The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-11-23
INSIDE GAM COUNTS
Football Player Seldom Gets
Credit for Play.
Chances for Real Scientific Work
Nearly as Great on Gridiron as on
Diamond, but Spectators Do
Not See II.

There is an inside" football Just
as well as inside" baseball The
great difference is that there Is so
much more inside football that not
only does the average spectator miss
1t, but the players and coaches them
selves see little of 1t, AT present II
seems that the possibilities OF I'm
side" football are unlimited.
Every player on a team has chances
to pull off inside work. but the posi-
tion which most needs the ability to
grasp a situation and grapple with 1t
in a new way Is that Of quarter back.
Around the little men who call the
signals for the big elevens open
thousand possibilities for inside play,
and many are the quarter backs VINO
do not take advantage of their oppor'
tunities That is why the "heady"
quarter backs, that is. those who can
run a team on the field as well as the
coach on the side line could direct
it, may be counted on the fingers oil
one hand
The quarter back must keep In
mind the number OF downs, the dis
tance to be gained, the position on the
field, the length Of time that remains
to be played. the individual and col
lectiye strength of his own men. and
the individual and collective strength
and weakness OF his opponents, the
peculiarities Of the officials, and the
number and kind of plays at his dis
posal All of these things must be
considered in a single instant and de-
cision given sometimes in a fraction
of a second. frequently while rising
from the ground or struggling to be
disengaged from the mass. and fire.
quently when suffering from painful
injuries And yet they say 1t re-
quires no brains to play football
A football player seldom gets cred
It for inside" work for the reason
that the grands;and does not recog'
nize II.
Just a few instances: Under the
new rules II is sometimes more ad'
visable for a member of a team on
the defense to drop a forward s
which he has caught than to hold II.
This Is on the occasion of a forward
pass on a third down A defensive
halfback has a chance to catch the
ball. but sees that he would be down
ed without carrying the ball back 10
the lire where 1t started In this
case, the right play Is to touch the
ball and let it drop to the ground so
that the ball will then be brought
back to the place where 1t started
and given to his side. To the grand.
stand this play properly executed
would be hissed by the unthinking.
Again. quarter back in the safety
position Is standing almost on his
own goal line The ball is kicked to
him He can't make an easy catch
but the heady man in this case will
usually allow the ball to fly or bounce
across the goal line. The defending
side Is then allowed to take the ball
out to the twenty line and
put 1t in play. II he elects to catch
1t he will probably be downed before
reaching that line. Yet quarterback
have been called dubs and poor
catches by the grandstand for this
play. The same procedure should be
used where a high kickoff Is kicked
so as to pass or bounce over the goa
line Immediately, especially where
the ends coming down under the kicl
are fast
The heady backiielder of these day:
runs outside and continues parable
to the goal line for a few PAGES. II
order to. tempt some unwary man or
the other team to tackle him and Sc
cure a penalty against the tackler
A thousand possibilities are oDer
to the student Of the game for inside
work. Running with the ball.. catch
ing. passing kicking-each has doz
en- little tricks which spell defeat o.
victory If taken advantage Of or neg
lected at the psychological moment.