Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-23
FOOT BALL RULES CHANGED
Committee Will Meet in February to
Decide on Alterations.
CHANGES ARE TO BE TRIED
Teams VIII Re Used to Give a Prac-
deal Test Of the Notifications
which May he suggested
at Meeting.

new YORK, Jan. 22.-According to let
tcrs and dispatches from the south, It will
not be an entirely theoretical set Of con-
ditions which will confront the foot ball
rules committee when It meets in this
cts next month. Prof. Dennis of Cornell,
chairman Of the committee, recently sent
letters to all the members of the commit
tee requesting them to name dates in Feb
ruary which would be agreeable to them
as conference days. AS yet he has not
received enough replies to be able to fix
on a date which will be convenient to a
majority OF the fourteen members Of the
committee. 1t is known, however. that the
meeting will not he called until about the
middle Of next month.
In the interim the leading members of
the committee expect to conduct a series
of experiments which will enable them to
grasp In a practicable manner the effect
of some of the proposed changes in the
foot ball playing code. In past years when
the foot ball rules committee has felt
called upon to alter the code many Of the
changes were taken at their face value
or on the recommendation of Members
who had witnessed a crude tryout of the
proposed innovation. AS a result 1t has
sometimes happened that the change did
not prove as satisfactory as had been
hoped for, and in fact proved Of little adj
vantage.
Unless the plans of the various members
of the committee miscarry, this will not
be the case at the coming meeting. While
the proposed amendments which have been
offered as a solution of the conditions
which confront the game of football Of to-
day are radical in the extreme. the com
mittee will not be obliged to discuss its
work blindly. In order that something
concrete may be known of the working of
the resultant plays under the proposed
changes It has been decided to give the
suggestions practicable tryouts on the foot
ball field, with two college elevens as the
means of the experiment. Since such a
test could not be conducted on northern
gridirons at this season of the year, the
tryouts will be conducted on the foot ball
fields Of the far south. where weather
conditions somewhat similar to a northern
autumn prevail at the present time.
Tests to BE Made.
So far two institutions have volunteered
their football teams for these experiments,
and IL there Is no hitch in the plans of the
members of the committee will have
a'mass of first-hand information relative
to the worth of the proposed innovations
in the play. which will enable them to
weigh the practicable utility OF the same.
At the University of Virginia at Charlotte
Vile, DIR. w. A. Lambeth, who is a mem
Der of the rules committee, will expert
ment, using the members Of the first and
second elevens of that institution. Captain
Yancey of the varsity team has entered
into the spirit of the plan, as well as all
the members of the squad, and the players
have voluntarily agreed to resume light
training In order that they may be ply
sically able to give a capable demonstra-
tion OF the worth OF the suggestions.
Further south, at the Georgia School of
Technology, a similar course of procedure
will be in order. Under the guidance of
Coach Heisman there will be one or more
games played by eievens representing
junior and senior classes of the institute.
These games, as in the case in the trials
at the University of Virginia. will be
conducted under a rough code already
drawn up by several Of the leading mem
bers of the rules committee. Each move
of the players under what may possibly
be the foot ball code for 1910 will be care
fully noted. The resultant effects, both
from an offensive and a defensive stand
point, will be carefully noted.
Complete reports of the value of the
suggested changes as shown in actual
competition will be ready for submission
to the committee as a whole at its coming
meeting in this city next month. In ad-
dition those members OF the body who
have been able 20 watch the experiments
will explain the workings in detail. AS a
result II is hoped that when the discus
sion becomes general the rules committee
VIII have an excellent idea of the way the
proposed changes will work out on the
college foot ball field If they are enacted
into the 1910 rules.
Camp Has Suggestion.
1t will not he possible to try out AN. the
suggestions for improving the game, since
they run into hundreds. There are. how
ever, a number of radical changes which
will come in for actual experiment, espe-
cially those made by Walter Camp, wherein
1t has been proposed to limit the width of
the forward line to ten yards. Mr.. Camps
suggestion was 'let no player in the at
tack or the defence line UP outside two
lines running parallel to the side lines.
each Of these lines being five yards from
the ball. thus making the scrimmage line
ten yards In width" At first sight this
would appear to restrict the activities OF
the players and be conductive to a re-
turn OF the old-style mass play which Il Is
the object OF the rules committee to elm.
mate.
IL may be found, however, that by coop.
ing up the players in a smaller space new
plays will be evolved to make the neces,
sary numbers OF downs. Mr.. Carnp has alst
suggested that the quarterback be per,
mitted to run with the ball without tn,
five-yard restriction to right or left which
now prevails, He further proposes tina.
any forward pass made over the scrimmag,
line be Illegal, and that it be necessary e
gain fifteen lines; ten yards between tn,