Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1915-09-27
PREDICT RETURN OF
FORWARD PASS
By George r. Holmes.


UNITED Press Staff Correspondence
NEW YORK, Sept, 2l.-keen stu
dents of football believe that the
much maligned forward pass will
come into its own this season, and
that more of the open style game
will be exhibited than N years. If
they are right, it marks the capitu-
lation of raft of Eastern critics
and particularly Eastern coaches, who
heretofore have gazcd down with
rather lofty disdain on that play
The east for years has looked as
kance at the forward pass. 1t has
been regarded as last ditch re-
sort-to be used only in the last half
or quarter in a final desperate at
tempt to pull a game out of the fire
1t was too dangerous, they contend
ed, and It never would work against
really formidable defense.
The first big intersectional combat
in 1913 gave EN- a jolt. Little Notre
Dame with rafting good football
team and no reputation, came east to
meet Uncle Sans army aggregation
at West Point. What happened is
history now. The Iloosiers simply
buried the soldiers under an avalanche
of sk,llful passing, executed by little
Gus Dorias and his mates. The army
was squelched, 80 to 10. The east
gasped. This wasn't football, at
least not MS she was played in the
east. However, it didn't take the
army long to get "hep" to the sit
uation, and in the annual army-navy
scrap that same year, the soldiers
won hands down. The victory was
directly attributable to clever pass
ing.
Other eastern coaches, however,
have been slow in following suit.
There still seems to be a wide di-
versity Of opinion about the merits
of the spiral tossing. Its opponents
say that it is too dangerous, that
under present rules loss more often
results they gain. They also rise to
remark that it is too quick-that
the whole aspect of the game can
be changed in a minute, and for that
reason they liken it to stock mar
ket speculat.on-you're "a million
aire one minute and a pauper the
next"
Be that as it may, it is generally
conceded that the forward pass adds
"a lot to the game from the specta-
tors viewpoint. Two teams, both
good on defense, vainly bucking at
each others stone wall lines and re-
sorting to futile end runs, doesn't
appeal to the populace as does the
quick flight of the oval with half
a dozen boys ready to hop on the
neck of the fellow who receives it.
Too, there is always a probability
that someone will leap high in the
air, grab the ball and make the spec
tacular run through a jagged field
that never fails to bring the stands
to their feet. The opponents of the
pass obtain their argument in cases
like this, that it is too dangerous.
It's supporters come back with the
argument that when a team is de-
veloped IN skillful passing as was the
Notre Dame eleven in 1913, this
danger is reduced to a minimum.
Therefore, the whole question sim
mers down to question of developing
skill in passing, and while the pass
may be bad for one team it may be
the savior Of another.
The younger school Of players that
has come up since 1912 and 1913 are
better drilled in passing the ball and
getting away with it after the catch
than the boys of the old school. So,
if the forward pass isn't already here
it's coming strong, and in the opin-
ion of many scouts and of most coach
es it won't be long until it will be
The biggest feature in teams often
LSe.