The Washington herald., 1910-09-04
LOOPHOLES FOR EVADERS
OF THE FOOTBALL RULES

The sages OF football have met and
after exhaustive argument and consulta-
ton FORMULATED the official rules under
which this years games will be played
Many OF the rules committees are also
advisory coaches for their alma matters.
and. il a paraphase is permissible, can 1t
be possible that they made the Tales
and. 10 their feet are on the things
which they nave nader IN other words.
is II possible to beat" the rules2 Do
the makers Of the regulations know how
il can be done? VIII they drop a hint
10 the powers that be in their various
college organizations
Il will hardly be disputed that after
the years football edicts are published
the first move Of a professional coach Is
70 look for locpholes which may be OF
value TO his team. To be sure. the rules
this year were put in such clear and con-
else form that their authors only con-
sdered twenty-seven explanatory notes
and thirty diagrams necessary TO show
what they meant II would seem that
they gave considerable latitude for indi-
vidual iudgment-especially where they
seemingly contradict each other. Every
effort has been made TO obliterate all
roughneSs from the game.
But is roughness really obliterated?
The makers Of this years code evidently
intended 10 abolish the flying tackle. %
course, no runner, with the ball Is going
10 cease his progressive movement If
his opponent merely slaps him on the
back as a sort OF a Tag. you're IT.
proposition. Tackrng severe enough TO
make i man pause and remain stationary
Is enc OF the necessities Of football In
the instructive book. entitled How 20
Play Football an illustration is shown
of what is plainly a diving tackle. al
though the tackler is dragging one toe
en- the ground. This Is stated 10 be an
example OF tackling under the new rules.
Is the whole code to be open 10 the same
liberal Interpretation which breaks the
spirit Of the rule II not the letter?
Included in the rules is a section on
etiquette. entitled conduct OF players. Sc
which is expressed in ten command
ments. It defines the things which a
player must abstain from about as fol-
/ lows:
]. He must not kick or strike.
>. He must not be rough with the player
kicking OF receiving the ball
| 3. lie must not pile upon a player after
| the referee has declared the ball dead.
Of he piles upon him enough before that
time II would doubtless be wasted en-
/ ergy anyhow
/ 4. He must not hurdle. Gfurdlng is
elsewhere defined as jumping over a
player with the feet or knees foremost.
so there seemS o be nothing in this rule
to prevent diviny)
| 5. He must not trip an opponent.
! S. He must not crawl with the ball.
:. He must not call the officials insult
ing names.
8. He must have az least one foot on
the ground when tacklinE. "a diving
tackle seems 10 be permissible as long
as a man dracs one foot or hits the
/ ground with il at the moment OF contactD
2. He must not commit fouls with in
tent TO delay the game.
10. He must not commit a palpably
unfair act
BY one football authority at least the
rules. are regarded as contradictory, am
biguous, and confusing. He sayst
They impose impossible tasks on the
officials and make IL easy for the players
TO evade them. The penalties for viola
TORS can not be enforced, and a game in
which the spirit OF frequent evasion
creeps IN is assured under the code which
it is planned to play this fan.
The rule prohibiting flying tackles. for
instance. is impossible Of enforcement
It says that a flying tackle Is one made
by PLAYER with both feet or the ground
ANY player who is running has both fee