The New York herald., 1922-09-17
TRY FOR POINT IS
new SCORING DEVICE
Ball Must BE Put Into Play
From Scrimmagc for
Seventh Tally.
ILLEGAL SHIFTS CURBED
Bar Against Unarrested Mo-
mentum Is Incorporated in
the 1922 Rules.
ILLEGAL SHIFTS CURBED
ny DANIEL.


made for this year in the football rules
are two primary reforms. The one has
done away with the old goal from
touchdown and has substituted what
is called a try for point. The other
has set up a stronger barrier against
the Illegal shift. which caused so great
q furor last season. Other changes
in the main have clarified language
rather than altered the intent of the
rule.
In so far as the general public is
concerned the more important of the
two major changes concerns the try
for point. For many years there was
strong agitation for the abolition of
the goal from touchdown. 1t was held
and rightly, too-that the goal was
entirely one man affair and was con-
trary to the spirit of football For
many years Glenn Warner. for one,
kept insisting that every point scored
in football should come through the
efforts of eleven men. Last March the
rules committee finally decided that
this contention was built on a strong
foundation.
As a result we have new rule which
provi les that after touchdown has
been scored a seventh point may be tried
for by putting the ball into scrimma ge
at least five yards from the goal line
and accomplishing any one of the fol-
lowing.
Kicking a goal from place
ment.
s-Eicking goal from drop
Mex.
S-Carrying the ball over the line
with a run
4--Bringing the ball over the line
with a forward pass-etther by
making the pass and then carrying
the ball over or by completing the
pass in the opponents end zone.
The rule provides that IL the side try
Ing for the point fouls 1t shall forfeit
the point and that il the side on de-
fense makes a foul the point shall go to
the side trying for II whether the play
attempted Is executed or falls. 1t is an
admirable rule, and 1t is admirably
framed A side losing game by one
point. as so often was the case when the
goal from touchdown rule was IN force.
now viii have the consolation of having
had fling at 1t with eleven men
against eleven The new rule marks
tho passing OF the last remaining one
man scoring play In football.
Curb ON Illegal SHIFTS.
The change in the rule governing the
position OF players at scrimmage-Rule
9---came in response to a widespread de-
rlnna that the various shifts. which were
either getting away with 1t" or shaving
the rules by q razor edge margin, be
curbed Last season was one of great
variety In shifts Notre Dame came
East with shift which violated the
rule perhaps four times out of five.
There was no intention TO cheat. The
shift depended on perfect timing and the
Hoosiers were willing to risk several
failures to put 1t over just once. OFT
times the officials could not catch the
man I'm motion before the bali was
snapped. Georgia Tech came North with
its famous shift. but illegality in work.
lug this maneuver was easier to detect
fran 1t was in the Notre Dame play.
Shifts always will be the bane of Of
f.cials. They cannot get up on the top
row of the stand and watch the shifts
with strong glasses, and they cannot get
down on the ground at the risk Of their
classic profiles and dignity. However,
the new rule has given to the officials a
stronger weapon than they ever before
had against shifting rule beaters and
shavers.
The change provides that when man
In motion has left the scrimmage line
ne must be at least five yards back when
the ball is put into play. II lineman
is In motion another player must take
his place on the line of scrimmage, as
seven men at all times must be on the
line when the ball Is snapped. A player
shall not be ruled to be in motion IL he
has both feet stationary on the ground.
The Insertion Of Momentum.
That both feet stationary" has been
clarified. A note says: "In all shift
plays both feet stationary on the ground
Is interpreted &c mean that a sufficient
momentary pause occur as to admit Of
officials seeing that the play Is legal and
tnat the ball was not snapped while the
men were in motion. 1t is the intention
of the rule that when a man shifts to a
new position he shall come to full stop.
so that all momentum is lost, and make
, new start from a position of rest
when the ball Is put in play"
That question OF momentum was the
stumbling block last year. player
shifting may have both feet stationary
on the ground for a moment but his
body still may be moving forward. 1t
was this unarrested momentum which
made the shift so dangerous as the de-
fensive side could not stop. from a
standing start play which had been
in motion for some time.
The other changes In the rules are
not very important In regard to sub
stitutions a player taken out in the first
half may not return In that half. but
he is allowed TO come back Mt any time
in the second half The referee is en-
powered to decide between halves on a
shorter second half. This prerogative
Is his II he believes that there Is danger
OF darkness hating the game.
The side opposing a forward-~pass Is
given a little more protection by
change which stipulates that interfer-
cnce with the side defending against
pass shall entail the loss OF fifteen
yards and down. Unnecessary rough
ness has been more clearly defined.
CIippinv Rule nt Last.
After many years OF agitation. prln-
cipally by Foster Sanford. the Rules
Cnsnmttec finally Incorporated a rule
eyrnst clipping. This Is defined as
follows: Throwing the body from be-
hind across the leg or legs tbelow the
kneos) OF a player not carrying the
ball. This. however. does not apply TO
close line play"
There Is a penalty Of fifteen yards
from the spot where the ball was put
into play for clipping. II is source OF
w.n.t ..ttufa,tf1y IN all tboca who 1ilo