The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-27
IN THE SPORTING HTPPODROME

tackle an opponent without having at
the time at least one foot upon the
ground. 1t was the mass-play and the
forward pass that occupied the com
mittee for seven days and a large part
Of the intervening nights
Princeton, with the University Of
Chicago, proposed as remedy for
massed interference an extension of
Rule XVII SO as to require seven men
Of the offensive side to stand upon the
line of scrimmage and to prohibit
players of this side from aiding the
man carrying the ball or one another
by hands, arms or body, either in push
| ing or pulling, thus eliminating the
familiar spectacle of twenty years
standing of player being whirled
through the line. After prolonged de-
bate and considerable experimentation
this proposition was adopted. This
radical change means the return of
that style of game which characterized
the late sos. The rush line will prob
ably play a widely extended line this
fall and the man with the ball at all
times will be in full view OF the
spectators. With the abolition of fly
| ing tackles line plunging will be the
same as end running, quick dash
through an open line.
1t was obvious to the committee that
this drastic change would reduce the
offensive strength off, the game more
than half and that it was incumbent
to restore in some way the equilibrium
of the game which must maintain at
all times so far as the rules are con-
cerned a fair struggle between the Of
fensive and the defense and thus pre-
vent scoreless or heavily scoring
games This condition the committee
met by removing the restriction upon
the forward pass and the quarter back
run which hitherto has required each
Of these plays to be executed FIVE
yards distant from the center. If the
quarterback goes the present method
of swapping the ball win go. Swapping
the ball is defined under the rules as
putting the ball in play with a con-
tinuous motion of the hand or foot"
Since the quarter back will be found
this fall in the line or group of backs
1t is certain that the coaching genius
OF the country will devise better
way Of sending the ball back from
center than the present method which
has existed for thirty-one years. This
change means a fast open and run
ming game in which the premium no
longer will be placed upon players of
gigantic bulk but in which the ideal
man will be the player of middle
weight, fleet of foot and keen of mind.
1t means the return Of the beautiful
passes of the sos when each man as
he was tackled passed the bali to an
associate for a further advance rather
than hugging it to his chest and falling
down upon it. Strange to say, the un-
restricted quarter back run is not nav.
1t came in with the Rugby Union code
| in 1876 and lasted unchanged until the
intercollegiate convention of Oct. ~,
1880 which prescribed, 1.-The man who
first receives the ball from the snap
back shall be called the quarter back
and he shall not rush forward with
the ball under the penalty of foul.
The investigation into the ac:tdents
Of last fall disclosed the fact that
many were due to exhaustion. This
presents a condition that is beyond
rule makers to remedy since It de-
wolves wholly upon players, their cap
tain, coach, trainer or medical super
visor. The committee however, has
aided these men in the perfo-manca Of
their duties by abolishing the famous
halves" OF football and and substitut-
ing instead four quarters of fifteen
minutes duration thereby reducing the
playing time of a game by ten minutes
and giving two additional periods Of
rest This is the custom Of the Cana
dian game in connection there with the
committee has provided shat payer
once removed may return ones again.
to play. 1t is believed that this priv-
lege will prevent good man from
playing to exhaustion rather than leave
the game to which he can not return.
Nor is 1t new. This also was in the
|original Rugby game and was not
abolished until the convention of Mar.
~, 1890. cs
The Forward Pass.
In the matter Of the forward pass the
committee faced, a. difficult problem in
deed. The injurious effects OF this
play in the last three years have been
two-fold. First, 1t has subjected tNel
players recovering the pass to violent