New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-14
IS REFORMED
Forward Pass Over the Line OF
Scrimmage Retained.
THE CHANGES ADOPTED
Details of the Rules 10 De
Worked Out by Committee
of Three.

The intercollegiate football rules commit
tee at meeting in the Hotel Cumperlaii'i
Yesterday decided to retain the 1or"aio
pass in an unrestricted form. The co1nilii'-
tee framed a number of rules designed ~
throw safeguards around the operation VI
this and other plays and adjourned sue
Gle. having completed the task of REFORM
ing football, which has kept 1t busy 1nucil
of the time since the first of last February'
The working out of the details of the
new game was left in the hands OF SUD
committee composed of Walter camp 81
Yale DR.. Carl Williams, of the University
of Pennsylvania, and Percy d. Haughtoii'
of Harvard. but as the new regulations are
largely theoretical it is admitted that re-
suits will not be known until the footpali
season of 1910 is under way. Members al
the committee hope, however, that they ha'e
succeeded in devising a plan whereby the
game will not be robbed of its salient feat
ures, but be less dangerous than in the past.
1t was felt that having weakened the Of
fence by the changes previously adopted
some method had to be devised to strength
en- the offence as an offset. For this rea-
son an effort was made to formulate a plan
for retaining the forward pass.
The committee began its fina1 meeting
yesterday morning, and without ado CRAP
pied with the questions which have been
giving trouble But it was not until tae
evening was well advanced that anything
definite had been arrived at and made
ready for publication. In the words of the
secretary, the aim of the committee has
been so to formulate the rules as to make
a safer game, thing that has taken much
time and a great deal of careful thinking
on the part of each and every member.
The most delicate problem which it had
to solve was the retention of the forward
pass in such a way that proper protection
could be guaranteed to the man eligible TO
receive the ball. This, the committee soon
discovered, was easier said than done, and
it has been upon this that most of, if not
practically ALL the time has been spent.
The committee not able to agree at
the last meeting in Philadelphia, and sub
committee was appointed at that time to
develop set of rules whereby one forward
pass could be retained, with certain limita-
tons placed upon it behind the line of
scrimmage. The subcommittee reported
the result of its work yesterday, but certain
other members of the committee had indi-
vidualIy worked out a plan that was COM
sidered better than anything evolved by the
subcommittee, and it was the latter plan
that was adopted. This included the unre-
stricted use of the forward pass.
The changes formally adopted yesterday
were
/. Play shall be divided into f1fteen-min-
ute periods.
2. Seven. men shall be on the line of
scrimmage at all times
g. Ten yards must be gained in three
downs, as was the case in the last three
seasons.
4. The man receiving the ball from
the snapper back can cross the line Of
scrimmage at any point, thus giving more
latitude for the quarterback run.
5. The man carrying the ball cannot
be pushed or pulled by one of his own side,
and there shall be no interlocking inter-
ference.
g. The onside kick must go twenty
yards beyond the line of scrimmage to put
the offensive players on side.
/ The forward pass may cross the line
of scrimmage at any point, but the player
making the pass must be five yards back
of the line of scrimnage when the pass is
made. The player receiving when the
catch is made may not be more than
twenty yards in advance of where the ball
was put in play. This cuts off the long for
ward pass.
S Only the end men on the line of
scrimmage and the four men in the back
field may be eligible to receive the forward
pass The men in the back field. however.
must be one yard back of the line of scrim
mage when the ball is put in play.
6. a forward pass which crosses the
line of scrimmage or a kick of any descrip-
a. - 10
five yards back of the line of scrimmage.
Special provisions governing the use of this
play were adopted, as follows:
ca The player on the offence who has
crossed the line of scrinnage may not in
terfere with defensive player on a kick
until the ball shall have gone twenty yards
or on the forward pass until it shall have
been caught, except in an attempt to catch
the pass There will be no change in the
running game as now played
OBJ Players on the defence except when
behind their own line of scrimmage may
play as heretofore
(c) Players on the defence behind their
line of scrimmage may use their hands only
upon their opponents bodies in order to get
at the man with the ball. until the bali
shall have advanced across a line five yards
back of the scrimmage line. After the bali
has been advanced across said line they
may play as heretofore.
Cd Players on the defence behind the line
of scrimmage on a forward pass shall not
in any way interfere with their opponents
except in actual attempt to catch the ball:
nor shall such players, in case of a kick in
any way interfere with their opponents
until the latter shall have gone twenty
yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
Ce) No player of the offence or defence
while in the act of catching the forward
pass shall be tackled. thrown. pushed,
pulled, shouldered or straight-aTmed, until
he shall have caught the ball and taken
more than one step in any direction, pro-
vided that any such interference which is
incidental to bona. fide attempt to catch
or intercept the ball shall not come within
this prohibition.
10 On the first and second downs in an
incompleted forward pass the ball shall be
brought back TO the spot where the play
was made, the play to count as one down
and the distance to be gained the same.
on the third down the ball goes to the OPP
was done to encourage passing.
II. Players must have one foot on the
ground when tackling an opponent. This
Will be worked out later as means TO pre-
vent flying tackles.
Il. Any player crawling after the ball has