The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-20

new OVAL RULES.
Tackler Must Keep One Foot on
Ground This Season.
Now a Team Need Not Have
Quarterback at All.
NEW PLAYS ARE SEEN.
Coach Stewart will Invent
Washburn Formations.
NEW PLAYS ARE SEEN.
Players Can Be Taken Out IF
Game and Replaced.

The new style in football tackline is
like an automobile with a flat hind fire
and the brakes set. To understand the
system watch such crippled machine.
as the style was designed from that
effective way of stopping That's the
Interpretation given the new rule in the
east The rule provides the tackler
must have one foot on the ground.
Heretofore the classy and scientific
tackler gathered momentum and hurled
himself like projectile at the runners
shoestrings. The runner, cut off in his
pedal connection with terra firma, was
expected to slap the ground like a
board and break rib or two on the
ball-and often he did
The rules committee would have that
stopped, SO they provided one foot on
the ground for the tack1er. But the
old system was SO effective the
coaches are attempting in the summer
football courses in. the east to retain
as much of it as possible. The result
is that the tackler must discharge HIM
self from gun as much as possible
and as he floats toward the runner
drag one toe in the turf as a rudder to
direction. Perhaps the system will in
sure better aim and avoid the
casualties formerly resultant upon the
projected tackler missing his toe hold.
But that is only one Of. the many
rules changed and is not greatly sig
nificant in the game which now is both
dehorned and denatured. The great
difference is in the rule relating to the
quarterback-or rather not relating to
the quarterback. For now team need
have no quarter at ALL The center
may snap the ball to any of the backs
direct. The possibilities involved are
70 RI OF 70
Every coach will invent a score of new
formations and plays this fall and their
success remains to be determined.
That this rule is as great and fine a
thing for Washburn as could have been
devised by Coach Stewart himself is at
once evident. The great trouble with
the local team in the last seven years
has been in finding a reliable quarter
back. Three times the Washburn team
lost to K. u. because Of weak quarters.
The great worry for this fall has been
in the finding of good quarter. Now
that any back will do as well, all the
backfield can be drawn from old half
back material.
Then there Is a new zone created
which as yet has been unnamed but
might be called the defenseless zone.
This is between the scrimmage line and
an ina ginary line twenty yards behind
the team on defense. This involves the
new forward pass and on-side kick
rules. The new forward pass can he
thrown by any player five yards back
of his line of Scrimmage over that line
at any point, whereas last year it had
to be thrown five yards to the side of
center. The throw, however, to be
legal must not go over the twenty yard
zone. And inside that zone the re-
ceiver of the pass is protected by rule
from being interfered with until he
actually gets possession of the ball.
The players on defense may try to get
at the ball but may not bother him
even though he fqunble or touch It
In case OF an on-side kick, the ends or
other players running down field I'M
der it may not be interfered with in
side that "defenseless'' zone. AS a pro-
lection against misuse of this safety
clause, the rules provide that the kick
must go beyond that zone in order to
place the offensive players on side, OF
eligible to possess the ball.
Another playing change which will
be noticeable to the spectators will be
that pertaining to the prohibition OF
pulling and pushing teammates car
rying the ball. The man with the ball
this year will fight for himself in the
c1inches. His mates may jar oppo-
nents out of the way but when they
once get to him he must either STOP
or throw the ball. That is what the
rules committee has been trying to en-
courage-the frequent passing of the
ball.
But the bones will be heard to rat
tie still and the charliehorses and
bloody elbows and broken noses and
the sprained ankles and the dangling
ears will decorate the gridiron at Col
lege Hill and any one expecting to see
any pink tea exhibitions will be dis
appointed. There is nothing in the one
acknowledgements rule to designate
where the other shall be and it may
be supposed it will be in the victim
stomach, neck or back and there is
nothing to provide cushions to fall on
and nothing to stop a line smashel
from running into anybody in the way
Stone walls will remain in demand.
And that is another point brought
out in the new rules. Football was not
dangerous because of rules especially,
but the injuries resulted from over
work or lack of condition to stand the
hard work They don't hitch "a chicken
to a fire wagon even in football. But
the rules committee helped out the
Weaklings as much as possible by di-
viding the hour of strenuosity into four
quarters instead of two halves. The
second and fourth quarter bring only
three minutes to rest, however, and
two minutes. were allowed at any time
in the corresponding a good enough
excuse was given the referee. Still an
other provision is made for the tired
ones. They now can be replaced and
! yet be put back into the game when
| they revive.
The new football guide with the new
rules will be published before the end
af month and will annear at the