The Washington herald., 1906-10-15
new RULES UNPOPULAR
Injuries in Football viii BE
More Frequent.
EXPERTS FIND FLAWS IN CODE
Coach stags Believes that the New
Rules VIII Not Last Long, and De-
cIares that the Old Code VIII De
in Vogue Within Year or Two.
Farce and FizzIe," Says Folsom.

Even before the football season gets well
started there are runners of such dissatis
faction with the operations of the new
rule code that there is talk Of another
convention being called some time this
month 10 make further alterations in the
playing rules. The movement is said TO
have originated in Chicago and to have
the support of thc Western institutions.
These in the East who are closest iden-
tilted with tic game profess ignorance
Of amy such purpose and it is improb-
able chat the step would have their sup
port If il were carried through Even
though there is geueraI misunderstand-
inE OF the terms of the rules 20 be used.
ana much uncertainty in every quarter
as 70 just huw they VIII work eut, there
is small disposition In this half Of the
football world 80 further complicate mat
tcrs by altering them again
Walter Camp. Of yale, held confer
ienco the other day with Western coaches
and university officials 20 determine the
meaning Of tde new rules one rule that
has puzzled tho West is that pertaining
20 the forward pass over the goal line.
It was shown that if the bah touched
the ground and roued over the line,
even though not touched by player on
defense, il was 81 touchJack not touch
down. as many had believed. Indiana
( University bToush9 uD Jhc rule against
burdliHg, and CAMP explained that div
ms under play or over The lire Of
scrimmage was not hurdiing and was
permissible. but jumping ever the line was
barred. Coach stage brought up the
point OF player falling in front oi
another who was running down the field
under the BAN Immediately after the kick
OF, and asked if This would be- ruled as
tripping 1, was agreed that if the run
ucr stumbled over the pr0strate man it
could not be classed as tripping. but il
thrown by the feet of the PROSTATE man
il wouid DE trippins and subject 90 pen
ally.
Rules Farce and FiEzIc."
Football under the new rules says
Head Coach Folsom Of Dartmouth .-wii
/ be farce and "a nzzie and the new rules
are the worst imposition ever placed Oa
/ The American public. Supported by the
press Walter Camp demanded ard Sc
cured the 10-yard rule. After its adop-
tion DE found that no team in the coun-
( try could possibly gain that distance
without further changes IN Che rules. ana
new rules bad To be made 10 make ;he
/ game possible. Cuder Che new rules in
I juries viii be much more numerous sad
larger squads viii be necessary The on
side klCl5 rule alone viii cause more in-
[ juries than al the Old rules together
1 The idea that the new rules VIII make
football a. gentleman game IS erroneous.
Football viii by the r0ushest sport ever
played.
Though tle three principal changes FAC
ling football players This fan seem sound
I in tce abstract and should accomplish
what originators had i'm mind, one
of Ike 4.s- ruirs IS bound 60 cause more
physical Injuries than ary play permit
+ ted under the old regulations Il is hard
+ to understand how approval was ever
given 10 the rule that allows The ball Co
/ become the common property Of either
team If. after q kick a fair catch is not
made The wish to encourage kicking,
which on this side has never reached the
high state of development found iu Cam
ada. Eagl1nd, Australia. or. iu fact,
/ wherever else football is played. was UH-
doubtedIy The hudable ambition Of the
/ conference en- rules. Does. however, The
end justify The means? Time alone VIII
! tell.
Ruie N0t "A NesT OGe.
/ TO a certain extent the rule is not 2
new one Old players viii remember the
! days when, if "a kicked ball landed out Of
/ bounds. it became "anybody's ball
They will also recall the wild scramble
that was always the result of the cry;
| how ten or "a dozen wildly excited play
ers threw themselves at the wabbling
/ leather, only TO have more than half Of
( the number receive slvage and IN many
I cases Intentional kicks or punches. Then
came the argument 3s Jc The ownership
. of the ball. At least one-Quarter Of the
players who had dived tor the spherOid
( claimed the leather. The referee was
/ helpless. and his decision was more often
wrong than right. Such was the result
/ Of anybody balT' in the good old days,
and such viii De the result under the
new rues. and worse. as the opportunity
60 sound the cry has been increased 100
per cent under the new regulations.
The defenders Of the rule no doubt
argue that the change is not 50 very
radical If a punt is fumbled. it has al
WAYS been '-anybody's bail and that. in
reality, is an that the present rule
/ means On the other hand Il must not
bc forgotten that the rul1 opens the Way
for q play that is bound 20 become popu-
lard kick on the first or second down,
when the defending team has only one
man IN the back field, a kick that Just
goes over the line of scrimmage and
leaves the ban almost rs near 10 one
team as ii is to the other. q play some
what similar TO the quarter back kick,
with tar dvantage that any man OF the
attacking team may make a play fer the
-., .f.-.. la rsa
merriest scramble OF al the glad new
year
Coach Stages Views.
Coach Stays. cf the University of Chi
cago football squad, believes that the
new football rules viii not last long. and
declares that the old code viii be in
vogue within a year OF TWO. Stage made
this announcement after the first foot
bail practice Of The year ON Marshall
Field. F3o did net go into detail on what
ground he based bis opinion, but ii is
evident he thinks the new regulations
VIII fail short OF their purpose.
Teams Settling Down.
A majority of the football teams have
settled down to arrangement OF the ma
terial al hand 'hat Indicates pretty well
what the fn uabe-up OF The varioas
o'eycus wi3 90 except where disabled
men are far tFo time hciag Judcystudics
by bsdutcs. Viewing tic material q.
% whole. it is nat ss impressive ia in-
dividus hility as that Of number of
sclsunS ib1t have gone before yel ih.
materially ALTERED nature OF the gam,
makes t doubtful whether noted cracks
% previous saasons would dt in as wei
wi-h tie neW requirements as mon u0e