Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-24

The official football guide, just issued
by Spaldlng, contains several changes in
the rules Save for the elimination of a
few rough spots, the playing code has
not suffered.
There is more protection for the full
back. or the punter, and the rule has
been divided into two parts-running into
the fullback and 'roughing' the full
back. Running into the kicker or passer
is penalized Is yards and "roughing" the
player calls for a penalty of 10 yards and
disqualification Of the offender
Interferers no longer will be allowed
to knock down the secondary defense nor
will the defense be allowed to run into
a man after the whistle blows. Blocking
and interfering by throwing ones legs
in the air are taboo and such a play IL
detected by the officials brings down a
l6-yard penalty. This rule eliminates one
of the most popular forms of interfering.
for II an opponent is struck with the legs
above the knee it merits a l5-yard loss,
and striking an opponent similarly below
the knee is the same as tripping.
Players are not allowed to talk un-
kindly, harshly or profanely to officials
or players this year on penalty of leav-
ing the game and their team suffering
a 15-yard loss.
In swapping the ball into play once the
centre has begun motion, play starts, and
he must go through with 1t and let the
ball go. This prevents the trick play
where the centre appeared to pass the
ball, but in reality held on to it until
another player slipped behind him and
took the ball from his hands.
Another change that aims at what was
characterized as an unauthorized means
of advancing the ball rules a forward
pass as incomplete in which the ball
passes out of bounds on the fly, whether
II has touched a man or not This will
put an end to the practice of passing out
of bounds as a substitute for kick.
Where a second eligible player touches
a forward pass after 1t has been touched
by an eligible player, 1t is an incom-
pleted pass and counts one down. Unless
the captain designates otherwise, the
referee will bring the ball out Is yards
from the sideline where 1t has gone out
of bounds. If a forward pass is caught
simultaneously by member of the
passer's side and an opponent, 1t is ruled
that the ball belongs to the side putting
the ball into play.
The rules committee was unable to dis
cover clear way to stop the practice
of sending In substitutes with the pur-
pOSt OI conveying IldllOIly Dul
amended the rules whereby a man taken
out of the game can be Reconstructed only
at the beginning of a period. The COM
mittee also has taken a half step in the
direction of numbering players on the
field by recommending that numbers be
worn. It is probable that the next re-
vision will see the step fully taken and
numbers made necessary for all players
These rulings also have been approved
by the committees:
The ball is kicked off. goes less than
10 yards and is Kicked again. Ruled:
AS kicking loose ball.
Rule 6, Section 1Sa, should be followed
strictly. That wherever the ball is ad-
vanced, too, at that point the whistle
should be blown, that being the point
where the ball is dead.
Rule 16, Section 5-Two men signal for
a fair catch; one touches the ball and the
other gets 1t still on the fly. No run
allowed and ball is dead.
In case of an offside play by oppon-
ents and an incompleted forward pass,
or holding In the line by opponents and
an incompleted forward pass. the first
offense takes precedence and the second
is disregarded.
Rule 3. Section 2-Penalty for illegal
return. Disquallfy the player. give half
the distance to the goal line and notify
the Central Board
Rule 49, Section S-The position OF the
feet determines, the same as always,
whether the player Is either in the end
zone or out OF bounds.
Unless the advance dope Is entirely
wrong, the 1915 season will be the most
successful In the history OF the game
Thousands of contests will be played and
many hard-fought battles are in prospect.
Eastern teams will combine against Percy
Haughton at Harvard in an effort to ruin
his perfectly good football machine, which
has emerged unscathed after several
strenuous seasons
Yale and Princeton have profted by
their mistakes of the past and threaten
TO spring something entirely new Out at
Penn by" Dickson. George Brooke. Carl
Williams and many others will assist In
dragging the Red and Blue out OF the
mire and endeavor to put out team that
will compare favorably with those of the
past-of course, utterly ignoring the elev-
ems that occupied Franklin Field during
the last two seasons Other teams report
brilliant prospects and, judging from the
outlook. a pleasant time should be had by
all.
Intersectional contests are on the card,
the University Of Virginia breaking into
the big league on october p when II meets
Yale. and two weeks later the Southern
ers will try their luck against Harvard.
Yale will make a heroic effort TO even