Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-19
THREE MORE BIG
GAMES TO PLAY
By Edward 3. Bushnell,

The new foot bali game IL beginning to
Dear fruit. and very agreeable fruit at that.
with the exception Of the uncompromisins
President Butler Of Columbia the new game
has won over all Its old antagonists Chan
cellor McCracken Of New York University.
who called the conference Of some sixty
colleges and universities and started the
agitation which resulted In the formation of
q new foot ball rules committee and the
radical amendment Of the whole game was
the first convert to the new order of things
DR.. McCracken suspended the game at New
York University until It had been amended,
but then he went to work and gave his full!
consent to let his students play, quite con-
trary to the method pursued by Dr. Butler
Of Columbia.
But the latest and most important con-
vert Of them al: Is the hitherto impIacabls
and the board Of overseers of Harvard had
decided to stop intercollegiate foot ball
after December II the new game were not
successful DR.. Eliot saw his first game
when Harvard played the Indians a week
ago and he was SO well pleased with the
new order Of things that ne took occasion
to commend the great Improvement over
the game Of year ago. The winning Of
President Eaot undoubtedly means the sal
walton Of intercollegiate foot ball at Har-
ward. for DR.. Eliot was the head and front
OF the opposition to the game.
President Eliot says that he wants more
changes to be made along the same lines as
those made a year ago. There Is every like
lihood that the rules committee will make
some alterations in the code before another
year because 1t Is greatly In need OF them.
There are a good many antiquities in the
rule book which officials everywhere have
complained of In trying to interpret the
code. Just why there should be so much
confusion in regard to the meaning of the
rules is hard to understand. The members
Of the committee are all college graduates
and are supposed to know how to write
clear English. At present the rules need a
good copy reader and editor more than any,
thing else.
Warm Debate Over the Rules.
As soon as the season is ended the de-
bate over further changes in the rules
will wax warm. The rule which Is now
the most Objectionable is that which re-
quires the bali to be advanced ten yards
In three downs or surrendered to the other
side. This rule has acted as many con-
tended 1t would in holding down scores. In
no previous years have there been so many
90 scores as this year. Neither has any
former season SO persistently recorded the
inability Of the stronger team to win over
the weaker. The latest case in point here
il the Pennsylvania-Swart game Of
q week ago. in which Pennsylvania, though
the stronger team. could not get the ball
over the line. In the middle west Chicago
and Minnesota virtually played each other
to standstill. 1t was not because neither
side had strong enough attack, but be-
cause the attack has been too greatly
handicapped.
number IL constantly increasing. that
rule requiring ten-yard advance Of the
ball in four downs would be the happy
medium which would force the right pro-
portion between the rushing and kicking
game. Under the new rule the greatest
emphasis Is placed on the kicking game.
In every big game now there is a constant
exchange Of punts. which to many is not
scientific foot ball. This Is because the
purpose of the kicking Is not SO much to
outkick an opponent as 1t Is to get the
ball after 1t is fumbled and thus to secure
score which could not have been done
by straight foot ball.
sThe objection to the forward pass the
next most radical change in the rules. is
rapidly decreasing and this play has be-
come as popular as the quarterback run
was when 1t was first introduced two years
ago. 1t was feared at the beginning of
the season that this play would be at
tended with great many dangers, but
these have been reduced to such an ex-
tent that the play is usually safer than
many Others. AS now worked the play is
usually divided up to such an extent that
the man who finally gets the ball has
ample time to catch 1t before he Is tackled.
There will be meeting Of the intercol-
lesiate rules committee shortly after the
close of the present season. for the purpose
of consulting on the value of the amended
code. and determining where 1t should be
changed for next year. This win be much
easier task than it was last year, and
there will probably be no more than two
or three meetings.
Three More Big Games.
with the playing of the Princeton-Yale
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