Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-22
RULES PROBLEM
FOR NEXT SEASON
Question is Among Largest Now
On Tap in Sporting
Circles.
SOME EXPERT OPINIONS.
Coaches Declare That the Value OF
Balls Possession Is Lesscncd
This Year

And still II is question OF rules. The
football experts are having their say
now on what is valuable and what Is
not. Cut Of 1t well digested Idea
may be obtained Of the plans for next
season among those who have post to
do with the big college sport.
Here Is what Waletr Camp thinks
as a net result OF the last seasons
showing;
Value OF possession of the ball had
become too great in the old game. AS
teams became more proficient In the
use OF mass and formation plays the
distance they could go without losing
the bail under the old FIVE. gard rule
steadily Increased until rs yards, 50
yards, even, from their own 25-yard
line 20 the opponents goal line was not
an impossible feat.
With every advance In ability to
thus push the bail along two 20 three
yards at a down without losing It. the
value of possession of that ball was
correspondingly increased, until team
dared take no risk by plays outside
tackle or clever handling Of the ball
IN the cfiss-cross or double pass plays
cordingly.
But lust as soon as 1t was made
more difficult TO gain the distance
necessary to hold the bah the value
OF possession decreased, and the advisa-
bility of taking more chances made
itself apparent and the open game
came In with rush. To gain in three
attempts ten yards instead of Ave has
erad!cated the mass play and batter
ing ram tactics exactly as was predict.
ed, and the spectator now sees the
ball, knows the man who receives IT,
can see him run and, In fact, finds a
new and open game presented to him
in single season. No wonder he is
pleased, and so expresses himself. He
likes the forward pass and the excite
ment of the on-side kick, and he en-
Joys with a still keener appreciation
on account OF these variations tho
strenuous struggle OF the running
game when a team sees Itself within
possible scoring distance.
KNOCKS ON-SIDE KICK.
w. w. Roper OF Princeton is against
the on-side kick. He would abolish
It and gives his reasons as follows:
The forward pass IL to nv mind
open TO the most scientific development.
Have not the rules, however, practical
w restrained It's ultimate development
The rule states that the forward pass
must cross tho line OF scrimmage five
yards from the center, that only the
two men on the end OF the line and
those behind the line Of scrimmago
may receive the pass, and, finally, that
only a forward pass may be made from
behind the line of scrimmage. The
rule also reads that IL a forward pass
touches the ground 1t shall go to the
opponents from the spot the pass was
made from. This Is wise legislation
las blind and luck plays are practically
nullified.
The on-side kick Is tho next import
ant addition to the rules. Does this not
allow luck to play too large a feature
In the play? The bound OF the ball Is
very uncertain. Would II not be bet
ter to eliminate the on-side kick en-
tirely? The committee would do well
also TO consider the advisability of
keeping seven men on the line of scrim-
mage all the time. There are also
many who claim that the game may
be heightened. There are reasons both
for and against this.
ANOTHER LINEsMAN.
One more llHeSilhn III wanted ny
a Swathmore coach, and also longer
halves. Geo. H. Brooke speaks up as
follows on the seasons work:
The new football rules have been the
salvation OF the game But there are
many improvements which can yet be
made For instance, / think that the
time OF the halves should be heightened
10 forty minutes. Under the new rules
about taking out time, the game is
entirely too short, both for the spec
tators and the players. l would also
like to see the committee provide for
a linesman on each side Of the field In
order that there might be no mistake
as to whether or not man goes out
of bounds. Two linesmen would SIM
pllfy the work OF the other officials.
There ought also to be better signal
for the fair catch. At present ID il
frequently impossible TO tell whether
man really intends TO make a free
catch or not. The signal for this
should be unmstakable, The ten-yard
rule is all right, and I should regret
20 see the committee permit I'VE yards
In three downs between the twenty-five
yard line and the goal. | don't think
that the committee should abolish the
rule requiring the forward pass tc
cross the line OF scrlmmage FIVE yards
from the center. The on-sIde klcl
gives the team I'll the opportunities Il
should have IN this direction.