The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-04
FOOTBALL RULES
PROVIDE MORT:
GROUND GAINING
lcontinuea from Grst putre.) q y

80 SN5sS
to The SS,pn,oSnents' goal line, to. remov,
\ up With the likelihood of m forw6T'
pass going over the goal line for
sonre, t ~ = defense viii not be able t,
rs heretofore, Consequently, lit is
4 pointed out, there will no more chance
20 gain by rushing. in addition &c
In, connection with this rule, the
length OF the playing Held has been
I shGIte1edl from. 10 TO 100 yards. some
The goal limos, and the playing field is
shortened In order that all may ge,
IN tho en-yard forward pass zone O.
hind the goal lines.
Tho next big change was to pro-
vide an additional down. Ten yards
IN hNe downs. or four tries, Is to be
the rule hnsreaf,er the epinmittse
number of downs and reducing the dis.
tance TO be gained. The latter plan
had It's ndvocatos, but they. did not
FIVE downs plan was one of Tom Shev-
Inns pet relief suggestions
The football LEGISLATORS came to tho
could 30 put on without bringin =
back the old pounding attack. The
subject came in for long discussion.
bur in the end 1t was the prevalent
belief that as the rules no longer per-
nit of pushing and pulling of the
irinnor II was not at all likely that
another down would mako the attack
committee believes" said one of its
members, that the added down will
not result in more injuries, else the
suggestion would NOT have been con-
sidcred for moment"
Tho value of Il touchdown was In
ctsaSed from i've TO SIX points: The
idea was TO make ono touchdown
Mglth rs much as two goals from the
Next In changes OF note was the
elimination Of the onside kick. This
whereby a kicked BAH striking tho
grounds could be recovered by either
side. Such, an occurrence no longe.
will not have the privilege OF recover
ing punts after this unless the bnli
las been touched by one Of the oppos"
lug Side or the man OF the kicking
Kicker when the latter booted the ball,
and so onside. Tho new rule is n re-
turn TO former conditions. The rule
allowing anybody. to recover a booted
ball which hit tho ground has been
in operation only Il comparatively few
seasons.
hy the committee to-day. * that a for
ward pass may he thrown any distance.
The ;wanty-yard zone of .Ac last two
wears is abolished With the ellminu-
ton of tho onside kick the twenty
yard interference zone on that play,
81 course, exists no longer, and as the
forward pass can go as far as the
passer likes, there Is no longer any
iwenty-yard ono whatever. But the
restrictions on Interference on for
ward pass which obtained last year in
the twen,yyard zone now oh tain all
over tho field They DO not obtain In
the case OF Il kick. but do hold good
Tor the forward pass. no matter how
far 1t may happen to travel The ten
dcncy of the game nov VIII be to
play the ball instead OF the man, was
tho way one OF the rule makers put 1t.
1t may be said also that threa years
ago, when there was no distance re-
Striction on the forward pass. ii was a
prcttier ana more strategic manoeuvre
than II since became under the twenty
yard limit. Thare was pretty wide
spread belief that 1t would be a good
thing to restore the forward pass that
was not limited rs TO distance.
y change tending TO produce n more
equitable state of affairs is that In
ease OF a touchback the ball shall be
brought ont TO thu twenty-yard line
and not the enty-fve-yard line. For
IirStancn, tws:ltyfve yards was a
.triiie too stif a penalty to pay for
failure TO kick goal from the field
The committee discussed bringing the
Noll out ave and ter yards, but finally
hi upon twenty yards to sec how it
works
In the matter of tho k!ck-on, the