New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-14
What Walter Camp Has
Done for Football
Park II. Davis Tells How
He Has Moulded
the. Game.
FIRST TO PLAN THE
AMERICAN ELEVEN
Passing from Rules Committee
an Epoch and a Loss
to the Sport.

The withdrawal of Walter Camp, OF
Yale, as an active member of the foot
ball rules committee is generally con-
sidered loss TO the game.
In commenting on Mr.. Camps resig-
nation, Park II. Davis, Princeton's rep
resentative on the committee, who in
addition to profound knowledge oil
latter day football is well versed IL
the lore Of the game, tells OF the part
Mr.. Camp has played in moulding and
building the sport, as follows:
1.-THE passing Of Mr.. Camp from the
rules committee marks such an epoch
In intercollegiate football that 1t in
vites especial comment. The first game
of football under the present code IN
its original form was the struggle be-
tween Harvard and Yale at New Haven
in 1875, and the second game was the
contest between Princeton and Yale at
the same place two weeks later. both
of which games Yale won. Upon that
original championship fifteen Wal
ter Camp played at halfback.
1.-TWO years later Mr.. Camp appeared
in the intercollegiate Convention at
Springfield, a body corresponding to the
present rules committee, as Iale's rep
resentative, in company with L. h.
Rochfort, Yale. 70, Mr.. Camp. at this
time, being football captain at Yale.
From that year TO this. a period of
thirty~seven years, Mr.. Camp has been
Yale's representative in intercollegiate
footballs rule making bodies.
at was Mr.. Camp who invented the
idea of the eleven thereby making
the first break away from classic Rug
by and it's fifteen players. 1t was Mr..
Camp who devised the idea of an or
derby possession of the ball by one
side and its being put In play by a
forward, whom he designated as the
snapper-back, thus making the second
great cleavage in English Rugby
Again, it was ar. Camp who broke
away from the Rugby dimensions OF
the playing field and established the
American length and width. All OF
these great inventions he accomplished
while still an undergraduate.
"A year or two later Mr.. Camp
solved the problem presented by the
block game devised by Princeton, in
which one team continually held the
ball without releasing it to opponents
unless accidentally through a tumble
Mr.. Camps solution was the invention
Of fair and downs, by which the side
in possession of the ball was given
four opportunities by fairs and downs
20 advance the ball five yards, failing
in which the ball went 10 opponents
A fair was the name OF the play By
which the ball was put In play from
the sideline when out Of bounds, ia
miliar to players OF the early s0s and
before.
ut was this invention that gave the
final turn 10 intercollegiate football
making of 1t a distinctively American
game and bringing on the lime-line
stripes which have won for our play
ing field the endeared name of grid
IRON
Two years later Mr.. Camp led in the
establishment of the numerical system
Of scoring, by which values were as.
signed the scoring plays. Mr.. Camp
previously had been the first 10 sug,
gest that safetes should count in com
putting a score and should count adj
yersely TO the side making them. Pre-