Evening journal., 1910-08-25
Under New Rules, Their
Work Will be As Siren
uous As Coaches and
Players

Players
On all sides II is admitted that this
year will be a trying one on the foot 4
ball officials, and that their work viii |
be as strenuous as that of anybody
connected with the game mike"
Thompson, who has acted as referee I
In as many of the so-called big games |
as any other man In the country, and |
who, aside from his professional dut- |
les at Washington College, looks after
the football interests OF the students
there, AFTER careful reading of the
rules admits that the path OF the Off
clal this season Is not be one strewn
with roses Mr.. Thompson says
THE long-looked-for, football guide
has appeared. and by This time has
been pretty thoroughly thumbed over
by every follower OF the gridiron In
the country. There Is no doubt that
everyone interested In the great game
expected some changes TO be made.
Never In the history OF the game has
Il taken the rules committee so long
co decide upon the laws TO govern II
as this year. After last season there
was such a cry throughout the coun-
try that for while It looked as II it
would be a difficult matter to get any
one to act on the rules committee.
These men we're pestered with oil
kinds of suggested changes.
"'rhe committee Is made up of men
who have had a great deal OF expe-
rience In football. and no one realized
more than themselves the proposition
they had to handle The one point that
seemed to be the bone OF contention
was to 30 arrange the rules 80 as to
lessen the number OF injuries. From
the appearance OF the newly CARRIED
rules Il looks as though the COM
mittee has tried hard to do this. The
one rule changed that will help this
along more than any other is that re-
lating to pushing and pulling a play
err through the line on mass play.
Many We're Injured.
There is no doubt that more play
ers were injured in this style OF play
than in any other. II was not 80
much the man carrying the ball going
through the line being In danger, but
the manner In which some teams we're
coached In line plays to keep the
man with the ball on his feet and
hike him along. In this play the
officials we're powerless, as they could
do nothing until the forward progress
OF the ball was stopped. The result
was in a number OF cases that %
} players we're all together. and when
, the play did stop, considering the POI
1 sitions that the men were in, II is re-
b markabel that the men were in, Il II
e remarkable that the list OF injuries
y was not greater.
: "In this sort OF play the men hal
I ltftln ar NJ nnnnna n aFntont them
Is selves. and when they fell In a hea
is they were all doubled up and hu
to depend upon the officials to unlot
the pile quickly. The change in tn
he rule In doing away with all this pu
mt ing and hiking Is bound 10 work
as big Improvement
IRE ''The rest Of the changes will
Use quire time 70 prove their worth. T
n forward pass and side kick. still l
by tanned with some modification. "
give the coaches food for liti
nd thought. The penaity for an uncoI
ms pleted forward pass has also be-
rs changed, and instead OF making q
81 penalty loss OF Is yards as last yei
en- the ball is brought back where q
re play was made and the play goes Z
&c a down. This seems TO be a god rul
20 rs the spectators became uneasy y
~ seeing the officials continually mari
IN ing of yards. The penalty SCENE
o. SO great that the players would nc
4 take a chance with this play. All tn
J. teams last year had number OF for
B. ward passes I'm their list of plays
but It was never understood how few
were used IN games. Hours wer'
spent on the practice field trying 4
perfect these plays and In a grea
K, many cases we're so arranged tina
they could be we'll executed. But az
ter one or two tries and failures in I
% game Il seemed the 15-yard penalt.
r took the ginger out of the captainl
l. and they would not try again.
2 VIII See More Open Plays.
m The rule this year will. no doubt
assist in seeing more of this opel
ID style of play. The rules in genera
y look like a safer game. From pres
ID ent indications the game will b. Yer
+, much open. and number OF oppor
IN tunities are given the coaches )r ne'
plays.
From an official standpoint the me-
rules would make It appear that To
work will be hard Il always ha
been hard. and the officials burde
has not been lessened by the change
g. A great deal will rest with the judge
w OF the game this year on how thes
% changes will work out. The first fe
90 games will be watched with great II
y terest and the men to whose lot
- will fall to do these games Will, !
~ doubt, be looked over pretty car
W fully. For my part I think the rul'
10 are all right and should be given
10 thorough tryout before judgment
- passed. II takes a long time after
set of rules are changed for q
coaches 20 accustom themselves an
get some system OF work The
- will be more interest in the game III
en year than ever before. and there
no doubt that football will renal
" as II always has been. the greatest
- college sports"
Mr.. Thompson is not much smitt
=, with the rule dividing the game I'M
- periods OF Is minutes each. He b.
lieves The average football spectat'