The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1911-11-02
FORWARD PASS STAYS
This Play Expected to Be Of
Great Importance.
For Those Teams Which Have no
Field Goal Men tho Tossing Be-
comes More and More Essen.
tial-Rule Changes.

Forward passing Is likely 10 be even
more important IN football games THIS
year than ever before. according TO
many critics. and viii DO the mainstay
OF q great many teams. Those sounds
which have field goal kickors OF more
than usual ability Viii be- able to has
band their forward pass plays against
weaker opponents. relying upon the
ability NJ their klckers to give them
victories. For those which have no
h'Id goal men, how ever. the tossing
becomes more and moro important,
% the coaches VINO have these teams
VIII nave their work cut out tor them
IN constantly developing plays with
winch 10 mystliy ihrir opponents.
Only % important rule has been
made since last season. and this was
male with a view OF rendering the
forward pass q more practicable play.
Under last years rules. the forward
pass had 90 be- mad" from q point ~
least five yards back OF tho line Of
scrimmago md II uucomplctcd was
brought tack to the point from which
the pass was made. the uucompIctcd
pass counting q down
Under tho revised rule Instead OF
taking the bah back 20 the place from
which tho pass was made tho oval t.
brought back TO the place of the prcyi
u down, As the rule specifically "a.
quircs NJ least Ave yard, back Of me
I'm" scrimmngc and NJ the point from
which FI. tU.. sAu. not. IWrF v.w
averaged nj least ten yards lacb Of
tho line. II will be- seen that IN Tram
lng the now rule the trainers OF tho
code removed q great ground loss pen.
atty
II was expected last season that the
restrictions on the length Of the for.
ward pass would result In making the
play q short lob instead u a long over.
bead throw. but this was proved 10 be
Hrong. Tor the one variety OF pass WAS
used with as much execution as tho
1tncr
The code declares the ball shall be
considered dead when Il passes a line
20 yards IN advance OF the limo OF
.Crimm1EC. but ns tho pass rs usu.
ally made from n point NJ least eight
Yards back OF the line OF scrlmmaEe
he total forward progress OF the brll
Is from 2S 10 30 yards, and oven with
3 more generous rule Il g. doubtful Il
losses Of more than this distance
would be attempted
IN the great majority OF eases long
passes are shot out toward the ends
rather than directly over the line. and
II is seldom a pass II caught more
than ton yards beyond the line.
Both tho long and short pass have
their good features TO recommend them
to coaches, and II Is difficult TO de.
eide which is the prclerabl" Neither
would be Of any use were they not run
In n deceptive manner, depending tor
their effectiveness upon their uneX
]pecIcdnCss II Is n poor team that
could not stop n forward pass when
one II expected. for whore there are
six men OF the offensive team eligible
to receive the pass there ale II on the
defense. In addition to this. tho OF
scusiye man first tOdcr'lg the bail
must recover H., white Il n bail Is
touched by an offensive player all II
OF the defending side are thereby
made eligible TO scramble Tor H.