Evening journal., 1909-10-01
WALTER CAMP TELLS OF
FOOTBALL RULE CHANGES

Walter Camp, Nale's representative
on tho football rules committee. has
the following to say In Recreation"
for October, concerning the rules as re-
vised last winter:
Tho Improvement Of our game, so
far as roughness and brutality are
concerned. has been continuous, and
much credit must be given to the Of
ficials, referees, umpires. field judges
and linesmen for this bettermen. An
official to-day understands he must
have the game in hand; that It is a
reflection upon his body and the body
OF officials throughout the country
whenever anything out OF the way
takes place.
The play itself promises to develop
along the lines OF further use OF tbs
forward pass and on-sidc kick i'm com
bination. Tho team that can devise
play wherein these two clements arr
/. brought together so that their oppon
ents cannot tell which way the pla.
viii terminate win have secured an al.
I most commanding lead over thoil
rivals Hence coaches and players
have been and are still very busy
studying over the situation
The most prominent change IN the
rules for the season Of 1909 lies IN the
scoring. After many seasons of dis
cussion the value of a field kick has
been once more changed, reducing IL
still another point, and making Il score
only three points. instead of four. This
has come about gradually, owing TO
the feeling Of players and spectators
that two field goals should not be
rcckoned OF greater value than a
IL. -. fr4
cured. AS IT Is now a touchdown, II
a goal results, counts six points, and
two field goals count only six in the
aggregate.
One other change which Is very vital
is that which enables a team having
made a touchdown or safety TO scrim-
mage the BAH on the 25-yard line in
stead Of kicking II out. This change Is
very important, and means good
deal to q team that Is forced into diff
culties when playing against a strong
wind. Formerly IL was necessary "a
kick this ball out, and as the rules
provide that It could not be KICKED
into the field OF play, 1t gave the op-
ponents an excellent opportunity for
fair catch and a return kick at th'
goal This could be repeated al
most indefinitely. as it is evident tina
/ kicking out against the wind from
about the 25-yard line the ball could moi
be driven far enough to put the goa
| out of danger.
Scrimmaging az the 25-yard linr
means. first, it gives the side scrim
maging a good opportunity TO worl
the BAH out by the running game II 9
can and second. IT gives It the oppor.
tunity. If IL fails at the running game
TO punt the ball out OF bounds so that
is opponents cannot make a fair catch
but are obliged themselves 70 scrim-
mage it and, IL they try at goal, TO Try
from a drop kick.
The rules relating to the forward
pass remain practically as they we're
last season. one thing is made deh-
mite that was in the rules last year
but 10 which attention had not been
specifically called, and that IS, that
a man on tho end Of the line Of scrim-
mage who is more than one foot back
OF the line and still not yard back
may not receive the ball on the for
ward pass. That is, he Is not eligible
TO receive the ball
Particular attention has been called
10 tho fact that the referees whistle
stops the play. that the umpire's horn
calls a foul, and that the penalty may
be refused by the offended side. Hence
Il Is evident that the referee should
not blow his whistle at foul, bul
the umpire should perform that duty
There was some ambiguity In the
rules last year. where they stated that
penalties when the foul was 50 near
that the penalty would result IN a
touchdown must be reduced so as 10
carry the ball only half the distance
between the place where the foul was
committed and the goal line. 1t was
intended that this should apply TO a
safety touchdown, as well as a touch.
down and this has been made more
specific.
In the rules last year If the center
rush moved the ball as II 20 snap Il
and did not then continue the motion
the ball was regarded as in play. 1
is said that there were some players
who made the motion with the hant
without moving the ball, with the sol
intent to draw the opponents into az
illegal charge. This has been provid
ed for by the rule that any feint mad
by the center rush as if to put III
bah in play shall be pcnalized by
loss OF five yards.