Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-22

change (and It's a most
pleasant one to turn to after
a season of writing Cracker base
bald. 1t NIGH: be worth while Civ
ing all the changes of the rules, for
1T is only by studying them that
1t Will be possible to get line on
the sort of game that will be played
in 1912.
A n even dozen changes in the
4 playing rules have been made
this year, though only a part Of
them are important Here they
are:
Change No. /. The playing field,
now ITO in length. win be short
ened to an even 100 yards,
Change No 2. A zone of ten
yards width beyond the goal lines
is established A purpose of this
is to provide ample space for ex-
ecution of the forward pass, and
scoring on a pass made across the
goal line into this zone is per-
mitted
Change No. 3. The number of
downs" to gain ten yards is in
creased from three to four
Change No T. The on-slde kick
is eliminated
Change No. 3. The value Of
touchdown is increased from five
to six points.
Change No. s. The 20 yards
zone. in which the present rules
now provide restrictions to inter
fere with the forward pass, is
eliminated SO that the restrictions
win apply to any part OF the field,
Change No T. After a touch
back the ball viii be put in play
from the 20-yard line instead of
the 25-yard line.
Change No. g. on a kickoff the
bah instead of being put in play
in the center of the field will be
put in play from the 40-yard line
of the team kicking off.
Change No. Q. The field Judge
is eliminated The head lnesman
hereafter will keep time and be
judge of off-side plays in the line
of scrimmage.
Change No. 10 The number of
men allowed on the side lines,
now three, will be reduced to one
for each team.
Change No H. Provisions win
be made that a bounding ball can
not score a legitimate goal.
Change No. L. The interval be-
tween the first and second and the
third and fourth periods is re-
duced from two minutes to one
minute.
THE establishment Of the forward
pass zone ten yards beyond
each goal line (change No. p is a
comparatively important and GER
tainly a logical and reasona BILE
change In the code. 1t means that
a forward pass of reasonable
length can be made over the goal
line. something that was not al
lowed in the past. The rule COM
rnittee's silly fear Of the forward
pass and the way they hedged IT
around with restrictions that made
1t joke and an impossible play
have always been piuful. If the
forward pass is a good play in
mid-held, 1t is a peach at the goal
line. This year a forward pass for
a touchdown may be made.
This establishment Of a forward
pass zone results in a number of
minor changes. For one, the field
IS shortened lchange No. -. This
is done because on hundreds OF
fields in the country it would be
impossible TO tack ten yards on the
end of the field without moving
buildings, fences or maybe noun.
tains. Also the point for putting
the ball in play after touchbacl
tchange No. - is changed from the
25-yard line TO the 2o-yard line
and the point from which the kick.
off is made lchange No 81 win %,
the 4o-y8rd line Of the team kick.
ing off instead of the center of IN,
field This makes the distance {,
be gained after the kickoff SO yards
instead of 5o, as was the case unde
the old rules