Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-30
RULES ARE GOOD
SO Think Many Western Foot
Ball Men.
EASTERN DEFENSE BETTER
Westerners Believe They Have De.
veloped q More Versatile Of.
tense Than East Has.

NEW YORK, November 30-From some
quarters OF the west this autumn there
is demand that the foot bail rules he
left as they are Curiously enough. this
appears to be based on the belief that the
attack In the west Is diversified enough
to counterbalance the efforts Of tho de-
Tense. II not openly stated. It IL openly
| intimated that the foot bali elevens Of the
| eastern varsities are not SO versatile in
advancing the ball as are the elevens OF
| the west.
1t Is quite true that it has not been
possible for eastern foot bail critics anu
students of the game to witness t.le con-
| tests which have taken place between the
western universities this seas n, bu it is
safe to say that unless western foot ball
has improved beyond all standards Of
other years the fallacy Of the we ten
argument. as regards the abilty Of the
eastern elevens. lies In the fact that ue-
tense in foot ball Is not and never las
been SO strong In the vast as 1t has been
In the east.
1t has been within the province Of the
writer's observation that western foot
ball players who were successful aud who
were fairly well grounded in many OF the
essentials Of the game. who came east to
take postgraduate courses or who left
western preparatory schools. where they
pies, were taken decidedly aback when
they essayed foot ball in the east and
found how much more systematic and
with what wider scope of defense the
game was played In the east.
Plays Of Attack
There is the greatest difference between
eastern and western foot bail. It is not
such q stupendous task to arrange vari-
0l,c hi inn 1,.,w nt, fNo hal
may be advanced. There are plenty Of
coaches who show their skill in that di-
rection.
be prepared for anything and which pre-
vents the advancement of the ball, no
matter from what quarter it may come,
or which, If ii Is unable to prevent the
advance OF the ball because of physical
weakness. at least possesses the intelli-
gence to be at the right place at the right
time is what the eastern coaches do season
after season, and that is why a superior
defensive system has proved that the
game Of 1911 is not a perfectly balanced
sport.
1t Is easy to say that Minnesota or Wis.,
consin or Chicago or some other western
university Of importance has a repertoire
Of trick plays and strategic nlaneuvers
learned. and that this varied knowledge
would give one Of these elevens marked
advantage in . game with Yale. Prince
ton or Harvard, but It has been the gen.
eral rule in most Of the foot ball which
the writer has seen In the west that none
would gain q first down against one OF
the eastern eievens which has been
named
The principal lack Of information which
is possessed in the west. is in regard to
the supreme strength OF the eastern
elevens in playing on defense.
One Instance.
Not so very long ago one OF the pitnci-
pal varsity teams Of the west undertook
to play an eleven which was largely COM
posed Of players who had graduated from
the eastern universities. The western col
lege men were good players. They had a
quiet laugh among themselves as to the
ease with which they would beat the Dad
teiIows.
The old fellows did not expect 20 win
the game. because most Of them never
had Played together. inere were two
iaIe men on tH:s team. One Of: those
Yale men had onte been Yale foot BAH
,aptain. The contest took pace. 1t re-
suited in a tie, end the western college
was lucky that 1t got Off so easily.
The western boys coulo only now and
then get the bail beyond the sturdy de-
Tense OF those old fellows who had the
0seeS~S
east True, the Cd fellows weren't much
In advancing the paii themselves, for they
were out OF practice. and not all in the
best Of training. but their perfect knowl-
.oiiege men kept the latter in despair.
one OF the college men was tackled BY
q former Yale payer. The latter grasped
him about the waist In true Yaie fashion
and seated hum softly on the ground. The
college men looked up and sad: IF We
could do that Minnesota could not win a
game from as In twenty years"
uh>-a n>fanao Would Shaw