The New York herald., 1922-12-29
BY f.. X. HALL, -
Chairman of the Football Rules COM
mittee.

ny IA
Chairman of the Football Rules Com
mittee.
In the football season just closed the
popularity of the game as now played
increased to an extent both unprece-
dented and unanticipated. There seems
to be no limit to the number Of people
who wish to sec good football and the
limit of the attendance at the larger
games is measured only by the physical
limitations of the arena.
In the report of your committee last
year. we expressed our opinion that no
fundamental changes in the rules
seemed to be required. Nothing in the
experience of last season has tended To
alter that opinion. The dangers which
at the moment are threatening the
prestige and good name of the game
are not of such a nature that they can
be averted by mere framing Of rules.
Interest in the contests is so wide
spread and so acute that both the play
ers and the athletic authorities in the
various colleges are under a tremendous
pressure to win. Under these circum-
stancs the temptations are very great,
both on the field and off, to adopt prac-
tices or policies which are directly hos
tile to the best ideals of the game and
amateur sport and which II INDUCED
in generally would speedily bring the
game into dsrepute.
Several Distressing Incidents.
A single illustration. There have
been several distressing and one or two
diseraceful instances during the past
season of failure to accept In anything
like a sportsmanlike spirit rulings oi
competent officials and of failure to
see to it that officials were accorded
proper treatment during and after the
game. Institutions which are guilty OF
such failures should be relegated
promptly and exclusively to inter
mural contests until such time as they
can give some assurance that they are
entitled to once more participate in in
tercollegiate games.
Prosecuting, absence of the one year
rule. the tramp coach who thinks only
of the successful season and considers
that he has no responsibility for the
protection Of the game or the good name
Of the institution whose team he is
coaching, the scheduling of games with
teams from institutions which make no
pretense of maintaining decent amateur
sport standards are not questions for
the rules committee. but they are ques-
tions which must be considered anf
rightly answered If we are to maintain
the good name of football.
The responsibility for proper stand
ards and policies in connection with the
preparation for and conduct of intercol-
legiate sports and for proper standards
of play is in the last analysis squarely
up to those who are responsible Tor the
academic administration of the schools
and colleges, While they properly may
and necessarily must delegate to others
the details of the management and train
ing of athletic teams and the conduct OF
intercollegiate contests they cannot and
should not undertake to relieve them
selves of ultimate responsibility.
stresse Serious situation.
would like to repeat and emphasize
the statement made in our report n year
ago that 1t will require the concerted
efforts of all friends of football ia
counteract some of the undermining
tendencies which are almost certain tc
develop from the conditions under which
the game is played to-day.
The game itself is all right. 1t Is IN
the outside influence that the danger lies
The rules committee stands ready 70
do its part and the colleges, I am sure
are ready and anxious to do theirs but
II is only the close cooperation between
the two that will assure the preservation
OF and integrity In this, wonderful sport
The academic authorities of the col
leges have responsibilities in this connec.
tion which they must not assume are
being or can be discharged either by the
football rules committee. their own re-
spective athletic authorities or the Ma
tional Intercollegiate Athletic Associa.
tion
The objective which we are all seek
ing can only be reached through the
close cooperation of the rules COMMITTEES
and the respective college administra.
tions. both academic and athletic. and
ror That coonaration yOur commit lee