The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-11
Changes Made
INFO tb,.aZl:R5ules

Thest914 football season will soon
be here. Local institutions have al
READY sent out mobilization notices
to their gridiron warriors instruct
ing them as to the early training.
plans.
And with the training come the
new rules. For 1914 football will
be different from the 1913 article.
1.-THE national rules committee which
met last February made some Of the
most radical shifts since the aboli-
tion of the old mass play.
But few folks will ever see the
coaches this year. The rules com,
mittee has forced the tutors to re.
main on the bench.
For the rule makers decided that
the coach did too much Quitting in"
and the privilege Of walking tho side
lines has been withdrawn. No one,
outside of officials, will be allowed
on the side lines in the future.
The field Judge. who formerly had
so much work to do only to have his
position abolished last year.. has
again returned to power. Many
cases came to light last season where
an extra official was needed, so the
field Judge will be back on the job
when the whistle blows. He will
act us assistant to the referee and
umpire.
Another very important change
IS the rule which is designed to pre-
vent a player taking advantage OF
the rules when he finds himself st
tempting to make forward pass
and is blocked. Last year, the
tricky players would drop the ball to
the ground and thus. by only the
loss Of down, the ball would be
returned to its first position.
This is now prevented by To-
yard penalty measured from where
the ball was put into play, against
any man who Intentionally grounds
a forward pass.
A rule has also been added which
penalties a player who Intentionally
smashcs into or roughs an opponent
who has Just made a forward pass.
)This will do away with great deal
of roughness.
Hiding" on the side lines and
the old 1908 stunt of a player sneak
ing over the lines and tying his shoe,
then jumping up and receiving n
long forward pass has been termed
I"very unsportsmanlike" by the COM
mission. although not forbidden.
More operating has been done on
Ethat one freak play = the forward
pass. Every year 1t comes in for its
Isharc of abuse. and now any pass
that goes out of bounds either on Il
fly, direct. or after being touched by
any eligible player OF either side,
goes TO the opponents.
7 The receiver of a forward pass in
| the end zone regardless of the posi-
ton of his hands or the ball, must
have both his feet within the end
lime or side limo to make he catch
legal.
Teams will no longer be able to
crcroach on the neutral zone in
making shift plays. AS soon as
either team is lined up on the de-
fcnsiyc. any shift must be made
without a player passing into this
neutral zone without five-yard
penalty.
y Dirty" playing is to be severely
peualized. For not only is the ex.
treme penalty inflicted for slugging.
but a clause is now in effect which
puts tripping by hand" in the same
class as tripping with the feet"
The words running into full
back after a kick" have been chang.
ed to "roughing the kick" in order
that man coming through and try
ing TO block the kick will not b"
necessarily penalized If he runF
against the kicker.
But the new rules are for the goof
OF the game. They are findinr
much favor. The sending Of the
coach to the bench. while taking .
bit of the picturesque from thu
game, is very wise move, and Il
approved by coaches the country
over.