Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-16
HARVARD BARS FOOT BALL
Ne Mere intercollegiate Game, Until
Rules Are Greatly Modified.
ACTION TAKEN BY BOARD OF ovsssttRs
Resolution says so-cslled Inter
collegiate Committee should Not
Have Hand in Drafting
Reforms.

BOSTON. Jan. 15.-Foot ball has been
abolished at Harvard pending a reform in
the game that will be acceptable TO the
board Of overseers, according to an official
announcement today from the university.
| The discontinuance OF the game is a result
| Of vote taken last week at a secret meet
| ing Of the board of overseers, when IL was
decided that intercollegiate foot ball at Har-
ward would not be permitted until the rules
! and regulations had been so changed and
| amended as TO remove what the overseers
regard az the evils of the present game.
| The overseers accepted unanimously the
| opinions Of a special committee that the
| game as at present played is essentially
| bad in every respect; that the method of
| formation encourages trickery and foul play
and that the result is bad for the morals of
| the players as we'll as for the body.
The committee declared that II changes
| were to be made no man now a member Of
the so-called intercollegiate rules committee
should have hand In II, the committee
believing that these persons are so far COM
mitted to the present system that they
could not agree to such changes as are alb
solutely necessary to produce a decent
clean, pieasurable contest. instead of the
present apology for rough and tumble
fight"
| Present Methods Thoroughly Bad.
Foot ball is fine game when properly
played" the committee says. but the pres
ent method is thoroughly bad and ought to
be stopped absolutely and finally. Any uni
versity taking this action will later be con-
sidered as a benefactor by many players and
by all lovers of healthful, clean sport and
fair play"
Under the ruling OF the overseers foot
ball Is now in allegiance at the university
until the committee on regulation of athletic
sports has made its report to the board and
until the board has accepted the new rules
and regulations in every particular.
Whether the reformed rules can be ar
ranged and accepted in time for the re-
sumption OF foot ball next season 10 profile
NAUTICAL. Some determined action by the
board OF overseers had been anticipated in
Harvard athletic circles. but the radical at
titude of abolishing the game altogether
caused great surprise among students and
graduates
Rules Encourage Foul Play.
The committees report says:
The method OF formation absolutely en-
! courages tric<ery and foul play. II Is very
difficult to see all that is done, even by the
most careful and sharpest-eyed umpire, but
the results are seen in many serious and
7 even fatal accidents. 1t is nearly impos-
SlDl6 TO line up twenty-five powerful ana
aggressive young men opposite to each
other and not have some one lose his self
control and do what is wrong. So long as
the larger universities play the game In this
way II Is bound to have a bad effect on the
schoolboys. The result Is bad for the morals
as we'll as for the body.
The committee then expresses the opinion
that the intercollegiate rules COMMITTEES
should not have hand in making changes
and adds:
Call for Good OmciaIs.
new committee could, 1t is believed, for
mulate rules that. while simple, would
cause an absolutely different result In thii
proper umpires are as necessary as good
rules-men who, unlike many OF those used
as such in late years. are ready and anxious
instantly to punish any infrectfon of the
rules. --4t
! The report continues:
Foot ball is a fine game when properly
played. but the present method is thor.
oughly bad and ought to be stopped abso
Your committee does not feel called upon
Change. either In the game or rules. sho%it
be made, but 1t does feel that change Il
imperative.
The report of the special committee and
the action OF the overseers was submitted t
the committee on regulation of athleti,
sports OF the Harvard Athletic association
at a meeting last week. though they wer,
: not given to the public
Eliot Must He shown.
CAMBRIDGE. Mass. Jan. 15.-Presiden
Charles w. Eloit said tonight in referenc,
to the foot ball situation at Harvard, tina
he would never consent to intercollegiate,
; foot ball being resumed at the university
until 1t had been demonstrated in actua
play that the Objectionable features Of tn,
game have been removed. President Elio
said he would not consider a mere expert
mental demonstration OF any new rule a.
proposed by the amalgamated committee
sufficient test, but he thought series o
class games during the spring might serv
the purpose to his satisfaction.
President Eliot expressed his dissa tisfac
ton at the makeup OF the amalgamate,
> committee, as he thought that men who de