Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-08
By j. w. Heisman.

Y YEARS ago the rule in football
WAS that a team either had to
gain FIVE yards in three trials
or else lose twenty yards in order to
retain possession of the ball, II
team had failed to gain In their first
two trials and they had plenty OF
territory behind them to where their
goal line stretched along, they delib-
erately measured off how much more
ground they would have to lose to
make It full twenty yards in the
three downs The bail was then
snapped and the man catching it sim
ply ran back to that spot and downad
the ball; it was then new first down
This was a way of making first
down.
Now, the present rules contain pro
vision for a way to make first down
which is known to but few players
of even the present day. 1t is found
in rule 81, which relates TO the nee
essary distance to be gained on
downs This rule reads to-day exact
ly as it has read for the past twenty
years (barring the addition of one
more down and he doubling of the
distance to be gained), but its YER
biage and English, while perfectly
logical, are yet too much for many
and many a casual reader. There is
not a season p sses but ne or more
letters come to me asking for an ex-
PLANTATION of its exact meaning, and,
while the meaning is perfectly definite
and precise, yet it is really hard
thing to explain on paper. However.
shall do the best l can.
CECTION / of the rule says that
- team must make ten yards in four
trials or else give up the ball to OPP
nonents. These four downs are, Of
course, to be consecutive downs, and
this they could not be unless the ball
had been CONSTANTLY in the pos
session of that side for the four
trials.
But says section 2, THE ball shall
not be considered as having been
constantly in possession"
"(b) When the ball has been kicked
and the opponents given fair and
equal chance of Gaining possession
Of 1t. (No kick shall be regarded as
having given the opponents such
chance unless it shall have crossed
the line of scrimmage or shall have
been touched by an opponent)"
Now, just what does this paragraph
mean? | have heard college gradu-
ates contend that it means THAI any
and every kick a team makes MUST
go across the scrimmage line, or else
it Is a violation of his rule! / have
heard it contended that 1t means that
when a ball is kicked beyond the
81. 10 1t 60 Il
has the right to touch It at once,
regardless Of the fact that they are
nearly all Of them always off-siie.
And | have heard other interpreta-
tions that were equally fearful and
wonderful to hear
COMETIMES in the case Of punted
- ball an opponent breaks through
and blocks, or partially blocks, the
punt He has touched" the ball and
by so doing attests that his side has
had a fair and equal chance of gain
ing possession of it. This touching OF
the punted ball, therefore, operates 10
put all the hunters side instantly on
side again, which is the reason they,
as well as any member Of the other
team, may try to ret It. II one Of the
punters side Is fortunate enough to
secure it, the is theirs for first
down" and that regardless OF what
down it was on which the previous
punt was made. AS this really often
happens in a game, the case is well
understood and there is no misun-
derstanding as to he meaning Of this
last part OF paragraph (b).
The trouble seems come in wh2n
trying to fathom the meaning OF the
words unless 1t shall have crossed
the line Of scrimmage."
This simply means that even If the
opponents do not actually touch the
punted ball II you will kick the ball
across the scrimmage line you con
structively give them as good chance
as you could possibly have at secur-
| ing its possession, and II neverthe-
less they DO not succeed in getting It
the fault is their own. and they should
| lose it. Still we must not forget that,
| for all this, none Of the punter's side
can recover 1t unless he is on side,