Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
DISAPPOINTMENT WITH
NEW FOOT BALL RULES
By Edward r. Bushnell.

By Edward r. Bushnell.
At last the big colleges Of the east-and
west have had a chance to test the new
foot ball rules. And the criticisms which
have followed from coaches, players and in
some cases from the spectators have been
enough to almost make the committee
which is responsible for them give up the
ghost. Before the season began the re-
formed ruies had many defenders. They
have some now, but with each succeeding
game the adherents Of the old rules, secure
fresh additions Even A. A. Stage of Chi
cago, who was the most persistent advo-
cate Of the new order Of things, has con-
fessed that the new rules in their present
state will not do. But there Is apparently
no escape from the reformed code now.
The game will have to be played for the
rest of the season according to these rules.
But with the mistakes which have now
been made the committee will have an OPP
portunity to modify them before another
season starts.
The rule which Is being criticised the
most is the forward pass. for, although all
the big teams have been using 1t continual
ly, it has yet to prove its ability as con-
sistent ground gamer. The experience OF
most of the teams has been that this play
is as apt to result in the surrender OF the
bali as it's advance. Still all the teams re
fuse to give 1t up without more thorough
test. It's failure to gain ground has been
attributed in many quarters to the tim1dfty
and hesitation with which it is used. In
stead of making free and decisive throw,
most quarterbacks are inclined to TOSS II
over the line. The result has inevitably
been that the opposing team secured II as
often as the man Tor "noW IL was III
tended.
The play has by no means been worked
out in all its variations. SO Tar no team
has tried to gain ground by passing the
ball direct to the fuaback' or VINO ever eve
does the punting as if for a kick. the full
back then to take the ball on an END run
and suddenly to hurl the ball forward to
one of the ends who has dashed down the
field. This is variation when ousnl 10
be successfully executed and will probably
he mt to a thorough test before the sea-
son is over.
The part which the kicking game is to
play this fall had its best illustration In
the Pennsylvania Gettysburg game on
Wednesday, The Gettysburg team played
Pennsylvania a tie game at &C solely
through the superiority of Sieber, the
Gettysburg captain. Bearing in mind the
new RUE which made the ball free after a
punt had struck the ground the Gettysburg
spirals, height being sought instead of dis
lance The result was that the Pennsyl-
van.a backs could hardly handle the kicks,
and the height of the kicks made 1t pos
sible for the entire Gettysburg team to he
on the spot when the ball alighted. With
such a mob ciamoring for the ball the
Pennsylvanians failed to get 1t half the
time, and usually Gettysburg man was
on it and his team had first down and
possession of the ball. This trick Gettys-
burg worked time after time, and it more
than nullifed the superiority of Pennsyl-
vania in line piunging.. With this as an
object lesson foot bail beaches are certain
to coach their punters to kick for height in
with all former ideas on punting, but 1t Is
certain to gain ground and may force the
rules committee to return to the former
rules regulating the receiving Of a punt.
Then ten-yard rule has also made many
and bitter enemies. at was this RUE which
resulted in the 90 game between Cornell
and Colgate a week ago, and which pre-
vented Harvard from earning a real score
against Williams the same day. Both
teams could gain ground with a fair de-
gree of consistency in midfield but. under
the shadow of a goal post they could not
get over the finai ten yards in three trials.
This difficulty has led to the suggestion
that the rule be amended by allowing four
downs for ten yards making only five
yards in three downs necessary between
the twenty fve-yard line and the goal.
j
1t is not fair of course, to condemn the
new rules without giving them fair hear
ing 1t was expected that surprises would
result for the first month. Perhaps they
are necessary and that they will work out
their own salvation before the season
Closes However this may be, it Is certain
that they have so far made enemies In
stead of friends and have yet to prove their
nrio
A severe blow was administered to the
new rules at the coroners inquest into the
death of the Lawrenceville school captain,
flying tackle. The testimony of the Law
renceviAe coaches included a strong ar
raignment of the new rules, the charge
being made that their change was respon-
sible for the death.
There is an unusual difference of opinion
as to how many of the new rules should
be interpreted. There was a meeting Of
coaches. officials and committee members in
New York a week ago, and even Walter
Camp couldn't tell what some Of the rules
meant 1t is fact that the new rules
are very ambiguous and verbose. What
they seem to want more than anything else
is a complete revision and rewriting by
some expert copy readers who have an in
innate acquaintance with the game. AS
they now stand they are anything but a
compliment to college graduates.
There were surprises galore In the first
two games of the year played by the Big
Five" Pennsylvania rolled up the biggest
score in her initia! game. defeating Lehigh
80 to 6. The Quakers. however, could not