The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-27
MINOR CHANGES MADE i'm
FOOTBALL CODE FOR / 9l6
At Conference Of Inter.Collegi.
ate; FootbalfRules Commit
tee HeIdin New York.

NEW YORK, Feb. .26.-,No radical
/ changes will be incorporated in the
! football code for 1916, as the result
of the two day conference Of the inter-
collegiate football rules committee
which closed here today. The sug-
gestion to make mandatory rule re-
curing all players to wear numbers
in each game was only casually dis
cussed,. and no formal vote was taken
on the proposition, according to Wall
| ter Camp, secretary of the committee.
! Opposition to the scheme from a
number of the large eastern and mid
die western university coaches is I'M
derstood to have developed. The claim
was made that to number the players
would destroy the strategical value Of
the game, since scouts from rival co.'s
leges could easily solve. the compli-
Gated offensive and defensive moves
built around certain players il the
f, chief factors were plainly identified by
numbers.
! The rules in general however. were
gone over carefully and a number OF
changes made both in phraseology and
in substance.
/ Among the more important was the
change from a ten to fifteen yards
penalty for foul committed against
| a player about to make fair catch OF
forward pass The committee also
ruled that where team is late in ap-
pearlng for the second half Of the
game, the offended side shall have
choice OF goals; made it allowable to
bat ball on punt out as we'll as forward
pass, but decided that an opponent
may not ruin into the catcher except
in bonafide attempt to catch or bat
ball.
| The task Of codifying rules to meet
conditions in certain restricted play
Ing fields was left to the editor OF the
rules book following certain general
lines laid down by the committee. IT
/ was also decided that leaping back OF
a team mate in order to receive a for
ward pass was legitimate, provided the
man with his feet on the ground did
not aid the catcher by advancing. An
other change makes 1t allowable for a
PLAYER to push an opponent ont OF the
/ way in order to secure a kicked ball
which by fumbllng has become a free
ball,
II was further ruled that guard.
center or tackle to be eligible to re-
ceiye a forward pass must be at the
end of the line Of scrimmage when
the bal lis put into play. In the case
of a receiver Of such pass standing
with one foot on or over the side line
and touching the ball which then
bounds into the field Of play, the ball
is ruled ont Of bounds.
] Ii was decided that q foul commit
4 ted by a defending side behind its own
goal line which deprlves Of an oppor-
tunIty to secure a free ball, shall re-
suit in a touchdown for the offended
team. IT,. however. the foul is COM
lnitted while the ball Is in the air,
the penalty shall, be a safety
4 Where the defending side makes an
uncompleted forward pass from be-
hind It's, own goal line on the first,
second or third down which is ground
ed behind the line or, hits goal posts
or bar, 1t shall count as a safety; on
tho fourth downlt goes to the oppon-
ents at the point of scrimmage. A
forward pass made by attacking team
on frst. second or, third downs Hitting
goal posts sor bar. becomes o, touch
| back; on fourth down goes toopposing
eleven at point Of scrimmage.