Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-07
FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE
ALL TO Be NUMBERED
Resolution Embodying This Feature
Adopted mt Meeting OF Rules Com
mittcc In Session at New York.
FEW MINOR CHANGES MADE
Forward Pass Dealt withdrawing
SubstitutiOns Considered - Work
of Central I,Onrd Of Officials Prais-
ell for Its Good Work.

NEW YORK. February 6.--The advo-
Gates OF the numbering of football
players so that the admission paying
Spectators may have chance to tell
one player from another. won their
biggest victory since the movement for
numbering was !naugurated, when the
iootbal rules committee adopted a res
oiut!oh to-day recommending that all
players be numbered in future games
The committee, which met at the
Biltinorc In a session that lasted for
SIX hours with no respite for lunch
was not willing to require numbering
by hard and fast rule. but 1t is prob
almost as good as rule and will be
generally followed by the teams next
Another matter of Importance that
was passed upon, although no new rule
was made, was the practice in sending
IN substitutes for the purpose Of car
Iuarterbacks or captain. a resolution
was passed. by the committee deprac-
tatihs this fact. and II was frowned
upon as unsportsmanlikc from this
time forth.
In addition to the passage OF these
Two resolutions, number of changes
We're made In the rules themselves. Few
OF thcTn were Of more than minor i'm
portnncc. for /; was the unanimous
opinion OF the committee that in all
important respects the rules as they
no" stand proved most acceptable to
both players and public during the 1871 (;
season. When the meeting began each
member OF the committee was asked TO
state whether or not he considered the
rules satisfactory. and there was not
q dissenting voice
As usual few minor changes was
mace IN the rules governing the use
o; the forward pass, the most iinnort
ant was the making OF a provision that
forward pass, which goes out OF
n9unns, Shali be an incompleted pass.
;ha II strikes player or, not. and
inc same provision governs on all four
downs. This change will do away with
me intentional throwing of a pass out
of bounds on the fourth down. a prac
nc Wnich has been recognized as
hardly fair.
Withdraw n Penalty.
nc forward pass was dealt with in
Two other changes in the rules. Here
AFTER no penalty Will be imposed when
Two eligible men are going down the
neLa under pass. and the ball touche s
u" deemed an incomplctcd forwa rd
pass. Hy the old rule the second PLAY
er became Ineligible to touch the ball
as soon as Il was touched by the first
man. and so a penalty resulted. a pen
altE which the committee considered
inc position Of the feet OF the player
catching tho ball and not the position
OF the ball itself shall determine
% ",,, or not forward pass is caught
OUT or bounds. II the PLAYERS feet
are out of bounds. the ball will be con-
siccred out OF bounds
The manner OF making substitutions
niso WAS changed slightly. The privi-
reg" of rcsubstituting playcrs--that is
pnttinE in players after taking them
our. was curtailcd. Hereafter result
stitutions may he made only at the be-
ginning of periods.
The old rule permitted them ut the
hcE!nninE of periods, and at any time
during the fourth quarter The substi-
tute entering the game will be required
10 report immediately 10 any Official
In the past there has been nothing To-
require an immediate report and that
ioophole has been taken advantages OF
on several occasions.
the work of the central board Of Of
metals was praised by the committees
and the board was unanimouslv re-
elected. II consists Of DR. James \.
Rabbit. Walter Camp. Harris G. Cone.
l'arkc Davis. =. X. Hall, Percy Hough !,
ton. c. w. Savage ana Alon.o A. Stopr.
special vote of thanks to DR. Bah
bit was passed for his excellent work
as chairman Of the board. The sec
rctarN OF the committee. Walter Camp.
was Instructed to add to the rules book
list OF approved rulings.
Those who attended the meeting.
which began with = session on Friday
evening. were:
f. X. Hall. Dartmouth: Walter Camp
1aic Dr. James y. Rabbit. Havcrford:
pr Carl Williams. Pennsylvania: Percy
- liauThton. Harvard: Paul Dashiell.
Navy: Harris G. Cope, Sewanee; Parke
tan. Army; c. w. Savage. Oberiin: s,
c. Williams. Iowa: a. a. Stage, Chit
caco: DR.. II. L. Williams. Minnesota
and F. w. Butler Cornell