The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-05
FOOTBALL COACHES
HAVE GREAT CHANCE TO
PRODUCE NEW TACTICS

On the splendid foundation aid last
year. football coaches will have a
great opportunity to extend and vary
offensive tactics this season and make
the gridiron battles even more sensa-
tional than they have ever been in
the past. 1t should prove a wonderful
year for kicking and forward pass
ing. The futility OF much of the line
commandment and continued attempts
at end running has been thoroughly
proved The wisdom of conserving
the energy of team In the first half
also proved its worth. The team
which scored early by using the old
line piunging tactics was generally de-
feated In the end, because 1t could
not keep up the pace, and lost It's
unity both in offense and attack.
This brings up the question OF the
value OF the forward pass, and glanc-
ing over the record Of last year, Wal
ter Camp very we'll says: One could
not help noticing the remarkably easy
way in which ground could be made
in the forward pass II the passes were
cieverly devised and well executed. A
team would go from midteld down to
the goal line with two or three such
passes, and without any special effect
at all upon It's endurance. II was
simply a question of one or two men
running twenty or thirty yards al a
time with 40 opposition.
Forward Pass Upheld.
Those who had commended that old
fashioned straight plunging footbali
would come into It's own again, and
that the forward pass would be sup
planted by the. line plunging game, or
that the defense 10 forward passes
would render these latter plays in
effective, found themselves completely
at sea by November 1st.
The wise ones begin TO see new
light, in that 1t paid better to kick
in ones own territory and save the
power and strength OF the attack for
execution when In the opponents ter
risory. At the same time 1t was pos
sible in this way to save both line and
backs for defensive work, rather than
TO pound the life out OF them with
short, straight gains. beginning in
what should be defensive territory"
The best example of how this prop
osition worked out was the Princeton
Harvard game. In earlier games the
Tigers had won with top-heavy scores.
due principally to their terrific speed
and the weakness of their opponents
defense. But against Harvard they
found their style OF play most exhaust
Ing. They were against first-ciass
defense and, although they led to
3 at the end of two quarters, they
were played out. Harvards great
kicking. favored by wind which
Princeton had overlooked. put the lat
ter on the defensive,
Spectacular Features,
The rules which made for more in
terest in the sport and furnished the
spectacular features last year viii be
in force this season with few changes.
These are OF minor importance. Prob
ably the most important change effect
ed Is that dealing with the kicking
rule
1t has been changed 30 that the
kicker need not OF necessity stand five
yards back of the line of scrimmage
He may be as near the line as he
pleases. This change. many experts
believe. will bring back some OF the
old quick kicks from formation.
The rule affecting players leaving
the game who wish to be returned
has been altered so that IL reads: -
player may be returned once at the
beginning OF any period, or at any time
during the fourth or last period" This
was brought about because under the
old rule a player could not be returned
10 the game after he had once been
taken out except at the beginning OF
peFiOu- frequently TX was AOuuu
that an unexpected substitution was
required in the fourth period. but as
the rules forbade such move, they
were altered.
Foot Illegal in This Play.
Now a penalty will be in force upon
advancing beyond the lines in case
OF a punt-out. This specific penalty
Is that the punter's angle be moved
Ave yards away from the nearest goal
post along the goal line. Another rul-
ing on punts that will be enforced Is
that which declares that II the punter-
out makes deliberate attempt by a
feint to draw his opponents off side,
the officials are to forbid him to kick
the ball until his opponents have had