Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-10-30
Gossip of the.
SpOrtingWorld


{
Do you know that the football rule
makers framed section 6 of rule 10 to
beat Yost? Well, they did. Here 1T is;
If a player other than the snapper
back of the side in possession of the
ball makes a deliberate attempt, by a
false start. or otherwise, to draw the
opponents off sid, the ball if snapped,
shall not be regarded as in play or the
scrImmage as begun. Penalty-Loss Of
FIVE yards"
This rule put a crimp into a scheme
of Yost's which worked for four years
TO Michigan's advantage. For o
years the University of Chicago lost
points to Michigan-and then the rule
was invented.
Before the rule was framed Yost
taught the squat play to his teams,
and 1t was used against Chicago. Coach
Stagg didn't relish the play and OBJ
jected to 1t. Yost. not being a member
of the rules committee, didn't bother
his head, and Stage won. Now the
squat play is a dead one.
The play worked this way: When
Michigan needed -four yards on the
third down. in the days when Ave
yards alone were necessary in three
downs, it was sometimes mighty diff
cut to get the distance, especially
against Chicago.
Michigan needed the distance, and
the only way to get it was TO trick
Chicago into donating. The squat al
ways did the trick.
When the signal for the squat play"
was given, the Michigan men simply
Tented, as if they were about to start,
and the midway linesmen would break
through. Michigan'c centre would then
pass the ball. With Chicago off side
when the ball was passed, it meant a
ive-yard gain for the Wolverines.
It required a lot of work to perfect
the squat play" but 1t took four
years for Stage to tumble and stop II.
He didn't see a way to prevent those
gains for four years. He couldn't teach
his men to watch the ball. instead of
the opposing players, and had to seek
help in a rules committee meeting.
Rule Is, section 6, was inserted and
the famous squat play" passed into
the discard.
900
Here is a man SO years old, past the
stage accepted as the limit of athletic
Usefulness, and he starred. Surely the
one big surprise of the world series was
Davis.
Davis has shown up Connie Mack,
the wisest of baseball leaders, and the
best part of it is that Connie was
tickled over it.
When Mack realized that McInnis
would be unable to work he decided
that Claude Derrick would be the man
to play the initial bag. He felt salts
fed in his mind that the veteran Davis
would not fill the bill. Connie went so
far as to talk the matter over with
Collins. Barry, Baker, Coombs, Bender,
Thomas and the others, and informed
them of his plan to play Derrick in
case McInnis failed to round to.
The BOYS were doubtful about Der
rick, as he has not been accustomed
to playing the sack, and they did not
hesitate to tell their manager.
whats the matter with Davis?'
they all asked.
I'm afraid Harry is too much out
of condition and will not do" said the
Athletics leader. But I'll put 1t up
to him"
Connie tool the matter up with
Davis the following day. He said,
Harry. Little Mac will not be able to
play In the series, and | have decided
to play Derrick at first"
rs that so?" Davis replied. why,
Connie?'
simply because l think Claude can
beat you" Connie answered. you are
not i'll condition to play. The boys all
want you because of your experience,
but l am a little afraid to play you.
What do you think about it?"
why, there is nothing to it, Con-
ME- Davis replied. II can beat Der
rick or any one else We nave playing
first, except Little Mac. If McInnis
does not play l viii be in the big Sc
ries.
That was -four weeks ago. Davis was
overweight from his long idleness. His
muscles were soft and flabby. He has
been inactive for so long that he had
lost his eye at bat and afield. He
looked the veriest joke the first few
days he practised, but Davis had made
up his mind to play in the worlds Sc
ries and worked hard.
Finally Connie Mack was forced to
admit that Harry had rounded to-"
In all the games OF the series
Davis has played sensational ball, He
has been as frisky as a three-year-old.
And Connie grins every time he thinks
of how Davis showed him up.
900
As the result of his splendid showing