Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-21

checker board gridiron. which came into
existence in 1905. when the rule was
passed permitting the quarterback or
other player to advance the ball on the
direct pass from center on condition tnat
he crossed the line five yards outside OF
center. The removal of this restriction
permits the return to the old style OF
marking the field. Nobody knows just
how the new rules will operate, but II
their success Is measured by the amount
Of work and brains put on them they
should be pretty near the embodiment OF
perfection. No doubt they Will be
severely criticised in some quarters. for
number Of the amendments were
passed only after considerable opposition
What the rules have accomplished LOT
which the foot ball public SHOULD be
thankful. Is the elimination OF mass
plays, the cause Of nearly all the serious
and fatal injuries Of the last decade or
more. Year after year the critics have
been inveighing against the brutality OF
foot ball. Various eminent authorities
have investigated scores of injuries and
have traced most OF them to mass plays
and the flying tackle. Nobody with COM
mon sense expects that game In which
there is SO much physical contact and
played with the spirit of abandon that
characterizes all our college sports viii
ever be free from injuries. But II the
colleges and schools of the country OBJ
serve the suggestions made by the rules
committee regarding the proper prepare
greatly reduced.
Returning to the rules themselves, foot
ball strategists will watch closely to see
how the rules regarding the forward
pass and interlocked interference oper-
ate. 1t was on these two points that the
main differences of opinion originated.
Until the very end the committee de-
SPARED OF its ability to unite on some
legislation for the forward pass. and 1t
was not until the closing session that
DR.. Carl Williams and Percy Haughton,
representing Pennsylvania and Harvard.
solved the problem OF retaining the for
ward pass.
The argument advanced by the oppon-
ents of the forward pass was that no rule
could be devised which would protect the
man receiving the pass. This has been
accomplished, the committee thinks, by
providing that the defending players may
try to capture the ball In its fight, and
that their interference must be limited
to an honest attempt to get the ball. They
will not be permitted to violently butt"
an opponent coming down the field. q
practice which has spoiled the play and
resulted In many injuries heretofore.
The new rules offer great inducements
to the discovery OF new plays and for
nations. They place a premium on in
vention and strategy, and the most sue
cessful teams will be those whose
coaches know how to grasp the new situ-
alton and evolve new plays WHICH NJ the
occasion. There need be no surprise IL
the coming season develops some new
foot ball changes. Such has always been
the case in past years when new rules
were passed. The guards back. which
made George Woodruff famous at Penn
sylvania, the wing shift. which did the
same later for Glenn Warner of the Car
Isle Indians, and Yale's later develop
ment OF the forward pass are examples
Of what can be accomplished.
The removal of the Vineyard restric-
ton on a direct pass from center means
that there will be no occasion for the
kind Of quarterback that has been fail
ing to come heretofore Under the old
rule there was a demand for a small,
shifty player who could pass q ball
quickly and keep out of the way. This
player was the only one on q big col
lege team permitted to weigh less than
$50 pounds. Since there is no demand
for a small player on the eleven. the
coaches will make up the entire field
of heavy. speedy men. There will be
change In the system OF lining up in
the back field. Different coaches will
probably work this out In their own
way. 1t is most likely. however. that
the four backs will line up in a paral-
lei to the line of scrimmage. In this
way all the players can most quickly
get into the game.