The Calumet news., 1911-12-01
TO TINKER With
FOOTBALL RULES
PRESENT SEASON HAS BEEN UN
SATISFACTORY ONE FROM
STANDPOINT OF MANY
ENTHUSIASTS.

New York, Dec. Football experts
at the college clubs here, their num-
ber including several of the official
rule makers. are pretty well agreed
that some radical changes I'm the rules
win be necessary before the next sea-
son. The chief clamor for reform is
a demand for plays which win allow
more scoring. Possibly this relief will
be found by returning to a 5-yard
gain for first down inside the 25-yard
line, by increasing the number of
downs allowed to gain 10 yards to four,
or by allowing first down Otter a Z
instead of a 10-yard gain.
The Army-Navy game showed little
football except kicking Daltons toe
carried the day. Yale and Harvard
dabbled with all the wrinkles of the
new game, but had TO resort to kicking.
This constant punting becomes very
monotonous to the spectator. II has
entirely changed the complexion of
American football. The punt was
originally put into the game not as
a feature play, but as a last resort
when the ball could be carried no fur
ther by the players Under the pres
ent rules the kick is the main thing
and the game becomes a kicking con-
test between two men. with the chance
OF picking up a tumble the chief re-
lance for touchdowns scoring.
Touchdowns, It is pointed out. are
more satisfactory than field goals; they
are what the players and spectators
would rather see. They represent more
football skill, more team skill and
more actual football ability.
review of the seasons record Of a
dozen football games showed no less
than n dozen tied games. six of which
were scoreless ties. Princeton. which
lays claim to the Big Four champion
ship, tied with Lehigh and Navy and
won from Harvard. Dartmouth and
Yale by a margin of not over three
points each. Navq, in addition to a
scoreless tie with Princeton, also play
ed scoreless games with Penn State and
Western Reserve. and its defeat of
Army was but to victory. Army
dlSp tlth btpl SSboNH III a. SUI 'i'S'
game.
Harvard and Yale played without
result in the attempt to settle ancient
rivalry and the inter-sectional con-
test between Michigan and Syracuse
and the wisconsin Minnesota game, a
crucial one in the west, also were
without decisions.
What is wanted and what all the
colleges will demand of the rulemak-
ers this winter is a game which will
not further increase the risk Of in
juries. but which will beget some de-
gree of finality i'm advancing the ball.
Walter Camp, Yale's chief athletic
adviser, says:
"There will undoubtedly be changes
i'm the rules. shall recommend
changes which will make scoring sim
pier and touchdowns easier. | am GO
ing over the whole situation. There are
many things to be considered and I
am not prepared TO explain in detail
the definite changes I have in mind at
present"
DR. Carl s. Williams, the Pennsyl
vania advisory coach, agrees with
Haughton Of Harvard and Foster San
ford of Yale that the new rules have
robbed the game of much Of its inter
st. DIR. williams adds: 81 favor n
return in the style Of game played in
$50 and 1891. when team play counted
more. That game was free from in
uries and was the best we ever had.
"The forward pass has proved a
'rost I'm every way. In the old game
here were seven men on the line of
crimmage and four in the backfleld.
Helping with the hands when the run
Ter carried the ball was allowed and I
he distance to be gained was five 1
ards. Today we see a lot of kicking I
,ut no consistent play" s