Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-10-19
sAcKFIELD MOST IMPORTANT.
Pennsylvania Star Tells How to Build
Up Strong Gridiron Eleven.

In making UP a football team for
the game of today, / CONSIDER the
backfield men and ends before the
other five linemen." so says Holen-
bach. the old Pennsylvania star.
Every good team not only has TO have
two good ends, but should have four,
as, in my judgment, no end. no matter
how good he is, can play an entire
game and give a good account OF him :
self. Therefore, L say have at least
four ends who are fast, and can catch
forward passes at any angle or in any
position, who can break up Interior
ence, and last, but not least. who have
good football brains. Sometimes good
end, if he watches the opponents
backs, will be able TO diagnose the play
by the way they take their position, or
some other false movement. Scarlet
of Penn was an ideal man for end, as
he had all the ideal points. Time after
time he would break a play up before
it got started, just by his ability to
diagnose the play. Braddock should
prove another Scarlet this year.
The halfbacks in the Penn system,
have to be not only big, rugged men,
but be able to think and act quickly.
The left halfback, or front halfback,
doesn't necessarily have to be a very
fast man, but he should be man who
can raise his knees and be solid on
his feet
when you see the left halfback or
front back carrying the ball through
the line 1t is not he that is giving
power to the play, for the power comes
from the right haIfback and fullback.
He has to ibee good man with the
ball on plays around the end and off
tackle Folwell and Manner were men
who had all these requirements. They
were both. fierce, hard players, who
were almost immovable. The points
that are brought out by the halfback
keeping his knees and head up are that
If he is playing against a line that lays
down it is impossible for the line man
to get his opponent out of play. So
if the halfback runs low he falls over
the line and gains only about a yard.
whereas if he runs with head and
kne.ss up he will step over the line and
ought to gain four or five yards.
1.-THE right halfback should be a man
almost like the left halfback. but be a
trife faster, and who can help the left
halfback on line plays. On a buck into
the line almost the entire success of
the play depends on whether the right
halfback steers the left halfback into
the hole: he should also be man who
can carry the ball on cross bucks off.
as inside of tackle. His most essen
tai point. however should be his de-
Tense.
"Fullback is practically the keystone
of the backfield. The offense is built
around him. therefore he should be a
good punter. When the fullback is a
good kicker it makes it so much easier
to build uo the fake formations. BY
fast l mean a man who can start
quickly. who can run in anNopen field.
Sometimes on run-off tackle he will
run into all kinds of complications. So
he has to think quickly,use good judg-
ment in selecting his openings. and
ought to be able to use the straight
arm. This give a runner big advant-
age for it is almost impossible to tack
lie a man who has the straight arm
working. unless the tackler leaves his
feet and dives for the runners legs. He
should be placed about 10 to Is yards
back of the defense. He should be
able to catch punts and help the quar-
terback in this line. be good on the
defense and a sure, tackler. Nor should
he be fooled on any fake formation !;
after he has diagnosed a play she
should be able to get into it quickly.
should be able to run well from fake
kick formations.
"The quarterback should be the gem
eral. He should select all plays and
see that thew are executed. No one
should interfere or change plays, ex-
cept the captain. There is nothing so
discouraging to a quarterback as to
have three or four men on his team
yelling at him. Before giving a play
he should size Up the opponents line
see where the openings are. IF the op-
ponents' line shifts then change sig
nails, watch where halfbacks stand, and
what they do on defense, watch the
quarterback on opponents team. try
and catch him off his guard with a
quick kick. be cool and collected at all
times, handle the ball cleverIy and get
It to the other men,"