The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-13
CAMP EXPLA ms
FOOTBALL RULES.
Forward Pass Will Constitute
Chief Difficulty to Side Line
Spectator.

In the October Outing Walter Camp
discusses the new football primarily
from tho standpoint of the spectator.
The chief difficulty in following the
game from the side lines. he antici-
pates. will be in the case of the for
ward pass. There the spectator must
see whether the man making the pass
is at least five yards back of the scrim-
mage line and the backfield--eXcept
the two ends-at least one yard back.
Incidentally he must determine wheth-
er the bail goes over twenty yards past
the scrmmage line, which is the out
side limit of the forward pass. Inter-
csting points to bear in mind are the
prohibition of the defensive players
against interfering with offensive
players who have passed the line OF
been caught, or, in case of kick, un-
till the offensive player has advanced
twenty yards into the territory of the
defense. The man making tackle
must have at least one foot on the
ground. The runner with the ball
must not be pushed or aided in any
way by his teammates
In brief. if the spectator expects to
understand what Is happening on tho
field, nearly every play has fine shad-
ing of restriction which must be care
fully watched. AS to the developments
of the play under the new rules. Mr..
Camp says:
Needs Brains and Agility.
practically the new rules Will put
n premium upon the active and agrees
sive back. But 1t will not do to rely
so much upon this as to forget the
fact that without the pushing and pull
to become exhausted in about half the
time he would tire when he had the
assistance of others to drag him along
and save him from hard falls. Hence
-sNG,. \, H. n =
bank entirely upon featherweights or
sprinters pure and simple. The same
is true. in a measure. in the selection
of linemen. Here. once more, n really
good big man will probably be better
than good little man. but brains and
agility are so essential that some
weight may be sacrificed for these adj
vantages. 1t will hardly be necessary
to secure star ends as 1t was Of old,
because the new end now coming down
under q kick has such protection for
twenty yards that even the average
second-rate player will be able to get
that far whereas under the old rules
it took a great deal Of the cleverest
kicks OF his back, especially where
one two, or more men We're put on
him to watch him.
VIII Mean kicking Game.
ITO start at the. basic principle,
every team must, under the new rules.
be possessed of fairly good kicking
game, for that is the last reliance when
other moves fail. and team certainly
must be able to push it's opponents
back up the field by means of a kick
when they find themselves In Difficult
ties. 1t is equally true, however, that
the teams must find out how the rules
are going to be Interpreted and what
the officials are going to rule on, be-
fore they can consistently develop
their plays.
There are SO many additional things
for the officials to watch that it seems
almost an impossibility for any man
to keep the position to the satisfaction
of himself and others. The danger of
this situation is that the officials may
ignore certain of the rules, only watch
ing for the infractions which seem to
them TO be of the greatest import.
This will result in most complicated
condition of affairs. because teams may
play under one official one week and
another the next, and unless all the
officials cover all the rules, and cover
them alike, there is no telling what
the results will be-"