Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-03
REFEREE VIM LANCFOD SAYS FOOTBALL SEASON JUST CLOSED WAS U
LATERAL, PASS ATTACK
A SUCCESS, SAYS LANGFORD
Referee of Army and Navy Game Maintains Strong
Defense Makes Straight Forward Pass of But Little
Use-Believes Present Rules Are Satisfactory

| attack Of a versatile opponent The COM
parison so often made between football
and warfare certainly holds true In
| this-that victory is bound up In CEN
/ trlng cnes strength against the weakest
| point OF the opponents defensive line
The team which possesses a versatile at
| tack comprising a series of effective line
| plays, forward passes and n comprehen-
sive kicking game and which has also
that greatest asset-a general who can
recognize the value and appropriateness
of the right play at the right time-can
so bewllder n team on defense that II is
almost impossible to prevent score.
In other words once a team on defense
is thrown Off its physical balance II Is
difficult for 1t to retain Its mental bal
ance or to stop the assaults Of its oppo-
nent short of the goal line.
The team once scored against by
team of fairly even strength is at
great disadvantage. and 1t must be pos
sessed of great rallying powers. as we'll
as an efficient attack, to Offset the mental
effect of an adverse score.
While this may sound academic, and
probably is true to a certain extent in
any contest of brain and Drawn, it is
particularly true i'm the present game
OF football and is due without doubt 10
the great versatility Of attack made pos
sible by the present playing code 1t is
this very feature. which has accounted
for the wide breaks in the scores ~
this years games, the great reversals
form and the almost universal failure
of the experts to predict the outcome
of so many games this fall.
The upsets of the season have been
numerous and have brought into promi-
nence one smaller college team after an
other and while this particular feature
has undoubtedly produced heart-burnings
at those larger institutions which have
l.. II. a. zns.
and problematical championships" there
is not the slightest doubt that 1t has
tended to improve football as a sport in
the larger sense.
The possibilities of the further devel-
opment of the lateral pass and other
features of the Canadian game are great,
and II is 10 be hoped that the expert
ments begun will be continued
The most successful defense for this
style of play found thus far seems to
be in the quick charging of the first line
of defense, which, If successful, brings
about the development of the play before
1t has fairly started and enables the sec
ondary defense, to stop the man who
finally receives the ball This style of de-
fence, however, presupposes forwards cap
able of outguessing their opponents in
the line and breaking through quickly
enough to force the play-also 1t pre-
supposes complete and perfect co-opera-
tion between the first and second lines
of defense.
No doubt, as in former years, there will
be many suggestions, emanating from
all over the country for changes (more
or less radicaD in the rules.
1t is, however, strongly to be hoped
that the Rules Committee will resist the
appeals which will be made to 1t and
allow the game to be further developed
under the code which has proved so emf
nently satisfactory to player and public
alike.