Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-29
F FOOTBALLISTS
ARE WORKING
COACHES PLANNING NEW
PLAYS FOR SEASON
Rules Call for Different NJ Maneuvers
Than Those Which Have
characterized Past
Years

All the football men have now read
the rules. Those who will play under
them have studied out each sentence in
order to grasp fully its meaning and
to determine Just what changes have
been made from the old rules. Those
who have heretofore been concerned In
the strategy of the game, either
through having been players or coaches
or having followed the game intelli-
gently during the last few years, have
tried to form some idea OF what the
play will be under these new regula-
tions.
The result to date is that speculation
is great on what the Goa ches Will
evolve from the new situations. a NUM-
Der of the men who have been consld-
cred as leading stra tegists-coaches ana
rule makers--have given to the public
their first impressions of what the
game Will be-
But these have been received with
some skepticism Every coach IS de-
sirous of knowing what each other
coach will do. While each is forming
his own plans and designing plays with
which he hopes to win games, he is
watching with much anxiety for news
of what the other fellows are doing
All agree that most radical changes in
style of play will be the rule. But what
those changes Will be not one VIII say
Big Coaches secretiVe
What sorts of plays will Camp, Stagg,
Yost, Reid or any other of the great
generals devise? Careful reading of all
the opinions volunteered or wrung from
any of these authorities fails to dis
close the least hint of the plan OF cam
pagn. Some of them ventured the
opinion that the forward pass will be
the most troublesome thing to handle,
while 9th ers profess to believe that the
restrictions placed on that play Will
render it almost Intellectual
Others have pointed out that the rule
which declares that punted ball pu is
every player on side the instant 1t
touches the ground will prove more ag-
gravating to the defense than any
other. But not a coach, not strate-
gist not a player has ventured to out
line any of the probable new plays
that will be used. One not informed
on what any one of the coaches will
do cannot form the least opinion of
what will be the general style Of play
adopted for his team.
All that can be certainly predicted is
that Yale and Harvard Will be in the
greatest difficulties. These two uni
versities have more than any of the
Others held to the mass play in making
gains. They will have to change their
style almost entirely, but how no one
can tell. 1t is just possible that the
coaches do not yet know what they will
do.
At Princeton no such great changes
will be necessary. for the Tiger style
of play has run more to what is called
the open" game End runs brilliant
dashes through the line, goals from the
field and spectacular work of all sorts
-
of George Woodruff, apostle of the
guardsback, Pennsylvania has had no
settled style. its various coaches using
one style and another, according to the
men at hand and the coach then in
charge.
Dartm mouth, which was held by many
to have had the leading team last year,
has inclined to varied play. as Folsom
believes in any kind of tactics that will
win the games He has show grea ter
versatility in his handling of men than
have any of the other eastern coaches.
Will Use Princeton Style
In the middle west the play has been
far more on the Princeton style of
"open play" a system that should
readily adopt itself to the new rules.
The football authorities in that section
should be able to get more out of the
east mass-play school. But whether or
not they will cannot be stated until
after the season is under way
One may be certain that some start
ling innovations will be shown before
the close of the season. Few of these
are likely to be exhibited in the earlier
games, as each coach will be then. as
he is now, trying to ascertain what the
other fellow has in stock. If he can win
q In, foi
adherence to older methods he Will be
eXtrem ely chary about giving his hand
away by showing anything new.
Many have said that the whole sea-
son will be largely an experimental one.
New plays will be tried in the rough,
in the hope of having experience show
how they may be best used to gain
ground.
The gist of which is. that no one
knows what is being evolved in the
brains of the coaches, although every
one is extremely desrol1s of ga ining