Evening journal., 1906-12-06
WEAKNESSES OF
FOOTBALL RULES
Too Much Left TO Chance
and Team Work is
MinimiZed


one OF the most interesting phases or
the football season JUST ciosed has been
the tactical development Of the play, The
evolution of the new game While pleas
ing from a spectacular standpoint the
critical weaknesses Of the new game lie
in the fact thai, ground gaining being
practically Impossible by any straight sys-
tenn Of play between teams Of nearly equal
strength resort is accessory TO either
kicking or forwurd pass. Attended as tho
latter two are with .he chance OF losing
the bali at least half tho time. ~ not a
larper percentarae. no team defending its
own goal dqres try the second recourse
and IS compelled 10 kick whenever near
its own goal. Should a wind blow against
them they are practically al the mercy
of an attacking team, which by accident
may be able 70 oi,ce force the play INTO
their territory and there rs no escape
except by mistakes OF sneir opponents.
on the other hand, when team is near
e. TO its opponents goal than the midheld.
there is little chance 20 kick in the sense
II the old-fashioned pun, but il is forced
70 rely solely on forward passing and
onside kicks, as save in rare situations
they cannot gain by straight plays. The
almost impassabinty Of the end defense
OF modern tcams forces attacks from
tackle TO tackle. and .aere are easy TO
stop short of the necessary continuous
average OF 10 yards in three trials. Ger
tainiy some relief is necessary TO change
a condition where so much must be left
to haphazard. even wnere perfectly exc
NlIr 20
on Harvard may very easily so wrong.
Either four downs must be allowed within
either the 25-yard line, or else the distance
sr,uld be shortened
The fact that two Of tha big games OF
this year resulted in No score, in one OF
which Yale showed marked superiority
ever Princeton. and that IN easlv have
been faced with the same the third Yale
and Harvard might very easily have been
fnced with the same result. proves conclu-
s.veiy the need OF some more decisive
nethod OF attack. The iengthening Of the
paying halves which 's very necessary
IN view OF the greatly increased ability
o. teams 70 stand the physical strain Of
tattle and consequent aoility 90 continue
an, effective resistance longer, will do
something 20 obviate this but that As not
certain enough. II IS probably impossible
to secure legislation weagoning the end de-
Tense which would encourage end rum
ming. the most spectacular Of PLAYS. and
produce the desired effect
The striking uses of he forward pass
during the year have not been the short
passes Just outside the ond which enabled
short. consistent gains TO be made, as Is
necessary TO retain possession of the bail,
but the long passes used ffom a quarter
back run or double pass. the BAN being
hurled Is or 20 yards over the line OF
scrimmagc. insuring long gains when tho
pass is made accurately, but increasing
its uncertainties and danger Yalo's long
passes were practically punts, and save
thst they were executed with exceptional
accuracy and covered by the entire team
TO prevent them touching The ground and
thus losing the BAN where the pass was
made. they were the most uncertain tried
by any team. OF course their potency
when effective was commensurate with
their risk
Tho one style OF pass that was infre-
ouentS' seen which appears TO have better
possibilities than any other was the one
used once by Jones for Yale against Har.
ward and once by Pennsylvania against
Michigan. This was a QuarterbacS run
which was expected 70 advance the bal
some five or six yards and then. when IN,
runner was tackled. 10 have his pass b
on TO an interferer BY variation OF doubl,
backward and forward passes OF I'M.
kind. there is excellent opportunity To-
development but always with the OBJ
5ection that they lack certainty. Taken al
in all, the new rules have certainly inai
Gated the possibilities OF an interesting
game being developed with few change
to obviate the tendency 90 individualisn
rather than team effort.