Norwich bulletin., 1917-10-13
Thoroughness and Thought in Football
 By Sol Metzger. (Coach Washington and Jefferson
 Football Team)

by Sol Metzger.
 (Coach Washington and Jefferson
 Football Team.)
 Two vital points are often overlook ed in the preparation of a football squad for its big games which not only may prove responsible for the winning or losing of these games but which. also cause the player to lose much of the after benefit to be de- rived from his participation in foot ball while in school or college
 The two vital points are negligence in studying the rules Of the sport, with its accompanying code, and the failure of the cce:h to impress upon the players the fact that he can only teach them so much football. that their status as players is only to be above the average when they think beyond the coaching and thus reach as confidence in themselves and their abilities which, after all, are the main factors in the best work of any play er.
 When player does not know the rules he is no more likely to help win games than the lawyer trying a case who has avoided studying the law governing the case. Last year the Yale-Princeton game should have been much closer struggle than it was. Both teams were about equal in playing ability but the Princeton eleven, if it did know the rules, gave away any chance it had for the game when it failed to catch one of Ya1e's rights to the ball on a kick-off and all football men at that game were amazed to behold Princeton eleven in it's last game watch the Yale eleven and then come down the field and recover the ball near the Prince ton goal line.
 For some unknown reason this rule, which makes a team onside on a kick off or kick from a fair catch, is often est neglected. by coaches and players, Even officials are not always clear on his point. Witness several years ago when West Virginia was playing Ge- 1eva. Twice the West Virginia team ]icked off to Geneva recovering the ] touchdown. In each case the referee .a1led 1t a, touchback and a touch pack it remained. Needless to say such an official was never used again nary rules of the game Is not going | O be used by teams which want a | square deal all the way through.
 A similar ignorance of the rues Oh i he part of Indiana against Purdue in | SIP gave the latter one-sided vic l ,ory. Purdue made several fair l ,atches during the play and once ,unted from a fair catch formation o the side of the field. The Indiana i cam did not know the Purdue play ITS were onside on this play and were i much upset because the officials call d 1t a touchdown when a Purdue 'layer caught the punt and ran over he line for a touchdown.
 Another point in football that the ast majority of players have a wrong impression of-goodness knows where | hey get it-is that the ball cannot e stolen" from the man who car- ies it. I know every coach, like mv- elf, has to pound this point into the eads of his players time and again. | 'here is no law of the game prohib- ting taking the ball from an oppo- ent when it is in his possession at ny time during play yet nearly every uch a clause. This but proves my that few players study t.sc Ules. Studying the rules is not a cry exciting job but it is vital fac ,r in a teams success to know the anne. And no player does know the anne until he studies it's laws. l. This brings us to the other vital oint which is neglected so much in | a player think be- ond his coaching and assume some the responsibility when filling his pint is a harmful one in that the ! ayers are thus too limited both in | I leir work in games and in the bene- 2 football does give to those who | lrticipate in it in their future life. V ne of the finest lessons of the game c lost in this way. IT This lack of se1f-thinking this de- F .ndency upon the coach to do all of t
 stifles a mans mental deveIopment | t Id makes him but a pawn in the It me and in life after college. The f-