The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-20
FOOTBALL IS SAME
OLD ARMY GAME
STYLE OF PLAY THIS YEAR
MUCH LIKE DAYS OF
GUARDS BACK" A..


NEW YORK. Oct .Is.-Foosball
~tthout pushing and pulling, With
i .4~ neutral zone, and with Inc rules
regarding kicks the same as in the
I'D DAYS, Ia now a game nearer where
hi was back in the middle sos than
II has been since the PennsytVahla
stauakss began 10 mass weight and
strength with their guards back
formation and the other big teams
fell into line with various formations
That added sshaine weight and
nower to the normal strength of the
haekheids. o..
There ar not few old football
men who always have felt that the
game should have been tinkered win
from another angle than by puttihs
restrictions on the attack But attei
the latest revisions OF the rules the
reform has tended TO eliminate mass
pIsy and concentration OF unified
weight. strength and speed ana a.
the same time. because Of the re-
moysl of all restrictions surrounding
shs forward pass. save the point from
which it may be made aad the at
stacking players eligible 10 receive u
the defense, which had grown ~
uron. has had tu retire and TO be fat
less concentrated
IL was the constant Increase in de-
fensive efficiency that set the coscne'
fignrfak on heavier attacking methods
away back in the DAYS when Harvard
and Yale were playing their annua
games at springfield. Yale ahH
Princeton were still anticipaun
their Thanksgiving dinners win
matches on the Polo Grounds IN Ne"
York. and PENNSYLVANIA was hghr
ing how to beat the Tigers and liar-
ward and thus gain foothoid on
the football armament
The old seven men on the -rushlint
game. with y quarterback and thre'
running backs and by which the In
reference wac mainly individual, be
came less and less effective as de
fensive methods were devised and im-
proved and the play ~ the rushNn'
backs became almost science
Then came the formation conceived
no break down the defense. These be
came more solid. heavier and mor'
powerful as the years wore on.
Finally so tremendous were th'
shafts aimed at the defending rein
forcernent that even the ,stronses
! rssene were ovArtroddsn. and AZ IN
result of the one-sided impacts in
iuries became more frequent ant
more severe
The forward pass and the onsid
kicks really were makeshifts, pu
into the game 4, aiAssrnhie The de
fense and TO make 1t possible for IN
PLAYS of the attacking team to be
come more open. The defense wa
opened all right but she play
makers took advantage of the un
protected forward line and continue
10 mass their men-with the result
that the size Of the casualty list
football decreased little. IL at all.
FINALLY came the no-pushing no
uuiIing rule, but with the ten yard
In three downs rule. there was
balance quite IN favor of the defen
siye team, and the result of the 1871
season was that team, almost c
necessity. had to be about TIRE
times as strong az It's opponent !
order to cross its goal line by rusf
ing
The rules committee ed the play
ers and coaches always in the
hearts have believed that il is touch
downs and not goals from the feel
that make the American game c
Football. and that to cross the othe
FELLOWS goal line ny rushing fror
scrimrnage always will be the desire
end.
This year the game. with It's fou
rush "a for a 10-yard gain, seems
be une in which more scoring b
rushing gill be possible even anon
teams who come against each an
understood as being evenly matched
With zone slf ten yards benin
she roai line into which forwar
passes may be thrown and recovered
the defense now cannot mass benin
the rush line and put all Its energ
nrasnst an attack In which player
ray not push or pull as they di
in the older days when the team pos
Hessirg the ball might rally aroun
the man carrying 1t and drag hil
aieng.
The new code may not work OF
ius. as the rules committee expect
but at least the attacking teams WI
have better run for their whit
alley when the goal line Is in sigh
The Harvard Maine game did nc
show this conclusively, but 1t dI
serve as straw TO indicate that tn
game this fall Is likely to be pre-
durtiyA Of more touchdoWns !
matches between teams Of simiia
weight and equipment than has tn
football as played between teams q
the same class in the past fey
seasons.