The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-02
CHANGES MADE IN
FOOTBALL RULES
Recommendations of ASsoCia-
ton Are Not Very Drastic
FORWARD PASS CUT OUT
New Rule VIII Allow Forward Pass,
But 1t Will Be So Modified as To
Lose Entirely Its Spec
tacular Effect.
BY LEOLA SNOW.

4
New York, January 1.-(Special.)-The
recent meeting of the Intercollegiate Ath-
letic Association of the United States de-
voted most of its time to Football as was
expected, and some interesting facts were
brought out. Unfortunately, the colleges
that really set the pace, Yale, Harvard,
Princeton, etc., in the east, and Michi-
| gan in the west, are not members Oh the
association, though it is more than pos
sible that several of them will come in
before another year passes. Also, OF
| course, the association could do nothing
more than recommend" certain changes
to the rules committee the real power in
the case, although in the past such rec
concentrations have been closely followed
changes:
/. Prohibit dragging, pushing or pulling
the player carrying the ball; also piling
up on this player, or any attempt OF the
player to gain ground after his progress
has been stopped or the ball is dead.
2. When player is in position to make
fair catch, no player opposing shall ap-
proach within three yards of the catcher
until the latter has been touched by or
missed the ball.
3. Require on the offense seven men to
be on the line of scrimmage; in plays
across the line of scrimmage not more
than three men shall be allowed to cross
together.
4. Eliminate the present forward pass
and allow an Unrestricted forward pass
| to be completed behind the line of scrim-
mage without penalty for its failure.
5. Make compulsory the removal of any
player on request of the trainer. doctor
or captain of the team.
Danger Of Dragging.
Nc reasonable person can question the
fairness of the first and second recon-
mendations. 1t is not only dangerous but
manifestly against the spirit Of the game
to drag or pull man along after he has
been really stopped And no one who
has seen the absolute helplessness Of a
player about to catch the ball. but will
be glad to see the second requirement in
force. This was one of the points of in
terest in tne recent Canadian Rugby
game here. The rule proposed above will
be more satisfactory. however, to Ameri-
can players and spectators than the
Rugby way. where the player is allowed
actually to recover the ball before an OPP
! ponent can come within three yards of
| him. 1t seems bit to be regretted that
| the forward pass, as we know It, should
| be eliminated 1t was one of the most
| spectacular of all the open plays, and it
would seem that If the player receiving
| the pass could have been protected by
| the three-yard rule as above, or the pen
atty of failure decreased to say I'VE yards,
! or both, 1t might have remained one OF
! the greatest features of interest in the
| modern game. Under the Esvere penalty
for failure, however, and the lack of pro-
] lection for the receiving player, 1t was too
dangerous play to be often used. One
| of the peculiar points In connection with
/ this play also has been the fact that al
| most from the first all the great coaches
| devoted their attention to the defensive
rather than the offensive development OF
the feature. The fifth requirement might
/ we'll be the most useful of any. II there
could be found officials who would en-
| force It, Most Of the accidents in foot
ball come when the player has been In
| jured already, or Ia greatly exhausted
But It will be a brave official and an un-
discovered captain who will have the star
player removed from any game where he
is really needed. This rule about sim
mers down to better hardening and train
ing of the players.
Only Five Changes.
Five changes recommended out of lit
orally hundreds suggested. The suggest
| ed changes covered the entire range from
total abolition of the game to establish
ing "a sort Of spiritual committee which