Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-19
FOOTBALL NOTES.

I Presidents of eight colleges in Wis
,.onsin and Northern Illinois Saturday
formulated football rules which will
ne enforced among their schools, re-
gardless of the rules made by the gen.
"ral rules committee. The conference
included Ripon College, Beloit College,
Lake Forest University, Knox College
and Lawrence University.
In an open letter to President Roose-
Eelt on the reform of football, w. w.
thompson, graduate of Wesleyan
University makes some radical sus-
:;estions, chiefly in the scoring line.
Cnder his plan he would divide the
field in three zOnes-the middle zone
md two goal zones, and SO increase
The value OF goals from the field as to
make rushing in the goal zones, where
the roughness of the play increases
under the present style, Improbable.
He suggests the following for rule &c:
The following shall be the values of
plays in scoring: Goal obtained by
touchdown, five points goal from field
Kick. either a drop kick or place kick
Is points; goal from punt field kick
10 points; touchdown failing goal four
'cAiito' surety ny oppoilCHto, oIit
point These changes in the scoring
.'ulc would preserve every feature of
he present rushing game intact, when
played in the middle zone, without
prohibiting it in the goal zones; while
1t the same time they would cause the
game to shift naturally to a kicking
game whenever the ball came within
the goal zones.
Boston Journal: 1t comes out in the
wash that as far back as early October
w. 7. Reid, Jr., for Harvard. tried to
get Yale and Princeton to agree to
certain things in regard to the use of
hands in football that would have
eliminated this season the unnecessary
rOughness which Walter Camp has
suddenly discovered in the game, and
have made impossible the Quill Incl
dent, but Jack OWSley for Yale and
Hillebrand for Princeton would not ac-
cept them. II is very improbable that
OWSley answered Reid's letter without
submitting its propositions to Walter
Camp. Reid'S letter contained an
agreement for Yale and Princeton to
subscribe to which reads very much
like Camps special plea issued last
Thursday. This both Owsley and
Hlilebrand refused to accept, the for
mer asserting that he considered the
use of the hands and straight arms as
necessary to stop hurdlng. All of
when goes to prove that it is rather
ludlcrous for Camp to substantially
accuse Harvard of blocking football
reform by asking for more time to pre-
pare suggestions for changes in the
rules
Capt. Shevlin of the Yale team Is
quoted as saying at New Haven: Il
axe 1t for granted that the 10-yard
rule on four downs will be adopted
mat VIII not make bigger gains and
VIII not open up the game any in
ScflmmaEing. but it Will give plenty
II Kicking and that is when accidents
arise Unless some safeguards are
established the game may become I'M
ger Such rule rougher than ever
am i'll favor of new rule which will
shorten the playing halves to IS min
uteS- The players rarely have 35-min-
ute halves in practice. They cannot
stand them. Why put them into the
championship games? Shorter halves
lad longer intermission between
mem would please me-" Capt elect
Morse has not commented on the pro-
posed changes in the rules except to
say that he thinks the scheme of put
ing the backs several yards behind
me line would be more injurious than
the present system. Walter Camp has
declared himself as favoring two rules
one the 10-yard rule and the other
prohibiting tackling below the knees.
incidentally Mr.. Camp says in regard
&c new stadium for Yale: Moth
ing immediate is in sight for struc-
lure. A sinking fund has been start
ed for the purpose of building a sta
dlun and constant changes in the
wooden timbers of the present struc-
lure have to be made but no definite
steps have been taken relative to
building one"