Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-01-14
Reform in Foot Ball
is Not Favored by
Some of Committee
By Bud" Fisher


NEW YORK. Jan. Is-If preliminary
sentiment can be taken as evidence. II Is
apparent that the coming meeting OF the
| foot ball rules committee will not resem-
BILE a Hague peace conference. Reform
In foot ball promises TO equal the famous
tariff discussion. with one factor In favor
OF revision upward and the other agitat-
Ing an opposite trend.
Just what the result will be not even
the seventh son of gTidlron salon would
care to predict II he took pride In proph-
ecy. II can be safely said. however, that
each one OF the fourteen members Will
attend determined to incorporate his
ideas on foot ball reform into the play
ing code OF 1912. Just how this Is to be
done. unlcss a spirit Of compromise pre-
walls. Is difficult TO understand.
There Is plenty OF evidence TO lead 20
the belief that a wide difference Of opin-
ion exists regarding the desired results
and the mctiAis by which the same shall
be accomplished. Certain members OF
the committee are known TO be In favor
OF q return TO fundamental features %
the game as played five or six years
ago. Others are equally frank IN the
belief that the course toward foot ball
perfect and beautiful leads In the oppo-
site direction.
The reactionary group advocates a game
| in which the distance to be gained Is re-
duced In yardage or the same object
attained by Increasing the number OF
| ,A aknIttns. If hs.
forward pass and onslde kick entirely.
while stiIl others would retain these fea-
lures of the so-called new game In
more restricted form than permitted un-
der the latest playing regulations.
The progressivcs In the gridlron world
maintain, on the other hand. that both
public and players are satisfied with the
foot ball code Of 1911 and that the game
will achieve sim greater popularity IL
the onward trend IL maintained by both
the rule makers and the coaches of the
big college clevens.
i Almost as many suggestions relative 70
foot ball reform have been made during
and since the close or last season as was
the case during the famous agitation to
abolish either mass play or the game IT.
self A majority Of these proposals are
either too revolutionary or valueless 10 be-
considered. Yet the residue contains a
nucleus Of ideas which should prove Of
service to she committee when that body
attacks the talk in earnest.
Coach cavanaugh Of the ISL Dartmouth
team In n recent address TO the Dart
mouth Alumni association OF Chicago ex-
plalned wherein. to his mind. the present
style of play Is weak and where 1t could
be improved before next autumn.
The rules as they stand now conflict
said Mr.. Cavanaugh. There are Instances
In the present code where actual con-
tradictions occur. These should be SO
edited and changed that there could be
no Misunderstanding. do not believe
that tho forward pass Is a good thing
in itself, but 1t has Indirectly done a
wonderful thing for the game. II has
made II more scientific: taken away the
old monotony Of plugging the line Yet
careful study has brought around state
OF affairs where the defense is stronger
than the offense.
IF l were asked wherein the game
could be improved would say Increase
the number Of downs 10 four and the
distance TO be gained from ten to twelve
or fifteen yards. That would still give
the offense, three chances TO break away
or a long run and the distance would be
enough TO eliminate the plugging game.
or l would suggest that the backs be
allowed to run before the ball is passed.
allowing a forward pass behind the linz.
Either OF these changes would give the
better team the chance TO win, as u
should do"
The Dartmouth coach incidentally ex.
pressed during his address tho feeling Of
dissatisfaction which prevails in certain
quarters Of the college foot bali world
when he said: In my opinion Walter
Camp Of Yale is twenty years behind the
times. The day is coming when he will
no longer be the dominating factor. Now
he suggests the rules. goes into the COM
mittee room with a couple Of members
and the rules are changed as he sug-
gests. But the spirit of the game has
gone beyond him"