Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-04
l-APP

Pretty soon we won't recognize the old
game at all. l predict that the foot ball
public will soon get tired of all these
changes and will be glad enough to re-
turn to old style foot ball.
Il particularly cannot see any sense
in the rule abolishing the flying tackle
and substituting for IL a rule providing
that when man makes a tackle he
must have one foot on the ground. To
do that means that the only way to stop
| a runner Is to push him over. Still I am
willing to leave the game in the hands
of the newer generation and let them
work out their own salvation.
| This is a pessimistic view OF the game
which will not be shared by very many
Of those who have followed the develop
ments of modern foot bi 1t would be
of pleasing all the foot ball experts. Even
| some of the members OF the present COM
mittee are not In sympathy with some Of
| the changes made. 1t is no secret that
Walter Camp of Yale is strongly opposed
| to the rule regarding the forward pass.
The same Is true Of e. X. Hall of Dart
| mouth. Both OF these men would have
! been better pleased IL the forward pass
had been abolished altogether. But in the
committee OF fourteen men representing so
many universities 1t is not to be expected
that they could unite on a code without
| some dissenting. 1t Is only fair to the
rules committee to wait until the season
has gotten well under way before passing
"
five years ago when the forward pass was
first introduced. The play was bitterly
attacked by players. coaches and specta-
tors. but as its possibilities developed II
Integral part of modern foot ball. Strange
TO say. Walter Camp. now an opponent of
the forward pass. was the man who had
most to do with It's introduction.
Can Always See the Ball.
Most of the reviews OF the new foot ball
rules have overlooked one OF the most es-
sential features OF the 1910 changes. This
is the rule that the ball will always be
within plain sight OF the spectators. This
desirable innovation will be produced by
the rule which provides that the runner
with the ball shall receive no assistance
from any player running behind or at
his side. This does not preclude run
ner going through the line ahead Of him,
though the two players must not be IN
contact.
Under the old rules which permitted the
runner to receive assistance from his
teammates 1t was only at fnfrequent
times that the ball could be seen from the
grandstand. This was always most un-
satisfactory to the spectators and to the
players as we'll Probably the players
will welcome the new rule more than
anybody else. There will no longer be
any difficulty in telling who has the ball
OF equal Importance will be the certain
reduction of injuries by means of this re-
form. With three or four players In
possession OF the ball and all crashing
through the line, frequently opposed only
by single tackler, 1t is not to be won
dered that serious injuries follow. 1t
remains to be seen to what extent the
coaches invent new plays to open up the
game and advance the ball as rapidly as
il was done under the old regime The
necessity Of remodeling the attack win
test the inventive ability OF the 1910
coaches.
The value or the changes referred to