New-York tribune., 1912-01-29

great a burden, more freedom IN the choICc
Of plays.
Ny third change was advocated in this
column a year ago. II strikes me that the
hall should he put in play on the lo-yard
line after any touchback resulting from
hall being punted or kicked inside the ~
ward line. otherwise it should be. put IN
play on the 25-yard line, as under the pres
ent rules. II every touchback allowed Only
fifteen wards TO the defending side the Inn
portsnce or value of kicking game would
he too greatly increased, but II a team can
force its way inside the opponents 4O-yard
line. which practically for punting purposes
must be close to the 90-yard line, the de-
Tending side is not deserving of a clean
tUentv-hye yards on the failure Of drop
kick. place kick or short punt
Tho freak of football by which Princeton
defeated Dartmouth with drop Kick that
rolled along the ground and finally ooundeu
over the crossbar should not be possible
7. y,as anomalous. TO say the least, and yet
Walter Camp and other good judges did
not hesitate TO support Billy LanGford' the
referee. i'm his decision. 1t should ne the
first duty Of the committee TO rule against
a bounding ball counting as goal "h''ii
nuts a premium on luck and chance' anu
defeats the ends Of fairness in WINNIE 'o
which every game leads. This particular
rule is not the only one that needs clarlS-
ing II is not part of the duty or coachcs
and captains TO make their own ihterpTeld-
tions before a game is played. and yet tnlS
U,as considered necessary in both the lale-
Harvard and Princeton Harvard games III
relation 10 the forward pass. Some nave
contended that a pass is not lhconlPie'.u
until II touches the ground; others that the
ball is dead as soon as 1t Is toucheu out no'
caught cleanly by the player eligible 20 re-
ceive II. The committee has plenty oil "o'N
along these lines.
7 n,ourd Ike TO reprint at this time George
r,ostor sanford's strong indictment ot the
game In his own characteristic way as
published in The Tribune on DecehOel -
but II Is possible to summarize II. In sug-
costing changes I'm the rules of footpah MI
Foster contends that the present code mas
devitalized the game. robbed u OIL hs
striking features, destroyed its continuity
and made the possibility Of score depend
unon the error Of opponents TO a large eX-
tent He also insists that the present game
,s more hazardous TO life and limb than ,he
one plaved I'm his day. While he admitS
that there were serious objections WHICH
brought about the crusade seNerai year
ago he SAYS that these objecuonaDIe l'dV-
ures crept in after 1891 and should nave iIo
Mace in tho game. He refers particulars
20 the hving wedge, the turtle back the
Guards back. the tackles back ana other
crashing mass plays He suggests as
reroedy. that the game be returned 10 the
safe and sane period by legislatins out 'ne
obiections mentioned. His way of dons IL
follows:
Forward pass limited TO behind the
line Of scrimmage. 2-An offensive zone
limited TO five by four yards. S-D's'ahSe
70 he gained five yards in four Downs OF
three tries. 4-One man to help the runner
after the latter reaches the line Of scrim-
mage.
Ed Cochems has pointed out that footod''
is distinctly unfair in its time elements ol
attack and defence, and rightly. lherc 10
little hope at this time however OF hlS
ideas being considered OF automatically al
ternating possession OF the ball for Ger
tain number of downs with the goal line
20 gain. It may come eventually as there
is merit in the idea.
Before closing the necessity for slmplty-
ing a more careful editing Of the rules
must be emphasized The code as first pun
! lished last year was so full Of contradlc-
tions and errors that only those fortunate
enough 10 get the little pink slip on
which these corrections later were made
were in a position TO read with understand |
ing and even then with only partial un-
derstanding Those who were not fort-
urate enough to get the little pink slips
must have puzzled their brains on many
occasions in wondering what It all meant. !
II a recommendation passed at the annual
meeting of the Intercollegiate Athletic AS
sociation of the United States is followed
the rules will be published earlier than last
season. after thorough and careful re-
vision, so that contradictions may ne
avoided and the need Of constant interpre-
tation obviated
One more word, and this on my old hobby
that the players be numbered so that those
watching the play may do so with better
understanding and that those whose
dutv II is to write OF tell Of the struggles
NAV do so with greater accuracy. II the
members Of the rules committee could pe
forced to sit on the top Of stand ana keep
track Of the plays in sequence, and those
who make these plays, for just one game
they would not lose five minutes in working
the reform. The numbers could be stitched
OH the back Of the Jerseys TO correspond TO
numbers on the programme and no one
thing would do more to add interest to
game. As It IS now. it Is almost lmpos-
sible 10 distinguish the players, disguised
as they are with headgears, except by some
bandage on elbow. shoulder, knee or ankle.
Even those who know them well are often
times at fault, and 1t Is no wonder that
some player is lauded for dashing run he
did not make, or some player is criticised
for an error he did not commit. 1t may be
recalled, as an example that no fewer than
three players-Howe, Camp and Dunn
were blamed after the Princeton game
for the pass from centre which went astray
M the time that Sam White retrieved the
hall and ran for a touchdown, when
brought glory to himself and victory TO the
Tigers
Clark Griffith once Of the Yankees and
~ xc,to afrrG