The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-10-26
SPEED is NEEDED
IN FOOTBALL NOW
Lighter Men Favored Because
OF New Rules.
MASS PLAYS USED WEIGHT.

Down the Field Under Punts With
the Speed of End Men-PIayers of
1853 Pounds Used In Line.
Lighter men, those who have speed
and stiffness, are in demand for the
football elevens this year. Weight and
strength are secondary considerations.
as has been shown by the players who
already have been selected to repre-
sent their respective institutions on the
chalk lined field this fall
Instead of selecting a forward wall
which will average POO pounds or more
the coaches now are content to pick a
line of fast, agile players, none of
whom will weigh more than 1S5
pounds. Speed is the slogan of every
mentor, and unless the heavier candi-
dates are able to handle their weight
with IA certain degree of agility their
chances of winning a place on the
varsity eleven are not bright.
In the old days of the mass play,
when the runner with the ball could
be pushed and pulled, the coaches al
ways gave the heavy candidates for
line positions the preference over their
lighter competitors. The heavy team
always had the advantage, for it took
players of heavy poundage to stop the
plays of opposing elevens, especially
in games where concentrated attacks
through the line or off the tackles were
employed.
With the revision of the rules which
prohibit the man carrying the ball to
be pushed or pulled or helped in any
way except 10y the interference preced-
ing him the days of the heavy. slow
football players have passed. The
coaches now are looking for candidates
who are fast and who possess the IA
Guilty of sizing up an opponents plays
quickly and of moving to the point of
attack with speed and agility.
Linemen who can get down the field
under punts with the speed OF the ends
are in demand. Tackles who can get
out in the open to receive forward
passes with as much success as the
backs or ends are needed. Guards who
can be relied upon TO get out of their
positions and help in the interference
on sweeping end runs or attempts to
gain ground from fake punt forma
lions will be given the call over heavi
er and bulkier rivals.
Because Of these important facts The
teams Of today are not as heavy a.
those of the old regime. The coaches
have become reconciled to the situa
ton, and in several games played thi
season men have played in the lin
4
Although light for the positions, the.
more than made up on the offense TO
what they lacked on the defense.
AS it is mighty hard to penetrate
line continuously by line bucks an
split interference plays it is not esser
tial to have heavy men in the forwar
wall AS practically all the coache
are employing the secondary line of dC
Tense the chances are the runner wi
be checked after q short gain. even
he gets by the first defensive line. An
coach who has heavy men who posses
speed and agility must consider himse
a fortunate mentor, and it is only til
teacher who has Il large squad of mi
terial at his disposal who will uncov'
such players
In order to get as much speed out
the players as possible the coaches a.
getting away from the old idea of ma
ing the players wear all sorts of arm
ment The efforts which q man pu
into Il hard fought struggle are enoue
TO tire him without making him carr
around pounds of pads to protect d
ferent parts of his anatomy.
Shin guards now have become almo
extinct. The heavy solid leather he;
guard has been supplanted by one
soft material and not SO ponderous
cumbersome. Light pads to prote
the collar bone now are used inste;
of the big, heavy projections viii
We're sewed on the jerseys.
Any player who is in good physit
condition does not need to be padd
in such manner as he is deprived
his freedom of action. Any man W
knows how to tackle and who b
learned the art of falling when tackl
and to straighten himself out in
scrimmage seldom will be injured.
the runner allows himself to be tackl
from the side instead of head on II
Their he nor the tackler will be hurt.