New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-06
TEST FOR FOOTBALL MERE MAN MAY GO
ForuCard Pass Tried out, 9th
SUGGESTED Changes.

Chicago. March 5.-Alonzo \. Stagg,
physical director of Chicago University.
has expressed himself as we'll pleased with
the results obtained in trying out some of
the proposed changes in the football rules
with two elevcns at Fayetteville, Ark.
Walter H. Eckersall. the onetme brill
liant quarterback at Chicago, has the fol-
lowing TO say in The Chicago Daily
Tribune on the tests made with the for
ward pass and the keeping of one foot Oh
the ground in tackling:
The Midway mentors tests demonstrated
clearly two things. First, that If the ball
is passed forward over the line OF scrlnl-
mage ;he players to receive 1t must be
limited to those the ends of the Inc,
and. second that the defence would be
unable absolutely TO cope, with a forward
pass attack if the men back OF the llne
as well as the ends were eligible 10 receive
the throw.
In his experiments with the pass stage
tried his own suggestion of having the oval
d free ball while it was in the air after
being passed forward. If the BAH struck
the ground without touching Player ss9d,n %
team until one of that side touched II.
After that it was public property. II IN
the course Of the balls flight through 'ne n.
air d member of either team touched IT II
became free and was the property OF the
team recovering il.
The teams were sent through hard ttf-
said by Stage or Bezdek In this time the
bal was in play continually; there was no
penalization for an incompleted forward
pass a thing which has become tiresome
to followers of the sport. There was little
or no body checking, a feature to Whlcn a
rumber Of casualties and injuries were laio
last seas There was some protection al
forded the end for whom the pass Was
meant by nemen on the other side of the
line, and the contest in general became anne
simpler ard faster. at the same time per
hitting strategy by use Of the forward
pass and other football variations which
any good coach can evolve easily.
Not since the old game was shelved IN
1905 0s has such fast work been seen on a
grdiron, and this by team when IS hot
in the best physical condition and not
coached to the heights Of football perfec-
ton as are those teams which struggle for
glory in the latter part of the fall: Ihe
large crowd which turned out to-day 70
witness the experiments stood around III
open-eyed amazement at the fast, shdppy
playing of the squad which won the cham
pionship of the Southwest. Even the pay
ers We're surprised at the results OF the on
ferent nlays which were reeled off in rapid
fire style
With the ends only the objective points
of the forward pass the passer was aiioWeo
10 make his throw from anywhere. some
of the passes went astray by hitting inc
ground, thus giving the opposing team pos
session of the bail. some were touchen III ~
the air. thus making the oval tree prop
erty and some were executed successfully
for g.sH gains. but in not single case was
either team be1effed ny tne ne" pans
The PLAYERS fought harder despite the warm
weather, and they were pleased to learI
that the sacrifice which they certainly are
making for the hest interests of footban Is
doing some good.
The new ideas. tried to-day for the first
time in a crude way. will be tested thor
ouehY again tomorrow, and IL may ne
that better ones viii be discovered. ms
however, seems hardly possible, as the 81
periments to-day produced Il game thdt
was pleasant surprise to the experts am
the lalty. As to-day's trials restrict Ine
number of men TO receive the bali, 1t SetHi
reasonable to believe the forward pass II
adopted under these conditions, VIII not pe
as popular in the past, -.
At the conclusion of the tests STAGE ~
pressed keen satisfaction with the results :,
and il IS likely that before he leaves H'itT
he will have accomplished enough IN dct %.
tests to convinC" the rules COMMITTEE tl's a.
some OF bis suggestions are soiutlohS, ~
some of The VeNing football pTohlc1lS' + VI
ther tests Will be made Tomorrow WIN ~ =,
forward pass in the hope Of polisiils VII
tho play 20 insure It's adoption u may DC o;
that q regular game will be pay yea ~
which the forward pass VIII re US. eA
tensively. the men bucking the me Wllnun.
being pushed or pulled on ,hte:Ieie ~
plays and the tacking done with one loot
I e