Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-13
SMALL AMOUNT
OF ROueHNESS
SEEN IN PLAY
College Football Is Minus Rough
Stun Of Other Yoars-Clean
Play Noted

Az the football season-one of
the most successful in history
nears the close q striking feature
worthy Of comment is that in. the
important games there has been an
absence Of foul playing and any
thing bordering on unsportsman-
like conduct.
At the beginning OF the season 1t
was the general opinion Of foot
ball men that the games would
be marred by rough tactics be-
cause of the number of men who
returned from the war service. 1t
was pointed out these players had
learned many foul tricks in the
service and that some OF them
would be employed on the grid
iron.
Just the reverse has been the
case. The service men have play
ed by far the cleanest football and
the few penalties levied for unnec-
essary roughness were caused by
players who did not take part In
the battles in France. The play
ers who saw service on the other
side have played hard, aggressive
football, but they have not used
foul tricks.
1t is true there have been num-
bers Of Is yard penalties. but in
most cases they have been for
holding, tripping, or use Of the
hands in interference. These Is
yard penalties were called in the
Michigan Chicago game for un-
necessary roughness due in part
to the aggressiveness of the play
ers in tackling out Of bounds or
committing other fouls.
Coaches Enforce Rules.
A large portion of this clean
play must be attributed to the
coaches, who are doing their best
to make their players perform
within the rules. At Illinois Coach
Zuppke has instructed his players
who are ineligible to receive for
ward passes not to touch the ball,
This does away with complications
as 1t is a rather hard matter fof
the officials to discern which are
the eligible players when 90 many
shifts are employed. These varia-
tons make a tackle eligible on one
play and ineligible on the next.
At some institutions the coaches
make players run one mile for ev-
ery yard they are penalixed during
q game. Frank Birch. the well
known western omcial, called q
foul on . Syracuse player two
years ago and the offender pleaded
with him to rescind his action
When Birch asked him why h(
I should not be punished he said hs
would have to run Is miles thu
next week for committing the OF.
Tense.
At Ann Arbor Coach Yost uses
the Go get EN-" tactics, but hs
does not teach his players under
handed methods. Michigan foot.
ball teams always have beer
known for their fighting qualities
and they play hard. Coach Stagl
ut Chicago believes in hard play
but never teaches his men how Il
willfully inture an opponent.
Iowa is represented by one o.
the cleanest playing teams on I
western gridiron. Coach Howari
fJones does not believe in dirt.
football and he will not tolerate {
football player who believes In II
Notfe Dame has been playing cleal
football of late and this ID one o
the reasons why the South Benz
institution il able to schedul,
games with leading western uni
versities. Practically the sam,
spirit Of clean, aggressive play pre-
wallis at all the institutions, q 1
ID the most profitable in the lonl
run.
Talk 81 Pest Season Games.
With the season drawing to ,
close. the annual talk Of post-sea
son games has started. There IN
lquestionably will b. Z number o
lsuch contests, - the sectional u
ties give every promise Of heinz
Imofe complicated than any 81 r.
|cent years. West Virginia an,
West Virginia Wesleyan alread,
have slated . post-season game TO
Nov. -. ~
| Negotiations bstwsen Coacl
IR0ckne Of Notre Dame and And,
Smith of' tie University Of Cali