Arizona republican., 1912-12-23
Unit Play Urged
 on the Gridiron

INCREASE of team play in football A is urged by Walter Mccormack, for mer Northwestern university coach advocating a minor change in the play ing rules for 1913. Mccormack urges that the goal after touchdown be kick ed from scrimmage instead of by two men sent out to the twenty yard line for a fair kick, as is the rule at pres ent. The former Dartmouth star gives many reasons for this, but chief among them is that it will increase the pre- mium put upon team play and lessen The value of individual stars.
 Football is the only real team game in American sport" declared McCor- mack. Every other sport in the cata- log1Ie is for the individual, football alone being the game in which indivld- uality must be sunk to strengthen the unit. Baseball has some team play but only one or two or three members of the nine are directly interested m any one play. while in football no at tempt can be a success unless each or the eleven men does his part.
 "Kicking a goal touchdown from scrimmage would intensity this. To man who has played and coached the game it seems almost criminal to see team win by one point made by some individual. while its opponent loses through lack of that individual, al though it may far outclass its victor in real football ability. To see two men win a game which has been fought for bv tWenty-twO is something no real lover of the sport likes. A team which wins because of a goal after touch- down under the present method does not deserve a victory,
 q often have seen close games, where each team had scored a touchdown and where the score really should have been a tie. won by the goal kick. After a team has worked the ball down the field and across the goal line it seems only just to me that the team should have the privilege of trying for the goal instead of delegating that power to one man of the squad. There is no team work in kicking goals at pres ent, and I could pick out a score Of men who can kick goals more accu- rately than any of our present football players. but who never could play foot ball if they tried all their lives.
 A change in the rules would be a benefit to the game. Of course there is more or less feeling against further mutilation of the old code, but do not think this one would be criticised by the public.
 "I would suggest that the option of how far out to take the ball be left to the team scoring the touchdown. suppose the majority of them would take the ball out between five and ten yards. Here the teams would line up as if for an ordinary SCrimmage and the squad scored upon would have the chance of blocking the kick, which is at present missing. It would call foI the highest degree of team work or both sides. for the team scored upon would play as if in a regular scrim- mage and attempt to block the at tempt. while the scoring eleven woulo have to use its blocking ability tC give the kicker fair attempt. This would bring every man on the field into action and. l think, make for better game"
 McCornaCk's suggestion finds favor with a great number of coache! throughout the country. who alway! have felt the present goal after touch down rather unfair. The presence O a star kicker on a team is held at tot great a premium at present, whil' team work is of less importance thai y should be-