New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-09

only the loss of a down was abused
to a point where reform action was
demanded in every quarter.
The officials will have to keep their
eyes wide open to decide when a
legitimate attempt has been made 90
catch pass and when it has been DELHI
erately hurled out of bounds. Section
S of Rule Is reads as follows: "If the
ball, after having been legally passed
forward, goes out of bounds before it
touches the ground, whether on the
fly direct or on the fy after being
touched by an eligible player of either
side. 1t shall belong to the opponents
at the point where the ball crossed
IT, side lines"
Several teams last year, when unable
to advance inside the 35-yard line and
when in bad position to try field goal,
they would shoot a forward pass down
the field, allowing it to go out of
bounds a ward or two from the oppo-
nents' goal line. BY so doing they
gained the difference from the point at
which the ball was carried in, and the
20-yard line, where the ball would have
been carried in the event of a touch
back, had field goal been tried, or the
point at which they would have been
forced to relinquish the ball IN the
event of the attack being stopped. Col
gate tried this trick on several Occa-
sions last. season.
Must Watch the Feet.
Another slight alteration in the rules
governing the forward pass makes it
incumbent upon any player catching the
forward pass to be entirely within the
end zones. Last year it was permissi-
| bic for q man to catch the bail 30
/ long as his arms were within the zone.
Now his feet must be in, as well.
/ The rules on kicked balls striking
| the goal posts and bounding back into
/ the field of play have been changed.
/ Amy such kick automatically becomes a
/ touchbsck, and must be put in play on
/ the 20-yard mark by scrimmsge. The
/ option Of a free kick following a safety
| has been revoked.
| II will be remembered how 0'Brien,
/ the Harvard end, caught a kickoff
| which had struck the posts and re-
| bounded into the field of play, and
trotted behind his own goal line to
make what he believed would be a
touchback, but which was really a
safety. To prevent recurrence of
| such a play the committee took action.
The field judge has been brought
/ back into the game as an optional Off
| cisl, TO aid the referee, umpire and
| linesman. No set duties have been in
| corporated for him. 1t has been speci-
1 fed that he is to act as an assistant
l to the other officials under the direc-
/ ton of the referee.
A number of minor changes were
worked, all for { purpose Of making
I the code clearer and more concise
! Running into the kicker will not be
penalized unless, in the opinion of the
referee, IT was intentional. There
have been many instances where a
/ lineman has broken through TO block
kick and found that he could not
check his speed in time to avoid a
/ collision. Such occurrences will be
/ judged by the officials.
Still another abuse has been cor
rected Hiding" on the side lines has
! been classified as unsportsmanlike
! conduct and will be treated as such.
/ II has been quite the csper with some
I teams, more especially high school
! teams, TO send an end out by the side
/ lines where group of substitutes
might be standing and suddenly whip
over a forward pass to him. These
questionable tactics will be stamped
out under the new rule.
A clause has also been inserted pre-
venting tripping with the hands
Heretofore only tripping with the feet
was punishable under the rules.