Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-27
initial STEPS
Taken Toward Modifying
Game Of Football.
Circular Letter Sent to College
Heads Of the Country
By U. Of P. Following Pres. RooseYeIfs Sug-
gestion for Uniform Eligibility Rules.

Philadelphia, Nov. 26.-Following the
suggestion of President Roosevelt for
uniform eligibility rules in college ath-
leticS and for the elimination of I'M
necessary roughncss brutality and foul
play i'm the American game of football,
the University of Pennsylvania has
taken the initiative for the suggested
reforms and has addressed IL circular
letter on the subject to the heads of all
universities, colleges, private schools
and other institutions in the United
States interested in athletics. This ac-
ton was taken after a number of meet
ings of the university committee on
athletics OF Pennsylvania.
The rules proposed by the University
Of Pennsylvania in accordance with the
suggestion of President Roosevelt,
copies Of which are enclosed in the let
tiers. are as follows:
mo student shall be allowed to
represent any college or university in
intercollegiate athletic contests until
he has been in residence there as a
bona fide student for an academic year,
and shall have passed satisfactory ex-
aminations on a course of study as a
candidate for degree, or, if a special
or partial student, shall have taken a
course which requires at least Is hours
per week, ana shall have passed salts
factory examinations in subjects aggre-
eating at least IL hours of such course.
"e-No student shall represent his
college or university in inter collegiate
athletic contests unless he shall be at
the time in good academic standing in
the class of which he is member.
Ono 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 ind-
rect. with the exception that he may have
received the amount by which expenses
necessarily incurred by him in taking part
in such sport or contest exceeded his or
binary expenses.
"In applying this rule the constituted
authorities shall discriminate between
the deliberate use of athletic skill as q
means to a livelihood and technical. I'M
intentional or youthful infractions of the
rule.
'3-No student shall represent one or
more universities or colleges in inter col
legiate athletic contests for more than
four years.
I'm determining what constitutes n 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.
"a student who from any cause partic-
ipatcs in intercollegiate athletic con-
tests during only 4 small fractional part
of a year may in a succeeding year be
charged with only that part of the year
which is equivalent to that in which he
participated during the incomplete year
1.-THE rules regulating eligibility as
formulated in this code shall be interpret
ed as representing merely required min
imum. No student shall be considered eli
Sble to represent his college or university
in athletics merely because he satisfic,;
the minimum requirements, but it shall
be the duty Of the constituted authorities
to determine whether it is best, all things
considered, for any principal student or
for the institution that he be permitted
to become its representative in any
branch of athletics"