Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-24
OF COLLEGE FOOT BALL
Tenacious Hold the Sport Has on
Players and Spectators Alike.
CRITICAL PERIOD OF THE GAME
Important Conference and Agreement
In winter of IsOO-1OOO NJ New
Haven and what IL Meant
TO the Game.

Haven and what ~ Meant
20 the Game.
In the winter Of 1ss9-19OO. before an open
fire at New Haven. with sleet and snow
beating at the windows and the wind
bowling a gale outside. three men sat
thrashing out the never-failing subject OF
foot ball strategy. One was the captain
OF the next years team at Yale. tho second
the field coach and the third was a grad
uate adviser.
It's the fundamentals we must work
on" said the field coach. The reason
why we had such a close call last year
was because We have been gradually drift
Ing away from the good old principles Of
blocking your man, getting through and
tackling low. l tell you, any team that
masters those fundamentals in the first
month can then build up a game that
viii win"
That's true.'' said the captain. I'VE
worked on other things SO much that we
were certainly weak in the cardinal prin-
ciples."
Il agree absolutely with that" said the
adviser, but 1 also believe that in the
general system the possibilities of offense
are not half exhausted and that a set OF
plays can be given a team that viii SIM
ply annihilate the defense of the oppo-
nents, provided, Of course. the men know
straight foot ball"
by tovel It would be pretty fine" said
the captain, If we could do that!'
TT can be done" said the graduate, but
It will be the hardest for you and the
coach TO carry IL out"
What do you mean by that?' queried
the coach.
Because the plays will be entirely un-
satisfactory 20 everybody while they are
being put in practice. BY the first of No
vember everyone will critise them, bemoan
the time spent upon them and predict the
direst failure il they are continued
sure, He Means 1t.
"Do you really mean that?'
Certainly J do. and then it win be up
to you to stand the gaff,' as they say,
and carry them through until they begin
to rave their effect. The first week they
may work q little from their very novelty
and because the men are interested. Then
before the individual members of the team
have had sufficient practice 90 make them
complete every movement with precision,
the defense will prove the stronger. The
scrub win stop the plays or tangle them
all up; the team will first lose confidence,
then ambition, and finally you will find
even your best men, While not in rebellion,
DESTROYS of dropping the plays and
going back 10 the simple ones upon which
they have been drilled in the past"
4 can't believe that" said the captain.
They must see that It is practice-prac-
tice that is needed"
But that is just what they cannot be-
lieve, and even you and your coach here
will be ready to abandoA the plays"
mot II you say they are good"
We'll, IL my judgment of pace and the
present defense is not all wrong, l am
sure the plays will come out all right, IL
you will keep at them to the end
wen stick TO them fast enough" jaun-
tily returned the captain.
It's a bargain them" said the graduate.
in lay them out and give them to you."
The winter passed and the spring and
summer. Fall practice began, and the series
of plays was put into effect. They were
based entirely upon the theory that the
opponents had been taught to play low and
to charge forward Immediately upon the
snap OF the ball, The lines Of attack were
so disposed as 20 make this very charge
of each man in his line place him in such
a position that except by tremendous effort
he could not recover his balance so as 10
oppose effective resistance to the attack.
The new plays necessitated a heavy full
back. n no other being at hand, one Of
the tackles, Perry Hale, was taken from
the line and made the regular full-baek.
Another green player was placed at tackle.
Change Brought Criticism.
BY the first Of November great was tho
criticism of the team. 1t was 'slow. pain
fully slow" A respectable end run was
certainly out Of the question. The back
field, to use the expression OF one of the
coaches. was slower than molasses in
January" Finally the captain called up
the graduate one evening and said that he
thought they would have to put the full
back up at tackle again and get a faster,
lighter man who could keep up pace
enough to keep up with the rest of the
backs.
but that means thu, abandonment OF the
plays" said the graduate.
Il know; but every one says they never
will work, and something must be done"
where's MeBrideg'' asked the graduate,
naming the field coach.
over In his room at the hotel" said the
captain.
Il am going dow to see him. Don't do
anything till 1 see you later"
All right; but things look pretty dark. :"
When the three men met later in the
evening. 1t was a depressing occasion. The
captain reported that almost every man
on the team had lost confidence. He had
talked with them individually, ana all
wanted the back field speeded up and
Hale, the heavy fuilback. put into his old
position at tackle. The coach said that he
was hearing nothing else from the coaches
who had seen the game in New York
against Columbia.
II was indeed a serious time, but Il was
finally agreed that the present positions
and plays should be maintained until the
game with the Carlisle Indians, and II by
that time and in that game the did not
show their worth, the graduate w8s will
ing 10 see them abandoned, and Hale sent
up into the line at tacke, and a faster
back field developed. Only one who has
either captained or coached a foot bail
team can appreciate the feelings OF these
three men on the eve of the indian game.
Each knew that failure then meant too
short a time to develop the team along
other lines. They had virtually burned
their bridges behind them. and were now 10
stake their season on the work OF the next
afternoon.
naageaI Gh.n.-. No.