The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
Football Men Suggest
Many Changes in Rules
Forward Pass Subject of Most of the Criticsm-Yos
Against Haughtons Idea-Trnity Graduate
Draws Up Set of Propositions.
BY DANIEL.

Football holds singular place among
American sports in so much as changes
in the rules always seem In order. Never
a season passes without developing a
number of suggestions for reforms in
the code. Some day. no doubt, the rules
will reach a point Of stability at which
they will remain for many seasons. But
just now the game still is in the process
of development-a most singular process
II Is, too, for II has made our greatest
sport out of degenerate soccer.
Perhaps the most widely discussed
suggestion which grew out of the recent
season was that advanced by Percy
Haughton, former Harvard coach.
Haughton wants the rules committee to
put curb on the forward pass. This
he desires accomplished through per-
hitting the blocking of a forward pass
behind the line of scrimmage just as a
punt may be blocked. pass blocked
would create free ball.
Discussion of this proposition arises
wherever football men congregate, ana
the question no doubt will come before
the rules committee in March, but We
doubt IL the suggestion will be adopted.
The forward pass has done a greet deal
for football and II is strange that there
should be a reaction against II. Quite
number OF men we'll known on the grid
iron have supported Haughton. but most
Of the coaches are opposed TO any change
as regards the forward pass.
Hurry Up" Yost, coach at Michigan,
Is among those who are against the adop-
ton Of the Haughton Idea. Yost says
ut has been the tendency or football
rule makers for several years 10 make
the play as open as possible. The for
ward pass IS the one big thing tina.
does that. and TO make the pass valuable
the team using IL must be protected. The
way the pass Is played to-day puts
premium on its skilful handling and en-
courages It's use
Yost thinks that TO give the defending
team an additional opportunity to take
the ball would In n large measure dis
courage the offenders from putting II 70
use. This. he thinks. would set the game
back all that had been gained In recent
years, and we agree with him.
would Eliminate Goal.
Another suggestion which has been adj
vanccd-and which has found strong
support in the Western Conferences
TO do away with the goal from touch
down. Frank Cavanaugh, coach al
Boston College. is one Of the advocates
OF the elimination OF this relic Of the old
days. The goal from touchdown serves
no nurpose but very often to beat the
better team. 1t would not be missed.
Quite n number of Interesting sugges-
lions are embodied in letter which we
have received from DIR. Frank Glaze
brook, Trinity, 80. who compiled them
after discussion with a number OF other
football men. Hc writes
The usual post season football Mr.. FIX
a har I inInInu the
crowd. Football as played to-day Is a
pretty good game. l am sure | can
stand II. but constructive changes arc
always I'm order. and II seems to me that
one or two changes might be made for
the good Of the game which would in no
way harm or complicate the play but
on the contrary would materially benefit
the game. I offer the following sugges-
lions most humbly, In no spirit OF
criticism but because 1 am an old player
and an enthusiastic rooter for the game.
The one thing which stands out right
now 10 the would-be rule makers is the
forward pass. / would like to make a
suggestion concerning this. and / would
also like to say word about penalties
which place the ball inside the 10 yard
line. That the forward pass Is not salts
factory as II stands to-day i think all
students of the game will agree. How
ever from the publlc's point of view Il Is
the most popular play In the game. and
yet l know OF no play which riles the old
timers, to which class 7 belong. more
than the haphazard throwing about of
the ball Such playing Is unsoientiflc
and should not be n part Of so splendid
game.
feel that the new game IL better In
every respect than the old. and. further
more, Il 10 here TO stay. ] agree that
alterations should be made cautiously.
but this is an age of progress. and TO
make no effort to correct evils Is n
greater fault than to make mistakes In
the spirit OF progress.
have heard the following changes
suggested
1. Allow an incomplete pass TO be-
come a free ball. subject to recovery by
either team, or allow the pass blocked
behind tina Line OF scrimmaga to become