The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-02-04
Rules Will Be Radically Re
vised At New York
Meeting.
QUESTION OF SAFETY
OF GAME ASKED
IF Il is Worth One Human Life
Each Year, Is Il Worth
Ter or Twenty.

Football viii today be placed on trial
for its life
That the demand for reform Is not
mere hysteria which IS sweeping the
country, but a deep-rooted conviction
that changes must be made. is now
generally accepted That the CRY Tor
revision cannot be disregarded IS a fact
that has been carried home most 1orcl-
bly, 70 those upon whom the future or
tne game depends.
But how safe should football Beg
Snap Judgment
After all the niue and CRY against
football, following the abnormally fatal
season last fall, those who did not know
the names OF the positions o. the play
ers, nor the difference between punt
cut and kick Oh wanted an immediate
abolition Of football Football was de-
cIared brutal, and the strongest argU-
raeut seemed 20 Be that college and
school OFFICIALS did not want the re-
sponsiblfty for the deaths placed on
thefr shoulders
The writer had the opportunity az the
intercollegiate Association meeting IN
New York in DeCember OF discussing
the game with some Of It's most violent
critics. but not 3 single one was able
% answer the question OF how safe
football should be.
Want No Deaths.
Al HrEt Gbzy said that the game would
Save to be so changed SIS 20 eIimI-
nate deaths and serious Injuries Then
the question was put 70 them Of how
many deaths they would consider fair
one. ten or twenty. They COntended
that there should be no deaths IN any
snort for which a college was respOn-
ufk
Statistics compiled By disinte-ested
persons show that among the various
sports, IN which the men OF this coun-
try engage, football e far down the list
in the matter Of CeaLh6s although Il IS
admitted 70 be rough Baseball con
sfdered 3 safe and sane sport annually
claims more victims than does football
It IS true that IN the matter OF deaths
70 the number Of participants. football
does not show IN such an enTlaole Aguts
INT Il is equally true that there is hard
II s1v outdoor brarlE OF athletics thai
does not annually offer victims - me
altar OF sport Rowing Is q clean sport
stiIl two years aSO the stroke OF Jn3
Yale crew fell Empiess IN me race
AGAINST Harvard ami later died from
the effects
BasebaIPs Victims.
IN the sixteen years OF life Of TIE
Southern IutercoIlesia- Athletic As
ISOLATION. which incl-5es practically
ever university and college Of import
snce south Of Virginia. there has been
q single death from football, while only
last spring three deaths were recorded
among the baseball teams Of the col
lezes in the association In ChlcaSo the
authorities are considering putting q
han on all scholastic athletics follow
ing the death, but a few days ago, Of
q Splinter
yr has witnessed the death Of one base
ball player aid one football player
while there has not been a serious &C
cident IN the history OF the lnter-HlEn
school Leacue Of Washington
So the question is How safe does
football have TO be- IF 1t Il worth one
death a. year IS i 0or-e- Two dlld II Il
IS worth two Il Is worth twenty
One Each Year
At one OF the large Western Uutve--
stiles there IS an average OF one drown
ing a year from canoeing. stiH there
has never been an effort 20 abolish this
Tastir1e IN the institution
That radical revision win be accom-
bIished at the meeting which opens to
Ezy is assured, and that the danger Of
the game viii be lessened By certain
restrictions. IS most probable. Fut as
long as thee IS personal contact-and
without Il there would De no game
there VIII be q possibility Of injury.
For wears the uninitiated ciamOTed
Tor more open game The forward
been e play in football that has, direct
" and indirectly. been Irresponsible for
more Injuries on the gTid1Ton than this
same Innovation
IN order to defend against the pass
s. has been necessary 70 drop back the
secondary defense. thereby leaving the
TcrNVar 5E without the re-e1ToTCemeutg CIV
en- them when there WIS no forward
PASS The result has been that the
T-Cst successful teams IN the country
have been thU=s who concentrated their
attack on the rhinned line aud simply
hammered out their distances while the
hacks. who IN the only game were used
70 back % the linemen- have remained
srl the background for fear OF success
sgi execution Of a forward pass
Instead oT Diminishing the mass plays
ne forward pass has encouraged them
a. q has 50 Eened the line defense
Ef1at plays EsIa- were formally not SUI
nCtsnt 70 gain I've yards are, under the
present code, strong enough TO gain
xvtce that amount OF ground IN three
SQEuA
Ia the meantime Ghe question Of
whistler the game IS worth lives. goes
unanswered. II II IS worth ona, is Il
worth twenty + x