Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1906-01-16


Every Respect-Held In Allegiance Until
Rules Are Amended.
Rcston, Mass, Jan. l6.-Football has
been abolished at Harvard, pending a re-
form in the game that will be acceptable
10 the Board of Overseers, according to
an official announcement yesterday from
the university. This discontinuance of
the game is a result of a vote taken last
week at a secret meeting of the Board of
Ovorseers, when IL was decided that in
tercolegiate football at Harvard would
not be permitted until the rules and
regulations had been changed and amend
ed as 10 remove what the overseers re-
gard as the evils of the present game
The overseers accepted unanimously
the opinions of a special committee that
the game as at present played is essen
italy bad in every respect, that the
method of formation encourages trickery
and foul play, and that the result is bad
for the morals of the players as we'll as
for the body. The committee declared
that If changes were TO be made no man
now a member of the so-called Intercol-
legiate Rules Committee should have
hand in it, the committee believing that
these persons are so far committed 10
the present system that they could not
agree TO such changes as are absolutely
necessary 10 produce decent, clean,
pleasurable contest instead of the pres
ent apology for a rough and tumble
fight"
Football is a fine game when properly
played the committee says, but the
present method is thoroughly bad ans
ought to be stopped absolutely and
finally. Any university taking this action
will later be considered as a benefactor
by many players, and by all lovers Of
healthful, clean sport and fair play"
Under the ruling of the overseers foot
ball is now in allegiance at the university
until the committee ON the regulation of
athletic sports has made its report TO
the board and until the board has ac-
cepted the new rules and regulations in
every particular Whether the reformed
rules can be arranged and accepted in
time for the resumption of football next
season is problcmatical Some determin-
ed action by the Board of Overseers had
been anticipated in Harvard athletic cir
cles, but the radical attitude Of abolish
ing the game altogether caused great
surprise among students and graduates.
The committees report said:
"Ihe method of formation absolutely
encourages trickery and foul play. II is
very difficult 10 see all that is done. even
by the most careful and sharpest-eyed
umpire, but the results are seen in many
serious and even fatal accidents. IL is
nearly impossible 10 line up 22 powerful
and aggressive young men opposite each
other and not have some one lose his
self control and do what is wrong. So
long as the larger universities play the
game in this way it is bound to have a
bad effect on the schoolboys. The result
rs bad Tor the morals as well as for the
body"
The committee then expresses the opin-
ion that the intercollegiate Rules Com
mittee should not have a hand in making
changes, and adds:
"A new committee could. IL is believed
formulate rules that, while simple. would
cause an absolutely different result. I'm
this connection it is necessary 10 point
out that proper umpires are MS necessary
as good rules-men who, unlike many Of
those used as such in late years. are
ready and anxious instantly to punish
any infraction of the rules
The report continues; Football Is n
fine game when properly played. but the
present method is thoroughly bad and
ought to be stopped absolutely and
finally.
ANY university taking this action will
later be considered as n benefactor nv
many players and by all lovers of health.
iui' clean sport and fair play. There is
no desire TO criticise any special set of
payers an seem more OF less 30 blame,
1t is the system that is wrong.
Your committee does not feel called
on, nor is 10 competent to say exactly
what change, either in the game. or rules.
should be made, but it does feel that
change is imperative"
The report Of the special committee
and the action OF the overseers was sub
mltted 10 the Committee on the Repula.
ton OF Athletic Sports of the Harvard
Athletic Association at a meeting last
week. though they were not given TO the
puphc. IL is understood that the report
and action Of the overseers influenced
the committee in adopting the two reso-
buttons which were made public at the
time, one providing that the General
foothal Rules Committee be informed
that Harvard intends to send a represen.
tative 70 the National INTERCOLLEGIATE
Football Rules Committee. and that II
withdraws from the old committee with
the hope that the other universities
would do likewise.
The other favored the continuance of
Intercollegiate football at Harvard pro.
vided the present rules and regulations
be changed in such way as to be ac.
oep'aoie to the university authorities.