The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-01
They Weather One Trial Pretty We'll Ten
Yard Requirement Makes Ground Gain.
Ing Harder, hut Forces More varied
and Open Playa Boston opinion.

strong teams evenly matched will not mean
a game Of purposeless tussling and no steady
ground gaining? One thing 10 sure, they
cam II the players don't try to devise such
man9uvres. A great deal depends on the
spirit with which the players set about to
make the most Of the new rules. UnQues-
tionably, there are possibilities in the 1907
code for a variety OF fast. open. spr cad out
plays. which the proper spirit and enthusiasm
in developing will bring about. On the
contrary. IL one has made up his mind before
hand that the rules will not do he Is less likely
TO do much with them.
One Of the main objections TO football the
last few years was that there was too much
monotonous line plugging. too much use OF
beef at the expense of skill and too little seen
OF the ball by the spectators. The ten yard
rule was des igned 70 diminish these faults.
II a te am cannot gain its distance by line
plugging then other methods of advance are
forced on IT,. That's where strategy and
resourcefulnes s will be more at a premium.
II il true that last Saturday few teams
were able to make ground consistently: that
is, where they had any sort OF opposition.
but the new rules are in their very infancy
and no teams as yet have ground gaming
plays in smooth working order. But there
was frequent change of ownership OF the
ball last Saturday. more open play than
ever took place under the old rules and the
ball was in sight OF the spectators more than
il ever was before.
The for ward pa ~. which Cannot be other
wise than a stirring play; the quarterback
kick, double passes. dashes for the end OF
the line. punting with the chances OF getting
the ball by the new onside kick-aN these
things we're seen with a corresponding de-
crease OF close formations and smashing
at the line. The play was hating and helter-
SHELTER, but IL liz not mproba bic that dex-
terity in handling the ball that comes from
practice and more confidence under the new
co nditions may impart a sufficient degree
of team skill 10 prevent the new game from
being too much ofa proftless scramble. In
short, practice, hopefulness and sportsman
ship can help out a whole lot In making the
most of existing conditions:
The neutral zone Is one Of the new require
ments that bring the ball into palmer view
than heretofore. With the ball in plain
sight when the opposing lines are lined up
lines and the difficulty of any monkey busi-
ness. it is much easier TO follow the move
ments OF the ball than hitherto. And the
ground conseCutively the more shifting ana
varied will be the attack,
Tigers could not make a first down WITH any
re ularity, were thrown back on their re-
sources to advance the leather. ana somenQW
or other got there. Their score was as big.
probably. az they would have. made UNDER
TIE old rrlesm % R SHations TmaaarEred this
game, but the more familiar officials become
with their duties the fewer delays there VIII
he. MPssrs. Morice and Stauher did not
h~esita ate 10 infict penalties when they thought
they should be imposed. and there will be
less offending by contestants When theN
find out officials mean strict business;
The Tigers when within striking distance
made 2 touchdown by ilne pucShgi showing eng
tireIy; hut their best gains we're maze WIN
the forward pass, They worked II adnlraDiy
basketbaii pass, but the ordinary one arm
football pass. The overhead pass is sup
posed TO beget greater accuracy. IL needs
careful protection. however. az II takes more
time. The Nillanova team passed overhead
once or twice and got away WITH H. Ohce
a Princeton man jumped up ana blocked a
forward pass Just "a eXcit ing z play a.
blocking u Kick. As TO the onside kick, u
| developed nothing. When the ball did strike
The ground bekOre being caught the men
PLAYING back for the defending side nailed
Il before the opposing ends could get within
hstrong recommendation for the new rules
il furnished by the Boston HCrGid, which SAYS:
Harvard opened It's football season yesterday
at The Stadium before 1000 persons by defeating
Williams ! 10 0 In one OF the most reinatXaDIe
and one In which 1t was proved conclusively that
football this season under the new rules can ne
plAy ed in such a manner as to prevent any crluciSm
from even the strongest opponents OF the siren
uvITrN was the 1rst public test Of the new rules by
Harvard and the largest crowd that ever witnessed
an opening game In the STADIUM ,fit sStS ,W1 w W.sp
Will be more open, more Spect1caiaI man d. eyer:
Iirsd i many contests in years past.
Quite different an account Of the game at
Dartmouth where "a crowd OF 300 witnessed
he trvout of the new rules. and Coach Fol-
SONS prediction to the effect that the game
haS nov al" There " Mas "onsideTabIe de.
bate over the rules. and each team was heaN5
lily penalized. The game. could not be called
spPCtaCular at any time.
Judging from the accounts of Saturdays
games the back field formations generally
We're those which consisted OF the backs only
Line men we're not pulled back to carry the
ball or act as inteTferers. The rules committee
IL 10 render a decision in a few days so as TO
6rsyent any i6terchangin9 OF positions de-
signed TO evade the new rule drawn up 70
prevent a line man dropping back except
probation conference last week was a good
thing. since il brought the matter 10 n head
Whiletthe delegates to that meeting were
up IN The air OH a number OF points, they came
ava with 2 clearer nndsrstanding tnan
timely. Mr.. Reid Of Harvard told THE SUN
man afterward that he thought the disputed
points world straighten themselves out. -.
The punter who can place his kicks will
he = valuable asset this year; ms by reason
thp men pIa wing back for the other side the
punter can place the bal. the better chances
his ends will have OF. nabblng the ball before
il hits the ground. Also. there vii! he greater
necessity for ClPan handling Of the ball. az
there will be more plays in hich y will have
10 be handled on the run. One or the icHdinR
practice stunts this sea son il men %trOtting
around in a ring and passing and catching
| the hall on the run. re the merltS OF the
ten ward rule what they may, the plays II
forces call for additional alertness and clever
handling. Perhaps. furthermore, under the
rule aimed against back Of the line maSsing.
We shall see mOre running of men from their
positions in the line, a frequent play fifteen
wears ago, and Away an attractive one.
To sum uD from the impressions gained
from Saturdays games. The new rules.
or certain Of them, may he a failure, hut there
was naught on the gridirOn to prove them 40,
still in the trial stage, they have come through
one trial pretty we'll,
An amusing incident happened on Prince
ton Field last Saturday amusing TO all who
observed IL except several unsAlted fresh
men. There was u Wranglc on the sids lines
during a delay. and the freshmen so far for
rot themselves as to laugh outright. Here,
Won freshmen shouted Capt. Dillon 10 them
from the field. stop that laughter! | never
saw such Three more scared
freshmen ever were. Their sense Of humOr
vanished ins,anter, they trPmbled in their
shoes, their faces became a. white as their
little caps were black, and they beat a hasty
retreat, hut we're luCkless enough to find no
friendly hole into which they might vanish.
CAMBRIUuE, a-ur. 3O,-The Harvard foot.
hall training table will begin Tomorrow
with fourteen players. They are. AppClloniC
and Mason. fullbacks: Burr and kersbcTg
guards; Inches and Osborne, tackles; Ken
nard and Ma" Donald. ends. Starr and New
hall uuarterbaCkS. Foster md Wendell, half
backs, Parker and Fraser. centres.