Evening journal., 1912-02-14
ONE SIDED
FOOTBALL
New Rules Will Make Grid
irOR Game Lively
This Year
PLENTY OF THRILLS
ARE DUE SPECTATORS

make the patient sit up so suddenly as
to threaten a dislocation of the spinal
column. Whereas the game under the
1911 code was productive of some ex-
tremely tiresome and fruitless con-
tests, the reverse probably be true
next autumn.
An eleven that could go through a
season under the latest collection OF
football rules without being scored on
would be a most remarkable abbrega-
ton, for whereas the defense was sac
rificed for the offense under the regu
lations of 1911, the saving of the pend
clum has reached the opposite limit in
the latest code. There should be scor-
ing and plenty of it in the contests TO
come and lead of three or six points
will not spell victory hereafter until
the final whistle has Terminated the
game.
II cannot be said that the commit
tee did not do the revision in a whole
hearted manner. A more sweeping up
set in the good old game of football
has not been attempted in years The
word radical" can hardly be applied
to the work, since it fails completely
to typfy the attitude and action of the
rules body. Just what the game will
be next fall no one will care to fore
cast at present. Apparently it will re-
semble a combination of football and
basketball in about equal parts.
Four Chances Possible
Under the new rules four methods
of scoring are possible. A touchdown
made by line plunging or end running
will net six points; If followed by a
goal from the touchdown try the total
is raised to seven points; a goal from
the field will net three points and an
opponents safety two points. In ad-
dition a touchdown following a for
ward pass across the goal line will
also count as a regulation touchdown,
with the appended privilege of try
for goal If under these conditions
taken in connection with the other
changes, a team cannot score points
against the opposing eleven it will be
because the offense is ridiculously
weak as compared to the defense.
According to the expressed belier
of the various members of the COM
mittee the ten yards in four downs
rule will help the rushing or running
game No one who is conversant
with the game will deny this statement
since the defense is weakened by the
other changes in the rules. Under the
former rules a team to make ten yards
in three downs had to average three
and a third yards at a rush, with the
defense certain that the forward pass
must be made with twenty-yard zone
and the onside kick outside that sec
ton TO be legal or playable. This
permitted a massing of the defenders
within a given territory, where the
secondary defense was always ready
to back up the line.
Under the latest code out two and a
half yards are necessary for a down
in order to hold possession Of the ball
This reduction Of thirty inches of two
and a half feet in the average neces-
sary gain would not be so trying &c
goal-defending teams we're it not for
the accompanying conditions. With
the unlimited forward pass taking the
place of a restricted pass and the on
side kick the difficulties Of the de-
fense are multiplied, since it is much
easier to gauge the distance and di'
reetion of the pass than kick.
Player in Background.
During the playing season of 191:
It will be necessary for the defense
70 keep one player we'll in the back
Geld for punts, as has been the Gus
tom heretofore In addition, at leas
TWO other men must be fifteen t'
twenty yards behind the line or scrim
mage 10 watch for forward passes, enc
runs and rushers who succeed in pas
sing the first line of defense. This
leaves eight nfen to oppose eleven whC
have to average but seven and one
half per down feet as against ten fee
under the old system Of attack.
The unlimited forward pass als'
handicaps the defense seriously, since
IL will undoubtedly develop playeri
who can shoot the ball for distanc'
almost equal to a punt. The writel
has seen forward passes made II
practice before a game which covered
more than thirty yards, and severa
years ago st. Louis university boaste'
of two men who with a spinning
rife-like throw could send the bal
over forty yards at a speed taste
than a sprinter could cover the dis
tance.
This possibility of a forward pas
will be maintained right up to tn
coal line because of the addition o
the ten-yard-zone back of the lin
which must be defended. There ais
score by line plunging, end runninl
and field goal kicking. With thi
varied attack to face the goal de
Tenders will have yards less leway
since the field has been reduced fiv
yards at each end.
The increasing of the value of
touchdown to six points. with the pos
ibility Of adding another by goa
thereafter equals or surpasses, as tn
case may be, the value of two goal
from the field. It follows. therefore
that the team which possesses littl
in the shape of attack aside from
field goal kicker OF. exceptional meri
cannot expect to achive victory via IN
aerial route. Furthermore, the for
ward pass is likely to be used NOR
as a threatened attack than a reality
Revival Of Plunging.
With the reduction of the averag
gain necessary TO retain possession c
the ball there i'll come a REVIVAL of tn
plunging, rushing game from forme
tions which will hold threat Of
forward pass at all times This wi
force the secondary defense TO pla
we'll back from the scrimmage lin
and will put a premium on the heav
yet fast smashing type Of players VIII
was at the height of his developmen
during the mass play peroid.
All in all it appears that the ne
football rules as propounded by, th
code committee will have a Retro
gressive effect on the game throug
the desire to increase the scorinl
There has never been tendency o
the part Of the American college foo