The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-01
FINAL ACTION on FOOTBALL.
CHANGES PASS FROM TENTATIVE
TO THE PERMANENT STAGE.

H
Cannot He Altered Now Except by Unani.
nous Consent OF the Rules Committee
The Reforming Legislators to Have
StIl Another SesglOn Here This Month.
The pronounced and numerous changes
that have been made In the playing rules OF
football passed out Of the tentative stage
yesterday and became permanent measures.
The new rules are the ones which Will be In
use next season. The American intercolle-
giate football rules committee lid not finish
Its labors at the Murray Hill Hotel yesterday.
as was expected, but all OF. the principal
changes have been completed. There will be
another meeting here on April IA at which
minor points not yet cleared up will be acted
on, also such rearrangements In wording as
may be necessary and wiping out Of inconsist-
enoies. .....
The session yesterday consumed the greater
part of the daylight. Much Of the time spent
was given over to the work Of Secretary
Reid and Editor OF Rules Camp In shaping
the rules as they are to appear in type ON
cially. There Is a rule in the 1905 code which
reads as follows: In measuring, the forward
point Of the ball. In it's position when de"
clared dead, not its centre, shall be taken as
its determining point" 1t Is part Of the note
under rule / and to It the committee yester-
day added the following; "and the referee
shall not rotate the ball before measuring
the forward point"
Further legislation Yesterday in regard to
a fair catch was to the effect that the mark
OF the catch shall be the spot where the ball
is actually caught. Under the new rules
the catcher may take not more than Two
steps, after making a fair catch. The ques"
zion arises therefore just how the mark where
the fair catch Is made Ia to be determined.
That question 10 to be settled at the next
meeting.
II a player is out of bounds at the time the
ball is put in play. the ball shall be brought
back and be played over again without PEN
atty. That was one of yesterdays minor
changes, and then tripping was defined as
obstr a player with the foot or leg.
The committee not long ago defined tripping
as Constructing a player below the knees with
the foot or leg below the knees" The newer
definition removes the last three words and
gives a wide meaning to the word.
Here is another rule adopted yesterday:
After the ball has gone out OF bounds IT shall
be brought to the place where 1t went out.
| and the player must walk out with the referee
not less than five yards nor more than fifteen
yards, and there put the ball down under
the direction of the referee Which does
not mean that the player cannot put the ball
down where he pleases between the hve and
fifteen yard limits, but must put it on the
ground the way the referee says.
At one of the previous meetings II was
annOun CPU uldI u lOTMdiu PANS III W
made across the oppon ents' goal line for a
| touchdown if so desired. But that Is not to
be the case, as the following action yesterday
on the forward pass shows: A forward
pass that goes on the fly over the goal line Is
a touChback TO the defending side. and a
kick that goes over the goal line on the fly
or after striking the ground before touched
bv a player of eth er side shall 20 as a touch
back to the defending side
An exception TO this IL thai a place kick or
drop kick over the crossbar shall count rs a
score. The exception was needed as a matter
of course. 1t was further ruled that a kick
of may be run In, without violating the rule
dealing with touchbacks.
The rules are to be so worded as TO compel
scrimmage to take his position in a bona fde
way. That is. he must stsnd up sauareiX;
No So si doTa yodd HT S,n to f sgSsaTS pass pass'i reau Mtn
| Tnents was that a forward pass by the side
that does not put the ball in play shall not'be
Provision is to be made to prevent any
provided he goes back at least Ave, yards;
The committee does not, want any abuse OF
the li T%ie on se ever a play { @f =, he place sSt" & the line line
man Who falls back. The spirit of the new
rule is that a centre n,9n car go back to
meeting steps will be taken to have the spirit
Of the rule lived up to. ,,
meetingis to have 1t made clear that in kick
ing n goal from a touchdown the kicker
may adjust the ball in the hands OF the holder.
doubt. Regarding unlawful use of the
hands a more careful definition of what is
meant by keeping the arms close to the body
If was voted that such rules that have
heen passed have been finally passed. and
that at the next meeting, no changes VIII be
in order, except, first. changes in wording:
Changes as may be allowed to come before
the meeting by the unanlHous consent OF
tho members present. Unanimous consent"
inittec can block any effort 10 change the
| rules as now revised and adopted. That
! does not necessarily mean that a unanimous
vote to change them VIII be reaniTed, nau,
three months trying TO improve the game.
The principal changes it has brought about.
changes which became laws YESTERDAY, are.
lions made yesterday and on Friday, as
: follows
nisnualincatIo Striking with the INST or elbo ws,
kneeing, Kicking, striking ne 1Hhner WIN ne ball
meeting with the knee, striking with the locked
hands by line men In breaking through. shall be
punishable by disqualification, OF the guilty player
Tor the rest OF the game, and the offending team
snail lose half the distance TO. its own goal line.
Ie further TO the Institutions playing
M ~ -
Ineligible TO play football for one year fr0mIhc date
~ thr second offence; also that tbs same penalty
Appiy to the deliberate injury OF an opponent. not
inriudIng the offences specined or included In the
NJ Nnnece ssary Roughness-To include plllng up.
tripping, ~tackiing the runner out OF bounds and all
othcr acts OF unnecessary roughness. Penalty.
iVTSS n Sn Conduct-To include Use OF
abusive or Insulting language 10 opponents or ON
"Sot more than six men shall be on the Tine OF
scrImmape or defence, the balance TO be clearly
Behind TIE feet OF all the line and inside the man
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