The Washington herald., 1914-08-09

More Tricks and Shifts
Will Mark 1914 Season
Alterations in Football Rules Promises Sensational
Innovations and Surprise Plays Famous West
ern Pass VIII Feature Eastern Games.
ny JOHN A. DUGAN.
fc.ntr.I Bo.ra q omda..l

=
ny JOHN A. DUGAN,
Central Board Of onciaH.r
One glimpse at the few alterations ir
the football rules issued for the season
Of 1914 viii show that more trick and
sniff plays than ever will be the slogan
OF all the leading college coaches, and the
gridiron sport this fall promises featur-
y ed stunts on both the defense and offen'
ave. With the new rules altered so that
thee will aid in making the game fasteE
in every department the coaches OF the
big college elevens are passing the word
that the college sport this fall will reach
a climax in the matter Of sensational
innovations and surprise plays.
Brain work. the prime essential for this
style Of game, viii therefore be the
factor in each OF the training camps and
the college coaches are getting in touch
with the players with the championship
heads, so as 10 tag them for the COM
ing campaign According to many OF
the leading coaches OF both the East ana
West. on commenting on the rules, no
one can see where Drawn is likely TO
stand against the brains Of capable
eleven this season. From Walter Camp
the father Of football, down. every one
is exrecting TO see many innovations and
spectacular thrills in the big encounters
this fall
Brains a Big Factor.
The boom for brain work is more the
result OF last seasons lesson than any
new statutes made by the national COM
mittee One new rule which is bound to
cause many q spectacular run or pass
before the season is bver is the one COM
pelling the player who Is forward passing
the ball TO complete his play or TO be
downed in his tracks. Last season IN the
Army and Navy game Quarterback Prit-
chard, of the Army team. would drop
the ball 70 the ground when he was cor
nered ON shooting the piyskin into the
awaiting arms of any Of his teammates,
and on this contest alone the officials of
the national committee based their opin-
ion in the changing Of this rule!
The fact that the committee made but
two changes in the forward pass rule
is bound to make the lengthy pass OF
tie Western colleges more OF a feature
than ever, II the word of the wise one
can be counted for anything.
Nortre Dame introduced the famous
Western pass in the East in its game
with the Army team last fall, when they
defeated Uncle Sans cadets, IS to Is ana
when the cadets from West Point 'were
(about to face Navy they enlisted the
services Of Coach Yost, of Michigan, to
had been developing for a month past
and which, by the way, was the main
factor in getting the Nays goat"
Not the TOst Style.
The local followers of the gridiron
game were given their first glimpse Of
the famous Western pass when the West
Virginia Wesleyan University defeated
the eleven from the Hilltop, 16 to l. Al
though the pass which the eleven from
West Virginia used was in the rude form
OF the ''Yost style" it was enough to
keep the ends and back field of the local
team guessing throughout the contest,
and it was mainly responsible for the
defeat of Georgetown in this game -
The other alteration in the forward pass
rule is one that goes out Of bounds
either on a fly, direct, or after being
touched by an eligible player Of either
side. In this alteration the ball will go
10 the opponents where it crosses the
side lines, and will not be brought back
and put in play, as was the case in the
rules last season which made a play of
this kind an incomplete pass.
Coach ON ReRch.
Taking the privilege of the head coach
TO walk up and down the side line away
may not seem to be big factor to many
Of the followers of the game, but to the
player who is in the midst of all the
scrimmaging il will have a big effect.
because at many times during critical
time Of the big games it was the guild |
ing signals from the responsible brains
outside of the side line that turned the
tide of the battle. Ir number of in
stances Glenn Warner, the famous coach !
OF the Indians, has pulled one or two of
his noted tricks of strategy which have !
proved to be the main resource of the |
Carlisle's victory.
In one of the principal games of the !
1913 season a player made safety. caused |
by his failure TO diagnose between an |
ordinary punt in the field of play and |
free kick hitting the goal post. In order |
TO have no complications of this kind |
arise again the rules have been altered |
so that a free kick hitting the goal post |
and bounding back into the field of play !
becomes automatically a touch back, just /
as though ii was an ordinary punt
To Have Field Judge.
A field judge has been brought back /
into the game. and he shall act as an ,
assistant under the directions of the |
referee. The rule covering running into 4
the fulIback has been changed to rough
ing the kicker, and will be applied in the /
same light to 2 player making a forward |
pass, but a player breaking through the
scrimmage line in an effort to block
punt Will not necessarily incur a penalty |
of disqualification il he happens to run
against the kicker. The receiver Of a |
forward pass in either of the end zones,
regardless of his hands or the ball, must
have both feet within the end lines or
side lines TO make the catch legal.
Another very important change is the
compelling Of the defensive team to put |
The ball In play by scrimmage on the
twenty-yard line after safety or touch |
back, thus cutting out the old free kick
on. II a player is out of bounds when
the ball is put in play a penalty of five
yards is inflicted against the offensive
team.
Chased UnspOrtsmanlIINe.
The famous blanket trick Of hiding on
the side lines which was introduced to the
followers of local high school fooc ball
last season by Coach Paul White, of
Business, is. according to this seasons
rules, classed a unsportmanlike conduct,
and penalty of suspension will be in
iicted in each case.
Although the rule governing shifting
has been slightly changed. it win not
encroach upon many of the famous
shifts which were used last season
Teams viii no longer be allowed to en-
croach upon neutral ground In making a
shift play. Any shift play must be made
as soon as the team lines up on the
offence, without a player passing into
10 neutral ground under a penalty OF
dye yards
Tripping by the hands has been insert
ed IN the rules which last season covered
tripping by the legs and foot only, and
a penalty OF fifteen yards will be inflicted II
. - I