Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-21
HEAVY QUARTERS IN FUTURE
New Foot Ball Rules Put Premium on
Hefty Quarterback.
BIG CONFERENCE AT HARVARD
Athletic Directors, Coaches, Gymna-
stun Men and All sorts of Train
Ing Experts Engaged In COdi-
flying New Gridiron Rules.


II. r. Reiter, the former Princeton player
and Wesleyan coach, says concerning the
new foot ball:
while the foot ball world Is awaiting
the final eodification of the new rules there
are gathered at the Harvard summer school |
of physical education coaches. athletic |
directors, gymnasium directors and stu |
dents. All these classes are represented in
the foot ball work which Is being done UNI |
der the supervision OF DR.. Sargent. The |
course comprises men from Harvard, Prince |
ton, Dartmouth, Wisconsin, University Of
California, Amherst. Wesleyan, Spring |
field, Training school, Bowdoin, Maine. |
University OF Texas, University OF Yer
mont, Ohio. University of Alabama, Uui-
versity OF North Dakota, Middlebury. Law
renceville, Mercersburg and various schools
throughout the country.
The greater part OF these men have had
experience In coaching, and coming from
all sections Of the country they make the
hour devoted to the theory and practice OF
foot ball each day a clearing house for the
Interpretation Of rules and the possibilities
Of the new game.
Particular attention is being placed on
the possibilities of the new rules For the
coming fall coaches will have to consider
the following new elements In respect to
the offence:
First that the player receiving the ball
from the snapperback may cross the line of
scrimmage at any point as opposed to the
old rule OF the necessity of running five
yards out before crossing the scrimmage
line. This rule will place a premium on
heavy quarterbscks should they assume the
position behind the snapperback. Under
the new rules the push and pull game is
dead, and the men to be of any efficiency
must be ahead Of the man with the ball.
hence the necessity OF weight as we'll as
speed in the quarterback.
1--WE have been experimenting with the
quarterback as a regular halfbacl-that is,
having the four backs In a line, four
yards back and using the direct pass from
confer. This arrangement has met with
much favor. Another argument for dis
pensing with the quarterback is the fact
that he must make a forward pass at least
five yards back of the scrimmage line.
Thus the short pass over the scrimmage
line is done away with. This ruling will
open up the play from a spectacular point
OF view
Restrictions on Offense.
to the offense is the restriction placed upon
the offensive side In not being allowed to
| touch kicked ball within the twenty-yard
zone or within space twenty yards from
where the ball was put in play. This
ruling relates only to men who were offsde
and does not include men who were kicked
The object Of this rule is to prevent the
| scramble and roughness possible under the
rule or last year and to encourage forward
passing under the new rules.
This means that the only alternative of
| the offense must wait for an opponent to
| touch the ball, or follow It up and watch
the opportunity to fall upon it after II has
passed the twenty-yard zone.
| The third consideration relating to the
offense is without doubt the most important
innovation that has ever been made in
foot ball, that concerning the forward pass,
which must be made at least five yards
back OF the scrimmage line to any of the
backfield men who are at least one yard
back from the scrimmage line at the time
the ball Is snapped or to either OF the
men on the ends Of the line. This rule
does not prevent an end from shifting and
allowing the tackle to receive the ball.
"A number of perplexing questions have
arisen in connection with the forward pass,
one of which Is: Does a forward pass to
be legal have to cross the line of scrim-
mage? AS a practical demonstration, sup
pose Yale shifts all her men on the left
side of her center TO her right sde can
the center snap the ball to any one of his
backs and Immediately receive it before
crossing the scrimmage line? Would the
first man who received the ball from the
center have to be five yards back before
passing the ball to center IL the center re-
ceived the ball on his side of the scrimmage
line?
"A new ruling before the committee this
year in relation to an incompleted forward
pass is that on first and second down
there is a loss of a down from the spot
where the ball was put in play and not
from the spot from which the pass was
made. No distance penalty is added. az
was the case last year. On third dowI
II an lncompleted forward pass results
the ball goes to the opponents not on thS
spot where the ball was put in play, bu
from which the pass was made This rul
ing with the allowance of the forward
pass over the line of scrmmage provided
the pass was made at least five yardi
back of the scrimmage line opens up a ricl
field of possibilities to the strategist
zone OF the most fertile suggestion
worked out is the directing of the inter
ference ahead of the man with the bal
in one direction and the passing Of tn,
ball to an end or halfback in the op
posite.
In the execution of this forward pas