Norwich bulletin., 1912-11-12

That the new football rules have added greatly to the interest and safe ty of the game was the opinion of Walter Camp, 80, when interviewed concerning the effects of the new reg ulations. Mir. Camp believes that the possibilities of the new game are just beginning to be realized by coaches and players, and that many revelations in new plays will appear.
 Another interesting statement Is that the additional downs allowed this year is not of sufficient advantage to per init team to make large gains by use of the old line plunging games. He does not think that the end zones have been of great value because it has been proved that the goal posts seri- ously interfere with forward passes in this part of the field.
 Mir Camps opinions of the results obtained by the new rules follow: Although it is now the middle of the football season, the coaches and players have opened their eyes to the real possibilities of the game under the rules of 1912 only in the past two weeks Those who predicted early in the fall that there would be no greater scoring than under the last seasons rules are now beginning to waver in that opinion.
 More than ever it has been demon strated when good teams meet that the elimination of pushing and pulling has made it. even with the additional down, too hard a proposition for the old fashioned simple line plunging game to make ground enough for a successful journey down the field. To punch the ball over the line is differ ent matter, but long marches down the field, even with the advantage given by the additional down, are too slow a method when compared with an attack that spreads the opposing line or weakens it by deception. In connec- tion with this the kicking game with the wind is a vitally essential point in teams equipment in order that the players may force their opponents to do hard work in the running game and at the same time save their own strength for the time when they can actually threaten in the opponents ter ritory.
 Those who said that the forward pass would not be used because the defense had sized it up completely now have worried look when the opposing team begins to throw the ball around, taking three chances before kicking.
 But there are other revelations to come. Fortunately for those who are called upon to face them there are very few teams which started with good foundation of players and formations brought over from last year. Few have realized the wide opportunity for varied play under these latest rules. For If there had been any teams start ing out this season equipped with vet eran players and experienced in forma- tionS they would have cut very wide swath. At present the defense is get ting some opportunity to adjust itself, while the offense is learning how to strike in an effective manner. That is why some of the work on both sides still seems crude and immature
 One rather singular and yet nota- ble thing about the game is that it seems to have evened up the work of the back field and the line somewhat, so that everybody on team seems to have to work up to the very top of his limit all the time. In spite of this the injury column seems UP to date decid- edly lessened, that is in respect to the really incapacitating injuries. On the whole, while, of course, it is early to judge the very hardest kind of play, notably the big games of middle Octo- Der showed very small proportion of men taken out for injuries.
 The addition of an extra down has in some small measure decreased the number of punts because most teams prefer to try their running game be- fore resorting to the kick. Naturally, they have two reasons for this, the first being that by so doing they take a gambling chance on getting a first down, and then have an opportunity to go out for another first down.
 Another reason is that by thus using up all their downs they retain posses sion of the ball and keep the opponents from trying out their attack. It is this