The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-11-23
OLD FOOTBALL HAS COME
BACK ANOTHER REFORM
SEEMS DESTINED FOR It
Winning Teams Both in East
and West Have Gained Pres
tige BY Army Game.
LUCK 100 BIG A FACTOR.
Fortunate Forward Pass or
Lucky Onside Kick and There
Is a Touchdown.
LUCK 100 BIG A FACTOR.
BY RALPH |. YoNKeR.

Princeton, the cnanploh team "
the east, won its title by old football
Contenting itself mainly with an I'm,
Venerable defense. il confined it's OIL
tense principally 10 taking ADVANTAGE
of the slips OF its opponents TO win
Its games.
Minnesota. probably the best team
in the western conference without
Pickering and undoubtedly the best
with him, has struggled upward
through the conference barriers with
old football.
Michigan tried the new game al
the first of the season, but came back
10 the old game with just enough OF
the new stuff to keep its opponents
| guessing and won the Pennsy con
test.
All this has made the adherents 10
the old army game happy. for they
realize that new football seems destln-
ed 10 die the death that comes TO any
thing which is not unitarian in such
n sport as football.
B. The old-timers now want change
in rules, making IL possible 10 play
football with rushing tactics such as
were in vogue before the reform
Four downs for ten yards, or three
downs for seven, or any system winch
will make il possible TO gain the re
auired distance in the allotted number
u OF attempts reasonably often is their
cry.
Here is a Chicago critics view of
the new and the old:
Football is due for it's diploma at
the end of the week, but whether II
will be tagged magma cum laude is
question. The game matriculated as
reformed football and great things
were expected from the code as eyolv-
! ed by the football brains OF the coun-
try
Looking over the seasons games
few improvements have been noted
over that OF last year. IL had been
expected that practice in the manipu-
lation of the forward pass would lend
at least something OF the spec
facular TO the sport, but this
has not been the case and gains on
this style of play have been few and
far between Touch-downs gained by
the pass have not been many, and. IN
fact. il has cut a pretty sickly figure
all through the season, except where
one team has outclassed the other.
Zone of the best exhibitions of foot
ball seen this year in the West, was
at Minneapolis, when Minnesota de-
feated Chicago The game was rob
bed of much of its interest because
of the one-sidedness, but the Gophers
in that contest showed practically
every possibility of the new game
With all the perfect evolutions of the
Gopher machine the contest failed TO
produce anything different from the
game as PLAYED last year or the year
before and the conclusion was reach
ed by many that the collegiate sport
has not advanced to any great extent.
"One noticeable thing in connection
with the pastime this year was the
few injuries incurred early in the sea-
son. Never before had the game been
so free from accidents as was the case
the first six weeks, but with the be
ginning of cold weather and hard
grounds, broken bones Increased.
"Cn the whole il has been "A line
plunging, or kicking game, even be
tween well-matched teams The rule
preventing the aiding of player in of
fensive work has apparently made
little difference, although the piling
up after tackle has been pretty we'll
eliminated The flying tackle, that
bugbear OF the game, has been elm
mated, but 10 anyone who has noticed
the harder fought battles il has been
seen that the absence of this has not
counted for much.
Struggling and general roughness
have not been as prevalent this year
as formerly probably because the OF;
ficials are tending strictly TO business
Punting has been an important factor
and this is practically the only thing
which has tended TO make IL more
open. This feature has made it OF
more interest TO the spectators but
good punting has prevented scoring as
much as 1t has made Il possible
Whether there will be more tink-
ering with the rules remains 10 be
seen. but undoubtedly there will be
several changes, as the game has not
been as successful as was hoped. In
the coming revision OF the rules il is
expected that the West will have a
more important part as IL has been
shown that experts west OF the Al
leghanies are just as well posted on
the fine points OF the games as are
those east"
me tninB lDat rs very encouraging
TO the advocates OF the old game is
the fact that Il was used so much by
fhe leading teams ttIts season The
old-fashioned plays, the old.fashioned
methods, and the uldfashiouad 4rlal+.
won the big games
One of the closest students OF the
game In the west declared new foot.
ball absolutely worthless against the
old game.
'Give me two teams he declared
equal in weight. in experience and
IA Individual ability aud let me coach
the one In new football and the other
ia old Let me perfect each In ITS
Respective game and I will guarantee
10 beat the one knowing new football
with the one which has thorough
knowledge of the old I'm their vusn
, create new plays possible under
the revised code. many coaches for
got 10 teach their men old styie foot
bail OF course. the PLAYS which ar,
possible under the new rules are con
eldcraDly different from those usel