The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-12-12
STRATEGY IN
 PRESENT GAME
Walter Camp Comments on What the New Rules Are
 Doing for Football.
MUST VARY THE DEFENSE
Theory Practiced by Yale Jus tifed Itself in the Big Games.


 Walter Camp, Yale 1880, in the Yale Alumni Weekly, says in regard to trategy in the present methods of Playing football:
 \ The present game with its forward Passing and on-side kicks affords far Mreater possibilities than did the old Name. But these are quite secondary "a effect to the ten-yard rule, for were AFne working under the old five.yard & lle, he would seldom if ever make use either of these, as it has been found ossible with greater practice in open lays to gain longer distances than N Pemed in any way probable when ams were being worked in heavy ass plays for two yards at a time. mother element brought in by the ten hrd rule which has tended to encour- ge strategy in the play is that the ' alue of possession of the ball has Heen lessened that 1t pays the team to y for the longer run at a greater FISK loss
 \ The general strategy of the game insists in the familiar method or rowing a superior force against an ferior one. This can be done either quick massing of men so that there superiority in numbers, by @ ! ringing interference which brings out the same result, by the use of ster man against 9 slower one, or ll again, as in the case of the on- le kick, by surprising the opponentN 0 a situation where they have only < e man who has a chance to secure bounding ball whne the attacking le has two, three or our. The same Is e of the forward pass where an end, kle and possibly a backfield man down under a high pass, the Opp hents only having one man or possi- two likely to reach the point.
 Deception is, of course, a strong fea- &e if one is to accomplish any oi lse moves which depend upon super | ty in numbers at the point of at- k. Deception Is also essential ir Beading the opponents defense foI &ividual plays, such as quick plunges pugh the line and wide runs out be- d tackle or end The quarterback In learns that with end plays he car ead out the opponents defense, giv- him a better chance to send plays bugh the line, and by sending plays bugh the line he can contract, tht ense, which gives him better oppor ties again for forward passes ant side kicks.
 he of the best illustrations of pos } strategy in the present game was shown in Yale's forward pass, tho IS that their team brought out las This pass they also used effec. ay this year and 1t has furnished s theory the most successful for.
 passes of the season. The strat. depended upon rendering the op. nts uncertain as to whether a
 run or forward pass would be npted, thon-by means of the pos tiles in two of these plays of secur. sufficient delay, either by passing 4 ball-from one man back to an- |, or by the original recipient of ball making long, wide, sweeping Ito enable the men who could re-
 the pass to get well down the and into the enemy's territory. Indians, Pennsylvania and Michi- ''| all worked such forward passes season with success,
 th these possibilities already emu ted in the attack, it goes with x laying that the defense is put to a reater strain. Nor has it yet en-
 adjusted itself to the conditions. & let another season or two will un- asedly pass before the defense es a point of such defniteness as .. D acquired two years ago, previous introduction of these new fea. Ire are two kinds of defense one rardly defense and one a courag. defense, if one may be permitted ply these terms. And the term! |. dvisedly used, for the cowardly se is that in which fear may as ~ yz Icing laid down and carefully de. .)|'H'|| every player on a team endeav .2..ASs take care of or stop every play |a|. he opponents attempt to make
 plays happen to be straight ant e, no serious disaster results. But
 the other hand, the plays art
 Intricate and involve the elemen
 eption, the defensive team is yer, find itself thrown into a panic lush from one side of the line t < Bher as they see the play start
 To find themselves vainly tryinl
 back again when the play de
 into one going on the other sid
 line This condition in the lin,
 upon the backs, who, after ont
 mistakes, hang back in such ( Is to be of very little use in any
 courageous defense, on tn,
 hand, plans for certain dutie!
 sperformed by certain men ant
 man to take care of his smal of the work. This does no
 hat man who has taken cart
 portion may not aid the nex | but that he shall have enough
 snce in the rest of the men or
 i'm to believe that if he does hi
 of the work well they vii
 are of theirs, and hence wher
 the run is not coming at hin
 not rush blindly out of posi-
 take care of a part of the pla!
 Elongs to another.
 modern game has also resulted
 developments of strategy il