Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-27
Opportunities for Quarterback.


| upon until exhaustive experiments have
| been conducted"
Opportunities for Quarterback.
| The first change adopted was the re-
moval Of the present restriction that a
runner receiving the ball directly from
| the snapback must run five yards to one
| side. This. in the opinion of the commit
| tees. will give the quarterback much
] larger opportunities to make good runs;
will offer an opportunity for quicker plays
| and will create need for the exercise
| Of more strategy.
men be kept by the offense on the line of
scrimmage. This will prevent the draw
| ing back Of linesmen for offensive plays
| and is a direct blow at mass plays.
The third change is the prohibition OF
| the diving tackle. On this point there
was an easy agreement. The flying tackle
has been the cause Of many injuries, and
the committee were agreed that 1t must
go.
The fourth change consists In the d.
vision OF each half into two periods of
fifteen minutes each, so that the game
hereafter will consist Of four fifteen
minute quarters. The intermission be-
tween the first and second and the third
and fourth quarters probably will be
shorter than that between the second and
third
This change is made so that there may
be better opportunity to determine the
end of each quarter there will be an ex-
animation by physicians, II any doubt
arises as to the ability of player to
continue the game without exhaustion
and consequent increased likelihood OF
injury.
May Return to Game.
Another clause under this fourth pro-
vision directs that a player compelled to
leave the game may return during
subsequent quarter, II he RECEIVERS suf-
fciently. With this opportunity Of re-
turning to the field 1t is felt that players
will not tax their strength as under the
old system Of barring player entirely
when he Is off the field. In connection
with this change, Mr.. Hall said, it will
he necessary to prevent abuse of this
rule, such as, for example. the possible
withdrawal of an entire team in favor
of fresh men, the men withdrawn to
| have the privilege Of returning. In any
event no player Will be allowed 70 return
moro than once.
The fifth change provides that no push
| ing or pulling Of the runner with the
ball Is to be allowed. The same hmita-
hands on an opponent will apply to the
use Of hands on teammate. This is
the committees chief plan Of breaking
up mass plays.
| It means that whereas in the past
| the teammates of the man with the ball
might lock arms with him, pull or drag
him along or provide Interference by
running before him with locked arms, in
the future such tactics will be prohib-
tied.
| In analysing the source Of injuries to
players the committee found that the
diving tackle and the repetition of
massedattacks alone were the chief
causes Of harm. The danger from
massed plays lies In the combination of
their speed. solidity and persistence. The
/ impact of three or four men locked to-
gether into one compact body, when
hurled time after time against the same
opponent, resulted in the exhaustion of
the man so attacked, and frequently in
his serious injury. The strict limitation
on the use Of hands will mean that at
tacks hereafter must be made by the
players individually. While the men FORM
| Ing the interference may run shoulder
1 to hold one another. Thus the task Of
the defense in breaking up interference
becomes much easier.
onside Kick.
The sixth change prescribes that an
onside kick must advance the ball TWEEN
ty yards from the line OF scrimmage-
that Is, il the ball strikes the ground
I, short OF twenty yards the offense be-
| comes offside. This rule is also aimed
at mass plays. One reason for massed
plays under the old rules lay in the fact
that the tackles were unprotected. be-
cause the secondary offense was drawn
back to meet forward passes and onside
kicks It Is felt that under q twenty
yard requirement the secondary offense
can come up sufficiently to protect the
tackles with reasonable safety.
Having made these six changes to
throw safeguards around the game. the
committee took up discussion OF the
two plans for directing the style of play
and strengthening the offense sufficiently
to balance the new opportunities for de-
Tense. The first plan contains two main
! features.
~ Limitation Of the forward pass to