Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-01-19
SPEED IS FACTOR
Under new CODE
Otfense Is Biggest Asset
In Modern Football Game.
DUE TO FORWARD PASSES.

Four Quarter Rule and Open Plays
Also Demand Quickest Sort of At
tack-Series Plays Are Good Things
For Elevens.
That speed, individually and collec-
lively, is n of the most important
in football has been shown in nearly
every game played this season. Even
in the old game the quickness of at
tack in taking advantage of opponents
slowness in lining up was a thing
sought for by all coaches, but under
the new code the quickness with which
an offensive team gets into position
for an attack has a great effect on the
result Of the plays.
When the forward pass with all it's
possibilities vas first introduced in
1000 speed then was seer to- be a
most important factor toward the ulti-
mate success of plays, and with each
succeeding year this football essential
has increased in Importance. With the
6onAC ifAuSu lllO lOu NudIlclS Ol Ill
teen minutes each, a great deal de-
ponds upon the successive quickness
with which plays are executed and the
speed of each player who performs an
important part in each formation.
Series Plays Gain Ground.
With most of the big college elevens
having series plays, which is a good
thing. especially if the games are
played before large crowds. the sue
cess of these plays depends almost en-
tirely upon the %quickness with which
they are executed and the alertness
of the offensive team in taking adj
vantage of any weakness of its oppo-
nents. Nothing in football will de-
moraliZe a team quicker han to have
an offensive eleven get it on the run
know what to expect. and when a team
is in such a state of confusion the
quicker the plays are executed the bet
ter results will be obtained.
Long and thorough signal drills are
the only forms of practice which will
help a team Il obtain this speed.
Machines Necessary For Plays.
Series plays are used to promote
| speed of attack, and if each player
does not know his part of the forma-
ton perfectly the value of the series
is lost. A player, no matter how
badly he is hurt. should always try to
get into position for the second or
third play of the series. for in the ma
jority Of cases the coaches do not de-
pend upon the first play to gain much
ground, but rely almost entirely on the
deception and quickness of the second
play to gain the required distance.
1t generally happens that a three
play series has to be broken up if one
or w yards remain to be gained on
the third down if the third play of the
series calls for an end run or some
other attack which is not so sure of
resulting in first down as an off tackle
plunge or some other play in which the
runner gets up to the line of scrimmage
as quickly as possible. In most cases
the second play is considered the
ground gaining attack Of the series.
and its effectiveness depends upon the
speed in which the players take their
relative positions.
The object of a speedy attack is to
catch the opponent off guard in a man
ner which allows the offensive team to
get the charge on the defensive play
ers. 1t generally happens in series
plays that M of the tackles or both
and end line up on the other side of
the line as the players are taking their
positions after Il scrimmage. and before
the opposing eleven becomes aware of
the shift the play is snapped off and
substantial results obtained.
Speedy players should be used to
catch forward passes so that in the
event one is caught such players have
good chances of making long runs
which may result in touchdowns. Such
plays often will be valuable on the
defense when a player gets loose and
passes all members of the defensive
team. In many other ways a speedy
runner is valuable to any team if he
combines certain other qualifications
which so to make up a good football
player.