Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-24
MANY FOOT BALL
RULES UNCERTAIN
Points in New Code Which Sell
dom Come Up a Puzzle
to Players.

Few Of the thousands who crowd the
stands at the big foot ball games under
stand the rules and 1t is worth the while
of anybody interested who enjoys the game
in more than a superficial way to read the
rules thoroughly. The best way to learn
the fine points Of foot ball il to play it.
AS it is more difficult to learn the fine
points of foot ball by mere observation than
the fine points of case ball, a close study
Of the code will help the layman. A close
study Is needed, for the rules are many and
complicated, and must be digested slowly.
Some Rules Dead Letters.
Some of the penalties provided for in
fractions of rules arc almost dead letters,
for the reason that occasions for infiicting
them 30 seldom arise; yet they might arise.
SO are necessary. Such case is section 2,
rule III. 1t provides that when a new player
comes into the game he must first report
to the referee, and that the player supplant-
ed shall not return to the game. The penalty
for not reporting or for second participa-
ton in the game is a loss of fifteen yards:
but cases of players trying to ring in
second time are almost unknown.
A paragraph in section 8. rule g. will
cause deep bordering as to its meaning: "A
safety is made when player Of the side
which would give the ball to the opponents
behind the offenders goal line
How could such foul be committed?
The provision is almost obsolete: 1t is
relic of the old rules. When the rule
| makers came to that paragraph in getting
this years statutes ready for the printer
they scratched their heads. II really don't
know of any foul that would answer this
description" confessed Walter Camp to
reporter. but thought 1t best to let the
rule stay in case such play did crop out
rha, tLa~ 10 ftn ma RI ORC N
"A safety is made when the ball, kicked
by man behind his own goal line. crosses
the extended portion Of either side line
Such thing easily might happen, but one
seldom sees safety of this sort.
Touchbacks Cause Trouble.
Referees from time mmemorial have
had their troubles distinguishing between
safeties and touchdowns The following
two associate paragraphs clarity the stu
alton somewhat. but at that call for watch
fulness and discernment on the part Of the
It is a touchback when player on de-
| Tense permits a ball kicked by an oppo-
| nent to strike his person and then roll
| across the goal line. and any player of his
side then falls on 1t back Of the line.
1t is not a touchback II such player Jug
giles the ball so that he In any way forces
It over the line and he or any player of his
side then falls on It,
An infreauent violation of the rules is
that provided for by section 2. rule 10:
The ball may not be passed or thrown
the side that did not put the ball in play
from a scrimmage.
There is a r14e, however, and a most i'm
portant one. that i broken oftener than
By the same token there is pressing need
| for more severity by officials in enforcing
the measure. which Is incorporated in sec
ton SO, rule "a, as follows:
a team on the defanSa commits fOulS
so near their own goal Che me aiming is
clear despite the singular verb and plural
pronoun) that these fouls are punishable
only by the halving Of the distance to the
line, the object being. In the opinion Of the
referee, to delay the game. the offending
side shall DE regarded as refusing to allow
such case warn the offending side once,
and II the offense is repeated he shall de-
clare the game forfeited to the opponents.
An occurrence hardly ever seen Is pro-
yided for by section 8. rule "a, as fol-
In case one official signals a foul against
one side and another official signals foul
against the other side on the same play,
the penalties being other than disqualified
ton. the ball shall be brought back to the
point where 1t was put in play and be
played over again. the number Of the down
and the point to be gained for first down
remaining the same.
Big Scores Under New Rules.
AppertalnlnS 10 the amount of scoring
done in the first year of the revised foot
ball, the guide shows that there was an
ample quantity Although the increase of
the distance to be gained in four down to
ten yards was expected to make scoring too
difficult. such did not prove to be the case.
The compiled records show that there were
more no score games than usual. But the
proportion was not large compared with the
number of games.
The Massillon Tigers, a semi-professional
organization of Ohio, made the huge total
of All points to 10 for opponents In eleven
games, and also made the top score for a
single game 30. The quality of the oppo-
nents, needless to say. had much to do
seventeen went through the season without
being scored The teams with clean
states were the Yale Freshmen. Washing
ton State College, Utah University, Troy
Conference Academy. st. Paul A. A. of
Tompknsvlle N. Y: st. Bernard's Co.
lege. Alabama: Stevens High School Clare
mont. N. H.; Sayers Business College. Kit
tanning, Pa, Racine College, Pennington
Seminary. Old Point Comfort College, New
York Military Academy, Livingston High
School, Montana: Grand Island Business
College, Nebraska; Ewing College. Illinois;
Cazenovia Seminary and All Hallows Col
lege. Salt Lake City.
Fine Array Of Officials.
The list of officials for games named by
the central board numbers 156. With the
additional field judge this year more off,
cials than ever viii DO needed. OF the Of