Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-02-05
FOOT BALL RULES CHANGED
Committee Radically Alters Style Of
Play for Eineteen-Twelve.
TOUCHDOWN WORTH SIX POINTS
Extra Down Allowed for Ten-Ynrd
Gain, while Forward Pass Can
he Made Ten Yards Be-
yond Goal Line.

NEW YORK. Feb. 1.-THE foot ball
rules committee. which has been work.
ing in secret here for two days upon
lraumerabIe suggestions for altering the
game, came 20 unanimous decision late
yesterday in favor Of several fundamental
changes.N
The committee laid down rs arduous
task tonight with the belief that II had
greatly improved the popular college
sport. The lines OF anticipated improve
ment are. In substance AZ follows;
The playing field. now 10 yards in
length. viii be shortened TO an even 100
yards. This change Is not vital. but Is
made IN order to make possible on small
grounds an extension OF territory on
which the forward pass may be used.
xone OF ten yards width beyond the
goal lines IS established. The purpose
Of this is TO provide ample space for
execution OF the forward pass and seor-
ing on a pass made across the goal line
into this zone is permitted.
Number of Downs Increased.
: The number OF downs" TO gain ten
yards Is increased by one,
The on-Sids kick Il eliminated.
The value OF touchdown Is Increased
from five points 10 six points. the goal
from touchdown and other scores stand
Ing as at present
The twenty yards zone. in which the
present rules now provide restrictions TO
+ interference with the forward pass. Is
eliminated no that the restrictions Will
apply now to any part of the fold.
After a touchback the ball win be put
In play from the twenty-yard line In
stead OF the twenty five-yard line
/ On kick off the ball. instead OF being
4 IN play in the center Of the field, win be
put in play from the forty-yard line OF
I the team kicking off Taxing into con-
alteration the shortening OF the field
and this change in the rules, the kick
off distance IS lensthened by five yards.
The field judge ~ eliminated. The head
/ llnesman hereafter will keep time and
be judge Of off-side plays in the line Of
serimmaSe.
The number Of men allowed on the side
lines. now three. will be reduced TO one
for each team.
Provision will be made that bounding
ball cannot score legitimate goal.
The interval between the first and sec
ond and the third and fourth periods Is
reduced from two minutes TO one minute.
Elk Hall of Dartmouth. chairman Of
the committee. announced the substance
Of these changes to newspaper men to-
night. None Of thom has been put in code
form. but Chairman Hail said they were
ali unanimously adopted and would be
Incorporated in the 1917 rules. a commit
tee was named 70 codlfy the new rules
and Instructed 20 have them ready as
soon as possible in order that they might
he circulated and studied before tbs
practice season begins. This committee
includes walter camp OF Yale Perey
lIaughson q Harvard and William Morris
or PENNSYLVANIA. II was said the change.
adopted were the work q no one in
dividual, but after the two days DIS
cussion they were drawn ~ as a whole
and adopted unanimously
The principal improvement expected o
the new rules Is equalization Of th'
chances Of offensive and defensive teams
Il has long been contcnded that tn
defense was too powerful. especially wher
close 10 It's goal line The allowing OF 1
touchdown on a forward pass across IN
goal line is expected greatly to relieyl
This condition. The addition Of poin
10 the value OF touchdown Is intende'
10 make the comparative values Of Tn
touchdown and the goal from the ficl
substantially what they were before IN
recent high development Of the latte
play.
No Danger from Ola Fault.
In considering the addition OF an exir
down, the question arose as TO whethe
il would not hiiuE back the old poundin
attack. but tse committee felt Il was no
likely 10 have that tendency In view q
the fact that there was now no pushin
and pulling IN the game.
One Of the minor changes VIII be
provision that the loser OF The toss at u
commencement Of the game Will have h
choice at the start o. the second ha
as 10 whether his team shall kick Off.
The committee adjourned tonight wit
its members expressing satisfaction wit
the results OF their labors and believin
It would not be necessary TO meet agal
unless the codifylng committee ei
eountered some snari which it could N
handle. Even IN such event Il WI
thought the matter could be adjusted vii
the members OF the general committee