The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-05
ALTERATIONS IN RULES WE'RE
MADE ONLY AFTER LONG
DEBATE.
HISTORY OF MEETINGS
Story Of Contests in Sessions Of Rules
Committee Are Almost as Thrilling
as Games on Gridiron lts~elf-Longer
Games.

New York, March i.-Football poll
tics played behind closed doors are
frequently as interesting as a game in
a big college stadium. But unfor-
tunatcly the public sees nothing and
hears little more of the cross-table
battle. At the meeting of the foot
bah rules committee, held in this city
recently, there We're a number of points
! raised in which the spectators at the
annual gridiron ontes were consid-
cred. Aside from a short synopsis of
the finding, however, there was no
explanation advanced for the ruling
on the proposed changes.
The one suggested innovation in the
code which was of greatest interest
to the football spectators and which
failed of adoption wa the plan pro-
liding for the numbering of each and
every player in the game. numbered
square on his back to correspond With
similar figures attached to his name
81 the program ana on the scoreboard.
owing to the use of protective armor
ana other identity ~concealing devices
it is at the present time almost i'm
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distinguish one player from another.
1t frequently happens that players
making sensational runs or scoring
~touchdoWns are deprived of the credit
for the same because Of the inability
Of both press and public to correctly
identify the man with the ball.
It was therefore with keen regret,
as viewed by the man in the street,
that the proposal to number the play
ers was voted down. Little or no at
tempt was made to explain the reasons
for this action, which, nevertheless,
Were based on excellent grounds when
viewed from the standpoint of coach
and player. 1t developed hat the mo-
ton was dccisively beaten in the COM
mitt"e because of the strong argu-
mcnts which We're advanced by the
negative side. The contention was
that such a conspicuous designation of
each player would instantly enable OPP
punents to diagnose the secret con-
struction and defeat the object of al
most every play used during the game.
It was pointed out that such a clear
indication in advance of the proposed
move would eliminate the elements of
strategy and tactics which is one Of
the most important features of Amer
lean football today.
Longer Games.
In discussing the action Of the re-
cent meeting a W"ll-pOStcd authority
pointed out some of the suggestions
and the reasons for their adoption or
rejection, For instance, it was pro-
.-l 4- VI .l-I ~
periods Of the game be heightened by
two minutes. This suggestion imme-
dtat"lN aroused the antagOnism of the
western university delegates. who
pointed ont that it would work a Sc
we're N~- ship on their teams because
of the fact that those of the western
conference We're called upon to play AT
least n hard game each week,
whereas in tn" east the schedules con-
sist in the main of practice games.
with but two or three grueling on
tests well separated, Consequently
the motion was lost.
Dartmouth suggested that it might
be we'll to abolish the puntout, but
failed to advance any specific or valid
reasons for the change, and it was de-
cidcd that 1t would be impolitic to
drop such a historic feature of Amcri-
can football until suCh time as more
satisfactory arguments could be ad-
VanCod in favor of the move. The
Princeton representative favored the
removal of the goal posts from the
5 goal line to a point on the terminal
lines of the field. the idea being that
b such action Would remove the danger
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