The New York herald., 1922-09-18
SMASHING END OF
/ TIGERS IS ILLEGAL
Momentum Virtues of the Play
Destroyed by Revised
Code.
RUTGERS ALSO AFFECTED
Sanford's Crashing Tackle Is
Curbed-Dead Stop as Ball
Is Snapped.
by DANIEL.

which was q distinctive feature Of the
Tigers football offensive last season
: and the year before, no longer is legal.
This important decision by the rules
committee, handed down by Walter
Camp in a ruling at the Biltmore late
Saturday night, was the most interest
ing development at the annual clarifi-
cation and Interpretation meeting,
which was attended by coaches. Off
cials and players from all sections Of
the country.
The decision on the smashing or
hexing end came in discussion Of the
revised section of rule 9, which is in
tended to put up bar against Illegal
shifts. It was held that everything
IN the rule which governs the backs
also holds good for the line. The rules
committee very likely did not intende
1t that way when it passed the section
last March but as it stands it cannot
be interpreted in any other manner.
However, it was held that the rule
does not force the one back In motion.
as allowed under the code, to be at
least five yards behind the line. All
&other players moving from the line of
escrimmage toward their own goal line
must be at least fve yards back OF the
~iine the instant the ball is snapped into
%play.
The Rule in Question.
The section in question reads as fol-
~ . 81, 81 In1T
put in play in a scrimmage no player Of
!. the side ,clfch has the bdH shdU be IN
I, motion, except that one man of the side
having the ball may be In motion either
%directly or obliquely toward his own
goal line or line extended II q player
tts moving from the line Of scrtmnlage
yfosoard his o,on goal line he must, OF
the instant the ball IS put IN play. be at
least fue yards back Of the line OF scrtns-
ns0c. If lineman is In motion another
player must take his place on the line
OF scrimmage. as seven men must be on
this line when the ball Is put in play. A
player shall not be ruled to be in motion
IL he has both feet stationary on the
ground"
A note appended to this section says,
"In all shift plays both feet stationary
on the ground is interpreted to mean
that q sufficient montentary pause occur
1s to admit OF officials seeing that the
,5sV 70 legal and that the ball was not
snapped while the men were in motion.
It Is the intention of the rule that when
q man shifts to a new position he shall
come to full stop so that all momen-
tum Is lost. and make new start from
q position OF rest when the ball Is put
in play"
The rules committee held that this
rule and the appended note make Illegal
the Princeton smashing end and all
other plays patterned after IT, This
also affects the smashing tackle play
perfected at Rutgers by Foster Sanford.
The Princeton and Rutgers plays are
rot quite alike, since the Rutgers tackle
moves by interrupted jumps rather than
with one continuous rush. such as the
Tiger ends used so sensationally at
times and so dismally on other oc-
casions. The Tiger ends still may use
variation OF their old play. but they Will
have to come to a dead stop the mo-
ment the ball is snapped. Such stop
would rob the play OF its chief virtue
the momentum of the smashing end
going toward opponents who must meet
the rush from a dead rest.
When we asked Mr.. Camp what he
thought Princeton would do about II. he
said: "I do not think that Mr. Roper
will do any worrying about the ruling.
He told me last spring that he had had
about all he wanted or that smashing
end and he indicated that ne would
discard IT.
Sanford chuckled when we suggested
I that his smashing tackles had been
stopped by the committee. NO do not
( think that II will affect that play so
much. We can time 1t In such a way
that the tackle will be at a dead stop
when the ball In snapped. You can't
beat US by ruling" laughed Sandy.
Invented by Indians.
The smashing ends were invented by
the Carlisle Indians. Glenn Warner
dropped the play for a while and then,
when the new rules provided for one
nan In motion, revived II with telling
effect. He took II with him to Pitts
burgh and II was from him that Prince
ton no doubt got the idea. The smash
ing end and tackle also was used by
the great Pennsylvania team of 1895,
with Its stalwart line. The new ruling
wipes out distinctive type OF football
and II remains for the season TO show
whether Il Is n good thing for the game
or mistake.
In addition to affecting tho plays
named the new rule also will stop the
constant movement OF men on the line
\ movement SUCH as jumping from one
foot to another and. OF course, hep
hopping before and while the ball IL
being snapped into play. II viii stop
the Notre Dame shift and Georgia
Techs shift as well and will hamper
the Heisman shift and the modified
Minnesota used by Dartmouth last sea-
son. The precarious but pretty shift
certainly has been given lot OF attcn-
tion.
AS used by Princeton the smashing
end had to be something OF football
superman. He had to be light enough
TO be very fast. but he had to be heavy
and powedf1i enough to stand the bruis-
Ing play. This style OF football had it's
advantages az Inst some opponents, but
also brought lots Of injured wings, and
after while was not so hard TO dag
nose and stop in the big games. still
IL was pretty and will be missed.
Most OF the discussion was taken up
with Qualification OF language. Bill
Roper did not show up but the big
three was well represented by coaches
and old players. Tad Jones was among
those present.