The New York herald., 1921-09-25

l
probably the best Lafayette team the
latter institution will have produced In
twenty years.
The average football follower does
not know that the great coaches of the
sridiron generally are men of middle
years who also are achieving distinc-
ton in the serious affairs of life. For
instance. William w. Roper Is one of the
great political powers in the city of
Philadelphia. "a progressive and inde-
pendent leader in Philadelphia's City
Council, the boss. and ideal boss, of his
ward, whose brains and courage are In
front of and behind every good civic
movement in Philadelphia. Similar lead
ership in other lines characterize the
other great coaches of the country, a
description of which space will not here
permit
The coaches being the same It neces-
sarily follows that the playing systems
at each college will be substantially the
same. The average football follower,
however. does not appreciate how diver
gent and different arc the systems at
the big football colleges Harvard's
system. which was originated under
Percy Haughton and which has been
continued under Robert Fisher is based
upon n double tandem of the backs ar
ranged behind an unbalanced line, So
called because the order OF the players
along the line Is end. tackle guard. CEN
ire. guard, tackle, end. This order CT
the line at Harvard is never changed.
The strength is thrown from right to
left by revolving the entire line around
the centre by what is technically known
as the wheel shift" while the backs
fr,-y wfe rt.t Ioff ii Al
The Harvard Method.
Further. Harvard generally does not
attempt to make openings in an oppo-
nents line. but sends it's own line for
ward In a solid charge. shoulder to
shoulder, the back with the ball strik-
ing squarely on the back OF the object
i've lneman and forcing his way through
at whatever point the defensive line
breaks.
Princeton lines up generally with the
backs in double tandem behind a bal
anced line. the order of the line in the
initial formation being end. tackle,
guard, centre. guard. tackle. end AL
though Princeton begins a play with the
balanced line, usually a signal Is given
which causes shift in the line to an
unbalanced formation in which both
guards or both tackles play on the same
side Of the centre. The most distinct
i've and highly spectacular and power
ful feature in Princeton's scheme of
strategy in the past two years has been
the deploying OF back far to the out
side. OF the main formation. At a pre-
liminary signal and before the ball Is
put in play this back runs swiftly in,
directing his course slightly backward
so as to conform to rule and as the ball
Is put in play, literally hurling himself
through the air at the point in an ad-
versary's line which the Princeton at
tack desires to be broken. Last fall so
accurately timed was this manoeuyre and
50 powerfully was it executed that even
against teams as strong as Harvard and
Yale Princeton's flying back frequently
would knock down two and three play
ers.
Yale's system last fall curiously was
the same system that the Blue employed
thirty years ago In the victorious days
OF Heffelfinger and of Thorne. This con-
sisted of an initial formation of a bal
anced line of three backs. half, full and
half. behind balanced line OF forwards
end, tackle. guard. centre, guard, tackle
and end. with the quarter back behind
the centre. From this old timo arrange
mcnt Yale launched every form OF play
FE'2ufuiiNs however, at Signal the
backs shifted 20 a tandem or oblique
formation TO right or left Of centre. The
distinctive Yale feature OF n few years
ago, multiple and lateral passing, was
not employed by the Blue last fall. Com
pairing these three systems, ono against
the other. Hnryard's scheme IN charac-
tcrized by its prcponderstlng element OF
surprise, Yale BY its reliance on sheer
power and Princeton by It's combination
% both surprise and power. while Har-
ward In pas. years has not employed the
forward pass form Of attack a. fire.
quently as have Princeton and Yale. the
ease with which the Crimson last fall
against Princeton accomplished a
brilliant series OF forward pass plays
turning defeat into a tie and almost
achieving 4 victory on the nnai play OF
the same. prompts one 10 believe that n
similar forward pass attack viii b. a
prominent feature IN the offensive
schemes % all college teams this au-
tumn.
Re3f Mnf~rfal tu X@urs.