Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-01
with a long.drx spell through septem-

as to convince the most skeptical that
there is real merit in that style of
play. While the defense has been en-
deavoring to adjust itself to the occa-
sion, it was still being scored upon by
this style of open attack. The ques on
IS what will happen should the weacier
interfere and the passing game suffer
therefrom a decided and very serious
setback. The difference between the
Kind of game that can be PLAYED on a
dry field and with dry ball and the
only kind of game possible in the
pouring rain, sea of slush and mud
and ball like a creased pig. is lust
the olHerence that one might imagine
IN pase ball in the rain, only magnified
hundredfold. for the foot ball grows
nearly twice as heavy as norman. and
without spikes the players cleats clog
up and they slide around as though they
were on skating pond. Finally their
uniforms have pounds added to them
for the water soaks into them. 1t is
well that this lesson shall come and
soon, for otherwise it is certain that a
Few OF the teams at least will go even
TO their big games relying entirely
upon the open passing game and not
realizing how much they NAV be handi-
capped In that kind of play on a wet
DAY. IN the past most teams that have
taken up the passing game at all have
taken 1T up generally after midseason,
SO that their ordinary simple p,ays
which they would rely upon on a RAINY
day have been more or less perfected.
Ihls season, however, those that have
taken so seriously the open game have
had almost no time at all to spend on
orolnary plays and very little on de-
tense to ordinary plays, like shifts and
line plunges. Hence a rain that shall
test out the play is almost essential. A
merely wet field is not enough 1t must
be day when the ball itself is heavy
as lead and as slippery as an eel to
really tell the tale.
Joe" Pendleton, who refereed the
Yale-Notre Dame game, received a pop
ular vote of thanks for introducing a
new feature into officiating Every
time penalty was called, Pendleton
would announce to the spectators the
distance given and what was the ma
ture of the foul for which the penalty
was inflicted. 1t certainly made a
great hit with the people, and suggests
that an excellent plan in the big games
when the cheering and other noise
might make it impossible for Pendle-
ton or any referee to be heard that he
should repeat to the cheer leaders
who then would announce it through
their megaphones down the line II
would help great deal in the under
standing and approaching of the
points.
There is an act of craftsmanship in
little in the past. but which should
be understood thoroughly by the
crowds that attend foot ball games,
and 1t should be a matter of honor with
them to conform to a custom that is
growing. When cheering is going on
and team comes over the side of
the field, so long as that cheering
continues it is practically impossible
for the quarterback to make his sig
nails understood by his team. We have
l N 10 CT a-I>, II
raise his hand and seen the cheer lead
ers stop the cheering and noise so as
to give the boy chance. This should
always be practiced, and whenever a
quarterback wishes to still the noise
SO that he can make his signals heard
by his eleven he ought to raise his
hand to the crowd and it should be a
point of honor with it and with the
cheer leaders to see that the silence
is maintained until the play is started.
While Yale has not been exactly
pointed for the Notre Dame game, it
had not permitted the knowledge to
escape that by the middle of October
it would have to turn team into the
field that could at any rate give Il
good account of itself. This task was
rendered somewhat easier by the fact
that the interest of the men in the
more novel style of play attempted had
made it possible to go farther than is
usually the case at this time of the
season. The weather in the middle
of September and the beginning of
October while favorable for the pass
ing game, was very much against the
physical development of New Haven,
taking a great deal of life out of the
men, 3. point that was noticeable in
the early part of the game against
Virginia. Both Notre Dame and Yale
had teams that understood the passing
game, Notre Dame having the more
startling style in spread plays and long
forward passes. Yale the more devel-
oped in double and triple passing back
Of the line. Yale's proved the better
rounded out, and in the end it put
too much up to the Notre Dame de-
Tense, which cracked under the strain.
Old Yale men and players who wore
the blue in the days when there was
great dissatisfaction if their team did
not win four out of FIVE years are be-
ginning to gather quiet confidence
from noticing the headings ana ac-
coints- OF the games Which they say
begin to read like old tiInes--namely,
Virginia outplays Yale, but loses.
Yale line weak" 'Lehsh had much
the better Of the play. but failed to
score Poor defense by Yale" 'Notre
i,ame loses on account OF poor general
ship" IL the old days there was Il
pretty solidly founded belief that the
best coaching n team could receive
was TO be told that the other fellows
were better. no matter what the score
was, ard, ut any rate, it was always
helpful a,ljuact.
Copyright. 1914, Otis f. Wood