The Washington times., 1912-01-31
FOOTBALL RULES
MAY RECEIVE BUT
SLIGHT CHANGES
Meeting in New York This
Week to Consider Grid
iron Code.
VOTING POWERS ARE
EQUALLY DIVIDED
Eastern Delegates Are Anxious te
Add Power to
xiiLs, Attract.
By THOMAS KIRBY.

An equal votlhg naiance, with the re-
sultant continuance of practically un-
altered playing code. appears to be
likely at the completion Of the two
days session OF the football rules COM
mittee In New York the latter part Of
this week.
The meeting has beeh called to finally
pass upon the code for next fall. and
even the most rabid critics appear satis-
fled that compromises are impossible
and that. barring q few minor changes.
the rules OF the gridiron are likely to
remain intact for another season, at
least.
Geographically split, with one section
Of the country pitted against the other.
: the national board seems to be SO hope
alessly sundered that agreement on vital
changes are impossible.
The majority Of the delegates of the
more representative universities of the
Tense @ and defense by adding power @ to to
the attack. this to be accomplished by
the lessening OF the yardage to be
gained or In increasing the number of
downs to cover the present require
that the new game Is still in its forma-
tive stage, and that another year or
two will be required to accomplish the
Introduction Of plays that will achieve
now bring about by tinkering with the
rules.
Mysterious Agitation.
Why there should be SO much agita-
ton for radical revision Is as mys-
tertous AZ IL the meaning of some of
the conflicting clauses in the present
guide which rnigi' we'll be clarified be-
fore any other work Is attempted.
ElxyAv ~ Al, oe ~
clamoring for revolutionary alterations
dare not clAiI1 that the game has lost
: one whit of its popularity with tho vast
! majority Of the masses who annually
attend the games. Never in it's history
has football drawn larger crowds than
since the reform Of five yours ago In re-
sronse 70 the pubic demand for revision
Eastern coaches. products of the now
% With bewaiiins the 'es deeadenee aess'ths Of the
sport, while in tho West students of
football faced the inevitable, -unferred
with one another. and evolved plays
pcsedIy wiser brethren, on the Atluntl.
Iae4 baard.
Would Be Daring.
It would have been a daring prophet
who. five years ago. would have pre-
OI"tSu tHot TIC rteI "Ouu look 10 IHe
West for its ofrensc. yet in that span
Of half a decade this program has been
followed. Scouts from, Vale. L,ng .,okc,l
,pon as the greatest football school,
brought from Minnesota plays to be
taught at New Haven, while Pennsyl-
vanla, which first perfected smashing
end defense and guards backs-both OF
which were later Incorporated In the
systems Of other universities-saw Its
teams. fooled and vanquished by mod
ern plays taught to Michigan elevens.
Ot'.er Eastern tea" have han the s;tn,c
dire experiences. so 1t Is no small Won
der that the Western delegation to the
meetings in New York viii stund solid
for the rules as they now are.
Gods Of other days, drilled as the
heads Of heavy wedges that have
ground through opponents In the deadly
yard-and-a-half advance. SEQ little that
is skillful in the more varied offenses
Of today, but opposed to these scores
are the thousands Of football followers
who are satisfied, are patronizing tn.
games. and are well contented with pres
ent conditions.
It Is the conservatives versus tho re-
actionarles with the former as the prob
able victors.