Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-04
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.

NEW YORK, Feb. (.
rOOTBALL doctors met here today
10 diagnose tho case of the
American collegiate sport and
decide upon a mean to cure the Ills
that are threatening its existence.
When the National football rules
committee met at the Murray Hill
Hotel the prospects were hat a pro-
longed session was ahead. as the need
tor drastic changes In the rules seemed
TO be generally recognized. and every
member of the committee had sug-
gestions that called for discussion.
1t was early apparent that a solution
of the problem of how to make the
game safer and at the same time keep
it the absorbing sport it a been for
years would not fail for. lack of ideas,
but the very multiplicity Of them
promised difficulty for the conferees.
That the fate of the game is in b
balance and that everything depends
upon the outcome of the committees
deliberations was believed to be fully
recognized. Accidents must be
miniinized and fatalities made prac-
tically impossible" was the way n
conferee put it. The indications were
that much attention would be given
the forward pass and some of the more
radical reforIners were intent on pre-
venting his particular play from be-
ing made 1.-THE goat in the demand for
q safer game. They declare that there
are other and grosser evils that only
liberal use of the surgeons knife upon
the body of the rules can remedy.
Parke II. Davis, who will represent
Princeton on meeting of the committee
that will revise football rules, said he
would advocate the following amend
ments:
To have the goal posts placed eight
feet back of the goal line. with arms
projecting to support the bar n its
uprights that will be over the goal line.
To have. in addition to the 15 min
utes intermission between the halves,
q rest of two minute following every
ten minutes of play.
A rule requiring that in every scrim-
mage there shall be seven men on tho
line and the three in the backfield at
least FIVE feet from the line.
l That no player on the team having
3 the ball shall be permitted to assist
: the man carrying the oval.
3 Instead of a forward pass or a quar-
terback run starting five yards from
the centre UI play, 10 ldVor hd"iu6
either play started from any point "a
prevent defense spreading.
A rule to prevent any person inter-
fering with the mar who is about to
take 4 forward pass.
That a gain of five yards instead OF
! ten will be sufficient for a first down
| when the ball is within the 25-yard line
: An arrangement to equalize the Of
foncn tuffh fna 6afpnGn and anontIr9U &c
J scoring more frequently.
The abolition of h kickoff and the
{ adoption of rules minimizing the dead
. ly tackles caused by n open game
, are the innovations in the football
q code fostered by DR.. H. L. Williams
c thletic director of the University o.
Minnesota, in a statement made hert
7 t day.
{ Stages pet suggestion at the Nev
= York sessions will be regarding thu
y forward pass. He will seek TO hav'
the rules surrounding this play changes
e in such a way as to make the pas
more popular.
1.-THE reason the forward pass SEEM
q to have increased the injuries is tina
1t has peer tempered with too much,
he said. 1.-THE rules for the las tw'
= years necessitate playing the men Il
such a way as to leave the tackles un
protected and thus invite mass play
the real cause of injuries"