The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-28
PLAY USED SELDOM
Quarterbacks Not Successful in At
tempting to Garry Ball From i
the Scrimmage.
Football Man Suggests That Guar
ter Be Allowed to Buck Line
on Direct Pass.

back rule affects the gamer said foot
ball man recently. when the rule was an
nounced permitting a quarter to run on
a direct pass. from center and advance the
ball five yards either side of center as far
as he could, there was a general holler and
protest and the best Of teams feared a
runaway game Of it.. Instead, so sharp was
the work put on the ends and backs in
breaking up interference that the quarter
back run IN big games has been kept al
most absolutely under cover. One reason
for this is that a quarter Is slowed up TO-
let the Interference get ahead of him. This
delay Is generally fatal, and the inemen
come pillng thru onto him.
"The: direct pass from center to half
back with the quarter moved over into the
interference, however, has not been tried,
nor, has it been highly developed to take
the place CT the quarterback run. This
play is feasible, legitimate and fast for an
end rum. The danger lies in the pass, Of
course, for the center must get the ball
back SO: the half take it on the run.
The play is OF trick nature, however.
Most coaches do not like to take the time
TO dclll team on it when. it's scoring
advantages are not large on the face Of it.
A tricky team, I think, succeeds only
When it has the other outclassed.
Nov, If the rules were changed to per-
nit hack standing five yards behind his
go thru anywhere he could, think the
play would be highly developed and would
make fast same Of it. This would be q
move to do away with the quarter alto
Egether in time, which is, of course, I'M
desirable. A back under this change could
| get the ball on arquick pass from center
and make a cross plunge that would be ir-
resistib.e at times. It would not do on
the straight buck, because Of the delay
While the back was waiting for the ball
| to come to him. E
Princeton always has stanch defense,
but her offense since the great team of
! 1886 has been feeble, a fault from which
| Yale suffered noticeably in 1898 and 1893.
In the last three years Princeton's Of
| tense was not to be compared to Har-
| wards or Yale's. but this year the Prince
ton coaches took this bull by the horns SO
! determinedly that the offense was in keep
! ing with the defense. For the last six
years Princeton has not scored more than
| one touchdown against Yale in any one
game. In fact, only three touchdowns
have been made by Princeton in that mum
| Der Of years-Poe's in 1898, Refers in
| 1899 and Dewitt's last Saturday. -Four goals
| from the field have been kicked by Prince
| ton in the six games-one by Poe In 1899,
one by Mates in 1900, one by Dewitt in
| 1902 and another by Dewitt last Saturday.
| by the tigers in the seven years against
| the blues. On the other hand, Yale in
that time has scored twelve touchdowns
and one goal from the fieti-by Sharpe in
1899 Yale's total of points for the six
years is siXty-nine. Yale shut Princeton
out in 1897 and 1901 and Princeton white
washed Eli in 1898. In six out of the last
nine Yale Princeton games both sides
| have scored. 81
b. j.
Football history fails to trace the begin
ming Of the scoring system In vogue, as
| regards the reasons for the com parative
values Of touchdowns and goals from the
field, says the Illustrated Sporting News.
There has been always more or less
protest against the existing ratio of
Importance, and the problem was not
| pushed aside when the scoring system was
tinkered with SO as to lessen the value
1 of goal from touchdown. The drop
KICK is q spectacular play, delighting the
/ spectators, and requiring the assistance Of
! the united team to protect the kicker
But, after ALL elevens are coached 70,
the pre-eminent end and object of max
| Ing touchdoWns, all strategy and organ
| izatfon is based on this factor of success
and on the defense, the protection of the
back for drop kicking is an .inconsiderable
part OF the teams work, simply an Incl
dent Of holding the opposing line common
| SAA
| fortunate enough to develop a drop kicker
tor several years. but the absence of this
individual star does not mean that be-
cause no field goals will be scored nc
| touchdown can be made
The que stlon Of relative values is agair
brought sharply to the foreground by the
result OF the recent match between the
Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin. in
which the former won by the score Of
10 to s. without once crossing the enemy's
goal line: The fifteen points were made
! in three. drop-kicks by Eckersall, The
| quarterback whose eligibility status was
made serious issue by the Amateur Ath.
leticH union This is a record of it's kind
SURPRISING Dewitt's feat of defeating Cor:
nell last year by two field goals and thu
similar performance Of BILLY" Bull agains
Princeton: But it is not in logical har.
mony with the system Of football play
and satisfactory reasons have yet to be
| produced to show why a drop, kick should
rot De rated as worth less than a touch
down; by one or two points.