The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-02
GAME IMPROVED
FROM PUBLIC'S VIEW
Open Play and Greater Difficulty
Encountered in Penalties for
Dirty Play Has Greatly
Pleased Spectators-No
Danger of Going
Back.
RY SOL. METZGER-

BY SOL. NE ZCER.
PHILADELPHIA. PA. December L.
Now that the football season OF 1906 Is
over il is hitting time - review the en-
tire work OF the fall. and 10 point out
what TIE results have been from several
standpolnts, as the rules committee Viii
shortly meet T. determine what are 20 he
TIE changes, 4 any. in the system Of play
Tor the coming season.
Al the opening Of the season matters
pertaining 20 football were IN "a most
onaouc state 50 Jar rs players and
coaches were concerned. the new rules
mad plt every one up in the air" 80 10
spesk and about The only ones who IA
Nored the changes were the members OF
me committee and the public In general:
Iie latter taking very much % the So
celied open play that was evident from
tHe start one prominent Princeton
coach and a popular Official for several
seasons past when / asked him VIVA; he
thought OF the new rules said very frank
j.. II IS just like trying 70 read Greek
without tr0t " Meaning by this that
40 one was able 20 interpret any positive
solution FOR the coming falL Players
with one accord were very much opposed
10 them Tor the good reason that they
foresaw a season IA which errors yro4ld
give victories and not good playing Il
" as certain from ire first and 70 the
last that the required distance 10 be
made ia three downs io yards. would be
impossible for consistent playing and th..
natural result would d. contests In which
nothing but Dunung would take place
The players were very good prophets. for
this is about what took place iu many
cases
Systematic Work.
The mistake that tire players and
coaches made from the beginning in
many cases was 10 believe that the game
could not b. played. and many a teams
failure % win this season . quota Of VIC
tories was due 20 this attitude Other
sieyens went AZ the work ia "a systematic
manner. realizing from the frst that a.
radical changes had been made in the
playing code. radical changes would have
10 b. made IN their style OF play. These
teams met with success. and they form
the basis for the opinion that no changes
viii be made In the actual style OF game
Tor next season. Not until the Princeton
Cornell game at the end OF the
first month Of actual play was any evil
oenc3 % new style football given. and
IN That contest Cornell had all the. best
OF the old style game. but Princeton. by
a variety Of attack that had az it, cL
assets long and brilliant forward passes
completely overrtn the wonderful Cornell
machine. and IN game one week later
with one or the strongest OF old stlye
eieNens. that OF Dartmouth. she simply
swept the boards by d magnificent vic
tory Of forty-fOuy points. Experts who
watched Princeton were carried away by
this score and predicted wonderful things
FOR the Tigers against Yale. which would
have been true were Ii not for the decl-
sion that took the Tigers of the Elf one
yard line. where Wister had carried the
ball on forward pass. All season the
Tigers took 10 the new game with a
vengeance, and the good record OF their
eleven WAS due 10 that alone in the Old
style game this fast and brainy SQUAD
wuold have bowed 10 Yale 10 the tune Of
several scores Sufficient proof TO the fact
that the new game gives speed. brilliancy
and brains the palm in modern football
Through New Football.
Again. in the Yale Harvard contest the
safe was true Yale won that game sole
" through new football. by q clever use
OF the overhead pass that took the big
Harvard team OF its feet. and gave the
bulldog its only score. IN addition. II
that is not all the proof needed. Penn
syivania made the same record against
Michigan, though under the old rules the
Red and Blue would have totaled higher.
II seems certain. then. that the new code
has made football a better game. 1t is
just as true that the new game has NOT
reached its fun development, and VIII not
for several more seasons The adapta-
bility Of the pass and on side kick hsv.
been far from fully realized. ana these
two plays should certainly remain part Of
football whatever changes may be thought
Of
Where the rules committee faiad mo-,
IN the editing OF the 1896 code. Double
meanings and Interpretations entirety on
posite to the intention OF these gentleroer
have been the trouble all season. Ciear-
ness on many points has been lacking