The Washington times., 1922-01-01

game because we were able to gain
twenty-five yards afterwards and Ar
thur Poe was equal to the emergency
with his field goal in the last minute
of play.
This particular instance is especial.
ly vivid because l could have picked
up that ball more easily than l fell
on It and would certainly have made
those twenty-five yards and perhaps
touchdown without any further
doubt.
I distinctly remember, even though
1t is twenty years ago. that as I lay
ute at least before anybody dropped
on me. Probably 1t was all Of two
or three seconds in actual fact.
Searching through my experience of
twenty-five years Of pretty close con.
tact with the game and a fairly wide
study of it's records, l cannot recall
more than a few scattering instances
in which any real advantage resulted
from falling on a loose ball, except
when this occurred behind the oppos.
ing goal line, where, of course, there
was no need Of any further gain.
am not trying to be dogmatic but
with me, hereafter, it is a fixed and
settled rule to cut out falling on the
tall in practice and in games and in.
stead to intensity the training we
have been giving in the actually easier
matter Of picking up loose ball and
getting under way with it.
May Make Mistake.
l do not want to teach my players
10 fall on a ball at any time, because
in the heat Of a game some o. them
will actually do 1t at the wrong time
and cost us yards or a score instead
Of winning them.
In my own case, I remember wish
ing that / dared disobey the positive
orders we had been given and run
with the ball instead of falling on it.
I prefer to take the chance of losing
an occasional tumble for the sake of
getting chance to score an occasional
touchdown, and to eliminate the risk
OF hurting q player in an exercise
which Is far more dangerous than it
looks.
I find that in this matter Of early
season practise, it is very easy to
waste time and adopt such mistaken
policies as falling on the ball drill
unless one makes In advance very
definite plan of action covering every
minute of the two hours which, in my
opinion. should be the limit for any
ohe oay DTdCtlbe.
I don't know how far this CORE.
spends with the policy of other men
teaching the game, but from observa-
ton l do know that some of them
work pretty much on the inspiration
OF the minute. think this is a mis-.
take and that It pays well to have a
fixed program and to uss a stop watch
in carrying 1t out.
l want to know exactly what to dc
and when to do 1t and not to show
any indecision or hesitancy before my
men. Also I find that my own judg
ment Is better beforehand than dur.
Ing actual work and that unless I
compel myself to keep close to my
Irearranged plans I am liable to the
error of OVERRIDING some one thing
in which the team seems to need extra
practice.
l recall many, many occasions in
the old days when II had been sol
EMMY agreed between coaches and
trainer that a time limit should be
set on the days practice, and wher
the coaches should override the train.
ers' call OF time to put lust five
more minutes" on some individual
play which they wanted to perfect
These five minutes were nearly al
ways costly. for II In a known fact
that men are hurt far more easily
when they are tired than when they
ere fresh.
5copyrisht. is,i. by Bell sypdicsts)