Omaha daily bee., 1911-10-01
QUARTER HOLDS The KEY
There Will Be Plenty of Back Play
in Big Contests This Season.
EXPERTS DOPE IS ALL WRONG
They Declared that Quarterback
Play Would Go Out of Exist
ence, but II IL a. Much In
Practice as Ever.

NEW YORK, Sept. SO-There is nothing
on the foot ball field so attractive as
high-class quarterback play, and there
will be plenty Of 1t this season. Yale has
In Arthur Howe, the captain, one of the
best quarters since De Saulles; Harvard
has a promising man in Potter, the base
ball player Brown has a star OF the
first magnitude in Sprackling, and there
are many others who will get the most
out of the position. Before the season
opened last year there were many follow
ers OF the game, and some of them were
old varsity men, who said that the day
of the quarter has passed, and that all
plays thereafter would be made from the
direct pass from center. Most of the
men who took this view were forwards,
for any back knows that he cannot hit
the line or pick a quick opening with the
ball slammed at him from the center. 1t
has been tried and It has failed dismally.
The quarter, as IL turned out, was just
as important last season as he ever was
In the history of the game. The same
will be true this season.
While In many plays 1t 10 necessary
that the quarter handle the ball, and
while his forward passing and sometimes
his kicking are brilliant features of his
play, Il is his generalship that makes him
indispensable. that makes him the real
key to the game Foot ball requires that
the man who has to do the most daring
things with the ball must also be the
brains OF the game. His responsibilities
are heavy--all other things being equal.
he wins or loses the game.
Now, every good quarter goes into a
game with definite instructions. II he
follows these instructions and wins he Is
q perfect man for the place-if he violates
them and wins he is a genius; II he vio-
lAtes them and loses no censure is too
severe. Certain plays are forbidden in
certain zones. and II the quarter disre-
CARDS the generalship laid out for him
he must get away with it, Hyatt. the
army quarter, violated instructions in the
Yale game last year, and made II go"
Later the cadets tackled Harvard, and as
Hyatt had been injured, the team was run
by another man from the fullback post
ton. Things promptly went wrong The
same system Of generalship was in force,
the same plays forbidden in certain zones.
One OF these plays was particularly
clever onside kick that had worried Yale,
and the new field general was over
anxious 20 use Il. He called for Il in the
forbidden zone. The army coaches on
the side grosnsd, but they could do
nothing
The passing was done Just as sharply
and accurately as in the Yale game, but
the Crimson team was on the Lookout
the kick was blocked and Harvard scoSed
the only touchdown Of the game. II M
play had been made in the zone 1ro
vided for IL, Il might not have been ef
fectlve, and the kick might even Law,
been blocked, as Harvard had made kpe
cial preparation for H. but Il is imkroh
able that the Crimson would have sIore,
a touchdown. II was plain case ID VIC
lation OF generalship, resulting inI dis
aster. The man who gave the signal
had not the genius OF Hyatt. ana coIhldn'
afford TO tamper with the scheme II play
The quarters named. who will be o
the field this year, are not the tyTle the
fools with the business end OF the IKeneI
alship without making Il go" dnd Il
; that reason the play In the big game
will be OF absorbing interest The ne