Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-11-06
FOOTBALL CHANCES
MEET APPROVAL
Coaches and Fans Find the
Present Code Has Elimi-
mated All Bad Features
KICKERS' VALUE
is INCREASED

Following the changing of the rule in
regard to a forward pass being thrown
out Of bounds. the value Of a kicker in
football has increased SO per cent. I'M
der the old rule the BAH went TO the
opponents at the point where il
crossed tho side line Coaches took
advantage of this by developing play
ers who could throw the ball thirty
and forty yards down the field with the
accuracy of a baseball When team
WAS fortified with such players punt
Ing was rarely resorted to. and on the
fourth down the ball was thrown down
the held and out Of bounds.
Such tactics OF course. did not give
players Of the defending team
chance TO run the ball hack. aud so
much advantage was taken of the rule
that the committee az its meeting
last year, changed the code so that
penalty OF a down Is inflicted and the
ball put IN play at the point Of the
previous down. If the ball is thrown
out of bounds on the fourth down the
oval is brought back to the point OF
the previous down and given TO the
opposing eleven.
Il readily can be seen that the
change was for the best. and in
creased the value Of kicker and
went further to cqualizo the offense
Fand defense than any alteration In the
rode in the last three years. A team
on defense now has chance to run
The bah back and lessen the distance
of the punts.
The change also benefits the kicking
side, in that II can recover the ball in
ease OF tumble by one OF the catch
ing side. AS result the players who
are stationed in the back field must
catch the ball There also is more
notion and interest in the plays by hav.
Ing the bali in the playing field at all
times.
The effect of the change is shown
by the numbers of kickers developed
at various colleges this year. Most OF
these players arc punters and field
goal kickers and a number of impor-
tant games already have been wen by
the air linz, route. A player who is a
punter is generally the field goal
Kicker. and as a result The changing
OF the forward pass out Of bounds rule
has developed several kickers who
would not have been heard from If the
ole rule remained unchanged.
Inserting the ten-yard penalty for
Intentional grounding of the ball has
resulted in more action. The players
now take more chances with the ball
and throw Il down the field on every
attempt to coassfully execute the /
play. Before this penalty was in |
serted clever hurlers of the ball mere /
IN tossed the ball yard or two for /
ward when they saw it would be i'm /
possible to make the pass 20 one OF |
their eligible players.
Giving the mllback more protection |
after he has kicked the ball Is meet
ing with popular approval OF most /
players, although il is hard Cor them |
to avoid the kicker when hey charge |
through with plenty of drive. In such /
cases the officials should use their !
own Judgment as TO whether a block |
ing player Intentionally roughs tho
kicker or whether the humping into
him was accidental There have been
fsw penalties for such an offense this
season as the coaches have instructed
thcir players fully on the rule
a point which was i'm the rules last
wear aud which has been omitted this
seaeon is the roughing Of the person
after rs has thrown the ball. In some
contests ,se passers have been hurt by
beinx run mo after the ball had been
thrown. hut the officials We're nj a
Loss how 10 rule such an infringement
The general opinion Of coaches and
ofsciale IS thas the same penalty
should be inflicted as for roughing the
Kicker An un erstanding on the
noinf before TIE contests will go Ions
wav toward avoiding trouble in th'
games A..
The knocking down of the secondar!
defense after the ball has been de
rlared dead is another change In tn
code which has met with popular -ap
nroval. There have been few viola
fions of the rule which also includes
throwing the feet in the air TO strlk'
an opponent in the face