Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-29
HARD TO INTERPRET
FOOT BALL RULES

NEW YORK, September 29-More than
seventy-fve men, Identified as coaches and
otherwise with foot ball colleges all over the
country, INDUCED at Murray Hill Hotel last
night in hours Of discussion of the new
playing rules, without reaching any conclu-
sions of value to the teams engaging in
gridtron battles today. At late hour little
progress had been made and not a great
deal was promised.
among those who sought to untangle the
knotted skein were seven OF the rules COM
mittee: who are responsible for the revised
condltions OF play. There was no quorum
and these men had not the power to inter-
pref the rules as body 80 that their inter-
pretations could be acted upon at once. Nor
couid the major part Of the assembly. not
OF the rules committee take any action
that would be binding upon the general
foot ball world
In this situation little more than a general
gamut from sensible argument to what
many termed mere hair splitting.
Walter Camp Chairman.
Walter Camp Of Yale acted as chairman,
and he opened the discussion by reading
some suggestions Of his own, bearing on the
Interpretation of the rules. These were put
in no official capacity.
For nearly two hours the assemblase
wrangled over the meaning Of the following
rule:
No player Of those ordinarily occupying
Is, the five middle players of the line NAV
drop back from the line of scrimmaee on
the ofense unless he goes back at least five
x va ana another player OF those ordinar-
iiy Dehlnd the line takes his place in the
line 1t is Furthermore provided that there
snali be no shifting of men to evade this
RUE. the intentions being that the big men
IN me middle OF the line shall not be
fnr ~
the ball or using their weight in the inter-
ference. e ''''e'
Although Mr. Camp pointed out that II
was not intended to restrict the defense it
was argued that 1t had been made possible
10 use heavy men backs on the offense
and put them back in the line on the do
!ense. thus violating the spirit of the rules
M. Mr. RED. OF Harvard. took the view that
the intent or the rule was to do away with
mass play and 1t must be SO interpreted
motion was passed at last that this
matter be referred back to the rules COM
mittee for further elucidation,
The Fair Catch.
lnnumerable other questions were
brought up bearing on other points in the
rules. such as the fair catch and the
proper signal for it, and the point at which
the official must blow his whistle for a
down. Some of these questions were blain
matters OF Judgment lying with the official
deeper. -"
AFTER the meeting had lost all semblance
OF orderly procedure a recess Of iifteen
minutes was taken. Then a motion was
passed TO the enect that the rules be taken
up IN order. beginning with rule i. This
slmplihed matters considerably, but the
going was tedious. nevertheless
Desplte the conference and threshing over
OF the rules. however. referees and umpires
will have to do what they can TO-DAY wIths
out any further light on the subject.
Among those who struggled with the
rules were Walter Camp. Yale; w. T. Reid
j. H. Minds and N. P. Stauffer. Pennsvi,
vania: c. D. DAILY. Harvard; J. III. Wolfe
Cornell: DR.. A. H. Sharpe, Yale: I, p
saunders. Columbia and DR.. Paul j. Dash
others somewhat less prominent in foot
ball affairs. "a Aoo'