Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02
PRAISE FOR THE
FOOT BALL SEASON
New Rules Improved the Game
More Than Was
Expected.
College World Puzzled Over the
Question of the Cham
pion Team.

no year In the history or college loot Dali
was ever more interesting and satisfactory
to all the parties concerned than this. The
new foot ball rules, which many prophets
declared would be a dismal failure, on the
contrary improved the game even more
than their most ardent supporters expected.
The new rules We're vigorously attacked in
all quarters at the start but they have
earned their way and, barring few minor
changes, will undoubtedly stand for another
year.
Just now the college world is interested
in picking the champions of the two sec
tons. But there is nothing but confusion
all around. In the east Yaie and Prince
ton are obliged to divide first honors, while
| in the west Minnesota and Chicago are the
contender. Among eastern critics there
has been effort to regard Yale as the
champion eleven of this section, but there
is no argument in support of this. In their
annual game Yale and Princeton played
| each other to a standstil neither side being
able to score a point. The advocates OF
Yale point to the fact that the Ellis would
have scored touchdown had the game
lasted five minutes longer Perhaps they
would, but Princeton men contend that
Quarterback Dillon actually did score
touchdown in the first half. but that it
was not allowed by the officials. 1t is UNI
fair to the Tigers to point to what might
have occurred. 1t is impossible to go be-
hind the returns, and the fact that it did
not occur leaves Yale and Princeton even
contenderS for first place.
Second place plainly goes to Harvard. for
the Crimson was beaten only by Yale, and
throughout the season played very high
class article Of foot ball.
Confusion in the West.
Out in the west there is confusion worse
COMPOUNDED when any one tries to pick the
champion. This is due to the fact that
only two of the four contenders for first
honors played each other. These were
Minnesota and Chicago. Neither Of these
teams played Michigan Wisconsin, whose
elevens were not beaten by any of the
western teams on their schedule. In fact,
Wisconsin, although not having as hard
schedule her rivals, was not beaten
once during the season. Michigan cut loose
from her old rivals in the west this year
and concentrated all her strength on the
game with Pennsylvania in the east. Al
though Michigan lost this game her re-
verse was probably due in measure to the
unfortunate injury of Captain Curtis,
whose leg was broken the week before the
big game Chicago had the best scoring
team in the west, for Stages men after
losing TO Minnesota, to 2 literally
swamped Nebraska with a score of 80 to 5.
whereas Minnesota could muster but ID to
. against this team.
The foot ball rules committee Is planning
| to hold a meeting shortly at which it will
discuss the success or failure of the new
| rules and to consider what further changes
| are to be made. The rule makers are well
pleased with the situation as it now stands.
| and several of the members are bitterly op-
posed to further changes. This is good
| sense, and the committee will do well to let
well enough alone. The rules were
changed so radically year ago that the
| players and coaches are just now begin
| ming to master them. Another year all the
| teams will have access at the start to every
| formation which the best teams in the
country developed for their championship
games this year and the quality of foot ball
| played ought to be higher than ever. The
committee should clear up certain incon-
| sistencies in the 1906 code, of which there
are many.
For instance, the rules should be made
| perfectly clear on the right of lineman
| other than the ends to run with the ball
from his position. This point, which is
not fully covered in the rules created
| great deal of trouble in the Penn Michigan
| game. Coach Yost Of Michigan. 1t will be
| remembered, charged that Hneman who
| received the ball from his position was
| offside, and the rule he quoted seems to
bear him out. But the members Of the
| rules committee have exprssd themselves
| since then to the effect that they never in
| tended to bar this sort Of play their only
| purpose being to prevent such mass forma-
| tons as tackles back and guards back. II
| the committee does not legahZe the play in
| question there will be big protest be-
Cause few guards and tackles care to play
| can't run with the ball occasionally
coaches might as well put dummies in the
| line from end to end. Under the present
rules teams offense is very much cir
Toe yntt16 L.
from the interest in the game If only six
| men were permitted to advance the ball.
Conditions at Harvard
| The existence Of foot ball at Harvard ia
once more threatened Harvards board of
| overseers which year ago permitted the
| Crimson to play foot ball this fall only
l on probation, has fatty refused to give
! final consent until complete investigation
has been made into the Yale game and the
| intercollegiate quarrels over officials which
preceded it. Other forms of sport have
been sanctioned, but only for the remain
DER OF the present year. What shall be
| done in the future depends wholly upon
| the action of the investigating committee.
| President Eliot himself would rot feel
| badly If Harvard severed all athletic re-
| lations with Yale and every other uniyer-
| sity.
| OHuei tHe present conditions 1t is not
| likely that Yale will take any further ac-
| ton regarding the method by which Har-
ward forced the Ellis to select all their Of
| fcials. If Harvard had won on this ac-
| count Yale would certainly have done
| something. for the Crimson acted in a most
| high-handed manner, and angered Yale
| clear through. The advice of Yale's hot
| headed undergraduates was to sever all
| athletic relations with Harvard for the
future, but now that Yale has won de-
cisively the Ellis can afford to be mag
| unanimous and overlook the quarrel
1t is doubtful II any defeat Harvard ever
sustained was more bitter to the Crimson
| than this. Before the game the Harvard
| coaches and players were extremely con-
| fident, and declared that they had the best
team in the history of the Crimson. But
| Yales eleven certainly was not the best
| the Ellis have turned out by any means
| Therefore, 1t was all the more calling that
| Harvard should have lost so decisiveIy
| Furthermore, this was Bill" Reds third
year as head coach at Harvard Reid
wanted this time in order to install and
| perfect his system. He may have been
| successful in giving Harvard a new coach
| ing system, but measured by what il ac-