Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-19
HANDICAP ON THE
STRONG TEAMS
Critical Review of the Changes
Made in Foot Ball Rules
Cleaner Game Indicated.
By E. r. Bushnell.

Within a few weeks the heroes of the
base bah world will have to give way to
n new band of warriors-that of the col
lege foot ball player. September always
marks the exit of the one and the entry OF
the other. One does not need to indulge In
prophecy to declare with truth that no
foot ball season in intercollegiate history
was ever the center of so much interest as
will be that of 1906 The principal reason
for this assertion is the new foot ball code,
which is certain to almost re1olutionize
the game There some critics who de-
clare that the new code will ruin the sport.
but the season itself must prove or dis
prove this.
Because of the new code the game this
fall will be largely experimental. There
are many coaches who do not fully under
stand the new rules. to say nothing of the
great body of players who have yet to
master them. For some unacountabe rea-
son the spring training season of 1905 was
q failure throughout the east and west as
well. One would naturally think that In
view of the new rules the players would be
extremely anxious to put the new game to
test before starting their schedules In
the fall. But. curiously enough. all the big
colleges reported a very small turnout to
the call for spring training. But this may
have been due more to the fact that most
or the athletes were then trying for other
teams rather than to lack of interest
in the great game At any rate. the fail
ure of the teams to take advantage of the
spring training will make 1t necessary for
all to work harder and longer this fall.
This will mean that the big teams Of the
east and west will take a longer period Of
Oughly familiar with the new rules. Here
tofore there has been strong objection
raised to preliminary or summer" train
Ing but II is safe to say that no captious
critic Will object to 1t this fall.
Strong Teams Handicapped.
OF all the changes in the rules the one
which has aroused the most comment is
that doubling the distance to be gained in
three downs from five yards to ten yards
The result of this particular rule is looked
forward to with much apprehension. 1t
was passed to quiet the coterie of men who
demanded an open game with plenty Of end
runs and lots of kicking. 1t was immedi-
ateIy opposed by majority of the practi-
cal foot ball men, who contended that 1t
would result In many tie games with
neither side able to score. 1t was put to a
practical test by two strong teams In Kan
sas at the close of the last season. AL
though one team had beaten the other "a
to earlier in the year neither side could
score in this game. But the team that was
formerly victorious gained nearly four
times as much ground as its opponent in
this contest. clearly proving that the new
rule would place too great handicap on the
stronger team and prevent 1t from winning.
No objection could have been raised to such
rule If the defense had BEEN correspond
ingly weakened. Several members of the
committee wanted to amend the rule. MAX
ing II necessary to gafn ten y -rds in four
downs If the defense. were not to be weak
ened. The committee was quite evenly d.
yided on the new rule. but the pressure of
public and academic sentiment was such
that the new rule went through.
1t is hoped that the game will be opened
forward pass. one such play being allowed
to each scrimmage. If this play does
much for the game as the quarter back run
did it will rightly be hailed as a great re-
form.
Another important change that which
prevents one of the five center men being
brought back to carry the ball in mass
formations. Such player may still be
brought back. but If so he must be sta
TONED at least five yards back of center,
where he would be almost useless in a mass
play. These two rules, the making ten
yards the required distance to be gained
in three downs. and the other preventing
the use of tandem and similar formations
are the most important changes in the
playing rules. but they extremely revo-
lutionary and will compel both teams to do
lots of kicking. This will necessarily re-
suit in the development OF good punters
and drop kiCkers, department of the
game which has been sadly lacking in re-
cent years.
Four officials Provided
In order to insure clean playing by the
two teams there will be four officials with
power to inf1ict penalties. instead of only
two. heretofore. These will be two UNI
pires. an increase of one. the referee and
the linesman The linesman has always
had certain duties. but this year he will
be required to watch for unfair play all of
which is to be heavily penazed. To fur
ther aid in this reform neutral zone has
been provided between the two lines of
scrimmage. And if these precautions do not
result in a cleaner game American foot
ball may be regarded as hopeless and may
we'll be abandoned for something else
But there Is every reason to believe that
the game will be cleaner and more spec
tacular than ever before. 1t will probably
require the greater part of the season for
the coaches to work out the possibilities
of the new rules andsto show where the
committee erred But with the information
which 1t gathers this fall the rules commit
tee ought to be able to make the game
.snore popular than ever hereafter.
Not the least interesting feature of the
season will be the schedule itself For the
first time in several years two of the
strongest teams of either section will meet
in intersectional games. On November q
the University of Pennsylvania which has
divided honors with Yale for the eastern
championship. will meet the great Michi-
gan eleven on Franklin field and as both
of these teams are to be very strong the
result will go far toward settling the merits
of foot ball in the two sections. On the
same day the Indians will play Minnesota
in Minneapolis. This has been essentially
a year OF new foot ball alliances. Penn and
Harvard have broken in the east Column
bic has given up the game altogether while
IN The west Michigan. Chicago and Wiscon-
sin have broken OFF foot ball relations for
the present at least. But all these things
add to rather than take from the Interest
IN foot ball.