New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-26

manipulated Dy HNe lHulNiuuoiS anu
points in a game had been accomplish
q position nine feet back of the line
This was the multiple kick, the brain
child Of Foster Sanford, which the
football rules committee condemned to
death.
The multiple kick as played by Rut-
gers last season was not cheap eva
sion of the rules. 1t was the work of
a creative artist, and in execution 1t
was one Of the trimmest kick forma-
tons we ever have seen.
Internationally the rules committee
acted without its usual equipoise in
legislating against the multiple kick,
for in so doing 1t established a prece-
dent, which IF followed to It's logical
end will effectively forestall imsgi-
native effort on the gridiron. No one
could say that would be a good thing
Never Saw Kick
We understand that the committee
acted against the multiple kick without
ever having seen il executed by its
creators. That was bad. Furthermore,
it Is said. Nathan Tufts, of the com
mittee, has since admitted, aftefhaving
seen the kick as it is currently made,
that II Is beautiful, ct ceters-
The humorous angle Of II Is that the
committee Is now in the position Of the
man who swings q hammer presumably
at a nail and clips himself on the
thumb. The new rule stipulates that
all field goals must be kicked from the
ground, but grants the use of q tee.
Foster Sanford has found that the
multiple kick toed from a tee is quite
as effective as the 1916 kick, which was
held several inches above the ground by
two men lying prone. 1t is only neces-
sary to scrape up enough earth. This,
pursued at length, certainly makes
sight Of the playing field. but the
rules committee has been obeyed TO the
letter and the requisite height for the
kick obtained.
For the benefit of the few who may
not know what the multiple kick was
and only those who saw Rutgers in
1916 have seen it as II was originally
designed-it may be explained that the
centre passes the ball to the quarter
back, who places it into the hands of
two men lying on the ground. They
hold it several inches above the ground
say, six inches-tilted at an acute
angle, and from this position the kicker
boots the ball.
Rapid Execution
The advantage of the kick are its
rapid execution, its angle OF flight
which approximates so degrees-and
the fact that the ball is kicked ten
or twelve feet behind the line of scrin-
mage. Ordinarily the field goal artist
poises eight to ten yards behind centre
and consumes two to four seconds for
the kick. The multiple kick initiates
for unerring accuracy and is executed
in one second by the stop watch.
In disallowing the ball to be held
above the ground but in sanctioning
the kick from a tee the rules commit
tee has unwittingly put a foot into 1t.
To begin with, tee-building has no
proper place in football. Tearing up
the ground should be as much a techni-
cal error In football as IL is in golf.
Football was meant TO be played upon
a green sward, and Foster Sanford, for
one, believes the game would be ar
tistically improved if the tee was elm
mated even at the Kickoff. As he re-
minds US. it is not always necessary
to kick the ball over the opponents
goal.
But in retaining the tee and scknowl-
edging its general utility, as well as
legality, the rules committee has
opened the way for what actually is an
ingenious evasion of the spirit OF the
rules. Many elevens are now scatter
ing a pail Of moist dirt on the l5-yard
lines, that this may be scraped together
for a tee TO be used In the attempt at
goal after touchdown.
In this seat Of he multiple kick Fos-
ter Sanford is regarded as martyr,
albeit a mighty resourceful one, and
as for the rules committee-bloole!
blooie,
In times, perhaps, statue to the
creator Of the multiple kick will be
vsared in the public square, and if they
some TO US for ideas we suggest they
picture Mr.. Sanford in the act Of try
Ing to turn off an electric switch with
the multiple kick, which he essayed for
US in the dressing room. After miss
ing several times the persistent coach
took another shot at the black button
and the ball hit six inches below II.
But the lights went outl There appar-
emily is no limit TO the versatility OF
the multiple kick.
Rutgers Not Worrying
Rutgers is worrying very little, if
any, over the game with Fordham Sat-
urday. If anything, the boys from the
banks of the Raritan are more con-
cerned with the contest Of the follow
ing Saturday with West Virginia.
But, as Coach Sanford says, no game
ia ever won until the final whistle
blows, and II the Big Red team is de-
feated it will not be for lack of pre-
paredness. Sanford thinks he has one
OF the best elevens he ever has de-
yeloped at New Brunswick, and this In
spite of the fact that he lost TO syria
cuse early In the season.
al had six green men on the line ana
they caught US young" says the null
tipie kick inventor OF that game;
"Those green men have developed
rapidly and wouldn't trade my back
field for any OF them.
we watched lHeH PaSSihb. -
and kicking in early practice: wal,
lace. Kelly, Gardner and Whitehiii
handled the ball as clearly as baseball
players and moved like cats.
Robson, the 2OO-pound negro, san
ford considers one Of the most valuable
players In the country, and he Is only
nineteen years old at that Captain
Kendall, the college strong man, IS
I'll. 1;La CaratoQA trunk and with
Nenschafrer, $50 pounds, also on the
xaports that Rutgers