Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
By EDWARD R. BUSHNELL

PENNSYLVANIA S football authorities will
make gridiron history by their action in
deciding to number their players in the
game with Gettysburg on Saturday.
Gettysburg's consent to the innovation Is
quite as notable. These two teams will
be the first college elevens in America
to demonstrate the worth OF this pro-
gressve reform. The reform consists In
sewing numbers on the backs of the foot
ball jerseys of such a height as to make
them visible in all parts of the field.
Thus the spectators. by reference to their
programs, can instantly identify every
player on the field, can tell who makes
touchdowns. important runs and tackles
and will have before them the answers
to countless other questions which spec
tators and newspaper writer's have been
accustomed to ask for In vain.
1t has taken several years of argu-
ment to have this reform considered with
approval Most of the big universities OF
the East have shied at It. and even the
Rules Committee itself has sidestePped
il. PENNSYLVANIA attitude has always
been friendly Four years ago the writer
suggested this plan TO the Pennsylvania
and Cornell manaEements for their an
nual Thanksgiving Day game. Ihe
Quaker coaches, after discussion OF the
pros and cons, agreed 10 IT, so dld COZ
ncu at FIRST. but two days before the
same the Ithacans asked TO be excused
from trying the experiment.
So far there has never been big coll
lagc game where all the players were
numbered. though several nigh schoo
teams in and around Boston and Ne"
York have been doing il for several years
and with marked success Last iali part,
mouth numbered it's players for its final
game with the Carlisle Indians played In
New York The Indian players however
were not so numbered, and while the ex-
Deriuent was hailed with delight by ths
Gotham football public and scribes, It was
not fair test.
About the only objection ever made
was the fear that a star player might
thus be Identified by the opposition and
ei.har no A mark for their attack oil
no more easily watched. This, of course
is ridiculous on its face, because wher
two teams take the feld they instantly
know the identity OF all their opponents
And suppose the opposition uld KNOW
| their opposing players, what good wOulc
this knowledge do them? 4 number
sewad on the back Of Brtckley's Jersey
wouldn't lessen his goal-kicking ability
in the least but it would always enable
The spectators TO Identify the Crimson
captain. And this is the sole purpose
of the reform,
Judging from the aftermath Of the in
terpretation meeting of the football
coaches. rule makers and officials in New
York Saturday night, there are some
coaches who would hnd a method tc
evade the rule passed by the committe'
last winter forbidding the coach to wall
up and down the side lines Some astut'
Individual pointed out that since the rules
do not specifically order the coach e
take n seat on the bench with the play
ers. ne might be eligible to act as one
OF the linesinen, and that in this posi-
tion he would be right on top OF tbs
play. and. If ne desires and could gel
away with II. he might still coach OF
watch the work OF his players
That sort of an evasion might be
technically possible II the men In charge
OF intercollegiate football were not gen
tlemen. But this sort OF trickery Is
foreign to all intercollegiate ethics and
wouldn't ne tolerated for a moment by
any self-respecting university. II Is also
reported that as a result Of the discussion
At this meeting request will be sent
out 10 the members of the Rules Com
mittee asking them to vote on the prop
nsition that coaches be gllRHsd = - thE