The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-15
TOO BIG LEEWAY
IN FORWARD PASS
Advance of Play May Demand
Great Change in Foot
ball Rules.
NEW RULES ARE IMPORTANT
ALL TEND TO MAKE OFFENSE
AND DEFENSE EQUAL.
BY EDWARD R. BUSHNELL.

Football coaches and others who have
been following closely the modern trend
Of the game are unanimous in the belief
that the coming season will witness some
radical changes in the use of the forward
pass, and that the peTfecting of this play
viii either roFOlutOnize the game or will
cause the Introduction of radically new
rules. This conclusion is based on the
the fact that last year was the first since
the coming of the forward pass that
coaches. in the east at least. really seized
and worked out the possibilities of the
play.
When the forward pass was first fe-
galzed eastern coaches were almost
unanimous i'm their opinion that the play
had no future beyond its use as an oc-
Casi0naI trick play. As a result the new
otfense was almost totally disreEaTded
and during the first two years there were
not a few championship games in which
the play was used no more than once
in a single half. So risky was it con-
SIdsTed that coaches refused to try it
in any formation until they had seen
It successfully operating by some other
team.
Another evidence of this spirit was that
until last year the forward pass was
operated by only one player. But du-
ring the past season there was an awsk-
ening to its possibilities. Coaches en-
deavOred to have at least two men who
could throw the ball, with the result
variation is certain to be widely extended
this fall, for now the tendency viii be
to employ at least four men in handling
the forward pass. And in this cOnnec-
ton it may be stated that, other things
being equal, any team that has a com
binatiOn of good running backs, all of
whom can operate the forward pass i'm
a variety Of plays, will have an Offense
that will raise havoc with pretty nearly
any defense.
The perfection Of this sort Of for
ward passing game is bound to bring
about condition of affairs similar to
that which first resulted in the legaliz-
ing Of the play. The forward pass was
made legal in order to weaken the de
fensive side Of the game, which had
grown too strong. When this condition
becomes a reality the football rules COM
mlttee Will have another problem on its
hands. And if the signs are read Alright
the time is not far distant when they will
be confronted once more with the stu
alton Of three years ago. A. A. Stage,
coach of the University of Chicago, and
a mem Der Of the rules committee, has
already. gone on record as of the opinion
that the working out of new possibilities
with the forward pass will ultimately re-
suit in some new rules that will restrict
the play in question.
Changes in Rules.
Although the changes in the rules under
which the game will be played this fall
are not very radical compared with some
of previous years, they are nevertheless
Of extreme Importance. These changes,
rather than being alterations in the game,
tend to eliminate unfaiTneSS in the rules
and to make the OffeHse and defense more
equal The following are the important
changes in the 1909 rules:
I. The value of d goal from field, wheth-
er place or drop kick, is reduced from
( to points.
2. The side having a kick out has the
option Of making the kick, as under the
old rules, or putting the ball down for d
sCTimmage on their 2j-yard line.
3. In case an end rush Of the offending
side stands more than one foot back of
the line of sCrimmage but less than a yard