Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-01-03

II football officials would tell all that
they see and hear In tho course OF
football games II would make mighty
Interesting reading for the crowd OF
spectators that sit In the stands and
miss some OF the liyeliest and most
curious Incidents OF the contests. IL
would have added to the saicty OF the
occasion had the spectators at the
fale-Brown game been able to hear
Dennie OF Brown during the game.
On plays which he made himself he
would start giving signals when the
teams lined up and he would still be
giving them when the man was
downed. On kicks he was Invariably
giving signals after he had kicked the
ball down tho field and his ends were
chasing II. and on his own runs
around the end the last signal was
knocked out OF him prccipitatciy an
the Yale tacklcr nailed him. He talked
necessarily and even his own players
had TO sooihe him at times.
II would also have been worth the
price OF admission to have heard u
Princeton freshman protest agninst u
decision by Referee Thompson In tho
game which preceded the Yaic.Brown
game. The Tigers had kicked and the
Yale back was waiting for tho ball
when the Princeton ends hit him. Tho
ball landed on the ground and =
Princeton forward grabbed II and car
ried II on across Ynic's goal line.
Referee Thompson calmly stood on
tho spot where the catchin. back hnd
stood until the ball was brought back.
The excited Princctonian exclaimed:
why. he never signalcd for fair
catch. MIR. Referee"
That does not make any differ
cnce." said Thompson decidedly. 'You
can't touch that man while tho ball II
In the air he added. "Yaic's ball."
and he gave the Blue youngsters IB
yards.
The point came up In several games
during tho past season and Incorrect
rulings were made. No signal for q
fair catch is required. Interference
occurs when n back who has an oppcr-
iunity To reach the ball IL prevented
from making n catch.
In the Harvard.indian game. whom
the ball hit the crossing on Hnuscr's
attempt at n neld goal. and bounded
back into the neld Of play. there was
n spirited session. An Indian knocked
the ball over Harvard's goal line and
fell on II there. and there were wild
cries for touchdown. The ball had
been battcd toward the Crimson goal
by the forthwith. with an additional
iivc.yard penalty besides. Some In tho
stands who knew the game pretty well
declared II should have been . touch.
down anyway. but the Harvard goal
posts are flush with the goal line. and
bali which strikes them does not
cross or strike on the goal line. rs
required to make a touchback. Were
the posts behind the line. or did the
ball strike on top Of the crossbar II
would have been touchback.
In the Princcton.IndIan game a
similar case of batting the ball toward
the opponents goal line occurred. but
the penalty was not given. The ON.
cial held that the batting OF tho ball
was unintentional. Others claim there
Is no room for the consideration of in. /
tcntions under the rules: that they nre
mandatory.
Again. In the West Point.Corneli |
game. when Mountford caught a for. I
ward pass ahead OF his goal line. and 1
fell back over II, scoring n safety. dis.
cussion arose. II Mountford was be. .
hind his line It was II touchback; II
ahead Of II a safety. On a similar
play in recent game the ball was
caught by one of the side making the
pass. when behind the goal line. scor.
ing touchback. while had he caught
It one foot ahead OF the line It would
have been touchdown. The man was
thrown back into the field Of play and
Immediately claimed he had been be-
hind the posts when he caught tho
ball. deciding his own fate. Had he
claimed he was in the field Of play he
would have retained the ball and had
chance to score on another play.
There were loud protests against the
ruling.