New-York tribune., 1906-11-12
ON COLLEGE GRIDIR0NS.
Lessons Being Learned in Games
Ployed Under Revised Rules.

Football players and coaches are learning
something new in every game played under the
new code and the development of play has
opened up possibilities not even dreamed of by
those who builded wiser than they knew when
they undertook the delicate task of revising the
rules to save the game as an intercollegiate
sport. The game as played to-day is better
than the game as played year ago-immeasur-
ably better. II needs only careful revision of
the games decided on Saturday to convince the
most skeptical that mere Drawn, concentrated
force and batterng tactics have been forced
to give way 10 speed agility and strategy
Brains must now be developed as well as muscle
If team is to earn victories. and craft must be
met with craft or defeat is sure to follow. Under
the old game the smaller colleges had little or
no chance against the bigger ones, and it was
only question of how big the score would be-
Yale. Harvard, Princeton and Pennsylvania had
dozens of substitutes little inferior TO the regu-
lars. who were ready to jump in and carry along
an exhausting attack against the fast weakening
defence of a smaller team that had little reserve
strength to call The first half Of game
would be reasonably close, and partake of a con-
test, the second half would be rout made pos
sble by force of numbers and sheer orute
strength. Under the new game all TINS is
changed and the smaller college teams have
now a chance to even up old scores or at least
go off the field elated and stimulated by game
that a contest from whistle to whistle, win
Oportunity at any moment of turning deteat
into victory and not discouraged. disheartened
and completely exhausted after hopeless strug-
gle against odds too great TO be overcome. In
this alone the revised rules have worked great
good and the time should not be far distant
when the term big four will grow meaning
less as indicating superior football ability
AS the football season draws to a close II Is
cause for congratulation that there have been
fI,a IaTaa ted
teams come out of hard game reasonably
fresh and not tagged out to a dangerous point
Football is a rough game. a strenuous game
and injuries OF a minor nature inevitable
even among we'll trained men; but that must be
expected and need not necessarily be decried
1t is fair to presume that the neutral zone
marked by the width Of the ball in the line or
scrimmage is largely responsible for the better
condition Of the players at the end of garne
and, further makes for fewer injuries. Under
the old rules the men in the line took advantage
of the conditions that brought them shoulder to
shoulder to use unfair methods by locking
elbows or knees, pulling each other off side,
stepping on each others feet, or using other
means TO eXasperate or exhaust This not only
used up physical strength and took a player 8
mind off the game, but engendered Ill feellng
between two players, which oftentimes led TO
foul blows with knee elbow or fist, which the
umpire rarely saw and which was constant
menace TO the morale of the game. Personal
contact before the ball Is put in play is now
impossible. and with the elimination OF all this
preliminary "scrapping' the players can give
their undivided attention to the game. and while
on the alert get moments rest between
the time the bali is declared dead until put IN
play again. This means that the men are under
less physical and mental strain. The more one
thinks about it the more convinced he will be
that the neutral zone, while hardly noticeable TO
the average onlooker has done its share in i'm
proving the game by preventing much or the
unnecessary roughness that marred it a year ago.
The football games on Saturday in which the
leading teams for championship honors took
part furnished a fair line the relative strength
OF Yale Princeton and Harvard This the
more interesting as the season is almost over
and the big games are at hand. Princeton and
Yale will face each other on Saturday at Prince
ton while Harvard and Yale will line up on the
following Saturday at New Haven. These are
the big games of the year, although the
meetings between Pennsylvania and Michigan
Pennsylvania and Cornell and West Point and
Annapolis are not far behind them in point Of
interest. Comparative scores are misleading
and more times than not have proved a delusion
and q snare in trying 10 draw conclusion This
must be considered by those who are trying to
dope out team to wager or who like to
assume the role OF prophet. On the face OF it,
however, Princeton seems to be the strongest at
this writing, with Harvard slightly better than
Yale. II does not follow that Princeton and
Harvard will beat Yale, although this conclusion
would appear obvious at this time Much can
happen in a short time. Yale Is famous for
putting her full strength in the field at the
psychological moment, and ii is open Sc
cret that the coaches have been slowly but
surely working the team up to the two games
against her dearest foes There Is much to be
done at New Haven, however. unless the eleven
has been playing old fox' better than the critics
have been led to believe. West Point has been
the great trial horse for the three teams, and
the sturdy army eleven filled the position TO its
everlasting credit, even though II went down to
defeat each time. Taking West Point a line
Princeton has a slight call. enough in fact, if
the line is true one. and barring accidents this
week, to defeat Yale Saturday A careful
analysis of West Points games against Harvard
Yale and Princeton leads. however, into end
less maze from which some would emerge with
Harvard the pick. The army captain has
expressed the opinion that Yale and Harvard
are we'll matched. with Harvard stronger on the
offensive and Yale better on the defensive. West
Point outplayed both Yale and Harvard in the
main, however, although beaten in the last few
minutes Of play by each. but Princeton. while
scoring and winning by goals from the field.
held the upper hand at all times and was never
really threatened with defeat. This is likely to
make Princeton a TO . favorite against Yale
Brown furnished another good line between
Yale and Harvard. Harvard. 8; Brown, D; Yale
s; Brown. 0, We're the scores. This, following the
Army games. in which the scores were Harvard
5; West Point. o; Yale 10: West Point. 6. lead
to the conclusion that between the Crimson and
the Blue there is little TO choose this year In
both sets of games. however what little advan-
tage, if any. rests with Harvard considering the
games outside Of a scoring standpoint. In
speaking Of the Brown games. too much praise
cannot be given 10 the Providence eleven 1t
has made great strides in the development Of
the game under the revised rules, and has earned
a forward place among the best elevens of the
season In Mayhem Brown has a left halfback
that will be a candidate for the all-American
team. He was easily the star of SATURDAYS
game, outshining even Knox. the brilliant Yale