Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10
WILL FIELD GOAL
BE DECISIVE?
KICKING MAY BE OF LESS AID
THIS YEAR
Seasons Crop of Toe Artists Is Less
Promlsing-More Reliance Is
Placed on Straight
k Football

NEW YORK, Oct. 9.-Will the field
goal decide as many football games
this autumn as it did a year ago?
Gridiron scientists the country over
are giving thought to the question
In view of the fact that the powers
that be in football codifying deemed
it advisable last winter to reduce the
value of both drop and place kicks TO
three points instead of four, change
in gridiron warfare seems imminent.
Indeed, it appears a possibility that
fewer matches will be won this year
by the leather twirling between the
uprights. The fact, however, that the
scoring value of the play has been re-
dueed one point robs it Of much of its
effectiveness.
Last season two field goals netted
eight points. Hence, If the eleven
blessed with an accurate kicker could
stave off their opponents attack with
only one touchdown resulting the pair
of field goals would win the day.
Under the new scoring rules, however,
with the field goal yielding but three
points it will take three successful
boots to down the eleven scoring a
lone touchdown. And two field goals
will only tie the team, carrying the
leather across the final chalk bar and
kicking the extra point. That such a
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the play will tend to it's comparative
disuse seems probable
When one goes over the list of games
that were won by the field goal the
statistics are astonishing. Prominent
among them is Harvard's defeat Of
Yale, when Kennard made his now
famous drop kick. Then a field goal
was responsible for the overthrow of
Princeton by Dartmouth. Many vic
he o,.lsc cI
Indians through the four-point medium,
the abo,igines rossossings luckers Of
rare excellence in Thorpe and Balenti
On more than one occasion the toe of
Allerdico saved Michigan. Among the
smaller colleges a like condition of af-
fairs prevailed. Vorhis of Penn state
kicked his team to victory in several
games and Frank Mount Pleasant, the
former quarterback, played havoc with
Dickinson's opponents. The minor
matches won by the field goal are too
numerous for mention.
kickers Are Scarce
And then this seasons crop of toe
artists does not give promise of COM
ing up to the standard of the 1908 gal
axy. Kennard will probably not play
for Harvard. Sherwin of Dartmouth
has been graduated. Wheaton of Yale
is now backfield coach. Northcroft,
captain of last years Navy eleven,
and Lango have completed their course.
Allerdice has kicked his last goal for
Michigan, while Balenti and Thorpe
will likely not play with the Indians.
Jack Means has been graduated from
Pennsylvania and Caldwell from Cor
nell.
However a few stellar hooters are
left. Larry Vorhis of Penn State, who
defeated Cornell in 1907 with two field
goals, will lead his team this year. An
other keystone state combination that
promises to boast of a capable toe art
ist this autumn is the University of
Pennsylvania. In Thayer the Quakers
have a capable performer. He gave
signs of real worth last year in prac-
tice and his work is now showing to
advantage. When the Red and Blue
opened their season it was Thayer's
toe that added three points to twenty
garnered against Gettysburg.
Cunningham of Princeton showed
last season that he has kicking abil
ity, and will very probably be devel-
oped along these lines. Captain Coy of
Yale was responsible for a four-point
score in the 1908 Brown game, and
should help out the Ellis in this de-
partment Moore of Cornell kicked q
goCl against Pennsylvania last Thanks
giving day and will probably be used
for this phase of the Ithacans' attack.
Everything taken into consideration,
however, and present indications do not
point to such a general and successful
use of the field goal as the 1908 cam
paign developed, there may be latent
talent among the candidates as yet un-
earthed, and such being the case, sew
eral surprises may be sprung.