The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-09
Should Retain Goal
 After Touchdown
Tiny Maxwell, Famous Referee, Opposed to Movement Which Calls for Present Method to Be Abolished
 Says It Is Fair to All

Since the close of the football season last year many arguments have been heard for and against the goal from touchdown. No doubt the unusually excessive number of games won and lost last season by this one point caused the discussion of the matter. Almost everyone who knows anything at all about football has by this time foruned their own opinions on the question, and it is safe to as- sume that the greater percentage of football fans and experts of the game favor its retention. There are a few who would like to see the rule eabol- ished, but they are quite in the min ority.
 Tiny Maxwell. known all over the country as a capable referee, and also finished student of the game, comes out in flavor of the kick. but with a change in the rule Bvernlng it. Maxwell refereed the Yale Princeton game here last fall. and omciated in many other important games in the east, one of them being the Harvard-Princeton game two weeks previous to the game at the Bowl. He is a position to know. and his words will undoubtedly carry a great deal of weight. He says: :"The goal after touchdown is too l important to throw into the discard. It is a play which can be seen oy all of the spectators, and there al- ways is an element of doubt which causes thrills and plenty of excite l ment. Nothing can be taken for 1 granted in goal kicking, whether the l ball is directly in front of the bar | or off at a difficult angle. There fore, 1t is up to the kicker. If 8 team has a star in that line, that team should reap the benefit The trouble is that goa1-kicking is not taken seriously, and not enough practice is done. It looks so easy | that most of the time the coach passes 1t up for more important work.
 'Iast year the University of Pits burg defeated Washington and Jeff ferson by the narrow margin of 1 point in a hard game. Each team scored a touchdown, but Pitt was lucky enuogh to kick @ goal. That made the final score r to 6. Natural Iy there was a howl about that extra point. It was claimed it took Il men to make a touchdown, while only two men were-needed to kick the goal.
 That's the old argument, and the only answer is to devote more time to kicking goals and develop @, kick, CT who can boot them over with his eyes shut The feature is just a< important as any other.
 ttOf course some teams are unfor- btrnate in scoring touchdowns fal away from the goal posts, where i is necessary to resort to- the punt out. For example, take a team tha carried the ball down the field, mak' ing short gains, and after the hard
 est kind of work pushed the bal over the line. In case like tha' the quarterback does not figure or
 the goal following the score. Hi main thought is getting the ball ove1 the line, whether 1t be in the far cor ner Or under the bar. The touch
 down is the principal thing and thu
 goal can take care of itself.
 "Now take the case where a team has the ball near the opponents goa line, makes a tumble, and the ball i
 picked up by a member of the de lending team, who runs 90 yards fo
 a touchdown. That can be cal1et a lucky play, but the touchdown
 counts just the same. Also the mal
 carrying the ball on that long r1l1
 will place it directly under the posts making it easy to kick a goal.
 "Comparing the two touchdowns the first should count more than tn
 second. Unfortunately, however
 there is no discrimination in tn
 rules and while the team which car ried the ball down the field showe more science and @ varied attack
 the touchdown doesn't mean an
 more on the score board than tn fuke play. I am using this argu ment to show why the anti-goal kick , CTS have some cause to make a pro
 test.
 ''To my mind the best way to sat
 isfy both sides is not to eliminat
 the try for the goal, but reverse tn rules. Allow the kick to be mad - from a certain spot directly in iron
 of the goal posts, the same as a ire | throw in basketball. Whether tn touchdown it scored in the far COT
 ner or between the posts, have tn ball taken out to the 15 or 20 var ! line and kicked from a spot eve Y distance from the side lines. Tha 1 will give every one an equal chanc - and it will be up to the kicker -' make good. The punt-out would ID i. done away with but the try for tn a goal which always has been apprecia = ted by the spectators, will be re . tained.''