Evening journal., 1905-12-18
FOOTBALL CHANGES
Another Wilmington Man Makes a
Few Suggestions.
wilmington, Del, Dec. r. 1903.

Wilmington, Del, Dec. H. 1903.
lsporting Editor Evening Journal
Having read with interest several
larticles in your paper on football and
lchanges which should be made i'm the
rules to make the game more open and
Spectacular would be pleased to have
you print my version.
The future Of football viii be decided
during the next thirty days. IL matters
not what change in the rules are made
&c win stll have to he demonstrated
whether they are practical. Whether
mass plays are to be continued or the
game be made open, football will all
ways be rough; nor would the spectator
have it otherwise 1t is an old saying,
You cannot have the cake and eat II
too You can never have popular foot
ball N you eliminate the natural rough
ness of the game. Good common sense
is all that Is needed In order to change
lthe rules and maintain the integrity of
the game. "Too many cooks spoil the
Ibroth' and too many rules committees
win unquestiOnably spoil the game.
There are now practically three sets
of rules committees. working hard to
change the rules OF the present game
and stlll preserve the game intact. The
far western colleges lead by California
universities have rebolled against the
National Rules Committee. Thirteen
Eastern Colleges have recently met An
New York and appointed "a committee
to modify the rules inviting at the.
Same time delegates from other insti-
tutlons TO the conference. The National
Rules Committee met last week in phil-
adelphia, talked and adjourned to
secure individual instructions from
their different colleges. In addition to
Ithls suggestions by the hundred are
coming from spectators graduates and
'coaches and @ would not be surprising
oi committee OF spectators could bet
ter modify the rules than "a partisan
rules committee.
From a Wesleyan graduate comes the
unique suggestion OF dividing the field
into three zones-middle zone and two
goal zones-his idea being to increase
the value OF goals from the field. there
by making rushing improfitable He
would make the value OF scores as fol-
lows; Goal obtained from touchdown.
points, bo9l from field kick. either
drop or place. 10 points; goal from
punt kick. 10 points: TOUCHDOWN failing
goal, points; safety by opponents, /
point. I'm some suggestions are perth
mont, but he does not go far enough.
Goals from the field should he graded
according to the distance from the
goal; say 4 points from Is to % yard
line; points from beyond 25 to 35 ward
line; points from beyond IS to As yard
hne; and TO points from beyond As to So
yard line. Goals from punt kick 10
count half the value OF drop or place
kick The Introducing OF a value to a
punt kicked goal will remove the OBJ
lection that has been advanced by the
opponents Of drop-kiclSing and give
every team a chance to score whether
tt has a proficient drop-l0icker or not.
A kicked ball should not only never be
Ia free ball as has been suggested but
the player attempting the catch should
poe permitted TO make the attempt with
out interference and II successful then
tho BAH should be down at the place OF
catch' should he tumble the kick. then
let 80 be a free ball This would en-
tirely eliminate the hard and some
times unnecessary tacklng at the same
time compel the opposing team to
charge dawn the field in anticipation
of a tumble
These may appear as insignificant
Nuss'slpnsi put the rules are to be
changed 10 increase the spectacular Sin
the game and at the same time elimi-
nate an unnecessary roughness. and the
headlong dive az fun speed into man
catching punt Is positively unneces-
sary. AS to the spectacular. the kick
ing game furnishes a feature fun of
excitement and win make valuable the
placing OF kicks out of reach Of the
opposing back field
Before the day OF mass piavs the men
IA the line were compelled to run with
me ban from their respective position
Why not return TO the old way. when
end runs were many ANA activity I'm the
me counted more than weightg
The enthusiastic football spsctafor
VIII watch with interest the coming
action OF the rules committee which
VIII meet soon II Harvard can ret
through debating with itself.
Football Lover.