Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
NEWEST FOOT BALL
RULES ATTACKED

NEW YORK, March 3.-The intercol-
legiate gridiron congress. known as the
foot ball rules committee, will meet today
at the Murray Hill Hotel. Members from
north, east. south and west are scheduled
to act finally upon rules which reformers
hope will lessen brutality in the playing of
the game
F. Homer Curtiss, representative from the
south, said yesterday that he did not be-
lfeve the rules passed at the last meeting
would effectually do away with dangerous
mass plays. and that today he would offer
substitutes for those rules and ask the
committee to adopt them.
The first obligation of the committee to-
ward the public said Curtiss, SIS to elm
mate mass play. and at the last meeting
the rules committee took action which It
was said would do this, adopting the fol-
lowing rule:
Six Men on Line.
On offense six men shall always be on
the line of scrimmage; the five center men
shall always be on the line, except that
one of the center men may drop back at
least five yards, another man to take his
place the rush line
For this rule just passed by the commit
tee there Is a substitute which I will en-
deavor to have take the place of the one
On offense there must be at least seven
men on the line of scrimmage when the
ball is put in pay, except that one man
may be brought behind the line of scrim-
mage, provided that three men are at least
five yards behind the line
This rule will eliminate the mass or tan
dem play The essential Of the tandem
play Is to start close to the line. Under
this rule the tandem is possible four
yards back of the line. but it would not be
as efficient. since the line by charging could
break up the tandem.
Il believe that the committee again de-
ceved itself in the rule. passed at the last
meeting. TO weaken the defense. The rlIIe
as 1t now stands reads:
That on defense not more than sig
men should be the line of scrimmage
the others to be clearly behind the back
feet of all the linemen and inside the men
on the ends of the line
After the Quakers.
At first sight this seems to weaken the
defense. but close analysis will show
that 1t has practically not altered the de-
Tense Pennsylvania has used so success
fully for the past two or three years, ex-
cept that the men must be inside the >ends
In the Pennsylvania defense. admittedly as
strong as any in the country. there were
practically only six men on the line of
serimmage. as Capt. Torrey, at center, or
diTarily played one yard back of the line
and dove into the play or tackled on the
ends, as the occasion demanded. The
half backs, too-Greene and Sheble-ordi-
narily played inside the ends. so under the
rule as 1t now stands teams could play
Pennsylvania style of defense and it would
be well-nigh impossible for their opponents
to make the necessary ten yards for first
down.
II also have a substitute for this rule,
which hope to have adopted. 1t reads:
"'(a) On defense there must be six men
on the line of scrimmage, and (b) there
must be three men ten yards back. (c)
The two not provided for in (a) and (bl
must be clearly inside the outside foot of
the men on the ends of the line. I'D II
three men are not ten yards back when the
bali is put in play they cannot take part
In that play until they have retreated to
their ten-yard mark. Penalty for violation
of this rule, loss of ten yards
This rule viii weaken the defense, since
three men cannot enter into scrimmage.
One OF these three will undoubtedly play
far back. as the quarter back has done IN
tho past This will also make more scor-
ing and consequently make the possession
OF the ball more valuable. A light. fast
team VIII also be equally as strong as
heavier team under this ruling