The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-27
STEPS TAKEN FOR CLEAN ATHLETICS University of Pennsylvania Has
 Offered Solution PENALTIES FOR SLUGGING Proposed Rules Are Drastic-No One to Take Part In Athletics Until
 He Has Been Student
 for 2 Year.
PENALTIES FOR SLUGGING


 Philadelphia, November 26.-Tollowing the suggestion of President Roosevelt for uniform eligibility in college athletics and for the elimination of unnecessary rough ness, brutality and foul play in the Amer ican game of football, the University Of Pennsylvania has taken the initiative for suggested reforms and has addressed a circular letter on the subject to the heads or all universities, colleges, private schools and other institutions in the United States interested in athletics This action was taken after number of meet ings of the committee on athletics of the University of Pennsylvania, at which the Presidents thoughts on the subject were discussed. The committee formulated rules which 1t thought would meet the situation, and decided to send them to the authorities of all educational institutions In the country for consideration and adoption, if they met with approval.
 The letter is as follows
 President Roosevelt, in recent inter- view with a member of this committee tProfessor White), expressed his opinion as to the urgent need of an earnest and concerted effort to secure simplicity and uniformity in the eligibility rules of the colleges and universities of this coun- try
 Professor Hollis of Harvard has ex- pressed the same thought. In his opin- ion the backbone of college regulation of athletics rests in three rules:
 I. A definition of professionalism.
 A rule which should require all members of athletic teams to be genuine students of the college which they rep resent, and to be satisfactory in their studies
 A rule to prevent the procurement of good players from other colleges by social or money inducements
 Rules Are Formulated.
 The university committee on athletics of the University of Pennsylvania in an endeavor to cover these points and to provide Q code which will meet all the desired requirements with thoroughness, and with brevity and clearness at the same time has formulated the inclosed rules and will advocate their adoption not only by their own institution but by the others whom they may meet in ath- letic competition.
 Ut believes that they will provide for all the exigencies which have hitherto arisen or that may arise. and if interpreted and accepted in the broad spirit which was appropriately described by President Roosevelt as a 'gentlemans agreement will do away with the evils which have undoubtedly menaced intercollegiate ath- letics and will promote the best interests of clean gentlemanly amateur sport
 Ut, therefore. sends them to you for your consideration in the hope that they may be generally adopted by the educa- tional institutions of the country that
 
 rivalry.
 "A reply conveying your opinion as tn both the matters thus submitted would be greatly appreciated"
 The rules proposed by the University of Pennsylvania in accordance with the sug- gestion of President Roosevelt are as fol- lows:
 T. No student shall be allowed to repre- sent any college or university in inter- collegiate athletic contests until he has been in residence there as a bona f1de student for an academic year, and shall have passed satisfactory examinations on course of study as a candidate for a degree or, if partial student, shall have taken course which requires at least fifteen hours per week, and shall have passed satisfactory examinations in sub- jects aggregating at least twelve hours of such courses. No student shall repre- sent his college or university in intercol-
 
 be at the time in good academic stands ing in the class of which he is a member.
 Bars All Professionalism.
 70 No student shall be allowed to rep- resent his college or university in inter- collegiate athletic contests who shall at any time have taught or engaged in any athletic sport for a pecunary or other consideration, or who shall at any time have received for taking part in any ath- letic sport or contest any pecuniary gain or emolument whatever, direct or indirect, with the exception that he may have re- cefved the amount by which the expenses necessarily incurred by him in taking part in such sport or contest exceeded his ordi- nary expenses. In applying this rule the constituted authorities shall discriminate between the deliberate use of athletic skill as means to livelihood and tech- neal unintentional or youthful infractions of the rule.
 ''3. No student shall represent one on more universities or colleges in intercol- leg1ate contests for more than four years. In determining what constitutes uni. versity or college within the meaning of this rule, due consideration shall be given to the athletic and scholastic standing of the institutions represented. student who from any cause participates in any intercollegiate athletic contests during only a small fractional part of a year, may In succeeding year be charged with only that part of the year which is eauiv- alent to that in which he participated during the completed year.
 A. The rules regulating eligibility an formulated in this code shall be interpre- ted as representing merely a required minimum. No student shall be considered eligible to represent his college or univer- sity in athletics merely because he satis- fies the minimum requirements, but 10 shall be the duty of the constituted a,i- thorfties to determine whether it is best, all things considered. for any particular student or for the institution, that he be permitted to become It's representative in any branch of athletics"
 The board of coaches of the University of Pennsylvania. in a communication en- closed in the letter. discusses the abuses to which football has been subjected and ventures the opinion that the danger of injury in mass play is more apparent than real. Nine-tenths of all serious in- juries, the board says occur in so-called open play. The board suggests the fol. lowing changes in the playing rules:
 For unnecessary roughness" billing up." ''the use of the open hand or el- bows.'' etc. penalty of twenty-five yards be inflicted; for the offense of slug ging with the fist" of 'kneeing" or of other equally unsportsmanike action that the player not only be disqualified by re- moval from the game. but that for the remainder of the half in which the of- fapSa occurrad his feau1 he oh1irad to