Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-27
Centuries Old Is the Game of Football

The appearance Of the football rulos
for 1910 once more invites attention 70
the gridiron. True. six weeks must
elapsc before the moleskin suits come
forth from the lockers and the lines OF
lime are painted upon school and col
lcge swards. with the publication OF
the rules however, the season, really
opens, for with the rule book in hand
every strategic genius of the gridlrun
will furroW his brows in long and Ia
borlOus porting over each word and
some novel tactical evolution that next
November may bring victory. Football
essentially Is a game OF strategy, more
elastic and profound than chess, only
less elastic and profound than the tao.
tics Of actual war, says Parke II.
Davis in a recent article over his sig
nature. In the radical and revolution
AIRY revision OF the rules presented for
1910 football tacticiaus, players and
spectators viii nnd a new game.
Football In its time has encountered
many reforms, but footballs time in
deed Is long Five hundred years be-
fore the Christian era this game was
played at sparta under the name 81
harpa ston. Those who at times forget
that nothing Is new under the sun VIII
be surprised 10 learn that football "a
centuries ago was played upon a rect
angular field, marked with side lines,
goal lines and a center line. TWO play
ers. corresponding TO modern center
rushes took their positions at mldfield.
the one with the ball standing 10 yards
behind the line. At the signal 10 play
the hall was passed forward far down
the field and the game was In action.
The object was to drive the ball across
the opposite goal line and In accom-
plishing this the ball might be kicked,
a -. II
impeded by blocking, holding and
tackling. but the play was a prolonged
and disorderly scrimmage and scram-
BILE
HUMAN NATURE CHANGED.
When the Romans came in contact
with the Greeks and seized their novel
and admirable institutions they also
adopted this game, slightly Latnizing
the name to harpastum. The Romans,
however also had at this time Il foot
ball game of their own called follis,
but which was not so ingenious sport
as Its Grecian counterpart. The two
games existed side by side until about
Is B. G. II would seem that human
nature was no different then than IL Is
today. for among the first official acts
OF julius Caesar was a call for a re-
vision Of the football rules. But Au-
gustus's grievance was directed at the
gentleness Of the existing game.
which he considered too childish for
manly Roman youths. Accordingly a
committee OF philosophers was appoint
ed to make the reform The game
evolved by this. the original rules COM
mittee almost 1000 years ago. has been
preserved 20 football postcrity in the
writings Of julius PolluN. an Egyptian
sophist. who taught at Rome IN the
second century.
The players in the Augustan game
We're % In number upon each side, or
sanized IN the manner OF Roman mill
tsry tactics, the plan Of the game being
that Of a mimic battle. There were
IS forwards, Ave defensive backs. four
halfbacks and three fullbacks The
playing field was In the form Of a
rectangle provided with goal posts.
Scoring was accomplished bY kicking
or carrying the bail between the posts.
and two fouls such as driving the ball
goal Sides we're changed after each
score The game was called at sunset
and awarded by the six judges. three
FOR each side. to the team that had
scored the most goals. The partizans.
provided with banners and horns. sat
behind the goal posts AND paraded AT
the end Of the game, when custom re-