Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-17
OBJECTS T0PASS
after TOUCHDOWN
West Chester Official, Who Sug-
gested Drop-Kick, Does Not
Favor Forward

Football coaches and officials here
and in New York have gone on record
as favoring the abolition of the goal
after touchdown and the substitution OF
u placement goal, field goal or a for
ward pass from scrimmngc for the one
Point after the goal line has been
crossed for the touchdown.
Among the first to suggest such a
novemcnt was s. p. Sharon, director
of physical education at the West Chcs-
ter High School, who placed his
thoughts in letter form before the As
scciation of American Coaches at the
meeting held In New York last Deccln-
Der.
In his letter to tho officials the West
Chester official recommended that the
touchdown on the 15.yard line, and
that one attempt be allowed at field
goal or placement kick from scrimmaga
formation.
Objects 10 Forward Pass
This was also recommended by join
W. Heisman, coach of the Penn eleven.
ut the meeting here, and also was sug-
gcsted at the New York session last
night. Heisman went a step further
and added that the attacking team havo
touchdown by forward pass from
scrimmage. Sharon takes objection to
this.
1T is gratifying, indeed. to have
such strong champions of the sugges-
tion made to the football coaches as
Mr.. He.smrn," said the West Chester
official, while vnluing Mr.. Hels
nuns suprert, I must take exception
to his additional suggestion of the pos-
s.bility Of u forward pass from scrim-
mage. His plan IL the same as was Of
fcred by Fred w. Moore, the graduate
manager Of athletics at Harvard.
There Is no special reason why there
should be an indefinite play after the
! touchdown mas been made. 4 forward
pass or line play is neither novel nor
desirable, for after the team has made
the touchdown it has accomplished what
it set out to do. The after play is a
presentation or gift to the scoring team,
score by reason Of their more elastic
attack, so as to DLlimize as far az
possible the chances Of score. Civ
ing the scoring team another scrimmdgc
play would be like giving man who
has finished u full course dinner, and Is
waiting for his desert, some more entrCe
or meat.
No Spectacle
There would be no spectacle to q
play from scrimmage, as from the
stand point of the audience, there will
be nothing to see but another tumble and
mass of players, with the issue il
doubt until the referee makes the an
nounccment. Witness the spectacle Of
the ball rising over the bars. needing
no introduction and announcing itself
as the scoring factor. Is there any
| comparison between these two plays
from spectacle view point?
Allowing the use Of the forward
pass in addition to the drop or field
goal after touchdown would in time
have a tendency to diminish the utility
Of the drop-kick and field goal. 1t Is
evident that the hand having greater
possibilities of control than the foot,
the tendency will be to make greater use
of the forward pass not only as q theat
but as q reality. This in time will have
Il tendency to discontinue the use of the
drop.kick or field goal entirely, and
pretty soon we will have some sort of
hand ball or pass ball game
instead of foot ball. If such radical
changes are permitted it will not be
long, before the crowds will wonder how
the name football originated.