The sun., 1916-10-01
FOOTBALL SUCCESS
BRINGS BACKFIELD
TOO MUCH CREDIT
Great Work Of Linemen Most
Often Overlooked by Aver
age Follower.
DUTIES AND FATLTS OF
FORWARDS POINTED OUT
~ SOL METzGER.
Coach Washington and Je6erso~
Football Team,


many departments Of play that a coach
often nnIs himself at a loss TO place his
hand on tie most important. In detail
play fundamentals stand out above all
else In team play the work Of the for
wards-the rush line from end to end
on both offence and defence. Is the turn
ing point between victory and defeat.
They are the stone wall Of defence. the
steam roller OF offence.
One may SO far into football history
and he will invariably ind hat the
great elevens have been marked by ag-
grssslve iinemen. The line must bear
che brunt Of the opponents attack. On
o6ence 1t has made all the so-called all
American backs. Precious few OF them
ever made ground carrying {. e ball with |
out the cooperation Of their forwards.
Indeed II Is one OF the misfortunes Of
sport that proper credit Is not given In
football to tho men who clear the way
for the winning touchdown or who In
turn prevent the other eleven from
scoring.
The average football follower Is prone
70 praise the backs too highly. This Is
because their work Is more open and
more easily seen. Even before each sea-
son every coach Is told countless times
about the star backs who will try for
the team. While Il Is consoling to know
that such men will be on the squad, de-
feat Is the portion. no matter what their
ability. II the line Is not UP to standard.
Must Make Openings.
The back has not been , n who can
consistently gain ground II his forwards
DO not make his openings. For example,
there was Mercer. a Pennsylvania cap
tain. a. me a back as the game ever
saw. Yet one year his work was ap.
parently so weak he was delused with
criticism. Mercer was actually as rood
that year as ever. The difference was
With the forwards. Had they been UP
70 standard Mercer would have ranked
whSrs he belonged-as one OF the games
greatest backs.
Take the case OF Garrels Of Mlchi.
ean. Although powerful. fast. agrees.
~ and as Ideal q back as ever played,
he was helpless In 1905 against the
superior Quaker rush line. And Har.
ward! In the old days the Crimson
produced backs without end. equal TO
any In the land. but until Haughton
came and brought the line up 20 stand.
ard Harvard failed in It's big tests.
He Is a wise coach who gives attsn.
ton to his line. That perfected.
1nsdiocre backs can gain ground. The
onward are the vital part Of the ma
chine. They supply the power. On at
tack they must dispose OF the nrst
line OF defence so tine runner and his
interference-the Dackiield--may get by
the line OF scrlmnave without check and
at null speed. Then. and then only. IL
consistent rushing possible.
Other Duties of Linemen.
On defence the linemen must do Just
the opposite. They must either break
through the opposing line or charge 1t
back into the oncom'ng play. This
checks and delays the attack behind
the line OF ~scrimmage and permits the
defensive backs-the secondary line OF
defsnce-to come forward to their aid
and tackle the rune either before he
gets going At full speed or before he
crosses the line OF ~scrimmage. Thus Is
an offence spoiled.
In addition to these two main requi-
sites a line should Oh Form some
Of the Interference for the runner: (2)
do most OF the tackl!ng and interfering
on punts and kickoffs. and 90 take
over the bulk OF the placement kicking
These fnrwards are generally the most
stolid members Of the team and there
fore are not OF as nervous a tempera-
ment as the lighter and more h!ghl,
strung backs. Thus they are likely &c
prove less excitable when "a goal from
touchd 'wn means the game. 49,.
The spectator at a football game vii
better appreciate the scheme OF things Il
he gives attention to the two lines o
scrimmase. He will often find one mar
playing against two n overcoming
them. In fact. at the point OF attack. two
players. and even more. are often cen
against the defensive llneman in order t
bowl him out Of the way Of the play.
Defensive Play First.
Hence this one defensive forward mus
not only OUTLAY and outcharse these tw,
opponents 70 be successful In the one pla.
but he must also break through then
from time TO time TO stop the attack be
hin the line OF scrimmagc. The play
ers who do this certainly deserve a
much praise as the backs, for on then
rests the burden OF the game. and thos
who say there Is no skill In football
should think over the matter OF one line
man on defence meeting an attack aime
at him and stopping Il.
As defen,e In football comes FIRST. de
fensive play is first taught the forwards
The defensive lineman takes a positio
m the line OF scrimmsse and never bac
OF II unless he be "A rowing centre. 81 II
can charge forward swift and low. III
position Is not unlike that Of a spr.ntc
at the start OF a race.
His legs are kept under him In order (
utilize his powerful thLsh muscles /
charging and his body should Inc.ii.e for
ward and be slightly higher at the shouI
ders. with his head always raised so h
can see the attack ut he drives forwar
TO meet II. Throughout his charge HI
body should remain IA relatively I.
same position as at the start in order I
have him meet all pays low. II no got
high he Is swept aside.
In charging on defence he Ia perrnittc
Ia use - hards ard he should use the
in drivin@ back OPPONENTS and In keepln
their bodies from getting against hir
Once tina, Is dom he Is body blocked an
out Of the play.
Faults Of Forwards.
In offence the line mar takes the san
position as on defence As he cam,
use his hands, his OBJECT Ia to char!
under the defensive forward p,ayiI
against him and then raise him up as
drives him back.
Most linemeh have three big faults
overcome
~ They charge too high and are ca
ried out OF the play
(o) They put their heads down and
not get into the S'av because they cann
Tee what IL be,na done
t3) They stop their charge when IN,
hi an opponent inete fd OF driving II