The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-19
HOW REFEREES
PERFORM DUTY
Have Difficult Task In Making De.
cision.
SCORING OF POINTS" MADE
DETAILS OF METHODS EN-
PLoYED BY RING DIRECTORS.

When referee of glove contest rem
ders q decision on points at the ends OF a
stipulated number OF rounds, he lays
himself open TO criticism. for Dartisans
will insist that he is either IN great error
or has acted with extreme unfairness.
such decision must be based on what
Tlng experts are compelled TO call
points yet how many referees know
what point is and can keep track of
them during y twenty-round fight?
good qualities Of a shllfUl boxer. The
instructors who give lessons in the man
y art OF self-defense are stickiers for
points for they regard rough. unconth
smuggling as inelegant and entirely out Of
Ring followers. as n rule, have come to
regard point as blow square
y landed. although. as a matter of fact,
many other things come under this head
in boxing or sparTing match. To many
it seems odd that man who is Fighting
all the time by forcing matters i'm every
round and by trying repeatedly TO knock
his opponents head off by heavy swings
should be declared a beaten man at the
end of 4 twenty-Tound bout because his
rival though apparently on the defen-
sive all the time. has succeeded in land
ing the greater number of Jabs ana
counters. The man who shows a Wiling
ness to fight all the time and who is
still driving his antagonist before him
at the Cnd of the battle naturally has
the support of ring followers who know
little OF the science Of the game.
The recent fight between Battling Nell
lustratiOu of this sort of work in the
ring Nelson was coming ali the time.
He WAS boring in with his heavy swings
and rOugh-hOuSe tactics. and was as
strong as a lion on his feet at the wind
up But Britt. with superior science
kept out of harms WAY and a the same
time succeeded I'm landing a erraa ter num-
Der of clean blows Although thc referee
old not actually count those points, he
men 90 decide which was the master
from a scientific point of view Yet
after the decision had been rendered
there was a howl from the Nelson crowd
TO the effect that Battling Nelson had
done all the work he should nave won.
or might have had a draw at the very
worst
Men who have gone into the question
Of points generally allow one point
when Il fighter leads and lands a blow,
ard "A half point if his antagonist Is
clever enough TO counter and reach the
mark In a word they believe that the
man who does the leading takes greater
chances, and is. therefore. entitled to
more credit while the man who hangs
back in his attack deserves to be pen
allied.
In sizing up two fighters. in addition
TO watching the blows and their effects. d
referee is supposed to take account OF
the parrying blocking, side-steppins,
slipping. ducking and general footwork.
and is also expected to resort to radical
measures when a fighter deliberately
runs away from an opponent ct
there * an argument i'm favor of the
'tin-can puSllist. As a runner Is called
set forth by the statement that the ring.
under MARQUIS OF QueccnsberrN rules
must be II feet square, 50 that puEil-
list may have plenty of room IN which TO
What is the ring for?'' is a question
ono can hear seconds ask Of a fighter
who is inclined to clinch TO avoid pun
ishment. Use the ring. Get in some
foOtwOTk." the seconds cry as their man
is wabbins about under a heavy fusllade
OF punches. In such case a man who
runs cannot be blamed. because ne must
necessarily try TO do his best 10 escape
Il knockout. But the rank anC file OF
ring followers would rather see two men
stand uD and waIlOD each other until
one of 1hem drops tnan look At q run
ming match in which a Sprlnter who IS
quick with his hands in the matter OF
scoring points is declared victor
Charley White, one OF the most cOmpe-
tent referees ia the country. can tell at
"a glance whether man who Is running
away * really clever or possesses yell
low streak. White has made many de-
ciSiuns on points which have usually
been satisfactory, but he has never at
tempted to count the actual number OF
blows landed. lie has simply watched
the respective styles of the two men as
they have moved about the ring. and has
made d decision in favor Of the one who
In his estimation possessed the greatest
amount of clcVernesS. And nearly every
referee i'm the profession today follows
this custom.
Some years ago. however, a referee who
CffiCiItcd i'm several bouts at Coney is
land and one OF the local amateur ath-
lskc clubs actually tried to count the
Joints" including blows landed and
blocks. He had pair OF counters. ono in
each hand, and clicked off the points
first FOR one and then FOR the other As
one Of the fights over which he presided
became rough and tumble affair. the
system failed To work. and the referee
quickly threw his counting machines
away, much to the satisfaction of all
concerned
Jim Corbett. perhaps has been the
means OF showing how "A scientific man
can score points while in fun retrea [
before an aggressive opponent 1t was
I'm his battle with Jim JcffricS at Conev
island that COrtrrfL was running around
the ring for twenty-five rounds. iabbing
the champion in the face. beating a tat
too ON his head with his busy left ana at
the same time making il impossible, for
JcffrieS to- land a solid blow COrbett' ;,
wonderful footWork. 10y which he used
every inch of The floor space. was adj
mircd by loVerS of clean boxing. but il
was also condemned by those who rre-
fcrred tho Touchdown and drag out ar
ticic- George Cousidiue, who was in Cor
belts corner that night. was enthusiastic
as Gentleman Jim came 10 his chair
after the twentieth round.
Keep on the move. JIM said Cousi-
dine Don't let him put "A glove on YOU
and You cannot lose or points, You have
oUtciaSSed him
Corbett promised to keep away. but his
personal pride beat him. Some of JEFF