New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-10

tC a return Of the bali 10 " a,yn and
starting ON the first and second uom as Fur
ONLY nossession on last down. IL Was ~ ID
Their restricted TO a tWenty-ydi" a. Yards
had to be passed from point ny, ~ ons,de
hack OF the scrlmmage Inc. ho tickel
kick had to go twenty yards anu atso had to
from five Yards back. The pass .o.,are In
Inc caught and 10 one could ln.erieIo -
this twenty zone. althousn E'o Ss,,Id 10
on the scrimmaGe line. me V f. and the
passed over any part OF n.ae ros,irn-
ably designed to hold the ,tensiVe Gill;
trio I'm place. All OF thes rules ,e"und
to make the game rigid ar lheloou.
extracted the element OF deveiopnnie" 1hould
The forward pass and onslne kI.h 'ardsl
lac free from zones five and twenty yau'
and the number of passes should De n,
limited and made anywhere Let tne It, -
terback run where he pleases ana ma 'rh.
the Girect pass from centre 10 oaSks,, -
men eligible to receive the pass shouio r.
main the same and body-blocklng DOWN inc
field cgallZed. -. .osses
This will give us game OF short passes
forward and backward and introduce NC t
element of English Rugby. while obVia.
ing tra need of its introduction to Ameri-
can college athletics. II will TAKE tne
place of soccer, substituting the use Oh
hands I'm series of short passes instead "
the use OF the feet. as in soccer ana opEt,
ate the need of introducing this obviously
unsatisfactory sport into the athletic cur
riculun Of college games.
II will prevent innumerabie acci1clItS;
since 10 momentum can be attained a1u
none IS necessary o. would be sclentlhC
I'm the blocking of this play. N VIII re-
move from the field of discussion a cor
sideration or the push and pun FACTOR
since distance can ne more surely inauc'
II will eliminate the bad weather factor
which. under existing conditions, neutral
ICES the effect OF this arm of the service
since accurate passes are all but Impossible
by substituting short passes which can be
made accurately under all conditions. u
will make the play truly open and spec
tacular. since the individual gets discretion
and can he made responsible for sclen-
tific display Of his knowledge Of the game
and the spectator can clearly see the play
How the Pass Is Strsneled.
In fact. there is no end Of possibilities
I'm the development of the efficiency of
the individual and the team play and the
Celebrations OF scientific combinations.
Under the present rules a series OF short
passes. all but one backward. is an i'm
possible method of advance, since with only
four men back two or three ere neces-
sarily sacrificed I'm the interference With
forward passes the interferers could per
form the double duty Of interfering and re
ceiving the pass
At present tho forward pass Is seldom
used inside 2 teams own thirty-fVe or
forty-ysrd zone. because II is a dangerous
and speculative chance play. That leaves
only seYentv-five or seventy Yards of the
field in which II is of any practical utility
Now add m this the ive-yard zone back
and the twenty-yard zone in front Of the
line Of scrimmsee, the fact that only six
players can figure in the play, and with
only one pass permissible In each scrim
mage. and IT becomes obvious the pass is
legally stTangled from becoming an efficient
concession n the offence in order TO offset
the extra five yards TO he gained
Moreover. because Of the hve-yard zone
II does not act as an effective weapon
/
simple reason that the moment the often
siVe backs enter the fve-yard zone lie,
the man with the ball. the defensive backs
are absolutely sure that no pass or kick Is
permissible ard can rush 10 a fearless
tackle. However the conditions will he
completely reversed ny the egalization OF
the short pass. Its psychological effect will
prove unfalins, inasmuch as it will cast a
doubt into the minds of the defence as
10 the purpose Of the offensive backs
This is the doubt. will the player carrying
the ball rush. kick or pass It?
Such an enactment would unshackle al
one blow the three arms OF offence, mako
them free and elastic to perform their du.
ties TO their full natural powers. and
furthermore would afford the opportunity
for scientific treatment of the funda-
mental principles of the game in the ella bo-
ration OF endless combinations yet unde-
yised
II will he most potent OF all in sllencing
the growing opposition that observes Moth
ing but brutality In the game Al present
played. Interference. especially diving
ends, and tackling re the most fruitful
causes of injury. The low diving tackle
and severe body check interference Will
become highly inefficient and unscientifc
as methods of defence under this system
and will not need the enactment of arti-
fetal, restrictive laws. Above all, 1t will
become progressive science and will en-
tail upon coaches, If they are to be sue
cessful, the powers Of invention and upon
players the need of greater mechanical
efficiency and an ever increasing exercise OF
mental alertness
The penalty for failure I'm the use of the
pass shall be possession 10 the opponents