The Washington times., 1911-12-27
DO ONOTLOOK FOR
RADICAL CHANGES
By THOMAS KIRBY.

Deliberations Of vital intercst to foot
ball men are likely to result from the
annual scssions Of the Intercollegiate
Athletic Association, which will be held
at the Hotel Astor in New York tomor-
row.
That actual changes in the gridiron
rules will be made is rather improbable,
but 1t Is most likely that Il tentative
scope of proposed alterations will be
acted upon. AT a later meeting the COM
nlittec will finally pass upon these. and
those receiving favorable consideration
! will be- eAincorpnratsd- In the code which
will govern the sliott next autumn.
II seems safe to predict to,lay that
there will be but few radical changes.
While there are still several objection
allie features. the rules. on the whole,
have served their purpose and any Ct
fort to revolrtionize the game seems
destined to overwhelming defeat.
Is More Popular.
| With the general public. football Is
todav more popular than ever before IN
It's history. While coaches and players
clamor for a strengthening of the Of
fense, The thron2s ttat have steadily
Increased since the reforms of 1876 bear
evidence Of the feeling OF the country at
large toward the more open game. The
demand for tickets for the big games
in the North last fall we're without par
ullel. while the crowd that saw the
| Georsetown-V Virginia gel me in Washing
ton was b! far the greatest gathering
ever assembled for any form OF ath-
letics in this city. with the exception
Of hasebal, Reports from the South
indicate that the same Increased Interest
arxtA6 loo
| Players in the old school are pleading
| for heavier offense and greater scoring
| power, but the delegations from the
| institutions of the East, which, after
| all, make up the majority, OF the COM
| mittee, are not likely to agree to the
| return to any of the features, such as
objected to when the reforms were
forced on the rule maker six years ago.
Has Become Automatic.
| That two teams of even ability can
not score through regular attack has
become automatic, and to overcome this
condition will be one of the principal
problems affecting the board. The addi-
| tion of another down-four tries for ten
yards-has been suggested and is favor
ably received in many quarters, while
others believe that the distance to be
|
inside the scoring zone when the de-
secondary line in a section where there
is no great liability of attempts at for
ward passes or short kicks.
Another idea for increasing the Of
| fensiye power would be to remove some
of the details of the forward pass. This
| most spectacular of all modern innova-
tions is now SO closely surrounded by
| l,.ao otryn
paratively few cases. and is SO involved
that 1t is not as we'll understood by the
public as 1t should be.
No doubt, those of the central section
of the country will fight to keep the
game open. The progress in plays en-
couraged by the revised rules has been
more marked In the Middle West, one of
the highest tributes ever paid to football
in those parts being when leading uni
versities of the East sent men West to
remain for weeks to study the different
| formations by which the Westerners ad-
vanced the ball. The Minnesota shift.
for Instance, the most widely. copied
plan of advance, Is distinctly Western
product, having been conceived In the
fertile football mind Of Harry Williams.
star al Yale This play, while still in a
comparatively crude, shape, offers op-
portunities for refinement that are like
~ to make 1t conspicuous formation
for several seasons.
| should BE Charmed.
Tnat the whole rules should be comb
ed and clarified is Only too well under
stood by coaches. officials, and players
There are numerous conflicting clauses
while there are others that are almost
impossible to enforce,
In rule XIV there is case to the
point. II reads, III a player, Other
than the snapperback of the side In
possession of the ball makes a delib'
crate attempt. by false start or 9th
erwise, to draw the opponents f-side
the ball. IL snapped. shall not be re,
isarded rs In play or the serimmage Al