Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-17
SPORTING GOSSIP OF WEEK
End or Mend Foot Tall Still the Talk
AmonE Educators
GAME WILL Be MORE OPEN NEXT YEAR
Walter Camp says the Ten-Yard Rule
VIII BE Adopted ana that the
Objectionable Features
VIII he Eliminated.

Foot ball has had many a hard knock
during the last season, but from all indica-
lions bids fair to continue TO be the king of
all amateur sports Many improvements
in the rules have been suggested and the
probabilities are that decided changes will
be made before the next season rolls around
Walter Camp, the head advisor Of the Yale
team and dean OF foot ball, has made the
announcement that the ten-yard rule will
be adopted by the eastern colleges. He is
probably in position to know. This rule
VIII probably work more to the advantage
of the open game In foot ball than any
which has yet been suggested. The game
has been growing more open from year to
year. In 1892 the players we're wont to DO
injured by the hying wedge. This was
played in different complex formations at
the opening Of play. The defensive side
would line up in the middle of the field and
the side which had won the toss would
start ten or fifteen yards back in the form
OF a and charge at full speed. When the
crash came the man with the ball would
be thrown forward as far as possible. A.
W. Jefteris Of this city received severe
injury in stopping this rush while playing
on the Michigan team. Albion the OPP
ponent and as the players charged down the
field 1t was Jefferis' business to throw him
self under the mass to stop II. He was
kicked in the spine and was unable to so
much as smile for several weeks. Harvard
worked this system TO perfection and made
many formations Of the flying wedge so
that for two or three years the team was
as victorious as was Pennsylvania when
that team introduced the guards back in
reference, a game which was very success
full until the opposing teams learned a de-
fcnsp which would stoD IT
.
After the flying wedge was done away
with new rules were introduced which kept
six and seven men on the front line of Of
Tense, so that these heavy formations were
done away with. This rule was circum-
vented by the captains calling back the
heavy men to make the plunges into the
line and it is still the better team which
can get the heaviest men 20 make line
plunges. The new rule is intended to make
more open play and TO do this faster men
VIII be required and so many heavy men
will not be needed on a team. There is no
foolishnegs about the game of foot ball
it has been played. It is case of win,
win fair II possible, but win. Last season
public Indignation was worked up over the
game of foot ball and the makers of the
rules changed a word here and a phrase
there and the general public was told that
there to be a great improvement, but
the Improvement was not there except in
cases of teams which wished to play The
open game in spite OF the leniency of the
rules. Chicago was a notable example of
the opponents of the open game, and al
though Stage had the players to resist the
plunges of the heavy Michigan team, they
were also schooled in the open game. The
deaths from foot ball this year were nine
teen In number, about the same as last
year, and is not so large when 1t is con-
sidered that over 100000 players annually in
dulge in the pastime The fatality end of
the game is not considered so bad the
brutality and the cheating by ringing in of
professional players to make team which
can win. President Eliot of Harvard did
not como out strong some, as he
thinks we'll of the game as a whole but be-
lieves the rules should be modified.
3
California universities have announced
their intention of making their own rules
FOR the government of the game and break
ing away from the rules which are fixed by
the general rules committee, composed OF
representatives. of all of the principal east
ern schools, with representation from the
Big Nine. This is to be regretted, for this
is but one country and the laws of a great
sections. otherwise an interchange of
games is impossible. The rules committee
will undoubtedly do the right thing in the
matter and some radical changes may be
expected. Many say that they can see moth
ing to the game when it is merely a series
OF line plunges between two giant eevens,
bu. rules will surely be made which will
make the game Open giving better C1ance
to the spectators and TO the players to
show their individual merit. In the old
kicking game Snake Ames name
long talked about, and this player gained
his fame simply because he understood a
few tricks which old players understand
concerning the open game. Ames would
step way back, ostensibly to punt and
when the opposing players would charge at
full tilt, it was simple matter to dodge
and side-step these charging players and
that left him few TO dodge on his run down
the field. The 5O-cent rule adopted by the
Big Nine conference will have a great in