Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-28
FOOT BALL RGLl CHANGES
Outline Of Variations Made in the
Code by Committee.
SEASON Is NEAR AT HAND
GridirOn SOlOns Confess They Cannot
See what the Changes VIII bring
About I'm PIaying OF the
Game.

cRmpuses on their way to practice fields.
The freshman and the veteran win walk
side by side, for the new rules have made
each of them a novice at the game. The
greatest Of all American college sports has
undergone some drastic reform operations
in its career and survived. Time and again
1t has been revised ana restricted, yet II
has always retained it's position as the pre-
mer athletic feature OF collegiate life. It's
popularity has been repeatedly threatened
but never overthrown. writes Edward B.
Moss, sporting editor OF the New York
Evening Sun.
There Is no precedent for believing that
the game OF 1sl0 as the new foot ball has
already been nlcknamed, will experience
any different reception. Yet today the
coaches, players and even the rule-makers
hesitate to forecast what foot ball may de-
vslop this autumn. Seventy years Of Amer
lean college foot ball history offers nothing
comparable with the situation which now
confronts the principals and supporters OF
the game Some five years ago agitation
against the game, as played at that time,
made changes In the code necessary The
rules committee met and materially altered
the regulations governing the sport. There
were many inovations, the principal feature
being the Introduction OF the forward pass
at that time the general opinion Of the
expert was that foot ball had been shorn
OF its most dangerous tendencies. For a
short space Of time there was marked
decrease in the list OF casualties. but 50
strenuously did the youth Of the land play
foot bali that soon black marks were again
being registered against the game. SO, once
more IL became necessary TO eliminate GER
tain evils that had sprung UP under the so
called new code, and the result is the
game Of 1910
''The men who voluntarily and without
compensation give time and serious thought
to the game and again undertook the re-
vision of the playing rules, found their task
harder than usual, for the relief sought was
TO be the preservation of the good in foot
bali and the removal OF all dangerous ele-
ments possible. For months the rules COM
mlttee worked over the problem. Hundreds
of suggestions were considered. Whole col
leRe foot bail squads volunteered for ex-
detrimental foot ball play. Meeting after
meeting was held, and now the rules Tor
1910 have been complied and published.
New Tactics Possible.
what the result of the coming autumn
play will be even the gridiron solons confess
tactics and play has been opened for ex-
ploration and experiment. The rule-makers
believe they have reduced the danger OF the
game to a minimum Every Questionable
feature which developed during the progress
of the sport In the past few seasons has
been subjected to the pruning knife.
The changes which have been made in
the code lead one to the belief that there
will be changes in the type of the players.
1t seems likely that the day Of the ponder
Gus muscular giants Is over. There will be
no great amount of mass play possible UNI
der the new code, and little need for the
two hundred and odd pounaer who formerly
stood like a bulwark in the forefront OF
the battle. Fast-sprinting players OF medl-
UNI weight and height, possessing ability to
dodge quickly and tackle cleverly, seem to
nave the call.
Such being the case. it is likely that there
will be more equality between the elevens
Of the big and little colleges. and 1t would
not be surprising If during the coming sea-
son there were some remarkable upsets in
the foot bali traditions Of some of the big
universities. The player with two or three
years experience is not likely to be Of much
more value at the outset of the season than
n comparative novice Both viii be on the
same plane, since the game which they are
to play is an entirely new one. The same
applies to the coaches. VINO may be ex-
pected to falter many times in their at
tempted explanations and efforts to show
the players just what Is required. Many Of
them, realizing this, have spent the best
part of the summer experimenting with the
rules as they understood them, hoping to be
in position to proceed promptly with their
duties which will begin within the next two
or three weeks.
Game of Mystery.
Now foot ball stands forth in its new
trappings a game of mystery and uncer-
taInty. 1t may be the long-sought solution
OF the sport or perhaps only a step in the
desired direction. Only time and tests will
solve the question. Certain il is that when
its thousands Of followers gather for the
big college contests OF the year, a most
startling sight will be in store for them.
Old veterans, who made all-American
teams in their day, will rub their eyes and
refuse to believe that what they see Is the
offspring of the game they helped to make
famous. White-haired alumni win witness
plays that recall the days when American
foot ball in it's infancy was a sport in
which teams of unlimited numbers COM
peted Also there will come moves which
even the 1909 players fail TO find in their
repertoire.
Gone Is the famous flying tackle Of
former years; likewise the contest divided
into two equal time halves. Instead foot
ball now becomes a sport played I'm four
quarters with varying intermissions be-
tween the quarters Even the playing field
will appear unfamiliar, for the longitudinal
lines are no longer needed and the marked
turf will have the appearance OF the field
before the introduction OF the quarter
back run In an effort to lessen the physi-
cal exhaustion incidental to hard-fought
games foot ball has been divided into four
periods OF fifteen minutes each, with the
usual intermission OF fifteen minutes be-
tween the second and third periods, and
with a three-minute intermission between
the first and second and third and fourth
quarters As a result OF this new ruling
regulation game will consume eighty-one
minutes. aside from any time taken out
for minor delays. as allowed by the rules
More Periods of Rest.
AS has been customary in the past, the
teams will change goals during the second
and fourth periods During the first and
third intermissions the possession OF the
ball, the down, the distance TO be gained.
and all other features in existence at the
termination OF the quarter, will be main