The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-11
FOOTBALL RULES
NEARLY RIGH
CONTINUED From First Pngc,)

ten yards within the twenty-five yard
line, which apparently majority OF
players deny, the perennial problem
of the relative value of place kick
with a drop-kick and Of any held goal
with touchdown. the prevention OF
the privilege of making subsututions
from abuse By using It for purposes OF
side-lne coaching, tho ancient proposi-
ton of limiting the positions to bs
assumed by players on defense, and
the query rs to the fairness of locat-
ing the kick-off at midheld instead OF
on the thirty.flve yard line, thereby
Immediately placing q team on defense
within the shadow of its own goa
posts not through inequality In play,
but through the fit of a coin, may be
expected to rise at least for debate
and discussion.
Many suggestions appear here and
there for interesting additions to this
game, but intercollegiate football has
reached the limit OF expansion. A game 4
whose patronage ] 8 So great that seat
ing capacity cannot be provided and
tickets of admission become subjects
for brokerage and broken hearts, sure
ly needs no further spectacular fca-
lures. What football needs Is the per-
lection of its details, a simplification
of it's rules and prolonged period of
stability and rest for its code.
Easy to Kennedy Mistakes.
The perfection of the games details
is not difficult. Leisure study of the
rules which time denied the committee
last spring, together with the tests
and strain of actual play. has dis |
closed deficiencies gambiguities and
some contradictions in the rules. These
easily are remedied. hut their presence |
should prompt the members of the |
committee, for 1871 to assemble early |
in order that the subject may receive |
the deliberate attention that II re- |
qures Simpli1ica ton. of the rules
which. of course, carries with 1t simpli-
fication OF play may be accomplished
by elimination of questionable restric- |
tons with zones and imaginary lines, I
and the creation of a distinction be- |
tween a foul which involves an ele-
nent OF Wilfulness, and fault which !
Is merely a misplay, as for instance, |.
an incompleted forward pass. thus |
making possible diminution of fouls |
and an equalization of penalties.
stability imperative.
AS for stability of the rules, the !
time has arrived when this has become
impera tive. For thirty-seven years
T.
perimenting with this sport, and dur
ing this time players and public pa
ttently have been unlearning one game
in order to learn another. While foot
ball was confined to a college follow
ing its changeableness was not a SER
ious fault To-day the game is play
ed by school boys, sailors. youths of
leisure and young men of business as
well as by colleRians 1t is watched
by men and women of every branch Of !
society to an extent that has won for
1T the facetous title of THE greatest
show on earth" In such field OF ma
tionality the want of permanence cas-
fly may become a nuisance
Change Rules-ChanEc Conditions.
Changes in the rules. however, in |,
<ariably have Followed changes in /
plying conditions. 1t is the coaches
and players who make the conditions
Therefore it is the players who are
responsible for the most freouen.
criticism directed at the game the past
:. season that there are too many Of
ficials and too much officiating by the
officials. If the players do not COM
nit fouls officials will not interfere by
applying penalties. A distinguished
analyst at Princeton attributes the +
failure of the Orange to defeat Yale to
the application of a penalty, and an
equally distinguished analyst at Har-
ward goes a step farther by assigning
the Crimson's inability to accomplish
the same object to an indiscreet appli-
cation of penalty.
The part which fouls and penalties
have played during the past season in
exasperating spectators and forcing
back the players may be realized by
glance at tabulation Of the sub
ject in few OF our major games:
Fouls Penalties
Army VS.. Navy. ......... 12 1875 yds.
Cornell VS.. Penn. "a 204 yds.
Harvard VS.. Yale........ IL 100 yds.
Lafayette VS.. Penn.... SIS yds.
Michigan vs.t:Penn..,.... 100 yds.
Mich vs. Aunnesota..... 10 yds.
Princeton We. Yale..... 125 yds.
Fouls Not Intended.
There was a time in the history Of
this game when the penalty for an in
tentional foul such as oR-side play
was disqualification. There also was
time when coaches strived to the ut
most Of their strategic studies to win
by tactical formations that evaded the
rules in spirit II not in letter, and
taught their players to thwart officials
ana outplay their opponents by se-
cretly holding and other methods Of
sharp but forbidden play. To-day 1t
may be asserted generally that fouls
are the result of impulsiveness and an
excess of zeal rather than of wilfm
play, Nevertheless the time has ar
rived when the ideals Of sportmanship
demand that no evasion or disregard
Of the spirit of playing rules shall be
considered other than dishonorab BILE,
and that the Communicates af ,,.;ye.,,