The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-05
Spectators Can See Game as 1t
Is Now Played.
Forward Pass Nearer Success
Than Ever Before.
NO CHANGES ARE NEEDED
Little Tampering Expected
When Committee Meets.
Stronger Team Can Win With
Present Playing Plan.

The members of the football rules
eommittee-surgeons of the past few
years-win meet within the next six
weeks to discuss the 1912 code to re-
wise where necessary and perhaps to
eliminate some clauses and establish
others. For the good of the game gen
orally let us hope that the committee
leaves the rules just about as they are
writes c. E. Mcbride, in the Kansas
City Star.
The 1912 game proved spectacular
The crowds could see what was going
on, most of the time and began to pick
up some knowledge of the rules. AL
most every year since 1905 the rules
have been different, so different that
officials and coaches have found a care
full study necessary each fall and even
from time to time disputes have arisen.
How then could the mere spectator be
expected to know the game? He
couldn't. And not knowing the game how
could the mere spectator be expected. to
keep his interest keen in the sport? He
couldn't. And so the cry has been going
forth in the land that a few more years
of football butchery, that is butchery
of the rules, would rob the college game
of much of it's wonderful popularity.
The code as developed for 1912 appar-
emily has done the work expected by
the rules committee-enabled the best
team to VIM With the forward pass
going only a distance of twenty yards
and not permitted to cross the goal line
the defense always frightened up within
its 20-yard line and the team that had
been making Roadway in the middle of
the field found itself suddenly checked,
the secondary defense men being sue
cessful in stopping the offense. So the
rules surgeons made the pass an un-
limited affair and legalized an overtime
eoal-line-pass. This kept the secondary
defense back always and made scoring
easier. That was the desire Of the com
1nittee and generally the 1912 rules have
enabled the stronger team to show its
scoring power and carry off the victory.
The Coaches and the Crowds Pleased.
And so it is believed generally that
the committee will do little tamperlng
this winter. The game this year en-
ab1a15 the better team to win and was
pleasine, froM the point of view OF the
spectator. What more does the COM
1nittee desire? /
game from the viewpoint OF tn 45,s s5e re
for. Leaving Lawrence aIter the San4SS
an old football player, one VINO p4dye9
IN the old guards back days, was heard /
to say: ..,uo-+i,,er yanoa
,f- football I ever saw, the prettlest, the
,11oet spectacular. like this open game .
INT the trouble is, they change the rules
GO often can't keep tab on just "HA1
going on and why.
The Kansas-Missour1 game was
-nTf
ttb01eb there was not an unusual
nI,n1ber of forward passes. But the oe-
forsa for the onward pass was always
in evidence. For instance, the team on
defense always had four men scatleI
ed behind the line of scrimmage from
20 "a Yards and stationed at various
noints Whenever an offensive emu
would dart far out. one OF the De
fense's second players would run Win
him. This often happened When ran
7
These players were back there TO IN
tercept forward passes. OF course, they
could have been of more help by play
ing closer to the line, but IN that
case, the offense undoubtedly would
have taken advantage of the fact to /
whirI passes over the line and have
men there to get them, unmolested-
The fact that the defense had four &
men back all the time, enabled the |
man with the ball to tear through the
defensive line for greater distances
than would have been possible had the
four men been playing in closer.
The Runner Must Be Clear.
Another thing that caused the game
TO be more spectacular is the fact thal
the new rules do not permit team
mate to help the man with the ball. |
The teammate may make a hole, clear
the way for the runner, but he can
not pull him, push him or help MN
to his feet after he has fallen and
that is the reason the crowd was able
10 follow the play of the ball all the
time. There were no mass forma-
lions to hide the runner from view.
The Kansas halfbacks would tear
into the Missouri line from behind the
Minnesota shift. but suddenly the
shifters would part and the runner
would dart out alone. 1t was easy for
the crowd to follow the play, and the
crowd was pleased with the game.
Then there were the forward passes
especially in the final quarter, when
Missouri was fighting desperately. A
player Of the side having the ball
would stand far back of his line as
though for a punt, or would get the
bail close in and dart back Cat least
five yards to comply with the rules)
and then picking his teammate down
the field, would shoot a long forward