The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-04
ANOTHER MODIFICATION OF
FOOTBALL RULES.

What It is hoped viii prove To be
SIX long steps toward safe and sane
football have been taken by the ma
UionaI rules committee. which has Just
adjourned after a long and conscientious
debate on the fine points Of the rah-Tah
game The members OF the committee
went at their difficult JOB on the proper
and popular theory, which, briefly, Is
this: Preserve the game because Of
its many good elements. but eliminate
from It those dangerous conditions
which have made its hazard such that
fond parents would be almost as willing
to see their sons go up in an airshiP
as out onto the gridiron-
Five years ago, when the rules were
radically modified the last time. we sIl
breathed a sigh of relief At last, we
said. sanity and reason are TO prevail
IN football The horrible mass plays
that broke legs. arms. and ueeks, are TO
be restricted. and the play Is 70 be
open thereby minimizing the danger
TO participants and furnishing an inter
esting. understandable contest for spec
tators- But II didn't work out that
way. Fatalities and accidents were as
numerous as under the old regulations.
With both these extremes IN mind the
reformerz have this time sought 10
strike the happy medium that viii
save the game, but do away with most
OF the danger. They hope they have
achieved this much desired end. but ad-
nit candidly that 1t Is a hope only
The. effectiveness Of the new rules can
be definitely determined only when the
game Is played under them
The SIX reforms are The restriction
Ito the point OF probable abolitionI of
the forward pass" the reduction OF
the distance to be gained from ten 20
eight yards: the prohibition of team
mates pulling OF pushing the man
carrying the laII. the division OF the
full time of play into quarters instead
OF halves; the prohibition OF the flying
tackle and the elimination Of the
rule preventing the first man who re
ceives the ball from the ceurer-rush
advancing II unless he runs out five
yards from the point where ball was
snapped
The evil IN the forward pass was
found to develop when the defensive
team drew PLAYERS away from the
immediate rear OF the line into the
back field for the purpose Of preventing
the maneuver Of their opponents. Into
the line thus weakened the offensive
team would hurI itself. instead Of max
ing the forward pass, with the result
that one IInesman would take the i'm
pact OF perhaps eight OF ten opponents
Many Of the fatalities last fall occur
red IN Just such a play.
Under the new forFard pass rule the
team with the ball is prohibited pass
ing the ball beyond the line Of scrim-
mage and It is expected this viii result
in the practical abandonment Of the
play. except for strategic purposes, as
II would be- OF TO advantage TO pass thC
ball from the center rush TO back
and then throw 1t only TO a point on a
line with its original position
The rule forbid5ing the pulling Of
pushing forward of the PLAYER with tn,
ball by his teammates should do mucI
10 make the game safer In the pas
there have been many accidents trace
able to this practice. There's a ques
ton. however, whether this rule vii
not give the defense too great an ad
vantage BY leaving the man with tn,
ball too much alone IN his fight to g,
ahead
The rule dividing the game into quar-
tiers instead OF halves Is an excellen
one. and should have been adopte,
years ago. The strain on the player
viii not be so great, and coaches ant
trainers VIII be able 20 keep close
watch Of each man.
The flying tackle rule viii have to b
tried out. It provides~fhat the tackle
must be on his feet when he Uasps tn
man with the ball This viii sureI,
give an advantage 10 the offense. an
whether It viii reduce the hazard o
play remains TO be seen. It Is not a
all improbable that some other an
equally dangerous method Of stoppin
the player viii be developed, IN whicl
event this rHle can hardly be con
sidered a reform in the right direction.
It Is expected the sixth change, con
corning the quarterback. wiz encourag
open end runs which VIII be 8 de
sirable reform It VIII probably result
IN the four backs lining up parable
TO the line Of scrimmage and IN th
passage Of the ball from the cente