The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-02
RULES COMMIT TEE
MEETS THURSDAY
Changes in Rules Governing In
tercollegiate Football viii BE
Considered.
------------
! MANY SUGGESTIONS MADE
Innovations in Play Have Been
Tried BY Several Leading
College Teams.


Professor l.. M. Dennis. of Cornell,
chairman of the intercollegiate foot
bail rules committee, will call that
: body to order in New York on Thurs
day: The committeeman have re-
ceived from many sources volumes
Of suggestions. some Of them prac-
tieable. some ludicrons. Besides this
there are fourteen men who have
charge Of making over the game. and
they undoubtedly have all their own
ideas. They are Professor l.. 81.
Dennis. Cornell. chairman. K. K.
Han, Dartmouth, secretary: Walter
Camp. Yale; John c. Bell, Pennsyi-
yania; II. B. Hackett. West Point:
Professor c. w. Savage, Oberiin;
Crawford Biogden, Harvard; Profss-
-rcr Dudley, Vanderbilt; Parke
II. Davis. Princeton; Professor w. A.
Lambeth. Virginia; Paul j. Dashiell,
Navy: Professor a. A. Stage, ChicasS;
Professor II. l.. Williams. Minnesota.
ana DR.. ]. A. Rabbit. sHayerford.
Experiments Made
Walter Camp has made q nurabar
: OF suggestions for changes calculated
70 render the game less dangerous.
He proposes that no man ON attack
or defense shall line up outside two
lines running parallel to side lines
and each or these lines shall be no
more than Ave yards from the bali.
thus making the scrimmage line only
ten yards In width. Backffeld men
must also keep within these lines until
the ball Is In play. He further pro-
poses that any forward pass made
over the scrimmase line be Illegal.
ana that 1t be necessary to gain fsf-
teen yards UP 10 the twenty-five yard
line, ten yards to the fifteen yard
line ana five yards thereafter. Many
ether suggestions have been made bs
authorities on football and expert
ments have been made with all ef
Lhem by the squad at the Universils
OF Virginia ana at the Georgia School
OF Technology Reports OF these ex-
periments VIII be presented TO- the
committee tor consideration.
Modified Rules.
At recent meeting OF the Southern
intercollegiate Eoathau- Rule Conn.,
miffee In Atlanta. many changes In
the rules We're adopted. ALI OF these
suggestions will be submitted to the
committee In New York Wednesday.
II Is claimed that II the national ceta-
mittee Will adopt most OF these sng-
gestions which have been evolved "
Southern coaches and Southern Ca
perts the game Of football witt be
safe. The notifications that have
met with favor and that will prob
ably receive consideration are ~ foi-
lows: Every player must pass
medical examination. Divide tine
game thte%three periods OF equaI
length. with f1ve minute rests. the
time Of the game not to exceed sixty
mtnutes,-No plAyAr- at any team
having the ball shall use his hands
to assist the runner or to block An
interference. All tandem formation
. IA l.ns L ~ n u 4k~
OFFENSIVE team shall have seven men
known as linesmen on the line OF
scrtmmage at the moment the bali IL
put in play and these shall &C sfi
times retain their positions reiativs
to center. None of these iinesmen
shall be drawn back Of the scrim.
mage line except for the purpose OF
kicking. whereupon his place shall be
taken by one Of the back men. All
ancomplete6 forward passes shall
count as downs. without distance
penalties and the bali shall be re-
turned to the point from which II was
snapped. That there will be no body
checking OF player receiving for
ward pass. and a player receiving the
ball should not attempt to pass. Tn
the question OF scoring II - recon-
mended that when the ball In carried
TO the 2o-yard iiue two points be
seored; 1s-yard line. three points: To-
yard four points: s-yard Ave points
ard across .he goal nix points. The
points are not to be accumulAtive.
After two successive plays that cross
the line less than 5 yards ont. the
play must next cross the scrimmaEc
line more than yards from the
center.
Interest In Result.
The interest OF every important coll
= teEe In the country tn conferred In thu
result OF the meeting OF the rules
committee. The abolishment ct the
game has been considered In several
81 the leading colleges but II the
committee makes changes that are
sufSiciently thorough the game will re-
main. but IL there II any evasion OF
the problem. or II danger remains
IN the spor1 1t viii be custed. e.
pecially from Virginia. All other
Southern colleges. with the possible
exception OF Georgetown. have re-
solved TO abide by the resolutions Of
the committee.