Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-28
Gridiron News
Football Players Enter Upon
Another Hard Week of
Training in Preparation for
Big Games Next Saturday.
BY EDWARD R. BUSHNELL

Whether or not Pennsylvania will have
n football team of championship proper
tions or one of only mediocre strength
was not disclosed by Saturdays game
against Gettysburg That 40 score was
won by n comfortable margin, and pretty
accurately gauges the comparative
strength Of the two teams. At the same
| time, when we remember the defenseless-
ness of Gettysburg last year and the
smashing victory which the Qunlicrs won
then by the score of $50 two facts stand
| forth with great clearness. one is that
this years Gettysburg team knew more
football than its predecessor and likewise
that 1t displayed better fighting quail
ity. second fact not to be overlooked
Is that this years Quaker team is not
nearly so far advanced in its attacking
power as was the 1918 eleven in it's first
game
Virtually all of the faults evident in the
work of the Red and Blue were due to
lack of practise, an entirely new back
field and lack of unity between the back
field and the line. These weaknesses
were to be expectd and won't cause the
coaches undue alarm In fact a 40
score for the first game is much more
desirable than one of $50 proportions.
Nothing retards the progress of a team
moro than overconfdencc and big pre-
liminary scores invariably contribute to
that The Quakers still have plenty of
time to get I'm shape for their big games,
and the schedule has been SO graduated
that each Saturday brings n tougher OPP
poncnt to Franklin Field.
After all the publicity that has been
given to the new rule barring COACHES
from the side lines there was good deal
of surprise in the stands and the press
box over the fact that both sides ignored
the rule. The possibility that this rule
might be violated or disregarded was
touched upon in these columns last week.
What happened was this. When the
game started the referee saw Coach
O'Bricn, of Gettysburg, standing on the
edge of the gridiron on his side of the
field. On the south side Pat Dwyer, the
Pennsylvania assistant coach and trainer,
was kneeling on the side line. The Off
cias mentioned the new rule and asked
O'Brien what he intended to do. O'Brien
called attention TO the presence of Dwyer
on the other side of the field. Dwyer
seemed to think that he was entitled TO
n position on the side line i'm his capacity
as trainer, but said he had no objection
Neither captain objected, and since this
was regarded as a practice game the
officials didn't interfere, and the two
men remained on the side lines through
cut the game just as though the rule
didn't exist.
Attention should be called to the fact
that neither side properly interpreted the
rule. Each assumed that the rule dis
tnctly barred coaches from the side line
and seemed to feel that a trainer might
remain there with propriety. Listen to
the rule (rule NXiv., sec. AZ
"All who are admitted to the enclosure
must be seated throughout the game. No
person shall be allowed to walk up and
down on either side of the field"
Ty any fair Interpretation Of this rule
neither Dwyer nor O'BTen had any right
on the side line. But since the whole
ruleboOk has no official standing. but Is
accepted by common consent, any rule
may be suspended or changed by the cap
tains of the two teams. This comment
Is not made in criticism of the infringe
mcnt of the rule, for there wasn't the
slightest sign of coaching by either side,
to prevent the possibility of which the
rule was made. Both sides regarded this
as merely practice game and wished