The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-21

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high school teams.
| Stagg recalled with a smile tina
Chlcago.s second football game wa.
played in a public park where Z
mounted policeman kept the crowt
| from the field. and that in SCORING
| touchdown he had been charged
with using the policeman and his
morse for interference.
The game has grown immensely
more complicated since those DAYS,
ne observed. 81 suppose the for
ward pass has added 80 Is per cent
to its intricacies.
yet it is basicfy the same game
as when 1 started to play. One
notabIe change from early days
tnat L we'll remember is that the
center used to snap the ball back
with his foot. He stood straight up
with one foot on the ball which he
caused to hop back by a downward
and backward pressure of his foot.
Centers and Quarterbacks used to
practice and practice because this
was difficult to do without frequent
1umbies. A good center and good
quarterback were especially valu-
NoAC AOL ludL T6dSOn.
Science Rules.
Development in the complica-
tons of the game has been a thou
sand-fold. Football today is the
most highly scientific game there
is.
Spectators do not see q hun
dredth part Of what is going on.
They are able to follow the ball on
many plays, but on the masked
plays where the formations are
close-plays, for instance, where
the quarterback may feint a pass
to one player and then pass to an
other-it is impossible for persons
not conversant with the game to
follow the different moves. much
less to understand the blocking
methods employed by the linemen
and backs to checkmate the oppon-
ents.
Attack has advanced wonder
fully in the last 80 years. Progress
has resulted from long, hard think
ing and the most carefully worked
out campaigns. At the same time
the defensive has kept pace with
the offense. Otherwise you would
see the result in absurdIy large
scores.
Il wish that it were possible for
team to meet team without having
heard much of one another. That
of course is impossible. The scout
ing system has come to stay.
But with no scouts the coach
with inventiveness and original
plans Of campaign would have full
opportunity to prove himself His
new ideas, his tactics, would have
their best chance. AS it is, it is al
most impossible to keep a new idea
you own Your team is constantly
watched, and here in the western
conference every game counts so
heavily for position that you can
take few chances. Something new
in no time becomes common prop
erty and your opposition is drilled
to meet it. Under the scouting sys-
tenn with two teams equally match
ed, the inveltiveness and broad
grasp of the game held by one
coach may. be entirely Offset by an
other coach not possessed of these
qualities but warned beforehand.
Is Original.
Originality, it might be added, is
regarded in the football
world as one of Coach Stages chief
because it is well
known that he has had to Offset his
lack of material by unique methods.
Il do not think the inventive
possibilities of the game are near
y exhausted" Stage observed, "and
yet there are not likely to be any
developments OF new sys-
ems of attack and defense.
'NThe game itself I believe is es-
-ablished. 1 think there will be no
changes in it. I do not
myself see any ahead"