Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-07
WITH COLLEGE ATHLETES
DOinEu 10 thu Field o. spsrt in Beth the
East and West.
FOOT BALL RULES ARE UP AGAIN
Bsals Of Harvard finds that the
Ten-Yard Ruls and the
Forward Pass Were
Failures.

Il
] game OF foot ball Especially was the be-
lief current that the ten-yard rule was a
| notable feature In the betterment of the
| game. II was argued that because of the
| ten-yard rule gains by rushing through
! the line we're made less easily possible.
| That forced the resort to end plays and
the trying OF more daring moves in the
! line OF advancing the ball. II was consid-
cred that the adoption Of the forward pass
| was such an apt corollary to the rule re-
gardng ten yards that the two regulations
worked splendidIy together for real reform
I'm the game.
! Coaches and players were forced to the
use of the forward pass I'm a great many
cases as the only chance to make the re-
quired ten yards. A premium was put on
the running features OF the game, at any
event and the steady pounding at the line,
which was practically the only strategy
Of many foot ball instructors, was swept
away as an almost useless thing. 1t comes,
therefore, as a sort of surprise to read the
following statement in the Harvard Bull
letin, taken from an article by Arthur NJ,
Beale, Harvard Ga.
The change from Ave to ten yards to be
| gained In three downs was failure, be-
| cause no team could consistently hope to
| retain possession OF the ball by rushing
| against an equally matched team, the ten
/ covered in three downs. The other great
change, the forward pass, although inter-
a failure from a foot bali standpoint Such
| play is against all theory of the game
and is really substituting something else
! play. 1t would be almost as well to toss
! up a coin to see II the offense should gain
! thirty yards or should lose the ball.
! New Foot BaIPs Birth.
Mr.. Beale forgets, as many others have,
/ t-.,T,v
new last fall. The crudities of play Of
many of the large teams we're chargeable
to the fact that the game was so different
and there had been small time to perfect
the practice of II. This season It may
! safely he said there will be a marked differ
ence. The intelligent men who study foot
| ball for the purpose of teaching it have
absorbed the theories perfectly by now.
They know just what they have to teach,
! and the season of last year, which was
experimental in character. is to be fol-
lowed by one in which the true beauties
Of the game will be shown forth.
The British have been our severest critics
in foot ball because Of certain character
istics and tendencies which the game as II
has been played here has developed. And
yet many Englishmen who saw foot ball
last year were delighted with the game
and spoke Of it's continued improvement
along the lines laid down. They doubtless
saw in II a return to the running and
passing in the open field of their own
Rugby game We are content here in the
United States to readopt an old feature of
the earlier game which has survived the
test OF time and proved its worth. On the
other hand, Americans will continue to
stand up for the systematized putting the
ball into play which the American game
has made a feature.
OF the forward pass Mr.. Beale continues
by saying that 1t is a dangerous feature.
That is because. according to him. player
with every sense concentrated on the ap-
preaching ball may be the victim of a hard
rush by an opposing player which may re-
suit IN injury So may equally n man
awaiting a kicked ball in the backfield,
and he may receive an even greater thrust
by the oncoming rush of a player who is
moving at top speed Indeed, a man may
receive injury from a tackle at all times
or at any time That depends entirely on
circumstances. And again. a man about
to catch a ball may not be interfered with
by rushing and checking. He is not eligible
for that sort of attention until he catches
the ball a player of the opposing side
near enough to do anything like that might
very well go after the ball himself with
better hopes Of making gains.
Fear of the tumble.
There are some other things which Mr..
Beale has to say. There is one feature
that is not right" continues Mr.. Beale.
ASK any player what It is in foot ball he
most breads, what slows down the play
and prevents the side having the ball from
trying dashing plays in the hope OF long
runs why long passes are not resorted TO
and why the ball is not passed from player
to player as the player with the ball is
tackled He would say that it is the fear
of losing tine ball by a tumble II seems
to me. then, that II we can eliminate the
fear Of fumbling and Of losing the ball by
risky play we shall encourage open play
and increase the good spectacular play Of
rushing with the ball, which is the funda-
mental play in Rugby foot ball.
'If II were not for the fear of fumbiins
it goes without saying that more passes
long and short, would be tried; players
about 20 be tackled would pass the ball &c
another runner, thereby advancing the ball
further. Why not do away with extreme
, penalty Of a tumble; that IS. the less OF
, the ball, and substitute therefor the pen
atty or rule that In the case of a tumble
and the recovery by an opponent the bal
shall be down in the place where II wal
fumbled? The possession OF the ball Il
worth from forty to sixty yards and tbs
loss of such by a tumble is the severes
penalty to which any team may be mad'
subject and is out Of all proportion with
the miBplay, as the hard work of an entire
team for whole game may be lost by ont
mans tumble.
Having done away with the objection
to attempting open play by eliminating
, the extreme penalty for fumbing, ",
should build up the new game by tw'
fundamental changes. Instead OF the for
ward pass over the line we should allow al
many passes. forward, back or sideways
as desired II the ball does not go ahead o
the line of scrimmage.- This is for tn
; purpose of having the eventual runner &c
a good start and would require some yer!
{ pretty play in passing from player 4
player to get opening for a rush. w,
should have the same ruling for inter
J cepted pass as for a tumble. 1t would
amount to this that the defense Woul'
3 have to stop the progress OF the ball t.
have Il declared down either by obtaining
{ possession OF It or by holding the rushei
who has possession Of It."
New Rule Elective.
As TO the restrictions on the forward pas
: | and the lesseninR of the pennlty 70