Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-08
Advantage Taken ~
WithFOrWard Pass.

What is described as the smartes'
play of the season is credited to Kent
Lambert, quarterback of the Wabash
College eleven. by Walter Eckersall
who was referee at the game with
Notre Dame. He describes it as fol-
lows: Although the football rules
committee has adopted code to pre-
vent any formations which will come
just within the limitations of the
rules, Quarterback Lambert OF the
Wabash eleven. pulled play in the
game between Notre Dame and Wa
bash. which is one of the best sprung
since the forward pass was adopted.
on an Incomplete forward pass
penalty of a down is inflicted at the
spot where the centre puts the ball i'll
pIay on the previous down As Notre
Dame outweighed the Little Giants bv
several pounds, Coach Harper realiz-
ed his only chance TO win was by
means of open plays, Consequently
he had formations in which the for
ward pass was the principal factor.
AS Lambert is an expert in throwing
the oval. he was the main cog in all
the forward pass plays. In most OF
these plays his team lined up in punt
AS u ItSulir l<SiiAAb@AN
about eight or ten yards back of the
line of scrimmage. AS soon as he re-
ceiyed the bah from the centre he
started to run around either end, AT
the same time looking for some ell
gible player of his team to whom he
could throw the ball
IN his attempt TO pick out some
member of his team who was not COW
cred, Lambert was gradually forced
back toward his own goah When he
realized that il WAS Impossible TO
make forward pass with members
of the opposing team closing in on
him, he simply threw the ball for-
ward a couple of yards, making an
incomplete forward pass. when ne
was fully twenty yards back of The
point, from which the centre put the
ball In play. AS a result, the ball was
brought back to the point OF the pre-
vious down and the penalty of
down inflicted. This is the first time
that an advantage has been taken OF
the forward pass rule, and it is
mighty good trick at times. Lambert
pulled this stunt no less than half q
dozen times. Even the Notre Dame
coach and players had nothing but
praise for the player. who had brains
enough to. take advantage of tech
nicality in the rules.
In all probability the rules COM
mittee will legislate against such
procedure, next season. Lambert saw
ed his team at least 100 yards. An
other clever piece of work which Lam
bert got away with and which will be
food for thought for the committee
at its annual meeting. is throwing
the ball out of bounds on forward
passes. Under the present ruling the |
ball goes to the opponents at the spot
where it crossed the side line. On
several occasions Lambert shot the |
oval down the field thirty or forty |
yards out of bounds. AS a result OF
this work his team gained greater |
advantage than if he had punted. TO
show the cleverness of this trick,
Lambert pulled the play on the third
down so that he had one more chance
to get away with it if the pass was
incomplete. AS such play does not
give the defending eleven chance to
intercept the pass. and as 1t is con-
trary to the spirit of the rules, legis-
lation should be taken against throw
ing the oval out of bounds