The Washington times., 1912-02-04

Old established football statutes have
been overturned by the football rules
committee in its desire 10 make a game
! Satisfac ctoIy TO the warring, wrant ling
exponents of every kind of football,
j East and West. The committee dis
4 banded yesterday, having completed
, their labors. The new regulations, de-
termincd upon after much argument at
New York, will be Incorporated In the
1912 rule book and are as follows:
!. The playing field, now ITO yards in
length, will be shortened to an even
100 yards. This change in itself is not
Hital but It Is made in order to make
Eossible on small grounds an extension
Of territory in which the forward pass
may be used.
?. a zone of ten yards width beyond
, the goal line is established. The pur-
! pose OF this is to provide ample space
4 fer execution of the forward pass, ard
scoring or II pass made across the goal
line into this zone Is permitted.
Increase Downs.
9. The numrer of downs to &c in 10
yards Is Increased by one.
4. The on side kick Is eliminated
). Tho <Vaiue of a touchdown 10 In
creased from five points TO six points,
-
scores standing as at present.
6. The twenty yards zone. in which
the present rules now provide restric-
lions t. interference with the forward
pass. is eliminated so that the restric-
ttons will apply now to any part of the
field
l. After tcuchb1ck the ball will be
put in play from the 2O-yard line in
stead OF the 25-yard rine.
Goes Back for Kickoff.
S. On q kickoff the ball, instead nf
being put in play in The center OF the
field. will be put in play from the 10.
yard line of the tea m kicking off. TAX
ing into consideration the shortening
of the field and this change in the rules,
the kickeoff distance is heightened by
) yards.
s. The field Judge is eliminated. The
head line man hereafter will keep time
and ne judge OF of-sioe plays In the
line of sCrimmage.
10. The number of men allowed Oh the
side lines, now three. will be reduced
to cne for each team.
II. Provision will be made that u
bounding ball cannot score a legitimate
gcal.
-. The interval between tie first and
second and third and fourth periods Is
reduced from two minutes to one
minute.
Forward Pass Stays.
Despite the efforts of many coaches
in this part of the country to eliminate
the forward pass altogether, ii has been
retained for further trial. Next fall II
will be possible to make a forward pass
for a touchdown, something not al,
lowed heretofore. The elimination OF
the twenty-yard zone also aids in tho
development of the forward pass.
Increasing the value of the touchdown
wipes out the effect of dropkicking IL
deciding games. Two Iouchdowns vii
be able to defeat three field goals il
1872,
A bounding kick, the committee de
Cided shall not score field goal. 1
was such a field goal, kicked by d.
, Witt, of Princeton, that determined tn,
victory of Princeton over Dartmouth
last year.
Among the lesser changes was one
regarding winning the toss at the be
ginning OF a game and the winner
having the choice of kicking o.
choosing a goal and letting the othe
side do the kicking. 1t was so rulet
that the losing side shall have tn
same privilege at the beginning o
: intend of the rules but owing TO
technicClity. didn't always so worl
out.
, Intermissions between the first an,
ters were reduced from two minute
TO onei When the four period ide
was adopted the intermission wa
three minutes. Into the discard 70
the field judge. He no longer is TIL
referee, umpire and linesman will Tu
the game hereafter and the linesma
Is to do the timing and judge OFF
side play I nthe scrimmaRe line. Tn
number of men who shall walk II
and down the side lines was reduce
from three to one.
Cost Too Much.
Small institutions, working togethe
succeeded in doing away with the pos
tion of field judge. They contended tha
four officials to a game was too muc
for their purses, and that the duties {
the field judge might we'll be taken u
by the head linesman. This was deciC
Cd upon by the committee.
committee, composed of WaltC
lamp, of Yale; Percy Haughton.
Harvard, and William MoIice. Of Penn
sylvania, will codify the vaFioI
changes. and they will be published 4
soon as possible for the bensht
coaches and players all over the coul
tgS