New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-10
A SERMON ON FOOTBALL
Freer Use of Forward Pass One
Way to Solve Problem.
NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER
E. N. Cochems Tells How to Work
Out Salvation of Great
College Game.


University eleven in 1886. 1891 and 1905
thinks that he has solved the foo'oaii
problem which confronts the rules commit
tee i'm making the game more acceptaoie'
He il in favor of allowing any nuinper Oh
forward passes on single play, ana CON
tends that this and this alone viii be the
salvation OF the great college game.
Mr.. Cochems is now living In TINS city
and although he has given up coaching ne
is still a close student of the game. When
handling the st. Louis eleven he was creo-
tied with being one OF the best coaches IN
the country. in fact, Lieutenant Haskell oi
West Point, IL quoted is saying OF him;
"Cochems is ten years ahead OF inc
time He has the best forward pass play
I'm the country and the most varied attack
have ever seen"
In view Of this, Mr.. CochemSs views on
the much discussed subject OF the chshse
in rules are worth consideration. lie him
self prepared the following statement tor
The Tribune
The cause of the past unsuccessful ana
unsstisfactory football season ls EeneIa,IS
ascribed to the unbalanced code or ruies
governing the game The weight OF opln.
ion is undoubtedly i'm favor OF many
amendments While the rules are respoIl
sible for this state OF anairs, the meIn .ra
of the rules committee are not altQSetheI
70 blame The remote cause IS TO ma louiu
In the reform movement that swept tnls
country several years ago. NetorHls -,
all kinds and. i'm every held or hulna J
activity were the rule Of the day. ana
tho institutions of higher learning did nor
escape. popular clamor. inciteo pL
well meaning professors, was o,rs ora -
against the game Of football, ana :,
,oic that nf1fnnPr ~
colleges and universities abolished me
game. such as Columbia, Fordham, North
western. etc Thus II became for the rules
committee a grave question. the mem
bers temporized 10 the satisfaction or me
public. and saved the game. The presen'
artificial and disloca ted code Is me result esu,,
and NAV be called the child Of expedienc!
II Is 10 he hoped that I'm the consldrIa
ton Of amendments and notifications TINS
winter the rules COMMITTEES viii not DC
swa we'd by the popular clamor or tne III,
educated football public and that II VII
accomplish a real reform based on sclen-
tifc principles
Rules Now Unbalanced.
While I believe that the reform brought
about some real benefits, nevertheless II
also brought about CONDITION thau MA, "a
adversely affected the game by super
abundance of unbalanced rules ana con-
1icting technicalities. However, II seems an
now as though II will be possible 10 dls-
miss any COnSlQeTdtlOn tndL II HI Tvs
expedient In principle and designed to tenn
porize with popular opinion Tor the sdlHd-
ton Of the game. one other conSi9ei d ~
must he assured Of dismissal in order INA.
a purely scientific and unprecedented SCI Oh
rules be established Many of the Vest
eru and In fact practically all or the minor
colleges have all along been teartul OF we
influence welded by the representations oi
the bigger Eastern institutions Soine
method should be devised WHEREBY InIs
factor will not alone be eliminated. Vu'
eliminated TO the perfect satisfaction vi Ine
minor institutions on TINS oa ssIien r,g on
portunty to draft a code that VIII meet
all requirements. ,-., -,
In their deliberations many import
factors should be considered that formerly
were unrecoEnized. 1t is not merely q
question Of enaCtng such rules lnat uc
offensive and defensive forces shaIl oe va, %
anced and equaliZed. since this VIII idte'
be found to be a mere matter OF detdIl
although at present 1t is understood TO Dc
the paramount issue: rather, c0hslasstI'a "a
ton of the physical ana mordl eIl '., -
which the rules Will afford opportuiI,ui'ttS
for EXPRESSION is important. after all thls
il the desiGeratum and the end for Whlcn
the college professors seek, ana the uluilid's
goal for which the game was deslsneu. l.,
I'm Offering the following suggestions Iet
IL be understood that | am favorable 10 a
more drastic ruling on all plays in which
misconduct in any way affects the HE ,thu
limb OF the player. Such rules are so SIM
ple that they merely need enactIneIt'
Moreover, | am not concerned WIN tlle w, W
tails. but with the fundamental principles
leaving their enactment ana codincauoh u
the rules committee.
In the past the rule makers concerned
themselves with the problem OF designing
"a well balanced set OF rules, I'm order that
the positive and negative forces, the oIehce
and defence should neuraliZe themselves
when evenly matched teams met, LEAVING
success to the better coached eleven
Whenever this proved unequal they mace
new rules from season to season, bringing
about a pecemeal system OF legislation.
All the suggestions up to date are or TINS
variety and are utterly useless except as
expedients. The committee has an oppor-
tunty at this time Of constructing playing
rules that will have farreaching results
and also Of avoiding many unpleasant COL
legiate problems that have arisen. For eX-
ample. they can devise a game that VIII
include the best elements of all the other
major sports, such as baseball track
soccer basketball, lacrosse, etc, and Inn
prove these elements.