Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-29
AUTHORITIES TRYING
TO MODIFY FOOT BALL
Rules Committee of IntercoI-
Iegiate Association Is So
Instructed.

NEW YORK, December 2S.-The inter-
collegiate Athletic Association adopted
and submitted to its rules committee last
night a resolution calling for modifica-
ton Of the foot ball playing rules where
by the injury to contestants may be con-
fined to a minimum.
This Is the resolution as introduced by
Prof. E. K. Hall of Dartmouth and
adopted after three hours Of acrimonious
discussion
THAT the foot ball rules committee of
this association be instructed to use every
possible endeavor to bring about such
modification of the rules as in their judg-
ment shall tend to reduce to minimum
the danger of physical injury to the play
ers and at the same time retain as far as
may be possible the most desirable and
wholesome features of the game
Only three negative votes were regis
tered against the resolution. but nearly
every college in the west had something
to say concerning it.
Must Not Talk.
Prof. Alonzo A. Stage of the University
Of Chicago made a motion which would
prohibit all officials of foot ball game,
including umpires, referees and all other
participants, from talking to newspaper
| men after the game. Stage made a
strong appeal for this motion. saying
that he had been grossly misquoted at
times; but the convention defeated the
t motion by an overwhelming vote.
The revision of the game was ordered,
| II Is understood. with due consideration
| Of the association Of Yale, Princeton,
| Pennsylvania, Cornell and few other
| institutions which are not members of
| the intercollegiate organizations.
Harvard has joined the association. but
| its representative let 1t be known that his
institution would not be bound by the
new foot ball rules of the association,
although it would recognize its regula-
ton of other minor sports.
letter was read from David Starr
Jordan. president Of Leland Stanford
American game had been abandoned
there and that the English Rugby game
had been found satisfactory, not only to
the students. but to the spectators.
Radical Changes.
West Point submitted set of resolu-
tions which called for radical change in
the playing rules. but these. with other
resolutions. were substituted by the
resolution offered by Mr.. Hall of Dart
mouth.
1t became apparent that the larger col
leges were in favor of the present playing
| rules, perhaps in modified form, and that
the smaller. institutions were violently OPP
posed to them. The representatives of
nearly every institution Of higher learning
between New York and San Francisco
| made addresses and many offered mo-
tions which would limit the danger of the
present foot ball game. These offerings
became 30 confused that Halls resolution
was adopted as a compromise.
Representatives from Cornell and other
institutions not direstly represented i'm the
association suggested that rules minimiz-
ing the danger of the sport would be ac-
| ceptable. 1t was the consensus Of opinion
that the rules regulating mass play and
| the running tackle, otherwise known as
the flying tackle, and playing through the
| line would have to be done away with.
The representatives Of number OF large
| colleges expressed themselvs not only in
favor of this. but conveyed the threat
! that they would either adopt modified
form of foot ball or would withdraw from
the association.
Officers Elected.
Onicers Of the association were elected
as follows: Capt. Palmer e. Pierce. u. 8.
NJ. A, West Point president; Dr. r. L.
Mckenzie. University of Pennsylvania,
vice president. and Prof. P. w Nicholson
of Wesleyan, Conn, secretary and treas
urer.
Executive committee-Profs. r. ". Mar
vel, Brown University; w. H. Golden,
Pennsylvania State College: A. r. Peter.
son. University of North Carolina; C. w.
Savage. Oberlin, Ohio; s. W. Boyer, Iowa
State College, and C. W. Hetherinston.
University of Missouri.
| The rules committee, which will under
take the task OF bringing about revision.
Is as follows: DR.. H. F. Williams, Minne-
sofa; DR.. James A. Rabbit, Haverford.
Pa: E; K: Hall. Dartmouth College;
Lieut. H. B. Hackett. U. S. A.. West
Point; Prof. c. w. Savage. Oberlin Ohio:
Prof. w. l.. Dudley. Vanderbilt, and DIR.
w. A. Lambeth. University of Pennsyl-
vania.
Chancellor ]. r. Day Of Syracuse Uni
versity delivered an address on The
Function Of Athletics in College Life" He
said.
| For two months there was a great
autumn advertisement. the colleges being
| billed like circuses and their players dis
cussed as star performers. Gate receipts
have been the price at which honor has
| been sold.
There is nothing in healthy physical
development or the cultivation of the
manly instincts in competitive sports that
requires the sacrifice of single life.
Foot ball must be made more of a game
and less of a mere pounding pushing
and smashing contest It must be played
more with brains and less with weights
and muscular energy"