The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-11
Harvard. p.r,.,.n ~ rta, ssv,bau


The completed wptk N The American
footbsii rules COMMITTEES hea feuAd
favor N last In tho eyea ~ Tho brafd ~
ovefasafa N Harvard, and Ihtefeoiles
aiaie games ara IN bs allgwed ,his year
supun such tertna and conditions ~ the
COMMITTEES on the regulation ~ sthlstlo
eporla shall consider advisable
The eane, however ~ far ~ Harvard
h concerned, will 10 m probation Hu
ran b. played under she nov rules with.
oft unnecessary fo1Ghnepa and n passes
through the cruaanre ~ criticism q clean,
attractive and young sentlemanly sport,
sven President Ebtof, let VA hope. may
consent 10 Withdrew his exception to II.
The vote Of tho board on "Wednesday
was IS 10 o In favor NJ authorizing che
committee on this regulation Of athletic
sports 20 make arrangements for inter-
collegiate games during the season Of
1903, and President ELIOT was recorded
In the negative. With him 1t has not
been 90 much q question Of redrafting
the rules to insure open play and elimi-
nate the sleight Of hand that puts a nan
out Of the game a a question Of allow
ing intercollegiate football at all. He
thinks the game Is too ~gladiatorIal and
spectacular, takes up more Of the time
Of players than should be conceded to
athletics. distrNcts unduly the UNDER
graduate mind and Ia particularly OBJ
jectionable because Of tho difficulty OF
regulating IL. Football, In President
ELIoT's view, was beginning to loom
larger than the governing authorities,
and was becoming a nuisance as well as
an incubus. He wanted to draw the
line at intercollegiate contests and let
his boys play together, class with class,
and thus encourage a general participa-
ton in the game, so that it would be a
recreation and not a struggle Of cham
pions and a betting proposition.
But the board Of overseers has been
won over by the athletic committee,
and there will be the annual battle with
Yale and the various preliminary bouts
with lesser colleges, with Pennsylvania
left out in the cold as an unworthy an
tagonist for reasons that seemed moral
and courageous to Harvard.
There will be great rejoicing at New
Haven, for Yale has grown so used to
trouncing Harvard on the football field,
and likes it so much, that to beA1eprived
Of the opportunity would have been to
Danish half the Joy of living from the
Yale campus Whether the trouncings
are to be repeated as Of yore will depend
upon greater speed and agility in her
youngsters rather than upon the Drawn
that moves mountains by strategic
combinations.
Mr.. WILLIAM T. REID, Jr., the Har-
ward coach, an admitted authority, be-
lieves that mass plays will not be used
this year as "the backbone" OF offence.
with the introduction OF the forward
pass, the on side kick and the high
tackling,' he says, 1T seems to me that
conservative opportunity will be offered
for successful plays Of a more open
nature, and that any coach who finds
that he can successfully make big gains
will base his offence on this principle"
The difficulty Of making ten yards In
three downs will depreoiate the value Of
possession Of the ball, Mr., REID thinks,
and it will often change hands on tacti-
cal plays.
SO the new rules seem TO make for q
quick. lively and picturesque game, In
which the ball will be seen often and II
will be possible to distinguish players
and follow their movements. The prom
ise Ii for a brilliant season, with public
curiosity at a high pitch to see the new
rules tested. Harvard having consented
to grace the sport with her presence, the
schedules can now be made out. She is
to be congratulated on coming to her
senses and returning to the company Of
her equals.