Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-13

/ less at this session. consequently lAey
/ concluded that the best they could do
was to classify the various suggestions
! into groups and then throw the whole
I subject open to debate once more.
/ Although the committee ARRANGED the
various suggestions into three groups, 1t
did not give its approval to any of them.
! Its purpose in arranging them In groups
was to aid the general public and the
foot ball men who Will be asked TO con-
slider them. In formulating ideas that will
! result in a satisfactory code. Thus those
| amendments which supplemented each
| other and which seemed to go naturally
together were grouped In one combination.
/ It Is quite likely, though, that when the
committee meets again several different
combinations not only of the suggestions
! already made. but OF new Ideas. will have
! been worked out. 1t Is not improbable
! that the new rules when amended will
| discussed at this meeting, though it
might be said that nearly every idea ever
| conceived of was submitted to the dele
| gates.
Most Favorable Ideas.
| The general public is most interested to
| know which of the ideas grouped by the
committee is likely to find most favor in
their eyes. Although the delegates talked
/ freely enough behind closed doors. they
would not commit themselves. for pub
| licailon. at least. TO any definite plan.
The writer was present at the tWo-day
session. and IN course of conversations
With the various delegates has arrived at
| what seems TO De the Vi der In Wnlcn the
various Suggestions seemed TO appeal to
| The ruie-makers. Consequently, II they
all vote at the next SESSION as they
seemed to feel at the preliminary meet
ing the following amendments stand the
best cnance OF being made a part OF The
IJ1u code.
j. have seven men on the line of scrim-
mage.
=. prohibit both the diving tackle and
the body checking, commonly known as
the diving tackle.
3. Eliminate the neutral zone between
the lines Of scrimmage.
4. Modify the distance to be gained In
three downs from IL yards between the
2o-yard lines and yards OUTSIDE these
nnes.
). Protect the man receiving punts
On these four points there was consid-
cradle unanimlty by the members Of the
committee. 1t was a much harder mat
ter to get definite expression Of opinion
concerning the other changes suggested
This was due to the fact that there was
| decided difference of opinion as to the
wisdom of several of the changes sug-
gested. But applying the same methods
to them. they appeared to find approval
| in about this order:
j. Remove the 5-yard restriction from
the quarterback rum
Either eliminate the forward pass or
limit 1t to behind the line of scrimmape
5. reduce the halves to thirty minutes
| and divide each half into two f.teen-min-
u-e PERIODS with five-minu e rest be-
tween the first and second, and third and
fourth, and fifteen minutes between the
second and third.
4. Eliminate the onside kick.
Q. Prohibit pushing or pulling the man
with the bail.
These ten Suggestions co,+.t oho,.
everything that the committee has given
serious consideration to. Several of these
Suggestions are sure to be bitterly op-
posed. For instance. there are many who
think the onside kick sh ould be left alone.
while others contend that while there IS
nothing specifically dangerous abb ut the
play Itself, 1t scatters the defense to
such an extent that 1t results in other
forms OF injury. The same argument.
though to a lesser degree applies to the
forward pass. Consequently. the changes
that are made with these plays will de-
pend upon other amendments.
In its discussion Of foot ball problems
the committee concluded that the Injuries
OF the season OF 1909 were the result OF
weakening of the defense which per-
nlitted tandem plays on tackle to succeed
by reason OF the fact that the defense
was SO spread out that only one Or two
men could be spared to meet the attack.
II was on such plays as this that Byrne.
the West Point tackle. and Christian. the
Virginia halfback, were killed. There
were, OF course. good many other deaths
due to foot ball. but the committee
ton of all the fatalities that, with
the exceptions noted, they were due prin-
cipally to the meeting of unfairly match
ed teams and the playing OF the game by
boys and young men without sufficient
training. There is no doubt as to the
| truth OF this statement, but 1t will not
influence the committee In its determina-
ton to make some radical changes in the
rules.
Another Amendment Needed.
There was considerable surprise among
those who have been following the foot
ball agitation that the committee should
have failed to consider the elimination
OF the straight arm. This is a method
OF DEFENSE allowed a man running with
the ball IN the open field. In making use
of the straight arm the runner extends
the arm rigid and Wits the neeI or the
open palm meets the advancing tackler
in the face. 1nasmuch as the tackIer is
intent on bringing down the runner, he is
not In a position to defend himself from
the straight arm, SO that the advantage
is all with the man carrying the bali.
provided he is expert In the use OF the
straight arm There Is no question at all
that q good many players are either
knocked out or dazed by this style OF
defense. At the same time it should be
remembered that the man carrying the
ball has only one arm to defend himself
from the tackier. and II unable TO
| straight arm an opponent he would have
to depend upon sprintins and lodging
entirely to advance the ball.
The committee expects and hopes to
receive good many more suggestions
! from foot ball men and educators all
| over the country. The delegates expressed
themselves as extremely anxious to find
out the will OF every one interested before
taking final action, and 1t was partly for
| this reason that it took no definite action
at its first session. The foot ball situa-
ton now bears come analogy to the recent
| situation In English politics. As the Brit
ish ministry let the English public ex-
press its approval or disapproval OF the
budget, so the national intercollegiate
| foot ball rules committee has thrown the
| whole question once more back to the
| public for further debate. The committee