The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-18
FAMOUS MICHIGAN PIG SKIN
DIRECTOR WRITES OPINIONS
ON PRESENT RULES-POINTS
OUT NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS
ny FIELDING II. YOsT
Michigan Football COach)

"After years of tinkering with the
football code. in an attempt to make
the same both safe and sane, and de-
void of those Objectionable features
which brought forth annual floods of
criticism from many sources, the rules
committee seemed to strike a happy
medium last season. When the last
game of 1912 had been played it was
the unanimous opinion that the new
game hade come to stay Much inn
provement was shown from the stand
point of both spectator and player the
game was safer, faster and more open
and offense and defense We're found to
be as evenly balanced as it win ever be
able to get them.
| when the rules committee has its
annual conclave in New York today 1t
is generally conceded that no radical
changes will be made in the rules.
However. 1 have in mind several alter
ations which should work for the fur
ther improvement of the play and at the
same time in no way alter the style of
game as seen last year.
I'VE have never had better rules than
at present, and 1 would be the last one
to stand for any radical alterations.
However there are certain points
which came up last season, some of
them merely technical, which should be
corrected, since they caused confusion
on few suggestions which ought to tend
toward simplifying the game.
Points Out Minor Flaws
"One rule which was inaugurated in
l1912 is, in my opinion, an absurd one,
the penalty being absolutely out of pro-
portion to the offense committed. 1t
reads: 1T is a touchback if foul is
committed behind the opponents goal
line by the side which put the ball in
play
IF one stops to think, he will realize
Just what severe penalty this is. Sup
pose a player has made a touchdown,
and. after crossing the line of scrim-
mage is assisted by another player, or
even attempts to crawl with the ball,
what is the result? The ball is taken
away from his side, given to the OPP
ponents and brought out 20 yards from
the goal line, which, If the rule in case
of a touchback. l think that this rule
should be amended so that in case of
q foul behind the goal line, the regu-
lar penalty for such a foul Give or ten
yards) be put into effect. This would
be much fairer to the team In posses
sion of the ball.
another rule that gave any team an
opportunity to violate the spirit of the
game was that which dealt with an in-
complete forward pass. The rule de-
clared that an incomplete pass shall be
brought back to the line of scrimmage |
and be counted a down, except on a |
fourth down A number of players in |
the west took advantage of this rule on
forward passes, and, when covered |
completely by opposing players, would |
throw the ball directly at the ground
Suggests Five Yard Penalty
NO matter how far the passer had
been forced back by the opposing play
ers, the ball was brought back to the /
being an incomplete forward pass, hav-
ing struck the ground before being
caught by player of either side.
in all games Michigan played last
year / insisted that any play of this
kind be covered with a five-yard pen
atty since it undoubtedly was unsports
and violaed the spirit of the
game. Walter Eckersall, however,
stated that the use of this ruse was
good headwork on the part of the play
er, and should not be penalized. The
rules committee should certainly at
tach some penalty to a play of this kind
next season, either penalizing the Of
Tending team FIVE yards or putting the
ball in play where it struck the ground,
it down. 1t is easy enough
for an official TO tell when the ball is
deliberately at the ground. In
cases where it is thrown any distance
at all no penalty should be inflicted
since the team in possession Of the bail
takes decided risk in having the ball
intercepted.
81 am also In favor of having the goal
posts 10 yards back from their present
placing them on the line that
marks the 10-yard zone behind goal
Change Goal Position Location
This move would do away with all |
danger of striking the posts during a
scrimmage on the goal line, and would
also give an unobstructed space along |
the goal line proper for forward pass
ing into the 10-yard zone. Moving the {