The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-04
DOCTORTNG FOOTBALL RULES.
COMMITTEE MEETS AND MAKES
MORE CHANGES.
Length or Game Reduced TO sixty Minutes
Legislators Hope TO Ratify New
Measures at Their Next session on
March 8O-ArranBlns for Officials.

The third meeting since GmalRamation OF
the American intercollegiate Football Rules
Committee, the body Of men who are revising
the playing rules of the game, was held in the
Murray Hill Hotel yesterday, with every
body on hand except +. X. Hall Of Dartmouth.
DR.. H. l.. Williams of Minnesota and A. A.
Stagg of Chicago, Prof. l.. NJ. Dennis of Cor
nell. W. r. Reid, Jr, of Harvard, Walter Camp
OF Yale, F. II. Curtiss of Texas. John c. Bell OF
Pennsylvania. G. w. Savage Of Oberlin, James
T. Lees OF Nebraska, Prof. Babbitt OF Haver-
ford and Paul Dashiell Of Annapolis were on
deck to continue the work of improving the
game and putting il on a better plane.
The changes tentatively agreed on yester-
day were not as important as those adopted
at the two previous meetings. Such radical
changes in the rules as the committeeman
deemed best had been suggested and acted
on previous to yesterdays meeting, and
having legislated 40 as to bring about a
more open game and to reduce unsportsman-
! like playing and brutal tactics 10 a minimum,
the delegates proceeded yesterday TO supple
ment the big departures with definitions and
changes not previously taken up.
The next meeting Of the committee Will
be held on March 80, and at that session the
rule makers hope to be ready to pass finally
on the new rules. No pronoun ced departures
beyond those already taken are expected
between now and March so. There was less
difference of opinion yesterday than at pre-
vlous meetings.. and it is the general opinion
that the severe penalties for rough work
prescribed, the ten yard rule. forward pass
and other recommendations looking to max
ing the game more open the weakening OF the
defence. the suggestions to Clrtail mass
plays, the prohibition of piling up and tackling
below the knees and the various other ideas
proposed to ben aft the game will be ratified
at the next meeting and become laws. The
commltteemen are almost a unit, apparently,
In haliayin p--nt lea ~ a majority 80 believe
that their new rules will accomplish the re-
suits deslred--that mass playa will be con-
splcuous by their infrequency, that the game
will be more open and more interesting and
will be cleaner and attended by fewer serious
injuries.
experiments they will probably start soon
after, the next meeting. Little has been
e heS Was q frs tT Crowded Vide for. and it may, be that
each college will do its own field laboratory
Rn Exhaustive definition of holding" en-
gagged the attention of the committee for n
while yesterday; This t breach Of ff fBPor III rars
Of Ph is s side q thst has as Possession pSs'S@s Of the 1b9li
shall not block or otherwise %9bstrHot the
oPp Sn iaWiu fS o6sgtru wtta 'h Includes 1 y ta po crap
pling opponents with the hands, tb) placing
the hands upon, an opponent to push h!m
any part of an opponent with the arm. I'D
any use of the arms to liit an opponent. in in
DlOCklnR. Inc tlllN dll'Ndbl' . VI Wy
arm in. blocking or obstrnctips an opponent
is with.the arms close to the body y player
Tgnalns WIN TIih the the P band may r Ssrq pe Gm a a~ for
holding shall be a loss Of fifteen yards"
The parlous ground gaining play r68 OF
discussion resulted in the enactment of a
rule that "hurdling in the open field is pro
over an opponent who is still, on his feet"
Hurdllng through the line also was pro-
hibited. This form of hurdllng was defined
| ne " iumpinu or attpmDtin ing to lump over a
player in the line Of sorimmage with the feet
or knees foremost within a distance OF aEe
bali Is snapped. "
Tripping was defined as "obstructins a
player below his knees with the foot or leg
below the knee" Rule 0 of the old rules.
which read S,6oS IGhha arSdq, IL Is ~ Tq fshE1s no, f9rT Dla +"
was Vas stricken out. and rule Is was modified
by substituting for the word charging"
wherever it occurred in this y rule heS or eI's tSa ere
s]trainins line" One of the new rules passed
since the amalgamation epoch provides for a
ball. which shall separate the two lines Of
scrimmage. The two imaginary lines be-
tween the, points Of the ball become the re-
"A fair catch, " the committee decided. con.
sists in catching the ball a~fterlt has been kicked
by one Of the opponents before 1t touches the
the, e%atc6er'ss own side. provided the player
of making a fair catch by, raising his hand
clearly above his head and takes NOT more
IMAM TWO steps hIttT IndhlllI- lnt 'hltH. II
is not a fair catch if the ball after the kick
was touched by another of his side before
Opponents who are orside shall not in
any way interfere with a player who has an
opportunity for making a fair catch. nor
after such catch is made. unless he has ad-
yanced more than two steps after making
actually made shall be the mark. and the
side making the catch may put the ball into
play from that point, either by a free kick or
4 needed change was made regard ing
cases where penalties are inflicted, on a de
Tending team close to it's own goal line. 1t
was as follows: Penalties that would carry
the, ball, over the goal line shall carry the
the distance 70 the goal line shall be, halyed
for each offence" The awkwardly ex-
pressed first sep1 ,S Geo Of w the fGoreE1Ing fb mf Saii
across the goal line the ball shall not be taken
closer to the goal line than the one yard
equalize penalties when the ball is near a
goal line Formerly { the attacking side
the Gpendd efen ID I1s' side ias tqi osTaissd Ti Il iCst' Il
for instance, It were on its five yard line,
only two and a half yards, Hereafter II Will
More legislation was as follows: When. a
ball has been kicked any player Of he kick kClkh
ball striking, The ground it shall moi. be kicked
either side" It was decided at a previous
meeting that Wnen n kicked DHI tOuCneS lne
ground it shall be either sides ball, but the
rule Just quoted makes 1t necessary for a
PLAYER OF one side or the other either to fall
on The ball or pick il up, and run with il, The
pla yer cannot boot the ball along the ground.
n play that has been made several times in
recent big games.
Concerning the question Of posses sion
when a kicked ball strikes in fair territory and
bounds across the side line, the following
new rule applies: If a kick or forward pass
goes out OF bounds before, crossing the OPP
: ponents' goal line. il shall belong to the OPP
ponents at the point where it crossed the
side line"
The referee is to decide whether a fair
catch is made and as to whether there is
interference with the fair catch. also regard
ing the throwing of the catcher.
An announce ent regarding the report
of the subcommittee on the formation of a
central board OF officials was that IL was
voted that the rules committee recommends
the adoption of a plan looking to the %instruc-
ton and supervision Of officials and suggests
that different sections of the country appoint
central committees that shall be charged
with the introdu ction Of such a system so
far and so speedily as they may deem fea-
sible." Sort of a school for football officials.
as il were.
. Having gotten this. much of the board of
officials OF his mind. Secretary Reid pro-
1na1ad tbnG with hia uaNG denomination "If