Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-22
TT IT kIC-yyTEN0TD
i III NE w TAJO DALI As GOVERNED
nFS EASn fas

if they happen to be tackles, guards or
ends. drop back. The ball is not
passed then. If it were the play would
be illegal. The quarterback times the
Swapping of the ball with the arrival
OF the men 1t the positions which they
are TO FILL The moment that he sees
seven men in the forward line. the
play hating for the fraction of a Sec
ond, but long enough to keep within
the rule, he can give an added signal
or ask for the ball. Being thoroughly
understood by his fellow players the
man who is to receive the ball is then
ready to take 1t and make the try
| with his interference in front of him
and to one side of him.
The momentary pause on the line
and the putting of the bail into play
We're SO we'll timed by the quarter
backs of the teams which tried the
shift last season that the attempt to
gain ground much resembled some of
the flying plays Of other DAYS There
seemed to be no particular danger at
tached to ii, but the attack was so
well concentrated with powerful men
to assist the man with the ball, not by
pushing or pulling him, but by turn
ing the defense aside that not infre-
quently big gains were the result.
Stopped Through Keen Observation.
1t is true that when the play was
diagnosed carefully and the defense
| had men who were keen enough to no.
tice the direction which the ball was
taking, and careful to ascertain the
man who had it, they We're able to
elude the interference or dart between
the players who composed it and
| bring the ball to stop with only few
| feet gain, sometimes none Nor was
il wholly infrequent that some players
! got through the attack and tumbled
/ the man with ball to the ground for IA
! loss.
This year the defense is weakened
without doubt because the forward
pass can go to any distance and can
be used to make touchdown. The
soal line is nearer and the touchdown
| and the possible goal which may re-
suit from it are worth seven points as
! opposed to six last year.
These facts existing. the power
! which can be gained by the fun team
/ shift will be of more value than ii was
: in 1871, and for that reason the shift
! Will almost surely become a stock play
f With many elevens.
/ 1t is possible that it will be used for
the first two attempts to advance th2
bah by all of tine larger teams in the,
East and the players of the smaller
colleges ara likely to be coached in it,.
Force of the Attack.
4 Under this arrangement the attack
can send from seven to nine men
against a single end or tackle With
the backs scattered widely to defend
two wings of which they are fearful,
and with the secondary defense limit
ed to two backs most of the time, the
shift is likely to prevail where there
is "a disparity between the weights and
the strength of two elevcHs.
Under the rule which permits am Of
fensive back to assume amy position
which he wishes SO that he is at least
one foot behind the rush line, it Will
he probable that two or three backs on
the attack viii form against single
linenan and cut him out of the de-
Tense, leaving gap through which the
! man carrying the ball is likely to
gain more literally than he was last
season, in view OF the fact that the
! secondary defense will be less power
ful than il has been in the past, if the
danger of the forward pass is as much
a menace as it is felt that il is likely
to be.
If the season to come does not de-
| velope the line shift more strongly
than the play ever has been utilized in
the past it will be surprise to those
| who are making problematical guesses
on what the football of 1912 is likely
to be.
On the First Down.