Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-13
REVISED RULES FOR
FOOT BALL WILL Be
BIG HELP TO GAME

GAME is IN PRoGREss-ALLEI
FORWARD PASS TO PRoTEc-
RECEIVER FROM ROUGH TAG
TICS.
The latest revision Of the football
rules has one new feature which vii
do away with one Of the most objec
tionable features the game has de
veloped during the past few seasons
This is the new rule which prohibits
an incoming substitute from com
municating with his team on the field
until after the first play. In many
of the big gridir0n games the sub
stitute subterfuge was carried on to
unreasonable extremes. 1t was no un
common sight 10 see a substitute sent
from the side lines with information
at a critical point of a game.
Side-line coaching has been sub
ject with which the rulemakers have
been graphing for the last few sea
sons. First, the side lines were
cleared of the many assistant coach.
es and scouts. who used to crowd
both sides of the field at the import
ant games The freedom of head
coach was also restricted, and when
the new rules permitted frequent
substitution these players We're used
as means of conveying information
from the coaches to the players on
the field. Gradually the initiative was
taken from the players until the game
was rapidly becoming contest OF au-
donations, which moved only at the
beck and call of the coach on the
side lines.
Developes Strategy.
Prohibiting this objec ionable fea
ture will tend to throw the football
players on their own resources and
will develop strategy which hereto
tore has been dependent on side-line
observation There is but one excep-
ton TO this rule, and that IL the case
Of the quarterback. II the substi-
Iute replaces the quarterback, he is
permitted to give the signal, but in
no other way is he permitted to com
municate with the players until after
the first play,
The new restriction which has been
placed on the forward pass will in
crease the value Of this important
play. One of the dangerous features
OF the forward pass has been the liza
bility of the receiver TO the ball be
ing roughed A new rule this season
provides that when player inter.
feres with a player attempting to
catch the forward pass the penalty
will be the loss of the ball to the of
Tended side, at the spot where the
foul was committed.
Place Kick Defined.
The place kick has been more
clearly defined in the new code, and
the play must be made by kicking
the ball from its position when rest
ing on the ground. This does away
with the use of artificial tees, such
as were used in some Of the games
last season In one or two contests
place kicks were made by placing a
head gear on the grounds and KICK
ing the bali while II rested on the
head gear Gradually the rules-mak-
ers are eliminating the Objectionable
features of the gridiron game. In
the present edition of the rules, the
committee points out that the rules
as they stand today should be allow
ed to crystalize as nearly as possible
in their present form.
Each year new provisions have
been made in the code to do away
with side.ine coaching, beating the
ball, roughing the kicker and the re-
ceiyer of the forward pass, talking 10
opponents, and disputing decisions of
the officials. One by one these phases
OF the game are disappearing, and
the standard Of sportsmanship Is un.
questionable higher than 1t was in for
mer days Of the gridiron sport
Holding Rule Unchanged.
While no new rule was inserted in
the code this year concerning hold
Ing, there was so much discussion
about this feature of violation of the
rules last season that officials this
season will undoubtedly be instructed
to enforce the rule against II more
closely than ever before. Holding Is
one violation of the rules which has
never been rlgidly enforced There
Is no, feature OF the game which calls
for more penalties DUNG game
than hold In pointing out the i'm
poitance Of eliminating this feature
from the game the committee has In.
co"porated In the rule book. under
the Interpretation of the code. the
following.
Holding is prohibited by the rules