Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-27
Row TO MAKE CANE SAFER
Coach Cole Says Public is Misin-
formed Of Real Danger.
MASS PLAYS NOT AT FAULT
Less Likelihood of Injury from
Them Than Any other Mode
of C~onductins Foot
II BALL.

Z Dali.
LINCOLN, Nov. 2s.-special)-with the
foot bail season Of 1909 at a close and
with many OF the sridiron experts Of the
country suggesting changes IN the great
college game for next fall, King Cole,
coach Of the Nebraska eleven, has come
forward with a few points that he thinks
ought to revise the rules enough to take
away the danger element, against which
there IL now 80 great a clamor.
King Coles suggestions for revision
are thone:
First-Make a severe penalty for crawling
with the ball, which would keep a player
from attempting TO make ground after he
has been owned.
second-Take off some Of the penalties
for n forward pass. For instance; allow
q team to make tho pass and, In case the
ball strikes the ground, let the side maxi
ing the pass still retain possession Of the
ball, although suffering the present fiji
teen-yard penalty. Let the pass count as
Thlrd-Permit two forward passes to
each scrimmage and make any player OF
the offensiye side eligible to receive the
Fourth Eliminate the rule which re-
qulres that the ball shall go five yards
out from center.
FlIIu-EteQulre the referee and umpire to
blow their Whales more often and call
the ball dead as soon as a play is stopped.
King Cole declares thai the majority
OF the people have an erroneous idea about
the cause Of fatalities in foot ball. 1t is
the general opinion that most Of the in
juries are received in mass plays, while,
according to the Nebraska coach, the
greater number Of the accidents occur in
the open plays.
The cranks who are clamoring for re-
vision are yelling for more open plays, -
declared tho Nebraska coach. They want
the mass and tackle plays cut out, and the
game opened up.
That is Just where they show their
Ignorance OF the game: most Of the in
5ur'es this year have been received when
two flying bodies came together in open
field work.
In the masH plays the backs do not
get up enough speed to become hurt. 1t
is in the open field, when the men are
running, that the serious accidents occur.
There have been, Of course, some in
juries this fall, in mass plays; but these
have resulted from players trying to cur
up under a mass OF other men. All the
best players straighten out when they fan.
and no matter how many men pile on them
they are not hurt.
Injury often from Ignorance
Some players have been hurt in trying
90 block mass plays, but they did not know
how to throw themselves on the ground.
Take all the best linemen Of the country.
and they understand just how to protect
themselves.
1T is my opinion that the open fled PLAYS
are what make the game dangerous. When
several men are permitted to race around
the field after a ball, or try to get the oval
In a scramble, some OF them are more ant
to be hurt than they are IL they try 10
carry the ball through the line on mass
plays.
The first thing that ought to be changed
IN the present rules, l think, is the climl-
nation Of crawling with the pail. II the
offensive side were ~penAlized for Il Wing
to push along with the oval after a PLAYER
Is downed, there would be 10 nesd OF the
defensive sides pillng a bunsh of PLAYERS
on a man to hold him down. As soon as a
mar gets the ball and Is downed, he ought
to be required to stay there by the ,nles.
II he insists on moving his side should be
severely penalized.
In the game with the Haskell Inl'ans
yesterday the red men insisted on wriE-
Eling and crawling along with the bali
after being tackled. This made II necess- nv
for the Cornhuskers to pile upon tho man
with the ball, Several times my PLAYERS
had to throw themselves with great force
on an Indian to keep him from getting
away.
THE idea at the present time, though.
Is that the open plays are ms bos-. aud
20 the rules committee will have 10 Civ
the people more OF them. In doing taia
the forward pass and on-sl1e kick will
have TO be made prominent features OF rhe
play.
"on the forward pass there will have 10
be less restrictions, in, order to get Il team
10 use this play. AS the rules now stand
the pass is a very dangerous plav ana teams
hesitate to employ II. When the penalties
for an unsuccessful pass are lessenel this
play will be used more. I believe the pass
should be authorized for use airy place
n. the field and in any manner.
'The officials in a game can do much
toward cutting out rough play. and they
ought to be compelled to enforce the rulcr
and call the BAN down the seconI Il play
IL stopped"