The New York herald., 1921-02-20

goal, thereby winning for Princeton, IL
TO G.
Harvard and Princeton have played
twenty-one games together and when
Harvard scored first she has only lost
once. This was in 1889 when Prince
ton won, Al to Is. In the old days
Princeton lost q few games after scor-
ing first, but her record is clean since
1911.
First Score Wins.
an the above are 1O4 games, ana
when Yale or Harvard has scored first
only three games have been lost. bar
ring the Harvard-yale game of 1915.
This Is convincing enough to make
shrewdly coached team feel that scoring
first IS the vital thing. This year the
only important Eastern game can re-
cali where the side that scored first lost
was the Dartmouth-Pen State game,
which came very early in October.
After my article Of year ago Har-
wards two leading coaches and Prince
toms leading coach said there was just
as much stalling by plays as by tha
watch. Here Is the difference. as anal-
wed at the rules committee meeting
last year: BY plays team on the Of
fence can use up four plays before I
sIiIrenders the ball. Four plays are ~
per cent. of forty plays, the suggested
number or plays for period. On the
defence a team by plays can do no stali-
ing BY time Il team on the offence
can use up three minutes In four plays.
Three minutes is 20 per cent of fifteen
minutes. the time for a period.
"On the defence they can delay enough
so that the offensive team can not get
off four plays I'm minute and half,
.xg fnwtx rtln HffHGn
minutes. This shows that there can be
over 100 per cent. more stalling BY time
than nv plays; In other words by plays
the stalling Is reduced over 90 per cent.
with the stalling reduced over 90
ner cent by the play basis It stands to
reason that the tremendous premium on
scoring first will be materially reduced.
This tremendous premium on scoring
0rst should be reduced, as the side that
wins the toss of the coin can nave the
wind first and therefore has a much
better chance OF getting the first score.
with the premium on scoring hrst re-
duccd, the excitement of the game Will
hi much more sustained and there VIII
be less i'll feeling.
'srhis year, with .he aid of two or
three Of the leading officials, an some of
tho important games, I have recorded
not only the number of plays but also
the number OF times the watch was
stopped This brings Up a very impor-
tant point, and IL probably will be
worked SO that 1t will te very detrimental
20 football. This latter is the other i'm
portant cause for the variation In the
number OF plays on a time basis and
might be developed into as serious q
detriment as stalllng. Through Mr.. j.
w Farley offered 20 show the figures
TO the Harvard Footb all Committee. He
said to publish them.
where Time Is Lost.
| with the watch stopped time does
rot begin again until the bail e actually
nut In play. Putting the ball In play
takes on an average about % seconds
After the ball is put in play on an
/ average II is in motion for from 4 to 8
seconds and then the play ends. Here
Is a saving of % seconds out OF 30 sec
onds on each play by simply having the
watch stopped.
"Tho watch is stopped for out OF
| bounds, touchback, incompleted forward
pass, fair catch. penalty. injury. substi-
| tuition, measurement and doctor going
! on the field. so Il ~ extremely easy TO
have the watch stopped. BY penalty I re-
| fer 20 the penalty for calling for time for
| injury more than three times In either
| half The penalty ~ only two yards the
stakes are moved and the distance to be
4 gained and the number Of downs remain
] the same Twenty-Five seconds II often
/ worth more than The difference Of two
! yards in tie position os the ball on the
/ field with tho watch stopped on every
| play every game would be called on ac-
I count OF darkness
Having shown that III the past the
! fret score IS the vital thing. Il now be-
hooves the team that Is behind to get
| the watch stopped practically on every
play 80 they viii have almost infinite
opportunity to win, score or get the game
called on account OF darkness.
1T has often been said that IL both
teams played forward passes entirely
every game would be called on account
| Of darkness. simply because There would
he So many incompleted passes that the
watch would be stopped n great deal.
This brings up the much discussed for
ward pass. An incompleted forward
| pass shch IN other worcs Is n failure.