Norwich bulletin., 1915-09-16
ONLY FEW TECHNICAL
SHIFTS NFooTeALL RULES
Disputed Points are Cleared Up
Changes Will be. UnnotieeabIe to
Spectators.

Except for technical changes, tend
ing to better the game particularly
from the standpoint OF players aud
officials. football will be played this
fall under the same code as last year.
There are one or two parts which are
made more stringent, others are given
clearer and more definite meanings,
several disputed rulings are decided,
but as far as the spectator Is con-
cerned there will be little or no differ
ence in the gridiron games they
watched in 1914 and the contests that
are to take place this fall.
Forward Pass.
Two definite alterations have been
made in rules governing the forward
pass. One relates to throwing the
bali out of bounds and the other the
penalty for a member of the side
touching the ball after it has first
been touched by another player of his
team Last year particularly down
near the goal line where the distance
was not sufficient to make q punt. 1t
was customary for many teams to
throw the ball out of bounds when it
could not make it's distance and the
ball would then go to the defending
eleven at a point two or three yards
in front OF the goal line instead of be-
ing brought out from touchback
which would very often result from a
punt. This year a forward pass when
thrown out OF bounds is simply an in
completed pass and will not be made
on fourth down in such cases as that
mentioned, because the ball would go
to the opposing team, provided it were
fourth down, at the spot of. the prev1-
Gus down. Under the code of 1914
when forward pass touched a player
Of the side making the pass after it
had already been touched by a mem
Der of that side, the ball went to the
opposing eleven at the spot of the
Foul hot no
now ball IL touched by second eligi-
bic player will simply go as an in
completed pass also. OF course, II
the ball at any time touches an in
eligible player it will go to the oppos-
ing team.
There was considerable difficulty ex-
perienced by officials last year in pre-
venting the interferers knocking down
unsuspecting defensive players after
the ball was dead. 1t was common
| occurrence last fall to see men have
| their feet cut from under them and
be spilled long after the play was
ended and the ball had been declared
dead by the referee. A provision has
also been inserted to keep the defen-
sive players from running into theil
| opponents under just such conditions.
The use OF substitutes in the last
| quarter has been considerably abused
After the antagonism aroused agains
football in 1909 had reached its zenith
a provision was placed in the code
allowing players to be Reconstructed IL
the last quarter, SO that q coach o.
trainer could remove q man who ap
peared more fatigued than usual II
order that he might not suffer injur.
on that account The best use
though to which this has been pu
was the sending in Of substitutes witt
information from the coach, as =
how the game ought to be run Til
tide has been changed in many game
because some coach has gotten infor
nation TO his quarterback in thi
way. There have been cases wherein
the coach has sent a player on tn
field and even before he reported
the referee has gone to the quarter
back and told him the information h
bore and was then removed from tn
game, and his predecessor again sub
stituted, without having taken pan
in a single play.
The rule about -roughing the full
back has been divided into two part
IL was realized that in the majority {
instances when the fullback wa
'roughed" II was not due to such in
tention on the part Of the player ad
} judged Of being so guilty. but resulte
J from his efforts to block kicks. 1t wa
} almost impossible for powerful line
man to halt his progress quickl
} enough to keep from running into II
fullback while charging fast, yet til
severe penalty OF disqualincatio
: awaited HIM unless he did. This hs
been changed, and in such cases n
, penalty will be 10 yards, while in n
I lint~atie-al instances Of roughing. Il