Evening star., 1914-10-25

October has borne out the predic-
tions made in this column at the out
set of the season to the effect that we
should see the game open as never be-
fore In the history of the gridiron
sport. The passing game has come in
with a rush and instead of the specta-
tors seeing the ball, outside of punts,
only a few times in a half they are
now on their toes with the expectat ton
of something happening every minute
and in that happening an opportunity
to see the brown leather egg tossed
with almost reckless abandon from one
man to another. 1t is revelation to
the old payer, who is familiar with
having the Dall placed in MS arms by
the quarterback and then huSglng it
Tor dear life and bounding into mass
"a men as naru as he could, TO witness
a game OF this modern type. AT first
he is inclined to catch his breath as he
sees The way the uaiI is handled, but
wnen a. team using these passes goes
we'll ne soon loses his lear and DeSln:
to think there is something in it, after
all The long dry spell that prevailed
tnrous hout the latter part of oeptem-
ber and until the middle of October
left, however, no opportunity to dis
cover what may be a serious ana fatal
weakness In tins style of play, and that
is the handing of a Shiny bali when
the runners are skating through a Slip
perry footing of mud.
Some OF the plays are still possible
under those conditions, but as rule
they will be very much HANDICAPPED
and a team must therefore have d set
of plays that can be made reasona bly,
effective under such conditions. That
brings up point which has never in
the history of the game in this coun-
try troubled foot ball players or the
foot ball crowd: II a man had date
to go to foot ball game he could rest
assured that if he went there and took
his seat he would see the game played
even though the heavens fell in rainy
torrents or snow piled up on the grid
iron. 1t was rain or shine, and at
the appointed time two teams came out
and played the game through. even
though conditions We're such that after
the first few minutes of play no man of
the twenty-five was recognizable, ow-
ing to the coating of mud with which
he was plastered.
The open game is a game for good
weather conditions. and it is possible
that we shall reach time when, like
base ball. the game will not be played
unless the conditions are fairly favor
able What would happen to the foot
ball schedule under d ruling of that
kind no one can tell, but it is easy to
see that if such a rule had prevailed
games would have been postponed.
Owing to the way schedules are ar
ranged it would be impossible to get
through the games unless postponed
games were played in midweek, and
what college faculties would say to
tbs is doubtful The only thing that
We can do this season IS to hope that
TIE Saturdays and Thanksgiving day
viii be clear. bright weather. or at
least that we shall not have the fright
fGl conditions that prevailed in games
Ike the two at Princeton in 1913. when
par;T1outh and Harvard played there.
Tive study of defense already is inter-
ez-ing-. not only to PLAYERS and coaches
hut foot hall critics also. Can the de-
fcnse pe adjusted 20 withsts nd the va
riet- oe assault that this new game is
developing? That is the question
Those VINO argued that under the pres
e7t rules there woull be verv little
scoring. owing to the fact that it seem
ed SO difficult to get from the 15-yard
lire over the goal line, have taken
their criticism away with them and lost
II. and instead. the defense is strained
to its utmost to cover the innumerable
ways in which the attack NAV assault
its territory. Various formations for
defense have been devised. but none OF
them is vet satisfa ctory. due somewhat t
1t is true, to the fact that the individ
ua1 Sizing up of plavs has not devel-
oped rapidly enough yet. However
there is very marked Improvement ir
the vision OF. defense. or what the
coaches call Keeping ones eyes open,'