Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-18
By Fielding Fl. Yost

By Fielding Fl. Yost
N coaching. when / work back Of
football eleven l like to see 1t
move along, hurry UP, get on the
lump, and settle down to business.
So without wasting any preliminary
time | would like to make one state
ment early that is beyond any chal-
!enging-the open game, or Western
game in football-that Is, the forward
Passing and running, as we'll as the
kicklng game-has come to stay, and
the team which fails to take advan-
age Of its many possibilities, as so
many have in the East. will soon be
left far in the rut, forgotten among
those who keep marching forward
ind who keep up to date.
Open Play to Save Game.
Yale hasn't scored a touchdown on
Harvard IN six years, nor on Prince
ION in three years. Harvard has fail
cd to score a touchdown on Yale in
FIVE Of her last six Yale games. This
fall in the Harvard Princeton, Yale
Princeton, Harvard Yale contests no
touchdowns were scored, but nine field
goals were kicked--six of the nine by
Charley Brickley, of the Harvard
team
In the face Of these statistics"
said an Eastern expert TO me after
the Harvard Yale game don't you
think it has been shown that the
touchdown is obsolete, that it cant
be scored except by a fluke?"
don't think SO, by any means. !
saw the Yale-H Harvard game, and
that was enough to show me that
nothing had been proved against the
open game or the Western style, for
This system had never drawn a
chance. Harvard made little attempt
10 score a touchdown. being content
to rely upon the unerring Brickley
and 10 shoot punts over Wilson'S head
or out Of his reach Yale had little
TO score a touchdown with except an
occasional strong running game that
was not varied enough to be a puzzle
and was accompanied by no up-to-
oate forward pass that might be of
any avail whatever.
Must Throw 1t Right.
Out West we have been working
on the open game and using the for
ward pass for some time.
1t soon became evident to me that
me forward pass, as used by so many
'eading teams. was of no use when
ihrown high like a punt. | soon saw
mat, to be effective, it had to be ham
oed like a baseball, thrown sharply
on line to the runner moving at
good speed, who had to handle it as
second baseman might handle
throw from the catcher.
forward pass that is thrown high
IN the air is absolutely worthless
Wien You feel that you could run
Gown from the top of the stands and
DOCK one, it is fairly certain that
man already on the field could block
one even easier. I'll admit this for
NaFa pass Is useless against any sort
VI. defense, and yet this is the type
W pass hat has been judged SO large
" In the East
Army experts have told me often
.''l a forward pass would be joke
attempted against their team. This
leuet lasted until this last fall when
,,,,ode Dame came along from the
vest with real collection of for
nard passes-not the punt limitations
,.al child could stop. And one gray
%r'ernoon on the Hudson, Dorais and
GGtHehlaub and Rockne, of Notre
ZANE shot so many forward passes
mat the scorer became dizzy mark
"g up ,ouChdowns.
East Is Awake Now.
rainier think the East got its sec
o.u awakening Is to the value of the
opeh game in the Army Navy con-
,s' Inc Navy came to New York a
wy favorite. 1t had a veteran
,vNeh 1ack-a big, fast, powerful
Team with a world Of punch. All of a
ssuN.rh 20 the immense surprise Of
.se Navy and to the thrill of 5000 in
,e stands Pritchard began shooting
,'se IasJ low, accurate passes from
Markoe away ~ -Nei i'''' '-''N
W., eLe we have play that scored in
Va games more touchdoWns than
e harvard and Princeton have
A, Dc against each other in five or
lo,, Wv IN addition to making THE pass
,orr aMl accurately, this last season
G@a "estern teams used at least ten
ngs ehl formations for making the
bs, We would mix up a running
a. Kick formation, a shift and
,Is other systems that worked as
49, to the opposing defense. To
,ss,. me possibilities Of the pass, one
w.. maj came to play us had man
asf,. gave an exhibition of passing
BAN a, yhe contest, throwing the foot
''liost so yards on a line!
Gan Be Used as Threat.