Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25

been developed III Iilc last SSGA'
CODE MUST BE SIMPLE
Four members Of the intercollegiate
football rules committee, Parke Davis
of Princeton, w. A. Lambeth UnlVer-
sity of Virginia; G. w. Savage, Oberlln'
and w. l.. Dudley, Vanderbilt unlVer-
sity. write that few changes are neces-
sary in the code before another season.
Davis terms the simplltication or the
rules the greatest need. MIR. Davis
says: IT.. .o
1T has been said by those who are
skilled in determining the public pulse
that football has satisfied its following
in 7g1O 1t is true the hazards OF the
game. which ever have seemed TO cuI-
inmate in one place at one time nave
given to some institutions an excess
of injuries But, taken as Whole'
the country in football has beeh sur
nrisinglv free from accidents, college
FootbaIl actually having had better
record in this respect than college base
hall during the past year. Compl-
mentary to public opinion is crltlcal
football opinion. The latter, 1t Would
seem, has approved of the abolltlon Oh
interlocked Interference and OF the hVe-
ward restriction upon the forward pass;
Adverse criticism briefly may be stated
to have been directed at the complex
ties Of play in receiving the forward
mass. the Vexing imaginary lines OF the
game with its neutral, one-yard anu
twenty-yard zones, too many otIlcers
and too much officiating, the labyrinth
of penalties and a need of more SIM
plicity in the game
THE greatest need of football today
is the absolute obedience to the letter
of the rules by the players and strict
conformity with its spirit by the
coaches. 1t therefore should devolVe
upon the men who will be selected to
compose the new rules committee tor
1911 to assemble early IN order that
they may not be hampered by want of
time, like their predecessors in 1910,
and having assembled to devote their
chief attention to perfeCting the de-
tails of the present style of game. The
greatest need now Of the playing rules
is simplification, which of course viii
carry with it simplification for the
player and the spectator"
Mr.. Dudley writes: Il am very well
pleased with the football rules and
think that the new gamo is far su-
perior to the old. | do not think that
many changes are necessary, but no
doubt some minor notifications could
be made to advantage / would not be
willing to return to the old pushing
and pulling game"
Mr. Lambeth writes: "In our section
there is common expression of approval
concerning the new rules, particularly
the four periods. There is also feel
ing that the limitations concerning the
onside kick should be removed and
that the fve-yard restriction on the
passer Of a forward pass should be
abolished"
Mr.. Savage says: ''ro my mind the
rules worked out better than l had
dared to hope The game was kept
open and therefore was made intensely
interesting to the spectators"
A BRITISH FANS OPINION
What our English sporting cousins
think Of the game Of football as played
bv the schools and colleges of this
country may be clearly seen in the fol-
lowing extract from the London Re
view:
Take two parts Graeco-Roman wrest-
ling, one part "catch as catch can"
Sc. son with a little French boxing, add
2 ball, and serve hot That Is the re-
cipe for the American game of football
al played at the Crystal palace yester-
dav by teams from the United States
battleships Idaho and Vermont
IT is the fiercest thing in games. A
bull fight is as a kindergarten party
compared to it. Short of biting each
other. the members of the two teams
did all the harm they could to one
mother.
There was, incidentally, a ball in the
rlme. bat the onlooker seldom saw 1t.
10 was more often buried beneath
angle OF dozen men, all legs and
arms. .,. -.., 49,
Occasionally a mud plastered face