The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1911-10-06

= sary five yards behind the scrimmage
line
Protection for Players.
In the code of 1910 the players on
the attacking side, following the for
ward pass, were projected by the rule
prohibiting interference with the man
who was to catch the ball within the
twenty-yard zone, in which the pass
was legal The player who caught
the ball within the required limit
could not be tackled unless he had ia
ken at least one step forward after
making the catch.
That rule kept everybody in hot wa
ter all of the year. 1t was next to
impossible for a man to catch a for
ward pass without making a step and
frequently he would claim that he
had not stepped purposely, but was
merely trying to retain his balance.
The rule has been changed so that
this year when player catches
stopped as one is tackled when catch
ing a punt.
The sections Of the code which gov
ern this play are az follows:
ANY player of the side that did not
make the forward pass has full right |
to touch and to attempt to secure pos
session of the ball.
when the ball has been legally |
passed forward and has been legally
touched before striking the ground by
any player of the side not making the
pass, any player of either side has
the right to attempt to secure posses
sion of the ball.
That simplifies matters a great deal
There will be an end to discussion and
this year. A forward pass
Is to be handled and to be looked after
as if it were punt, and if it is a play
Of the game that is as good for foot
oall as some football solons seem to
believe there is no reason why it l
should be privileged against other I
days. 7
Very Important. +
In connection with this rule, how v
yer, attention must be called to the :,
act that a forward pass which strikes
he ground whether a player has
ouched it or not, is dead at once.
Note carefully the wording of this "
ectiOn: J.
IF the ball, after having been legal i,
7 passed forward, strikes the ground
'ithin the field of play, either before r.
r after having been touched by n,
layer of either side, the pass shall not w
2 considered as completed" si
This rule plainly defines that there
no necessity for all or any of the in
ayers to jump into a free-for-all M
to get the ball, because it is
lad the moment that it hits the turf. :
That looks like legislation for the =
Jung and growing football players.
is safe to say that it will do away \
It'll great deal of the minor injury
1ich falls to the younger generation
players, for unquestionably one of
, principal pleasures of a small boys
e is to mix in a ''pile up" on foot
II field whenever opportunity offers
one.
The rule in reference to the players
the attacking side who may re- Da
We the forward pass has not been in
anged. 1t reads as follows: so,
After the ball has been legally pass /,
forward it may first be touched only '0
such players of the passer's side CIT
were at the time the ball was put pat
play at least one yard behind the the
3 of scrimmage or were playing at to
Ter end of the said line"
f any players of the side making
forward pass who is ineligible to Fly
GIVE the pass, touches the ball it is Del
illegal pass and the ball is dead cou
he time which elapses for the in the
MISSIONS between the first and sec sen
pcllOuS duu CIc IuIIu dIlu lOuTIu
been cut down to two minutes. tne
players, instead of standing orlt
Ind in the chill huddled in their the
lkets, will have about time to levy
from one side of the field to the eau
II and take up their new positions. Jud
My three men, instead of five, may as
< along the side lines during the Ada
e. The linesman may be called ques
I to judge the question of offside rled
instead Of the umpire. The umpire dete
becomes the official timekeeper III
lad of the field Judge stan
hen the runner is tackled after the oltlo
'ee's whistle has announced that ooo'
,all is dead the offending team will scho
to stand penalty, and that is -
~ good ruling, for it is sad to say
there have been players who
ed to delight in roughing it when In II
, was no occasion for them to do Di.
fpr