Evening star., 1921-12-30

At. a meeting of the foot ball coaches
organization Tuesday night a strong
attempt was made to get through a
resolution asking the rules committee
to adopt a rule against clipping and
TO eliminate entirely that element of
offense. pobie of Cornell proposed
the change and he was strongly back
ed by Williams of Minnesota. but
many other coaches were of the
opinion that to eliminate clipping
Would be to eliminate one OF the best
features of offensive foot ball. A COM
promise was reached and the reSoI-
sion as it was finally passed recon-
mended to the rules committee that
n rule be inserted in next years code
TO stop clipping from behind and
that the penalty be made more severe
than fifteen yards.
Cause of Many Injuries.
AS a matter of fact. ciipping-throw-
ing the body lateralIy across the
knees OF defensive players from the
side. front. or rear-has caused more
/ injuries in the last three years than
h all other features of foot ball COM
\ hincd. to eliminate ii entirely. even il
y il did take away from foot ball one
of the methods by which dafenSiv e
player could be taken out. would be
for the best interests Of the game.
However. to eliminate il would make
NetSHihS s>pistN IiN iiioiS
difficult. and most coaches are not
looking for any harder jobs than
they now have.
Some coaches also brought up the
shift play. as used by Georgia Teen
and Notre Dame especially All
coaches Know that the shift play has
TWO intentS, one to deceive the de-
fense and the other to give the
offenSe n nyi ng start. The former is
all right andNrithiu the rules. the latter
sall Il 4
letter Of the rules. Instead of any
one proposing a remedy by offering
Il constructive idea. Il resolution was
passed to the effect thai it was the
sense of the meeting that in all shifts
the players be compelled to hesitate
long enough for the official to tell
that they actually have come to a
stop. which is exactly what the rules
provide for now.
Discuss Interference ON Pass.
Interference with the secondary de-
fense on forward passes, especially
short forward passes just over the
line of scrimmage. was discussed. 1t
was admitted that the rule providing
against such interference was seldom
enforced. mainly because of the diffi-
culties surrounding such enforcement
but no constructive remedy was forth
coming and the rather weak reSolu-
ton asking the officials to be more
strict III enforcing this particular rule
was passed.
There seemed to be a disposition
on the part of most coaches present
At the meeting not to interfere TOO
much with the rules and to let well
enough alone. 1t always has been
II great cry on the part of coaches
that they are not given sufficient
hand in the changes effected in the
rules and that they. as the most in
,terested individuals, should be al
lowed to propose such changes as
might occur to them. 1t probably is
well that the rules committee "A;s
AS it does, becuse if it We're intrusted
to a general meeting of coaches TO
bah code. the code probably wculd
remain as ii is for the next hundred
years.
Federation Plan Enlivens.
Yesterday the meetings of the Ma
tional Collegiate Athletic Association
were more or less humdrum until late in
the afternoon session. when it was
proposed to take the lead in form
ing an athletic federation based on
the plan recently proposed by the
Secretary of War, and later. when
new constitution was presented for
adoption. In reality both pieces of
legislation were constructive and
eventually would have worked for
the betterment OF athletics. but in
the very manner of their presentation
they st""' atically no chance of
being adopted.
The iesuf...oa originally presented
putting the association OH record
as fayorins the plan of athletic fed
GRAFTON as worked out by the Secre-
tary of Wa and empowering the
board of directors of the association
to proceed in the organization OF Il
new athletic federation based on
that conception. but because many