The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-26

teen yards of either side line, have the
ive-yard spaces to bring them all with.
in the field of play, and the prescribed
distance apart, allowing the center, how
ever, to remain with the ball.
compel the seven linemen to remain
on the line of scrimmage until after the
ball has beer put in play. Station the
offensive backs, with the exception of
the quarter, at least ten yards behind
tho line o' scrimmage, and at least five
Yards apart. Allow no player TO run
with. kick or pass forward the ball un"
less he is the third man, including the
center, TO touch it.
"Chauge the forward pass rules only
enough TO allow the ball to be thrown
over any part of the rush line and to
any player, Make it punishable of
fense for more than two men at one time
to touch the player who carries the ball.
and for any of his side to attempt 6
push or pull his along at any time,
Permit no interfering for the man carry
ing, the ball,
main at least ten yards behind the rush
line, too, but in the case of team on
the defensive being so near its goal that
this will give them the alternative Of
going up into the line of scrimmage,
but under the same restrictions rs the
line men-tbat IS, five yards distance
between each two players.
Good Changes.
IF doubling the number of lines that
now extend the length of the field is
not deemed Objectionable, and the dis
tance between the players in the line
seems too great, three spaces could be
easily cut In two.
"These changes appear at first glance
| to be extremely radical, but in reality
| they would necessitate the changing of
but few Of the present code of rules and
unpopular features Of the game.
One Of the big bugbears Of football
has been the forward pass, the very play
that was going TO revolutionize the sport.
the trouble with it has been the sever
| ity of the penalty when it failed. Long
ago the Herald advocated the diminu-
tion of the penalty from fifteen yards
popular. AS it stands now, no team will
dare to try it when inside of
its own twenty five yard mark. There
fore its sphere Of usefulness is
very limited. If the penalty were
lowered and the recipient al.
lowed to signal for fair catch there
would be lots more chance for pretty,
open play, with much less danger Of in.
jury. 1t has been suggested that the
penalty he removed entirely, but that
would mean that eventually no one
would ever kick the ball, as practically
as much distance can be gained with n
throw, and the accuracy would be far
greater.
Outside of the ideas TO make the game
open, one suggestion that aims toward
the safety of the players is TO divide the
game into four periods, with suitable IN
termissions. Polo players found that it
was too much TO require horse 10 con
time for fifteen minutes, so they
changed to ten-minute periods. If the
rules made 1t obligatory to divide con
test into four twentY-mlnute sessions it
would not only please the contestants
but also the spectators, who would have
more chance TO stretch and gossip,
If il were only the small colleges that
were clamoring for revision IN the code.
one might feel that there was little
chance Of anything being done. Yale,
all come out for reformation, and this
trio Just about dictates the ethics Of
football. There is every possibility that
some of the suggestions noted above will
be seen in the code next year.
Whatever is the outcome of the situa-
tion there is little chance that the Her,
| aid will not be given considerable credit
for the part it played in demonstrating
the Canadian game, Walter Camp, the
dean Of American football, has written to
the Herald that it is his opinion that the
experts who saw the Ottawas and Tigers
play should all give vote of thanks
for the chance they were given.
The dominating influences in the foot.
ball rules committee were bred in the
old school and hate TO make any too
radical departures. The clamor that has
been aroused, however. will undoubted-
ly be. felt strongly, and it would be no
surprise to see a remarkably changed
football game on the American gridiron
in 1910,