Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-07
THE NEW FOOTBALL
AS SEEN BY GLANCE AT THE REVISED
RULES GOVERNING THE GAME THIS YEAR
Combinations to Come.

ground that is efficacious while a
lighter and more active team may dis
| cover a method of different type
which is equally available to them.
Indications based on theoretical as
! sumption are that the year will be
noteworthy because of the large scores.
The sport seems to have been opened
| with wider wedges inserted between
| the rules than was the case in the first
| change of the code. An added down
| will develop a great deal when heavy
| team is playing against a light team.
| Sooner or later the defense of the
| lighter team viii weaken and that
| means an increase of the number of
| touchdowns against it.
On the other hand, if the intentions
| OF the rules committee work out as
| they hope, the touchdown which can
| be gained by forward pass will be
| a constant menace to the heavy or the
light eleven, when a team is within
striking distance of the goal line, and
| that is d force which will very likely
add 10 the number of points made in
a game although it is a question to be
answered whether it will in any way
| develop type of football differing
greatly from that which has been in
vogue for the last two seasons.
Line Game Must Be Good.
The added down means that the line
game of any eleven must not be ne
elected. The younger elevens more
than ever must be drilled in running
plays 1t is not essential that they
shall be mass plays. Some fear has
been expressed that the added down
mill Ikri,, rot Of hn mo
which was in vogue before the rules
We're first changed. 1t hardly
seems probable. Presumably there
are coaches who will be gwen
to experimenting with mass play when
the season is early, but it is not likely
that they will continue it into the late
season for unless the results of the
attempt to gain distance under the old
rules were not truthful, because based
on incorrect conditions, it is not going
to be an easy matter to gain ten yards
consistently. even if one more down
has been added to give players eppor-
tunity to make the effort.
Off hand. the program this year
seems likely to begin with an attempt
to get through the tackles. or around
the ends. in the plays of the early
downs. II team is successful in car
rying the ball as far as the eightyard
mark on the third down it is easy to
believe that a line play will be directed
at the defense on the next down with
some degree of probable success. In
the years of the past after the third
down ii was the unwritten policy to
kick. and kick as far as possible.
Use of the Punt.
The punt will come into vogue after
the fourth down this season, but there
will be more general attempts at circl-
ing the ends. or slipping through an
unguarded spot insthe line, than there
have Teen in the past.
IL a team is proficient in the forward
pass it is not unlikely that it VIII be-
gin to attempt its use after the third
down, as play of strategic value in
preference to putting it into use when
1t is fairly certain that possession of
the ball is about to be lost The temp
tation will be strong to try for touch
downs when a team is fifteen yards
away from the goal line, using both
the forward pass and an end circling
run as the medium. This will pro-
badly be speedily favored by schoo,
teams and elevens composed of the
younger plays, and officials and spec
tators may look forward with expecta-
ton of seeing more trials for touch
downs by the use of the forward pass
than actual efforts to carry the ball
cleanly over the defending goal SO far
as the lighter teams are concerned.
Some fear has been expressed that
the offense this season will be as topi
10 no
rules which were in vogue in 1911 The
serious objection to the sport with
the code which had been in vogue was
thatrtwo evenly matched teams found
sit almost out of the question to score. :
To put it in another way the defensive
game had been built so strong that
elevens of comparatively the same
rating could defend their goal against
its final invasion even though there
was little spectacular and novel play
in the open.
Edwards Opinion.
William Edwards, formerly Prince |
ton captain and guard and a player
whose knowledge of the game was
such that he was one of the best
equipped of umpires after he had grad
uated from Princeton. says: There is
no doubt that the change in the rules
means a turn toward the rushing ,
game. 1t seems to me that the extra
down will make the first down possible !
more often. If two elevens are play
ing one Of which is much heavier and
stronger than the other. the tempta-
ton on the part of the heavier eleven
will be to break down the defense of I
the lighter. Now the question arises
whether even "A heavy eleven can gain
ten yards with an added down am
not sure that it will, but it appears to
me as if the odds are more in favor
that It may
TO offset this, perhaps, there will
be bombardment of the goal line
of The heavier team with long forward
passes and the test will come as to
'Yhether the forward pass as a play of
attack can offset a line of heavy for
wards. From what I have seen of the
forward pass and from my own expert
ence as football player / must con-
TESS that | incline personally to the
heavier and stronger line. | am just
enough OF the aid school football play
er to believe that it means more in the
long run.
There is one point which must not
I