The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-02

rslsgated 10 The waste basket.
On the other hand if IL Is able 10
withstand this year and prove of use. 1t
may become "A fixture after It's stormy
effort to break permanently into the
game.
Still another restriction in the rules
makes il impossible for players VINO put
the bell in play after they have crossed
The scrImmage limo to interfere with
caught by player OF either side beyond
tho line OF scrmmage-except as bona
fde interferers in an attempt To advance
the bali by rush in an actual attempt
70 catch a forward pass. or until they
have passed twenty yards beyond the
line OF scrimmage. Then they may use
their hands or arms to push opponents
out OF the way i'll order 10 get at the
ball or the man carrying IT, No player
shall he considered as having passed the
line OF scrimmage until he has actually
got by opponents who arc on the linc OF
defensive scrimmase. That will also keep
the officials busy.
which did not put the ball in play are
not TO interfere with their opponents
after they neye crossed the flne OF scrim-
mage until the ball has been caught by
player OF either side beyond the line
scri,nmage, with exactly the same ex-
ceptions noted as apply 10 the attacking
side. II these regulations cannot make
peace for the forward pass, there Is no
peace for il.
Favor the Running Start.
One OF the objections TO The new rules
Is that in making the forward pass the
man throwing the ball must start i.
Eve yards back Of the line Of scrImmage
Western football authorities Insist that
II Will entirely change their style OF
game, rs they have been teaching their
players 10 run as far as they could Wit:
the ball and then shoot it,
They must moi forget that when tho
player with the ball threw il forward he
did Sc with far less protection for ths
catch tiian is in evidence now. To offset
thn better protection the throw was
started behind the line. To be frank. tie
forward pass. as it has been regulated by
changed from a punt, with n consequent
fair catch, except that in certain limi-
tations II is possible for anv player of
either team to obtain possession OF the
bail.
Had the Same amount of protection
been given 10 the man who catches the
ball, and the rule still have been IN effect
that the player throwing the bali could
throw 1t from any position which he
could secure by his own efforts, the si6e
IN possession OF the hall would have been
given such advantage that i'll the case
OF teams playing, where the strength Of
one was greatly superior 10 that OF the
other. Two or three speedy runners would
have been able to score almost AT Will
and probably until they would have been
too tired to so further.
AlonZo Stagc. instructor at the Uni
versity OF Chicago. who was sufficiently
Interested in the game To take a team
south last year and experiment on pos
sihle changes in the line. thinks it would
have been even moro judicious IL the
rules committee had modified the reStric
tons in regard 10 the forward pass.
II have come TO the conclusion, said
he. after the experience j had with my
players, that il would have been better
IN the rule. which now says that only
q. PLAYER receiving the forward pass can
recover il from tumble among the men
on his side should have read that any
player on either side could recover. Such
n plaY would have made the game much
more interesting and decidedly faster.
and after the rules have been tried this
year and there has been opportunity TO
abserve their workings IL is possible that
another season viii find notifications
made along these lines"
All i'll the Future.
Whether the value Of the forward pass
has been increased to any extent by the
changes which nave been made is an
effect which has vet TO be worked out.
Il had heen considered 10 be play more
OF final resort than good football by some
eleVens. BY others il had been used AS
play Of strategy. Some teams would
final down and others would try It on
the second down. Where a team had
some specially prepared formation and
good players TO put IT into effect and
wcre playing against other players who
were not familiar with their style OF
team work, the forward pass gained
ground.
When il was used as the last play with
which to try to fool the defense IL fire.
auently gained as rucn ground as when
II was attempted with studied effort to
fool adversaries in earlier downs.
When the side in possession of the ball
pass IL need not of necessity divulge it's
plan to the defending side. The backs
need not be out OF place. If the quarter
back Is a yard behind the snapper back