The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-28
DANGEROUS PLAY
MAY Be DROPPED
Fifty American Colleges Vote
For Cleaning Up in
Football.
COMMITTEE MEETS TODAY
WILL CONSIDER NEW RULES SUG-
GEsTED FOR SAFETY.
COMMITTEE MEETS TODAY

New York, Dec. 27.-Fifty colleges out
of approximately Ga in the intercollegi-
ate athletic association, have voted for
the retention of American football games
with the elimination OF mass plays and
other dangerous plays.
This was made known today by the eX-
ecutive committee Of the association on
the eve of meeting to be held tomorrow.
Five institutions voted that the present
game is satisfactory except in minor de
tails; IL favored the English game Of
rugby took midway position between
the American and Rugby and 8 voted that
either the American game should be rad
ically changed or Rugby substituted.
The executive committee, il was an
nounced, favored the changes proposed
by the athletic committee of West Point
and viii so report tomorrow The West
Point committee has prepared a resOlu-
ZION declaring that football has developed
dangers that are recognized to be in
tolefable and that it has become neces-
sary TO eradicate undue rOughness.
Among the abuses of the game the
West Point committee names:
An excessive desire to win at any cost
which develops tendency TO semi-prO-
1essional games; the practice of employ
ing coaches not Identified with the college,
and dependence on prepOndeTant weight
and strength instead of mental acuteness
and individual skill.
Forward Pass Dangerous.
It is a further contention that indis-
crlminate playing of obviously over
matched contests should be prohibited,
and TO this end the forward pass is con-
demned as extremely dangerous because
OF the unprotected position of the PLAYER
receiving the pass. Dragging and pulling
OF fallen player is condemned and pen
altles are provided for players piling upon
man who has fallen with a bali.
Sl&Ly-TOur delegates and l3 nOn-mem-
eers or the association will attend the
a
not governing body, and has no direct
control over college sports, but whatever
IL recommends viii more than likely meet
with the approval of the rules committee
The fact that the executive committee
IaVOrs the West Point resolution indi-
Gates that the game play viii be changed.
The executive committee consists of
captain Pa 'mer b. Pierce of West Point,
chairman; Professor Savage of Oberlin,
Professor Nicholson of Wesleyan, Coach
Syagg of the University of Chicago, and
Philips of Amherst
Phil King, three times quarterback
on the all-Anerican football team and
now an advisory coach at Princeton,
has forwarded his suggestions for
changing the rules of football to the
Intercollegiate Athletic association as
follows:
play the backs five yards back of
the line of scrimmage.
Play seven men on the line of de-
tense at all times, to ottsat the line -
defense sprea ling against thar fOrma-
ton, and allow the quarterback 10 run
anywhere with the ball
In the event that the forward pass
is retained, remove all restrictions, al
lowing passes over the line and al
lowing any player to recover the ball
after it has been touched and FUN
,bled.
\ Arrange one-minute rests at the
end of each 10. 20 and 30-minute pc
RODS, giving the captain ample time
TO look over his men and note their
condition and fitness to remain In the
game. No coach or other man con-
nected with a cOntesting team to be
allowed on the field in the period Of
rest.