to be marked off like a checkerboard. the five-yard lines will run the length of the field as well as across it.
 It is hard to understand how these two changes the only two important ones made regarding the style of the play. can affect the game to ny eaxtent The idea was in revising the rules to satisfy in way those persons who objected to the mass plays, which now predominate as the most effective style of attack. All lowing the quarterback to run with the ball merely adds another play to teams repertoire. It will be very little differ ent from a tackle running with the ball from his position in the line, Of course the pla ycould be got off quicker, as the ball is not handled by a third mn.
 The question of headgear was disposed of at a previous meeting, as was the question of the fullback being able to put his team mates on side after a punt by running ahead of the ball. Under the new rule he will not be able to do that. This change was made to afford some protection to the men in the back field. Before they had to handle the ball quick ly or the opposing forwards would be
  lowed to fall on the ball. The back men were then often roughly handled by the forwards.
 To further protect the men in the back field against unnecessary roughness, on the part of the forwards, 1t is made the umpire's business to see to it that the forwards do not jump on him. The ref cree can now give all his attention to Following the ball. and the umpire the action of the men
 Holding will be dealt Gith by in- hicting a penalty of twenty yards loss to the team offending. It will not lose the ball as last year. but will lose ground.
 These are all the important changes made by the committee. There were sev- eral others suggested that have little or no bearing on the game, but are put in for a better understanding of disputed points and to facilitate the work of the officials