Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-03
BY "CURLEY" BYRD.

BY &c RLEY" Is SO.
Shortly, in almost less than two weeks,
the clink of the spikes on the dirt VIII
be superseded by the dull thud OF elects
on the turf the light diamond uniforms
will be cast aside for the heavy mole
skins of the gridiron, the eighteen men
who have been the center of interest for
months will give place to the sWeaty,
struggling bodies of the twenty-five, ana
the distinctly college sport will have reie-
gated the national pastime into the back
ground for the remainder of the year.
Foot ball will have come into its own
From one ocean to the other thousands
Of coaches and players are waiting anx-
iously the first call for candidates-the
former with the sole idea to what new
raw material they may have on which to
depend to round out their elevens and
plug the holes left by the graduation OF
veterans; the latter with the Impotence
born of the desire to get back into uni
form and feel themselves the center of
the primeval struggle for the mastery, in
which man must meet man. as man did
when the world was young. Just as gen.
eral awaits anxiously the beginning of
campaign on which his reputation Is
staked, in which he knows that If he
so does a foot ball coach await the opening
of his season. And likened unto the gen
erals men. who strain for the first Whit
of the battle that they may back their
cOuntrys cause, are the men who sally
forth on the gridiron, nervous for the
first sound of the referees whistle that
they may fight for the ideals typified by
the institution they regard as a foster
mother
AS they are on the verge of another
season, coaches. players and followers
of the game alike are wondering what
it will bring forth. Whether the style
Of play will be built along the same lines
as last year, or whether radical depart
ures from the old systems will be made,
whether the game will be improved by
the changes made before the beginning of
last season or whether they will have
caused a deterioration: whether the
changes made this year will cause the
play to be opened up more or whether the
tutors of the game will adhere as nearly
as possible to the old lines; whether the
teams of rival colleges in recognized
classes will be stronger or weaker, and
whether the all-important game of each
will be won lost, are some of the
questions which are agitating the mind of
everybody who is in anyway interested
in the sport, and which time alone can
answer
Changes Will Be Few.
The changes made in the rules govern
ing the game in the last year are few
and are likely to cause little difference in
the appearance of the game from the
spectators standpoint. The only change
that will be at all noticeable is that there
may be more chances taken in
order that the forward pass may
be tried oftener. 1t may be remark
ed many times this fall. by spectators,
~
except that the players seem to throw the
ball more And that difference will seem
to be about all that has been made ex-
cept to those who know the game from
technical standpoint.
Practically the only change which has
| been made is the one regarding the pen
| atty for uncompleted forward pass.
| Last year the ball was taken back to the
| spot from which the pass was made and
/ counted a down. That generally caus-
| ed the loss of at least six or seven yards
| and in some instances ten or twelve
The ruling which will so into effect this
year. though is that in the case of an
uncompleted forward pass the ball will be
brought back to the spot Of the preceding
down and counted as a down, except. of
course. in the case OF third down, when
it would go to the opposing team at the
spot of the preceding down. The rule is
based on the same lines that of last
year, With the idea of eliminating any
L
when it tried a forward pass and it fail
ed. Practically the only other changes
are the allowing of but three men on the
side lines and the cutting short of the
intermission between the first and second
| and the second and third quarters from
three minutes to two, which will give
| just about time enough for the two teams
| to change goals
Rulings Do Not Reconcile.
| In two of the amendments to the for
ward pass rule which was passed there
seems to be some contradiction. Section
of the forward pass rule reads that il
the ball after having been legally passed
/ forward strikes the ground in the field
of play before or after having been
| touched by a player of. either side, the
pass shall not be considered as completed.
Now, section under the forward pass
rule reads: When the bail has been legal
| ~ passed forward and has been legally
| touched by any player Of the side not
making the pass chat is, of course, any
player on the defensive) any player of
either side has the right to attempt to Sc
cure the possession of the ball. Under the
| first ruling il is stated that the ball when
it has been legally passed forward and
| strikes the ground after having been
| touched by q player on either the of
fensive or defensive shall be brought
back. as for an uncompleted forward