The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-25


take full gain up to twenty-five yards,
down. '>1e>- : '>s1ss'i-
The revision says that no attention shall
be paid to the umpire's signal, but the
play shall continue and the penalty be In
flicted for the foul afterward. The play
ers will be able to distinguish between the
signals and there will not be any neces-
sity for the usual misunderstanding. One
official will be provided with whistle and
the other with a bell or horn
This is very good provision, believe.
A good rule was introduced which does
away with tricks by players to draw OPP
ponents off side. The old rule provided
that If any player on side with the ball
shall by any attempt to draw player off,
side on the other side succeed. the Of
fender shall be penalized. This rule tended
to penalize one of the strong points of the
game-that Of quick charging. Hereafter
no penalty will be inflicted in such case.
New Kickoff Rule.
Rule l3 about the kickoff was changed.
There has been some misunderstanding "a
to whether the winner of the toss could
should take the kickoff. To make this
ruleexplicit the change required that the
loser Of the toss must take the kickoff il
the winner selects the goal.
A change that was introduced by NV.
self protects the side kicking into goal.
On a touchback or safety the OLD rule re-
CURED that the kick must be made from
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT line, and II the bali
was kicked out Of bounds twice it went
to the opponents on the spot The new
rule provides that the opponents may
have the ball on the thirty-f1ve-yard line
instead Of on the twenty -fve-yar line
The old rule was very unfair, in that
oftentimes the side with the ball was
compelled to kick into gale or for
some other unavoidable circumstances,
kicked out Of bounds twice in succession.
1t amounted to at least twenty-five
yard penalty for this occurrence, a1tho
not due to poor playing. From the
twenty -fve-yard line good kicker often
times could easily negotiate a goal from
placement or by drop kick. Such is
not the case from the thirty-hve-yard
line. Only those exceptionally good can
make goal from this distance
The value Of the goal from drop kick
to place kick was changed to four points
and believe it was a change for the
better Everybody was in favor of the
change. The feeling was rightfully
strong that the game ought not to be
tied when one side gets a touchdown and
the other side a drop kick or a place kick.
AS 1t now stands, the side which kets
touchdown ticks the side that gets a goal
from the field.
One change grew out Of our game with
West Point. One part of the old rule No.
26 said that IF player who has an op-
portunity to make fair catch is illegally
obstructed he shall receive fifteen yards
and the ball be put into play by free
kick" This new rule provides that the Of
Tended side shall receive fifteen yards but
must put the ball in play by a scrimmage.
or II they SO neglect may take five yards
and put the ball in play by a free kick.
no COZ osoJ u,
player who has made fair catch Is
thrown by a player on the opposing side.
Many Minor Changes.
Minor changes were made in several
cases. In measuring the forward point
Of the ball the words in its position
were added to the rule to make 1t explicit.
that the ball should be measured in the
position found when called down. This
matter is. however, entirely in the hands
of the referee.
Under rule 10 changes were made allow
ing the man going down the field to use
his hands in getting away from his OPP
ponents who are trying to block him. I'm
der the old rule this was an offense, but
1T was seldom penalized.
One change grew out Of a dispute that
arose in a Princeton game last year. The
change results in the elimination of
relic OF old Rugby football. The rule re-
CURED that if the ball goes out Of bounds
whether 1t bounds back or not, player
Of the side which secured It must bring
1t to the spot where the line was crossed
and then touch 1t in with both hands at
right angles to the side lines, and then kick
1t at least ten yards toward his opponents
goal, and neither side need be on side
when the ball was thus put In play.
This paragraph of the rule is wholly elm
mated and the second paragraph Of 1t al
lowed to stand, which requires that the
q 90 oil int he errST
right angles. ETC.
It was Lehigh, think, that worked this
old relic on Princeton last fall and Sc
cured touchdown. They practiced the
same trick on Princeton that we used to
play on Michigan On one occasion, as the
men were not required to be on side, Ham
Ill loafed at one side Of the field, while
leisurely brought In the ball
that was out of bounds. AS he rea ched the
side lines he booted 1t over to HamiH who
fumbled, but recovered in time to gain
twenty yards. Had he not funbIed a
touchdown would have been easy. The
Lehigh man did not tumble, and as re-
suit Princeton was Inundated.
Coal Post Question.
The matter Of making the goal posts
higher was not brought up. a1tho this
point has caused many disputes. Per-
sonally would like to see a rule adopted
extending the goal posts ten feet higher
ana requiring the ball to go between
them TO constitute goal.
In the matter of the length of the
game the Interpretation of the rule
should be that the referee should call the
game in favor Of the team insisting on
thirty five minutes halves IL the other
team refuses to play, unless there has
been a mutual agreement for shorter
halves.
Qualifications of the touchback were
added requiring the player to touch the
ball down or to call down or the referee
to call it down before the bali is really
down. Otherwise the player win be al.
lowed to run out with the ball If he de-
sires to do so.
In general the changes in the rules win
tend to make disputes fewer. The codi-
hcation of the rules and the changes in
the penalties will make confusion less
likely. I do not believe that the changes
favor any particular style Of play. Moth
ing of the sort was attempted and If any
particular style Of play was favored this
will show itself next year In the game
itself. In nearly every case the changes
were adopted with unanimity and 1t Is
the general opinion of the members OF
the committee that progress has been
made.