The Washington times., 1911-02-03
FOOTBALL EXPERTS
,TODISCUSS RULES
National Committee Assemblies In New York for Annual
Session-Radical Revision Not Looked For, and
Code Will Likely Be Further Tested
By THOMAS KIRBY.

Football solons from all sections will
gather in New York today to open their
annual deliberations on the gridiron
code.
For the past two years the work OF
the national committee extended over
such a prolonged space of time that IT
was midsummer before the rules were
ready for presentation, but the indica-
tions now are that there be little delay
this year.
That there will be no radical revisions
or revolutionary changes seems to be
well assured. That the rules are still
far from perfection is known, but the
conviction of those who followed the
game in critical way last fall, is that
the rules should be allowed to remain
as near intact as possible in order that
the coaches may be able to refine some
Of the ideas that were presented in
rather incomplete form last autumn.
Board Evenly Divided.
SO far as is known, the board appears
to be equally divided on the question
of the retention or rejection of the
clause forbidding flying tackles. There
was a tacit understanding among many
officials and coaches last season that
only the most fragrant violations of
this rule would receive consideration
with the result that penalties for this
i!fracIon of the regulations are de-
cidly few.
Football men realized that players,
who were taught the lessons of the
old school OF tackling, which called for
man 10 leave his feet in stopping a
runner, would be under a severe handi-
cap, and for that reason little atten-
ton was paid to the prohibition of div
ing tackles.
OF all the apparently useless clauses
in the rules, the one which appeared
to be the worst was the limitation of
the forward pass to twenty yards and
the requirement that all kicks go that
distance before being recovered, unless
touched by an opponent.
The rule was a source of endless
worry to officials, and did much to dis
courage strategic offensive play, while
the rule compelling a man starting a
iorWard pass or -punting to be five
was as much of a dead letter as was
the rule covering illegal tacklinE.
Ihat these two rules should be
wiped out appears to be the consensus
OF opinion of those who have the
making of the code.
Defense Overlaps offense.
The chief fault in the game now is
that the defense is entirely too strong
for the offense. In midfield the COM
parison Is not so marked, but once the
teams approach the goal line. it is
impossible for a team to
gain ground unless the eleven on the
attack is much stronger than the
players defending the goal
Upheld the secondary defense is so
spread out, in anticipation of for
ward passes and short kicks, that the
line is more vulnerable. but as the
goal is approached and the backs
,ome up to re-enforce the forwards.
IN unasSisted runner finds it most
iiffcult to advance the ball.
At most of the larger universities
the shifting of the defense. from a
wide open affair to more concentrated
'orm, took place at the 25-yard line,
DR. thereabout. When this point was
reached the center moved up, the
guards and tackles PLAYED closer and
The backs changed to almost the same
relative position as they formerly oc-
,upied before the introduction of the
forward pass.
At New Haven the idea was con-
ceived that, despite the amount of
chance entering into the completion
# a forward pass, this modern play
should be easiest to execute when
within scoring distance. 1t will be
that in the Princeton game,
after Yale's forward march had been
by the Tigers close align