The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-20
SAYS CHANGE IS
PURE NECESSITY
The Forward Pass Has Held
Sway Only BY Two
Votes

Princeton, N. j., Dec. 2%0-rarke Fl.
Davis. Princeton representative on TIN,
intercollegiate football rules commit.
tee, has contributed an article to tho
Alumni weekly in which he states
mat the onward pass has owed It's
me during the past two years to the
slender majority of two votes or tho
rules committee and points out mat
q chance in the present forward pass
rullng is a necessity.
under the head, 'The Forward
Pass and the Neutral Zonc,' Mr.. Du-
Wis says: Through the efforts of
James II. Moffat. 1900, who minutes
~ investigated each injury of that
season, precise and accurate data were
obtained by the committee to the cause
OF injuries. These Were: First, inter-
locked interfcrence; second, the recov-
cry or forward passes. and third, fly
ing tackles. Interlocked Interference
ana flying tackles easily We're met by
4 peremptory abolition OF these plays,
The subject of the forward passes,
however. engaged the committee for
ten days and for a large portion OF the
intervening nights.
The difficulty lay in the completely
OF the play which is not isolated Ike
Il 'iElns tackle or an interlockcd IN
reference, but is intermixed with 9TH
er plays. For instance. if end PUSHES
were injured ias many We're In 5000
while attempting to recover Il for
ward bass, 1t is eaS;' to say thai AN
end g"in&, down The field to recover
Il forward pass ought not to he block
ed: The query, however, Instantly
arises, as ii arose before the rules
committee, how is it to he known be-
fore the pass actually is delivered:
He may be going down the !ield to
cover Il punt or recovcr an onsidc
Kick or more important still, he may
be going down to interfere for IL run
following a fake forward pass.
THE only solution OF tho situatiol
therefore was The establishment of /:
zone within which offensive players
going down the field should not be
blocked, except where acting as in.
tcrferers in an attempt to advance tn,
ball by Il rush. Hence the forward
pass zone was established and fixed a
twenty yards. Now, what have bcel
the results? Injuries have been sur
prisinsly lcssened. At Princeton will
five times as many men playing foot
ball us baseball in 1911. the accident
on the sridiron Notwithstanding. hav,
been loss than those on the dia
mond. But football tactics hav
been re~volutionized. With tho al,oli
tion of intcrlocllcd interference, even
~ matched teams no longer can adj
vance the ball by rushing plays in
series Of first downs and with tn
establishment of the five and twent
yard restrictions upon the forwar
pass the game has become so som
!. persons alle:c, intplerably complicat
! ed.
The rushing game can he recstat
, lished simply by increasing the mum
, Der of downs or by decreasing tn
:. yardaSe but with this change mus
l also return the continuous line pound
ing attack. The solution OF the prob
: lem Of the complicated forward pas
conditions has not been suggested. Tn
play has owed its being during IL,
l past two years to The slender major
ity of two votes on the rules commit
; tee. a new composition or Il me-
alignment of the committee Of 191
) quickly and easily may remove til
problem of the forward pass heSon
the necessity of further considern
tin,,