Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26

the Yale fullback. than whom no greater
foot ball player lives, says it is the most
dangerous play in the foot ball repertoire
1t was adopted by the foot ball rules
committee because it had been insiStently
urged by three four colleges whose
foot ball coaches had been careful
observers of basket ball and were of
opinion that passing the ball forward
could be Incorporated into American foot
ball with good effect.
1t remained for Yale first to show what
the forward pass could do in the first
wear In which it was legal. and after
Yale had demonst ra ted how it could be
used every college and university in the
United States set about finding plan for
defense against 1t.
Defense Too Strong.
than the use of the pass. and this year
there was very little of it. In the larger
games it was seldom tried and was sell
dom successful. One reason for its par
tial abandonment was the penalty which
was enforced against it IN the change
made in the rules in the winter of 1899.
! To lose fifteen yards for an uncom-
| pleted pass on any down but the third
| was a back breaker for most of the
elevens, and most of them were unwill-
ing to attempt a play against which
! there was likely to be such good de
Tense that penalty would be almost
surely exaCted.
| 1t is the complaint of those who favor
/ the forward pass that legislation has al
| most destroyed its usefulness and that it
cannot possibly be accepted as a favor
| able move in the game of advancing the
ball until some of the restrictions are re-
moved which now surround it and more
| players are made available to catch the
| bail.
| On the other hand players with actual
| experience insist that If the forward pass
| is to be continued better provision must
be made for the man who is to catch the
ball. AS now placed he stands alone
| much of the time in awkward position to
hold the ball When it is shot his way.
Frequently he is unbalanced in reach
ing for the ball. Quite as frequently he
is half turned around looking to see If
he is in line with the man who is to pass
the ball to him, and almost invariably he
has not free arm with which to defend
himself against approaching tacklers.
Naturally, if tackled, he Is likely to be
thrown to the ground with violence and
without complete mastery of his limbs,
SO that he may protect himself from IN
jury
1t becomes almost certain, therefore,
that if the forward pass is to be con-
tinued in the game of American foot ball
it will come before the public in 1910 in
quite another form than that of recent
use.
1t is a fact that the rule makers who
saw the game of foot ball between the
Canadian players in New York city were
favorably impressed with the method
which is in vogue in the Canadian game.
whereby the player who is to catch
punt is allowed a protection of three
yards until he has touched the ball.
Manner of the Play.
To explain 1t so that the novices may
understand we may say that Brown of
the Tigers sends a long punt toward the
goal Of the Bears. Smith Of the Bears
sets himself to catch the ball, and all the
players Of the Tigers must remain three
yards away from him until after he has
caught the ball or muffed it.
The favorable feature Of this play is
that it prevents unnecessary roughing OF
the backs. AS the present intent is to try
to eliminate as much roughness as pos
sible from the game, it would appear that
here is move which is in lire with what
American foot ball enthusiasts seek.
1t has been the custom in some of the
games which have been played for the
ends to bear down upon the back, who
either fumbles or muffs. If he does hold
the ball he is tackled with such vigor
that after while he is worn out and sig
nails for fair catch on almost every
try that he makes to hold the ball. If
the opposing backs were held off for three
yards it would be impossible for them to
start with the speed at which they ran
down the field. While they would still
be eligible to tackle the man with the ball
it is quite probable that they would not
throw him with the force which is bound
to follow when a man comes charging
down for twenty yards or more and rolls
over and over with the back whom he
tackles. especially if the back happens
to be of lighter weight than himself.
am inclined to believe that the three
yard protection for the player catching
the ball would be almost invaluable 10
the younger foot bail players. The ten
dency to rough is little strong with the
boys of seventeen, eighteen and nineteen.
who sometimes do it quite thoughtlessiy.
and they would be quite unable to inter-
fere with the backs if rule of this kind
were put into effect.
Tie question arises as to whether this
rule would interfere with the running
back Of punts. II seems very unlikely. LII
the opposing side Is possessed of fast
ends. but few punts will be run back dur
In. the course of a game, and If the ends
of the opposing side are not fast the back
will be as likely t. elude them under one
r:tie another.
There is another point in the Canadian
game which found favor with some OF the
American foot ball enthusiasts. and that
is the rule which makes the defending
side protect itself when the ball crosses
the eoal line.
Begin All Over Again.
In our game. If long punt rolls over
the goal line we call 1t a touchback and
bring the ball out to the 25-yard line
and put it in play again. In the Canadi-
an game. IF thes opposing side kicks the
ball over the goal line. the defending
side must run it out over the goal /;
open territory suffer the possibility
of point being scored against it.
This makes the backs of the defending
side more alert and perhaps gives them
more to do than is the case in the
American game, but. on the other hand.
it provides continued action, instead of
q clumsy wait as in the American game.
where both elevens solennly walk to
the 25-yard line of the defending side
and begin play all over again. 1t must
be confessed that there is more action
in the Canadian theory on this point and
in some respects it looks as if there
were more justice. If an attacking side
is able by kicking. TO push the ball over
the goal line of the opponent it would
appear that the Canadian theory of foot
ball would mean to grant the kicker some
thing for his skill and power. AS it is
now the pupter gets only part of his
lust reward. How absurd it Is to witness
a good punt made by an American player,
when the defending back. seeing that he
cannot catch the ball, sedately trails after
it as it bumps over the field, until finally
it has passed beyond the goal line. and he
knows that his team is in comparative
safety, because the ball must be taken
out to the oJ-yard line to resume play.
If he knew that his team were in dam
ger OF losing a point the moment that
the ball crossed the goal line, it is GER
toip that he would he active i'm recover