The Washington herald., 1906-12-23
NO CHANGES IN The RULES
Football Men Make Recommends
tons; That's All.
styles of Play by College EIevens
Were Discussed and Suggestions
Were Talked Over.

belief that the national intercollegiate
football rules committee, which held an
all-day session in the Murray Hill Hotel
to-day, would radically revise the new
rules, which We're adopted a year ago
and designed 20 revolutionize the pigskin
game the meeting was devoted almost
entirely 10 discussing "a number Of amend
mcnJs that have been submitted. In fact.
William T. Reid, of Harvard. secretary,
said that the meeting was simply held 10
talk over matters Informally and for the
purpose of putting an end TO the business
Of the committee. This latter was done.
and the football rules as az present con-
stituted viii remain as they are until
such time as "a new committee shall be
appointed by the various organizations
who are signers OF the original agreement.
OF the old rules committee, the follow
ing members were present: Prof !. ".
Dennis Cornell, chairman; William T.
Reid, Harvard. secretary. Walter Camp,
Yale, editor Of the rules book; John b.
Fine. Princeton, John G. Bell, Pennsyl-
wanna A. A. Stagg. Chicego. and Paul
DashieII. Annapolis. The members elected
/
l.. Williams, Minnesota; DR.. J. G. Bah
bitt, Haverford. r. Homer Curtiss Of the
Southern colleges: c. W. Savage. Oberlin;
Prof. y. r. Lees, Nebraska. and Charles
D DAILY. West Point T. X Hau. of Dart
mouth. was the only member Of the com
mittee of fourteen who was not present
The members held an informal discus
sion Of the football season Of 1895. This
/ discussion. according to statement by
( Secretary Reid. involved the criticism Of
+ the game as played by the various col
+ leges and all the suggestions for i'm
1 provements were taken up and talked
+ over. although no action was taken on
them. The principal recommendations
that were made are:
/ I. Substituting a distance penalty for
/ loss Of the ball when a forward pass hits
/ the ground
.. Changing the rules so as To allow
/ linemen TO run with the ball. provided
/ they are not used in mass plays inside
/ of the tackle positions
/ 8. Limiting the operation Of the 5-yard
zone on each side Of the center, so that
/ forward pass from the outside may le-
/ gally cross this zone.
/ 4. one more down inside the $-yard
/ line.
! 5. Extension Of playing time from thirty
1 TO thirty-five minutes.
/ OF these. the one that attracted most
/ attention was the one relating TO the ad-
ditiOn OF an extra down inside the 25-yard
/ line From what could be learned the
majority of the committee did not favor
/ this change, because it would result in
a return to mass play In fact none
| Of the changes, except that relating to
/ the time Of the halves, appealed strongly
/ 10 most Of the committee, and the
/ chances are that when a new committee
/ is chosen the only change that viii be
made is the lengthening OF the game
After the discussions on these points the
committee adjourned sine die, and de-
clared its business finished. Secretary
/ Reid explained that new committee is 10
/ be selected next week at a conference Of
the colleges in the intercollegiate associa-
| ton. This new committee will include
Camp. Fine. Bell, Dashiell, and Stage, a s
they are certain to be chosen by their col
! leges. The other members will be elected
/ by the various sections represented in the
! intercollegiate association.
Football fans all over the country are
now specializing as to the outcome of the
/ conference meeting WHICH - ~ re uttu
next Saturday The seventy-Odd colleges
which last year gathered TO protest
against the brutality Of football will be
represented by sectional delegates and 1t
| is proposed to take action to show that
the game has been materially improved.
| At the same time there is no telling what
the conference will do. The revised game
seems to have made big lift, and there
is little probability that the conference
will run counter 10 public opinion by
criticising the rules. But there Is a
] chance that the conference will believe
/ that its representations did not have suf-
ficient voice in the meetings of the rule
committee, and may, therefore, appoint an
| entirely new set.
/ one thing was made evident by the con-
/ ference to-day, and that is, that the
| whole country is back of the new game.
! There are still large number of football
experts who deplore the loss Of the heavy
\ mass plays, and say that the open game
4 IS still more dangerous. But the game.
according to the members of the rules
committee. has only been tested. and the
general attitude is that no more changes
| should be made.
The plan which seems to receive the
most favor by the rules committee that
went out of existence to-day, although no
official statement was made, is thaJ the
/ rules should be allowed to stand one more
/ year The colleges have now mastered
their intricacies, and the next season will
be able to develop their strategy under
much better conditions than if they were
unfamiliar with the rules. All UnceT-
tainty has now been removed and foot
ball viii be played on the same basis as
when all the colleges were thoroughly
familiar with the regulations.