The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-10-07
FRESHMAN RULING
MATERIALLY HELPS
BIG UNIVERSITIES
Forward Pass Played important Part in Games
:: Last Week-Little Odds on Princeton.
Yale SkirmiSh

The football season Of 1907 was put
into full swing in the week just past
by all Of the leading teams of the East
and most Of those of the West playing
their opening games. and there was
nothing to support the time-worn theory
that these elevens will be harder pushed
than ever to retain their position at the
head Of American college football
Last year, with the advent of the new
game, there we're those who freely pre-
dicted downfall for the larger university
elevens, basing their claims upon the
opportunities offered the smaller college
squads for equalizing the battle against
beef and Drawn and science by reason
Of the changes in the method OF play
Yet when the season closed. 1t was
found that the so-called big elevens
were Just as prominent as before, and
they will remain so under the existing
or any other conditions which tend to
make the game more scientific and not
more Of a chance or piece of fortune
Larger Colleges Develop Better Squads.
II Is reasonable to suppose that the
larger universities will always develop
the better elevcns, not so much on &C
count Of the greater number OF candi-
dates. but because they have built up
systems based upon decades Of expert
enco and study, and because OF the
large coaching stats at their service.
So far this season only one point
comes vividly before the football public
bearing directly upon the question OF
the big and little teams. That is the
freshman eligibility rule. which was
adopted by the larger universities just
one year ago and which prohibits these
institutions playing their freshmen upon
varsity teams. The rule was framed
with a view TO dampen somewhat the
college mans enthusiasm over athletics
and at the same time prevent the prose-
lyting OF good preparatory school ath-
letes. an evil for which there is no
lernedy other than honesty. The prose
lytng did not stop and influences are
stiG brought 10 bear over which the
colleges have no jurisdiction. Then the
larger colleges which adopted This rule
gave more prominence , than ever to
freshman teams in all branches OF sport.
and in football It was carried TO the
limit
Freshmen Rul, Worked Out Well.
However, there can be no question
that the freshman rule, after its first
year. has worked great and lasting
benefits 10 the colleges that have adopt
ed It, In the first place. the promising
young athletes have not been thrown
directly into the athletic maelstorm
upon their arrival in college; they there
fore have been able to get their bear.
inss, as il were, and TO place them
selves in good scholastic standing Or
the other hand they have been organ.
lzed into class teams. of more prCn1I.
nence than ever, and the PLAYERS have
been most thoroughly drilled In the sys
TENS OF play peculiar to each university
80 that In tl;eir sophomore year they
are practically varsity material. That
these men receive as good q trainiup in.
oiVldually as freshman as they vvoula a,
varsity, IS about true; that they learn
more and develop better as varsity
material later is fact.
The rule then has been a good one II
every way, for IL has permitted of bette
scholastic results, and gives the varsity
oughly relied upon the coming ye9r
hitherto the freshmen have not been &c
important. for but A few Of them have
approached varsity standards and re
celVed varsity coaching: there has beer
no developing teams for material. now
there are. and from now on the varsit I
teams will be stronger by reason of II. y
Would Aid Smaller Schools.
Coach Charles F. Courtney. OF tn,
Cornell crews. in speaking of thi
freshman rule. declared it was undoubt
eddy move in the rignt direction. yet
he believed its chief object was lost be
cause freshmen were permitted to EMO,
intercollegiate competition through tn,
means of their own teams the VERY
thing IL was aimed to avoid. Mr.. Court
neys view, II adopted, would certainly
cripple the big college teams in al
branches Of sport, and undoubtedly aiC
The smaller colleges, which have no
adopted IL, thereby equaliZing the com
petition between the two grades NOR,
than by any legislation In football rules
Wet weather last week delayed tn
development of the elevents 20
great extent, for It precluded the use o
-he forward pass and on-side kick by
teams that got under way on Septembei
y. The past week was the opener fO
all Of the big elevens, and the weathe
gave the coaches and players ample op
Dortunity TO work with their pet nev
plays. In all instances, except Peuusyl
Vania's. the forward pass and on-sid'
kick played important parts in tn
games, Yale, Princeton, Cornell Har
ward, and the Army and Navy ant
Michigan all working along that line.
Penn Handicapped.
Pennsylvania Is hampered in its us
by the nearby situation of Swarthmor,
which defeated Pennsylvania las
fall and whose location permits Il {
study the Pennsylvania style of pla
in each game. To offset this Pennsyl
vania is holding things up her sleev
until next Saturday. when Swarthmor
->aeets her ut Franklin Field, Philade
mia.
In the games to date. and the on
With VillanOva the past Wednesday wa
by no means an easy struggle, IN