The Detroit times., 1912-02-05
ZI0H1 H8HtB RATHER
ZEE FORWARD PASS DIE
THAN THE 0nsIDE KICK
||enent Of Luck and Delays to
Game From Front Heave
Are Objectionable
IKES OTHER CHANGES
|ddition of One Down and One
Point For Touchdown To
Help Open Play
IKEs OTHER CHANGES
By RALPH \. YoNKER.

BY RALPH /. YoNKER.
That the football rules committed
I1ht better have eliminated the for
Iu pass than the onside kick when
vaB rearranging the gridiron code
New York, Saturday, is the opinion
William Heston, the former Uni
@1ity of Michigan peerless halfback
I'D the exception of their tinkering
- the front heave, he is pleased
I<h the changes made.
The addition OF one down to the
1mber allowed TO gain 10 yards Is by
IA the most important change made
the football rules said Mr.. Hes
~ In his ONCE in the prosecutors
- It the county building, Monday
1<ning. In my opinion this augurs
feat Improvement In the game.
The allowing four trials in which
"a make the distance, means that
here will be great deal more of the
I'D running game that is SO popular
1912. When team has four
1onces, the first two will Invariably
- given up to tries for long gains
round end or through tackle. Trick
HAYS In which the offenders are sure
ut TO lose possession OF the ball will
bound. he~only time when the
onos plays TO which there is so much
Ijcctfon, Will be used, Will be before
~ last down when only yard or
no Is to be gained.
This change will tend to squelch
~ forward pass, also. The pass al
I've was more or less OF hit or miss
|opOsition, used in cases of emer-
oncy and the advantages of the run
ing game will tend to diminish it's
ne greatly. No team will take the
<1ances OF losing the ball when they
ave four trials that they did when
hey had only three"
second In importance to the addi-
Hon OF one down, in the influence II
will have en- the game, is the increas-
Ing OF the value Of touchdown by
ono point
This will mean that there will be
much less Of the tries for field goals
rom long distances. II means that
There will be a much greater effort to
concentrate the efforts Of a team
upon advancing the ball for touch
Town and less resorting to freak kicks
10 win. f
When team knows that q touch
Down and q goal after 1t will defeat
|IWo goals from the field II will not
take chances on losing the ball % or
80 yards from the goal line for the
nike of three points.
Both this and the first change
mentioned. tend to bring the game
back to straight football with promi-
renee placed on the open running
ZANE.
n would rather have seen the on
1ide kick retained and the forward
pass eliminated than what was done.
Jhe forward pass injects so much or
the element OF chance into the game
that IL 10 objectionable. Further
more, the repetition or incompleted
passes spoils the game for the specta-
tor While the ball Is being carried
hack to its place and the players are
arranging themselves and the officials
nre getting where they belong. the in
ferested spectator is provoked by the
slclay. Too many such delays cause
BIN to lose Interest.
The onside kick, while having
much OF the element of luck in 1t. is
looked upon as play Of chance, but
n Is one Of action all the time. Every
man has TO be on his job and the
play Is not stopped nor the interest
allowed to lag bit
rThe remainder OF the changes
made are not OF such great import
nnce. The shortening OF the playing
field TO 100 yards seems to have been
made mainly TO accommodate some OF
the fields that have already been built
Tor the 110-yard field. The provision
railing for ten-yafd- rome back Of
each goal line made It necessary to
shorten the length OF the field proper.
Z This zone simply means that there
VIII be chance for scoring by a for
ward pass and will help keep the de-
tense scattered near their own line.
There was never any very good
foason for the 20-yard zone In which
Forward passes were legal. IN a short
pass Is good long one Is better. Put
ting the ball In play from the s0-y8rd
Tine Instead OF the 25-yarS iine after
foucfiback VIII mean that there viii
be more chances taken on running
the ball back Instead OF taking ad-
vantage OF the touohback. Putting
the ball In play from the 40-yard line
Instead OF the middle of the field after
ri touchdown Increases the distance
from the ball to the goal towards
which II 10 kicked. by Ave yards and
Ilaces the defense ten yards. nearer
their own goal.
'sThe provision that goal cannot
1e scored by bounding ball ought to
ave been made long ago. With the
<<imination OF the 20-yard zone goes
the field Judge. whose duties were TO