The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-04-11
MASS PLAYS KILLED
SAYS COACH REID
Harvard's Foot Ball Director Praises the
New Foot Ball Rules in Letter to
the Princeton Alumni.
Weekly.

Boston, April 1l.--Willlam r. Reid,
", coach Of the Harvard foot ball team
and secretary of the American interol-
legiate foot ball rules committee, which
recently finished its labors drafting the
new rules for the college game of 1906,
has written d letter for the current
number Of the Princeton Alumni Weekly
70 prove that mass plays are killed
under the new rules. The Alumni Week
| " recently published statistics show.
ing that mass plays would not be abol-
ished under the rules and Mr.. Reid wrote
his letter in answer To that article. The
Princeton paper covered this point in
q question; why ii it that the new
rules will prevent mass plays when by
statistics gathered ii Is shown clearly
that in recent seasons many teams have
averaged five yards to rush in their
bigger gamesg'
The most important parts Of MIR,
Reds letter are devoted To replying to
this query. He says;
In the first place, IN the usual aver
age Of distance gained IN plays, forty
yard runs and other large gains are
commonly figured In, although in one
Instance in tho statistics given in your
article such was not the case. One for
ty-yard run in q game would. OF course,
do great deal to bring up the average,
When, however. we look at the matter
from another point Of view, the average
cannot be 50 high, and IL IN from this
point of view, it seems to me, that NE
must do our practical figuring. II in
a series Of six on seven rushes d given
team Is able to carry tho bali an aver
nge OF five or six yards in rush, is
IT not fair to assume that the team
wholly outclasses its competitor? II 1t
not true. also, that no possible method
Of playing the game can ever lie nx
pected to prevent decidedly superior
team from winning such victoriesY
Sure to Meet Handicaps.
Sin the second place, ii team under
the new rules attempts to make ten
yards In three downs, 1t must do 50 in
the face OF q number Of handicaps which
are almost certain to be incurred during
the progress OF the ball over any con
siderable distance. 1t II true that with
zen yards to gain In three downs, The
average gain per rush would he three
end oneethird yards, az against one ard
tMo-thifdA yards AZ the present time.
IL, however, we consider the possibilities
OF fouls or the loss of distance that
might be sustained in given down,
through a tumble on the successful eli.
forts Of the opponents to check the
play, the average distance per down
Immediately increase in an ovcrwhelm.
ing measure.
on the other hand, granting your
clfim that team viii be able To make
ten yards SINCE there win be less re-
sistance Id the rush line, owing to The
weakness Of the defense, due 10 the
enforced scattering Of the defensive
backs which must occur IL a defense
u to be made against the 'on-side kick.
the offense will not be so readily check.
ed as il aas BEEN. and will therefore
not invite the smashing collisions which
have resulted in injuries and in keeping
the game 50 much one OF mass PLAYS.
Undoubtedly, 30 far as INJURIES 90.
we shall have about the same proper.
tion, for il has been my experience that
open plays are as much productive OF
injuries AZ the close plays. Granting.
also, your argument that the offense
viii be able 10 advance the necessary
il would seem that we shall
have much scoring, which Is desirable /
and will relieve us Of the conditions I
where it is possible 10 win game /
through single individual error OF some
kind. More scoring means greater ae-
tiyity, and consequently greater inter. I
est.
will teams adopt mass PLAYS in con.
nection with the new rules? Mass plays (
will probably be adopted, generally, in
the attempt at making yard or 30
on the third down.. in order 10 retain +
possession of the BALI Whether teams
viii adopt such plays as the backbone
Of their oifense * question TO me
it seems as though they will not.
Open Plays Probable.
with the introduction Of the forward
pass, the on-side kick and the high 7
il seems 10 me that eunserYa
tive opportunity viii be offered for sue
ccssfut plays Of a more open nature,
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