Evening star., 1914-11-22

recently accomplished a great deal in spread
ing this game in public schools.
The new rules are not for safety. They
are needed to keep within bounds the thou
sands of ingenious, inventive minds Of
coaches and ex-players, players and fans,
who are continually devis1ng new forms OF
play Some of these forms are vicious in
their consequences, and would, if allowed
put the game on the rocks. The committee
is needed as navigators are needed, to keep
the Eastern, Southern, and Western squad
rons of football upon safe course.
This year, for instance, they have added
rules that make the forward pass more ac-
ceptable and therefore will bring it into more
general use. The coach of the "big' team,
knowing that his laboriously built-up repu-
tation of years is likely to go crashing if he
loses single important game, 1ncllnes al
ways toward the safest plays. The rules
committee has had to exercise unusual
judgment in this question of the forward
pass. On the one hand were the smaller
teams showing that it is sure means in
actual practice, and also by threat of keep
ing the play open. On the other hand, the
university coaches, bound by the best ira
ditions of the game, lean toward science in
football and away from the haphazard,
which is the essence of the forward pass.
None the less the university coaches, form
ing the majority in the national rules COM
mittee, have each year added new attractions
to the use of the pass, for the reason that
in 1906 they promised to 3epen' the game
in the hope of making it safer for the players.
ANOTHER example of high-rninded, un-
\ usual sincerity was given by the COM
mittee this year when it made law for
bidding the coaches Il. e., themselves) to
walk up and down the side lines in the prog
ress of the game. Everyone who has seen
a game of football has noticed the coach
following his team along the edge of the
gridiron, hands buried in ulster pockets,
usually pipe or cigar clamped between his
teeth, at times the most important, and
again the most irnpotent, figure of the strug-
gle,-"most important" when he had
picked out the blind spot in his teams de
fense or attack, and whispered the answer
to substitute and sent him into the game,
perhaps in time to change the final result;
"most impotent' when he was forced to
stand by biting his lips while his players
forgot what he had carefully taught them
and threw away their chances.
For the sake of silencing somewhat shall
low criticism the coaches have voluntarily
given up this privilege. No longer will it
be possible for unfriendly critics to assert
that the game is played not by the players
on the field, but by "the little Napoleon on
the side lines" And, mark you, no longer
will it be possible for the coach-usually the
only mature and experienced man with the
squad of boys-to keep watch over his play
ers, to detect the first signs of exhaustion
(the dragging foot, the weary back, and
so to remove the exhausted player from the
game before his dulled senses cause him to
forget to save himself when tackled or
struck Responsibility for injuries has
wisely rested entirely upon the shoulders of
the mature coach, except in those rare in
stances where an athletic association is able
to provide a special physician or trainer to
be on the field and to watch over the team.
Now that the coach is required to remain
seated during the game, it follows that, except
on rare occasions, he will not be close enough
to the teams to watch every man during every
play This is possible only when one is able
to walk along the side lines and thus stay at
right angles to the forward line of the team.
When one is compelled to view the teams
at an acute angle it follows that his vision
includes not all, but only few, players.
Does anyone imagine that the coach will
or should subside into the background of
the game, as if he were merely molder of
form, as are the English professional coaches?
You will have the answer if you will
learn to know at first hand not just the head
coaches whose regulations are country