The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-23
MORE ABOUT THE NEW FOOTBALL RULES

ter of the field and crowded the hal
! half Its length until r touchdown re-
! suited.
Concedng that mass plays will have
their worth only in certain emergencies,
| or perhaps for the first attack 10 feel
| out the defense and see what II is like
II becomes evident that the coaches Will
seek to utilize the forward pass for all
| that II is worth.
! What IL may be worth is quite an
other question, AS MIR. Camp has said,
! II is positive uncertainty 80 far as
| its influence on the game is concerned
Presume that team has tried in the
I first scrimmage TO gain through the CEN
ter by mass formation. Perhaps a
yard is obtained, but the resistance is
such that the captain Of the, team secs
1t would be folly to send his players
against such an irresistible line for an
other attack.
Three Methods Open.
The question is open to him whether
to attempt n quarter back run, a forward
pass. or kick the ball One OF the three
he must try, AS great as is the emer
gency which confronts him. equally
great is the necessity on the part OF the
defense TO be able 10 meet successfully
any attack which may be attempted, and
because of the uncertainty as 10 how to
cope with the proper defense on an at
tempted forward pass lies the value OF
that play as new adjunct TO the sport.
1t is also true that there Will be more
kicking in the new game II II meets the
anticipations OF those who have labored
to modify It. In addition 10 that the
kicking will not fall upon one man, but
there will be a necessity for two or
three good puntcrs 10 an eleven. The
more diversified the attack the greater
need for a quick and accurate punter,
and the ball may be sent out OF danger
, Ill
directed kick rather than by an effort
TO run it through broken line.
So far as the attack is concerned 1, is
obvious that al last resort punt Will
he tho safest way ont of bad situation
somewhat as It has been In the past.
but with this added virtue. that a punt
which happens TO be missed by player
OF the defending side Is "anybodys
BALI after IL hits the ground, and the
attacking side, il possessed OF good ends,
Is likely TO profit as much from sue
cessfully placed kick ms from a we'll dt-
rected line play.
The tendency OF the new rules will be
to spread out the tackles and ends on
the line Of defense. With the danger
that the ends may be turned, IL they are
played too close. either by the quarter
back run or by forward pass, the de-
fense Will find Il almost imperative al
certain stages OF the game TO separate
the llneSmen so as TO be certain tney
can hold the fanks against attack.
All the More Varied.
II Is true that advantage may be taken
OF this by sending an unexpected forma
tion through some point in the line, but
herein lies the greater beauty Of the
strategy of the open game. which the
committee has sought 10 provide.
There must always be six men on the
line of scrimmage of the attacking team
There Ia 10 be no deviation from this
rule under any circumstances. While I
It does not say so outright IL is intended
to squelch once for all the guards back
tackle back, tug-of-war plays, which
never had any real business in football
but which crept in because of the ten
dency of the game TO drift from Its
earlier inclinations. as one of combined
strength and activity, to contest OF
brute strength In give and take.
The new game will compel the defense
to be ever on the alert. because of the
greater diversity of attack On the 9TH
er hand the attack must accomplish !
twice what it was compelled to accom-
plish In 1905 In order TO be successful. /
From that it seems apparent that the /
openness OF the game Is assured, and
its strategic possibilities have now to
be developed by the coaches and cap
tains. while the public will attend the
contests in larger numbers than ever.
because OF the novelty of the innova
tioDs