The Washington herald., 1911-09-20
FOR WARD PASS IS
AGAIN LOOMING BIG
New Football Rules Provide
Greater Possibilities.
WORK OF LINEsMEN EASIER
Less Punishment for the Defensive.
Men-0nSidc Kick Is Greatly
Handicapped and short Passes
May Be Tried by Big College
TeamS-Other News of Changes.

Friends and advocates of tie forward
pass in football say that this coming
season will reveal beautiful possibilities
in the use of the play. the opponents
Iof which consider has ruined the old
fashioned game Of football Penalties for
unsuccessful forward passes and risks in
volved in using the play have been re-
duced very considerably by rule An
!ncompleted forward pass. one which hits
the ground untouched or flies out of the
@N-yard zone beyond the sCrmmaEe un-
touched. no longer costs cr0und to the
team mixing il. II costs a down merely,
the ball going hack to the point from
which il was snapped instead OF to the
point from which the pass was launched
Moreover. If the forward pass IS FUN
blcd 10y the players Of either side so
that tho ball strikes the ground, the
referee blows his whistle and the rul-
ing is the same as in the case Of an
iucOmpleted forward pass. a PLAYER
need not fear To- jump for the ball be-
cause he may not he able to catch il.
If he touches 1t without catching, the
worst that can happen is that an OPP
pOnent may seize it before it strikes
the ground.
Play May BE n Boomerang.
There is risk enough in this, and the
play is likely still 10 prove a terrific
boomerang to the teams relying on il.
but the rules committee could hardly
have gone further in giving opportunity
to use the forward pass safely unless
hy making it possible to fair-catch the
pass. as some Of the members of the
committee actually advocated
That football has been "softened." few
who witnessed, for instance, the Har-
vard-Yalc game of last fail believe for
an instant. The game has been radically
changed. but whether or not it has been
improved depends on ones personal taste.
while the question of greater safety for
players is an open one still.
Defensive linesmen have less punish
mcnt to endure, thanks to the abolition
Of pulling and hauling and interIocked
Interference, but the burdens of the back
field men have been so Increased that
one set of backs, or even two. are no
longer sufficient for any team, giving
to the teams which can develop the
longest and strongest second string a
decided advantage.
The rule of resubstitution of players
in fact is designed TO make it possible
to use a large number of men in a game
thus making the position of the larger
colleges more secure in the long run
But as football is game played not by
the Big Four alone, but by thousands
of teams all over the country, 1t remains
to be seen whether the legislation so
far obtainable is or is not designed to
promote the greatest good for the great
est number.
Many teams will endeavor to work up
a system of Offense depending on short,
quick passes, feature of the new game
not hitherto found much in evidence
despite predictions that such plays would
be facilitated by successive alterations
in the rules.
Onside Kick Handicapped.
Systems of attack involving deception
as to the actual point Of assault so
that defensive players are drawn slight
ly out of position and are not fully
to meet it. will be worked out
and elaborated, but while some inter-
esting developments may be expected. |
the tendency will be for the defense TO |
get the better of any direct attack, |
which should not be able to prevail |
under present conditions of 10 yards to |
gain in three attempts
The onside kick, as a dependable means
Of making ground, has been fatally ham
iicapped by the rules, yet games win be |
won or lost by means OF 1t, and these
victories and defeats will come to be in
,luded in the category OF fiukes AL
Nretched punt often makes the most tell |
ng of onside kicks.
The ''phony" rules of last year. which |
we're supposed to protect the recipient |
II a forward pass from being bumped |
severely when he was In no position to !