Evening journal., 1914-02-09
FOOTBALL
RULES FOR NEW
YEAR CHANGED
Committee Passes Up Num-
berS, DOubtin! Authority
to Take Initiative

The football rules committee in seq
sion in New York on Saturday passed
from the discussion to the action STAGE.
Several changes Of moment we're made
in the code BY the fourteen committee
men, none Of which win affect seriously
the game as now played but which arc
expected to improve it nevertheless.
a rule was passed curtailing the
prominence of the head coach on the
field. 1t was to the effect that nobody
whatsoever shall be allowed TO prone
made the side lines during a game. The
head coach wasn't specified but the role
q the side line pedestrian has been con.
lined to him. He still can BE- ON the
side lines. but must remain seated.
Just like lesser mortas. The ptirose Of
the rule Is to minimize as far as Dos
sibie side line coaching.
Another change was to this effect:
Ate. the teams have lined np for a
serimmage neither side shall encroach
on the neutral zone. For several rea.
sons certain teams when on the OF. !
fence have been using the "Wheels
shift, that is having men cross over in +
the neutral zone just before the ball was
put into play This manoeuvre didnst
preserve the integrity Of the neutrality
to any great extent, but it was per-
missabe II was used often bv Har-
ward, though not made unfair use OF by
that team. Other teams. however. when r
employing it INDUCED in rough work
with their elbows on opposing counte-
nanees, so that several rumpuses were
started. Abolishing this particular
shift means cleaner play.
1t was decided to impose ten yard
penalty from where the bali was put ia
play on Intentionally grounding the for
ward pass. Teams about TO throw the
pass tossed the ball to the ground Wien
it looked IS if the pass wouldn't 20
through. The only penalty was ths
loss Of down. and as a conaequencel
good defensive work by the other side
IN getting through and bothering the
passer did not. in the minds OF the com
mittee, earn sufficient reward.
The position OF field Judge was re-
stored. but optional with teams. The
field judges duties are not to be ineor-
porated in the rules, but he ii to serve
as az assistant to the referee and rm-
pire and be assigned to duties as the
needs arise.
One change effected is an interesting
aftermath OF the asst Harvard-Yale
game. II win be recalled that O'Brien
9f Harvard grabbed a ball which had
struck the goal posts and bounded back
into the field OF play and carried it back
over the goal line for what was ruled to
be safety. This was on a Yale kickoff.
The rule was changed on Saturday so
that a kicked ball which bounds back
into the field OF play from the uprights
or erossbar shall be a touchbaclS. This
viii necessitate changes in the wording !
81 section I5, of Rule VI.
The committee didn't take any action ,
ln numbering players. 1t was thought ,
letter to wait and see further how The
llan works out, since more teams are
going to try il next season. Princeton,
or one eleven, is going to adopt the
cheme this year, and there doubtless :
viii be numerous others. AS for the }
lile makers, they felt that they needed :
more eXperien@e. Furthermore, they
iidn't consider that they had the au
hority 70 say what players shall wear.
My what they shall not wear.
On plays at the 20 yard line follow
ng touchback, there is TO be no more r
utting the ball in lay by kick. When {
he rule was passed that a kick or a I
crmmage was optional in such cases, +
he scrimmage method was taken up al i
lost entirely. The kick, therefore, was l
ecoming obsolete, and il was considered +
seless to retain il in the rules. d
For the sake Of clarity a change was
lode in section (al Of rule VII. In 7
he sentence which says IF the winner
i the toss selects the goal, tine loser
lust take the kickoff the words take
he. are stricken cut. This does away
18th some slight confusion which exist =
i as to whether the loser OF the toss =
hould do the kicking of or receive the
ick. though the intent Of the rule was i,
ear enough. However, the words left y
pom for hair splitting.
In rule XIV. section ,. the phrase
Iogy was changed to roughing the full
aclS instead Of running into the full-
aei1. BY the change officials can use Z
leir own Judgment as to whether the Y
illback is Intentionally interfered with y
nd avoid indlcting a penalty when no
,ul was intended. Another minor r
lange was the creating Of five yard p
analty il amy player is out of bounds
hen the ball is put in play.