The Washington times., 1921-10-23

II
q team to the highest state of eff,
q half a day. Some days, you
other days the coach will want me
With athletics compulsory at AM
napolis and West Point. the question
OF time has been eliminated to a large
extent, and. as a result. the Navy and
Army teams are much moro formid-
able.
The Navy attack IL predicated upon
Power and strength instead of individ-
ual brflliancy. No one or two men
shtno on the offense. and II makes lit
tie difference who carries the ball. II
q play goes around the right end,
tho left end is working just as hard
as II the play was on his side of tho
line.
Few Miracle Plays.
There IL q noticeable lack of mir
acie plays In tho Navy repertory-
those designed to work In twenty
attempts. They are. in my opinion,
bad medicine for any team, and par.
tioulariy bad when enough stress is
laid on their preparation to convince
the quarterback that they hold out a
good gamblers chance of a score from
anywhere within the fifty or sixty
yard line.
The Navy attack Is built along
rather conservative but very sound
lines. Folwell was one of the first to
eliminate the handling of the ball by
the quarterback. All tho Navy plays
call for a direct pass to tn back car
rying the bal.
Most Of the plays are run frorp a
close formation, with what is calledlan
unbalanced line, with an end and
guard on one side and four line men
on the other side of center. The two
tackles twin up on the ofefnse. The
backs line up with two men in a tan
dem formation, the first man about
two yards behind the line directly be-
hind the second line man on the
strong side, the second back in the
tandem is about a yard and a half be.
hind first man.
The third back lines up just about
behind center. with the fourth back
outside the offensive end on the strong
side and about parallel with the head
man in the tandem. This forn,at ton
Is common one, but Is particularly
powerful because of the manner in
which. the Navy line and backs work
together.
On all outside plays. the Navy back
and end work on the defensive tackle,
while on plays inside OF tackle, the
fourth back goes for the end. This
would seem to be a weakness in one
way. l like to have individual men
play the same assignments us much a..
possible. This shifting Of the play Of
the back on different occasions has
tendency to let the defensive tackle
know what is coming.
Drive OFF Tackle Valuable.
There is. of course. no irresistible
play in football any more than in
chess. but. II there is one play that
has the greatest possibilities of a
gain, II is the drive off tackle. All
football men are familiar with it,
1t usually consists of straight
thrust toward the tackle with one of
the ha!fbacks carrying the ball, and
two of the other backs covering the
end and defensive fullback. There are
many minor variations of the play,
but in the main the idea is as above.
Whenever this play Is executed,
even with a moderate degree of pre-
cision, and the offensive line gets
the charge on It's opponents even for
n moment, there will be a gain. The
man who stops the play will have to
be the defensive fullback, the loose
center or a defensive half-back. or,
in some defensive combinations, an
end, or several Of these men to-
Hether.
IN the play is stopped in its tracks
with a gain OF less than a couple of
yards, 1t must be stopped by the
defensive tackle, end or under some
rare circumstances, the guard, who
has managed to knife through. The
play cannot be stopped for less than
two yards gain by any defensive
back, however, quick he may be in
coming up TO the line.
Tho Navy have worked up this
play off tackle to a remarkable de-
aroe Of efficiency. They throw two
offensive linomen on each defensive
man involved, an end and the out |
side back on the tackle, with two
men on the guard. OF course. one
back takes the end, another the de-
fensive fullback.
In addition to this. tho two Navy
Suards coma out of the line and get |
In the play. They sweep over the |
tackle and practically envelop him,
and, in most instances, are able to
continue on for the secondary de-
fcnse. The ordinary play is strong
enough, hut with the guards coming
around, the rlay is about twice as
strong A play OF this kind, prop
etly impressed on the quarter for
ma, when two yards or so means
every thing, will win a great many
gn1tcs,
I have used the guards myself in
on swing plays, but have
never been able to work them up to
the state where thev could come around
i'm plays on and off tackle. Strong
as this play is, there is just one danger
in Il and that is the guards In coming
around will of necessity leave n hole |
in the otherwise close line.
This must be filled by the center |
rush. but there is always a moments |
hesitation as the center cannot charge |
too quickly and accurately snap the |
ball. II is at this moment that a
defensive llneman has the chance to |
shift through and spoil the play.
Navy's Strongest Play.
This is by far the Navy's strongest |
plny, though from this information |
they run all tho usual plays with one |
or two short, quick forward passes |
IL om kick formation. Folwell has the |
regular end runs and line bucks with |
n very strong forward pass to the ends
who 20 down about five or six yards. |
The strength Of this play consists |