The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-15

back, he is not eligible to receive a for
ward pass.
OF these three changes the first two are
probably Of the most Importance. There
is already a wide divergence Of opinion
as to the wisdom of the committee in re
duCing the value of a goal from field. 1t
I viii be noticed that the rules committee
acts on this point at regular intervals.
usually after a season in which two or
three big teams have developed "a star
goal kicker. Several years ago they re-
duced the value of such "a goal from to
points. Now they have decided that it
is worth only points. They argue from
the standpoint that TOUCHDOWN Is at
least equal 10 two field goals, ana that
the latter method OF scoring places
premium on chance.
On the other hand, the advocates of the
kicking game claim that the chief criti-
cism against the field goals comes from
those teams which per~isteutly neglect
this method of scoring For instance,
Glenn Warner of the Carlisle Indians IN
sists with good reason that the field goal
kicking is something that can be de-
VclOped with the sameCertalnty as other
scoring devices, and that II other coheSeS
would devote more attention TO coaching
men for goal kicking no team would nave
an undue advantage There IS no uouDI
that the kicking game is sadly neglected.
Indeed. il would be pertinent to ask II the
committee would not be doing the game
d service if it increased rather than de
creased the value of the field goal
Better TOT bCiCUoNs
No student of the game can have any
thing but praise for the action of the rule
makers in giving the defending side the
option of kick out or putting the ball
I'm play by SCrimmage on Its twenty-five
ward line A single instance of the MUS
tice of tine old rule compelling the KICK
out will illustrate the Improvement this
change will make. In the game between
Pennsylvania and Cornell i'm 1905 very
strong wind was sweeping down the HELD
-s1rr- Of he
worked the ball down inside PennsylVa-
MAS five-yard line and was held Tor
downs. Pennsylvania was Obliged 70 KICK
from behind the goal posts and in the face
of a young cyclone. As was to nave peeh
expected, the kick went but few YARDS
in fact going out of bounds on the I'VE
ward line Once more Cornell was held
and again Pennsylvania had to KICK. me
result was precisely the same-the ball
being kicked out of bounds once more on
the five-y8rd line. ~
Thus the Pennsylvanlans had absOluJely
no chance to eXtTicate themselves IL 50 |
happened that the game ended just then
neither side having scored.
Any one who has Witnessed many !
games will recall instances lii which the |
side kicking off, with the aid OF the |
wind or an exceptionally strong kicker, /
has been able to kick the ball over the |
goal line This play robs the defending /
side of a chance to properly protect u 1
self, for 1t gives the team lndJ shOulu |
have been on the defensive an opportun- /
ity to run back the kick Oft and put the /
ball in play by scrimmage within strlk- /
ing distance Of the opponents goal. 1t +
also takes away from the offending side |
the opportunity to make a talr eaten and /
then kick a goal from field.
The purpose of the committee IN liking /
a zone within which an end must stand (
to be eligible to receive the forward pass |
is for the benefit of the officials, There /
have been numerous instances in which /
touchdowns have been disalOWed because |
the officials did not agree as to the po- |
sitiOn OF an end in taking the forward /
pass. luasmuCh as it viii not always be /
an easy matter for the official to deter /
mine Just what is the position Of the /
end, there will probably be some conflicts /
Of opinion about it, but the new rule viii /
reduce them greatly.
Although the committee has been quick /
enough to make such changes in the /
rules as will simplify the work of the /
officials, they have been extremely slow
10 make changes to benefit the spectators. |
A case in point is their refusal TO pass |
q rule compelling the players to be num-
oered according to their positions. The /
principal benefit to be derived from such /
a system would be that the spectators, by .
reference to their programs, would be /
able to identify their players.
Nowadays il is virtually impossible for /
one in the stands to recognize his own /
brother in helmet headgear and the other /
labiliments of modern football. This is
the system that is followed in England, |
where the uniforms are extremely simple, |
and there is consequently much greater /
reason for such system in this country.