The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-26
CHANGES EXPECTED
IN FOOTBALL CODE
Efforts May Be Made TO
Tinker Rules to Suit
Separate Sections.

BOSTON. Nov B--It e. assumed that
the task OF revising the football rules
viii be intrUSted again 90 an amalga-
mated committee composed Of the rep
resentatives OF the Institutions admitted
originally TO the task Of rule making
namely Yale. Harvard. PennsyIvani
Princeton. Cornell. West Point, and An
apolis-added 10 seven representatives
chosen b. the intercollegiate A A. At
ITS meeting 10 be held Decembe- .
Last year This association so selected
rs representatives. thai Dartmouth.
chicago minnesota. Virginia Wander
bilt, OberliH. and HaverfOrd had voice
ana vote IN framing the rules OF 1910
The assumption that the rules for
next next season VII be framed by a com
mttee similarly constituted MAJ how
ever, prove erroneous. There Is consid-
cradle discussion IN favor OF forming
separate associations In the East V-est
ana south each section leEislst ting with
regard 70 The particular needs AMI de-
siTeS or its own territory. but viking
as mucn In harmony with the Other as
sOciatiOns as possible.
Accidents Are Reduced.
While the number OF serious accidents
occurring IN football has been reduced
from the total reached IN 1879. the list
Of injuries includes nine authenticated
cases Of death, with the Thanksgiving
Day games stiH 70 ne figured. The
Thanksgiving Day games increase the
total % accidents considerable as =. rule
because the ground IS either frozen hard
OF hawed until the footing Is unsafe.
VINE the teams ars frequently made I'd
3l -l@re-s Who are not IN proper con-
ciL1r 70 take <paTt in a nard game
The chicago paper which, in the IA
natical prejudice against football. an
uCaIy prints an alleged list OF dead and
wounded announces a total OF thirty
deaths for the -eason thus far. but. as
stated, the number OF deaths actually
&C urr1r,- and really due TO football to-
tails less than htiTd. I'D 70 date, Of the
number given by the paper.
Injuries Less Dangerous.
The probable character OF injuries has,
however, beer modified. With mass play
abolished and speed ST Jstituted for
weight, wrenches and twists tend 10 give
way to contact injuries involving frac-
tIred bones and bruises. Injuries of
this character are perhsos more readily
1laGnoSeC- Weld Zetter to treatment and
are less likely TO result IN perms Deur
nlLt fhan the wrenches, twists and pos
slhle internal injuries caused by mass
play.
Mass play was abolished BY the sim
pie means OF requiring that there must
be seven men on the line Of scrfmma.e
- - tll7-t t"St 2 SHOut1 De no pushing o.
puiiing OF me runner In this quite
the more important reform was the sew
en-Inen-on-the-iine Tuis- It would be
very possible 10 restore pushing and
pulling the runner to football without
setting ND mass play conditions bv re-
curing further that the seventeen
keep their regular positions IN the line.
The spirit OF the rule IS evaded when
coaches shift guards and tackles over
so that their heaviest men are ranged
side by side With the seven-Iine men
IN their proper positions, and ten Yards
10 gain IN three downs, the mass play
proposition would not seriously afTeCt
the character of The game, even with
pushing and pulling permitted, and one
OF the unenforceabie and revolutionary
rules OF the present code would have
aTfrr-f-7-A1d