Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-27
FOOTBALL RULES
TOBEUNCHANCED
Only Minor Alterations Elk
pected at Meeting of Col
lege Officials.

New York. Dec Sentiment
among delegates to the National Col
legiate Athletic association, which
will hold its first meeting today, favors !
the retention Of the present football
rules, with q few minor changes.
Those in touch with the football sit
uation are ce~>ain that whatever alter.
atoms are made for next season will
not be radical.
Another trial in 1918 is favored by
nearly every one connected with the
association. The committee to inves-
tigate the features of last falls rules
probably will be appointed tomorrow,
but will not go into formal session I'M
til some time in February.
One rule in regard to the forward
pass will receive the most attention,
and probably viii be changed SO as to
be more easily interpreted. In sever
al games last year, principally the No
tire Dame-Wabash game, when a run
ner with the ball attempted to make a
long run or a forward pass, and was
forced back 20 or 80 yards he simply
| allowing it to strike the ground.
Under the rules it was a forward
pass, and as the ball struck the
| ground before being received by a
player, the play was incompleted. The
team performing the trick lost only
one down, and the ball was taken back
to the spot of the preceding down.
] 10 x1yiV
quire the ball to be shot across the line
of scrimmage, or else the team will
suffer a much heavier loss This
change also will protect the defen-
sive team in case the offensive eleven
throws the ball out of bounds on a
forward pass.
The athletic organization was form
ed in 1905 when the general antagon-
ism against the game of football
prompted general gathering Of the
athletic heads for a reformation. The
meeting is to be directed by Dean
Lebaron Russell Briggs of Harvard,
as the president, Major Palmer E.
Pierce, is now stationed in China with
the Fifth United States infantry
1t is believed the development of
the English game of association foot
oall will receive considerable discus
sion, as the sport has been adopted by
many colleges. William F. Gracelon,
graduate manager of athletics at Har-
ward, is understood to have prepared
report on this feature.
Prof G. W. Ehler of Wisconsin will
present a report showing that, under
the new rules, football has had fewer
fatalities this season than ever before
Professor Ehler also will read a re
port of the committee on amateur
law" His solution to the problem is
as follows:
Many violations may be anticipat
ed and prevented and a wholesome
/ sentiment developed if college com
mtttees would follow the example
: of the University of Pennsylvania aad
other colleges in sending a letter tc
J. all probable candidates urging them
: to exercise great care not to endan
ger their amateur standing by play
? ing on professional or doubtful teams
| and stating that each man will be ex
< amfled by the committee when his
name appears on the list of candi
dates and that his eligibility will be
l determined according to the findings
5 of that examination.
THE student should be put upoI
2 his honor to state the facts of his ath
( ietic experience The committee
d should interpret the rules and theil
application in each case. Committee:
D should be honor bound to make jus
and equitable determinations and il
!, the spirit that they would wish theil
competitors to act"