Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-10-11

Is Better For Spectators-Danger Less
ened- Mechanical Coaching Coach
Under Present Conditions Must Be
Familiar With Possibilities Afforded
by New Rules.
Is the present style of football bet
ter than the old game? This question
Is now causing more gossip among
gridiron men than nearly any other
subject. There are many who have
their likes and diSlikes for both games,
and the only way to come to con-
cluSion In the matter is to consider
the quality of both styles of play.
While the Old game brought the popu-
lar college pastiine to the front, there
Is little doubt that the present game,
with its vast possibilities. has the old
style game beaten.
There was little incentive for small
team to keep bucking up against a
stronger eleven. knowing beforehand
that 1t would be beaten, and the only
thing In their minds was to hold the
score down as low as possible. This
same thing happened year after year.
and the weaker team was only tool
for the stronger eleven to condition it.
self for the bigger games which were
to come later in the season. In the
days Of the old game men were select
ed for the squad and sent to the train
ing table if they were Of enormous
weight and had strength accordingly.
The present game places these require
mrnts on the shelf and gives every
body. no matter whether they are
strong. heavy or light. a chance to
make good"
In the old days the team that could
boast of an average OF 100 pounds or
over was considered a cha mpiOn, while
the team that wins a championship
nowadays averages in the neighbor-
hood Of 10 pounds. and the back field
Of such an eleven is extremely light,
the heaviest men.
The new game presents many pos
sibilties, and coach who does not
take advantage Of these possibilities
has no business In the game A coach
nowadays must be reSourceful. He
must have inventive genius and use
his material to the best advantage He
must look for players who are adept
In throwing and catching the ball, and
he must look for men who can with
stand onslaughts on the middle Of the
line. He must place his men on the
defense where their ability will be put
to the best advantage. ut the same
time saving them for their offensive
qualities.
There were many fundamental plays
under the old regime which any foot
ball inclined person knew. and 1t was
no trick to make him proficient in this
style Of play. The old formations such
as halfback straight in and the full
back likewise. the tackle around and
the end around, are plays that the col
iege novice knew long before he struck
college and which were drilled into his
head in mechanical form of coaching
The plays under the new rules re-
quire man to go on the field on his
own responsibility and meet an attack
on his own resources. In the old game
a team was taught how to meet an at
tack and had defense for every play
sprung by the opponents. They were
taught plays in mechanical manner,
and if they did not gain they We're up
against it," The players had no re-
course to other plays. and they had to
stay on the field and fight the best
they could along the lines which We're
taught them by the coach. If the style
of defense as laid down by the coach
did not successfully cope with the OPP
ponent's offense, the defensive team
was beaten and the size of the score
only question of time.
a coach under the present rules must
be familiar with the possibilities af-
forded by the new rules. He must
realize that his plays must be strate
gically planned and not planned in Il
haphazard manner. trusting to luck for
their ultimate outcome.
Another good feature of the present
style of play and one that is of great
Importance is the fact that the specta-
tors have the opportunity of seeing the
making the game more interesting to
them. The old Rugby game, with its
mass plays and quick charges into the
line, afforded little chance to the spec
tators of seeing the ball until the Off
Gals had untangled the pile of hui
manity. and the constant repetitions of
such plays became monotonous.
kicker of both punt and drop was
an absolute necessity in the old style
game but he is of vastly more impor-
lance under the new rules. Many
games were won last year because GER
tain teams had men who could boot
the pigSkin down the field forty or iii
ty yards and had ends to cover the
kicks in good shape. The final goal
proposition also has led many coaches
TO look for man early in the season
who shows some promise Of becoming
proficient in this line a good field goal
kicker is most valuable asset to any
team. and the art of kicking goals from
the field can only be learned after days