Evening star., 1923-03-25


severe it developed that although
.AggieS and from Stegeman OF Gee
this practice had been greatly less
south, the southwest and the far "
little was seen of II.
Stagg had some glaring instances of
II to refer to. Roper was sure that
il had quite passed into the discard
and had seen none Of 1t at all in the
eastern games. Others were of the
same opinion as Roper, although Nc
Evan of West Point was not con-
WINGED that il had been eliminated,
but lessened.
Ham-StrinSinE Is Rare.
All this indicated that as far as
most sections are concerned brutal
hdmStringing is Il relic of the past.
But il also brought out the fact that
the coach now is eXerting his intiu
"nce far more powerfully in the in
ttrests of clean foot ball and the
lesscning of dangerous practices.
This viii he multiplied In its power
this next season, on account of two
importa Mt thinSs-the growth and
spread of coaches associations and
the inauguration of more and more
sectional officials associations.
Okesou, who has just been chosen
to head w one of these large associa-
tons in the east, is also d member of
the advisory board, with Morice act
committee. Then, on top of all this,
there is the action of the rules com
mlttee itself in establishing d sort of
ease book" Of decisions, which will
be in the nature of approved rulings.
Now. all these things taken to-
EethCr show that foot ball will be in
1928 under the control of esta blished
organizations, all operating toward
clarity of decision and especially to-
ward strict rule enforcement. II
means the ostracism in a measure of
THr outlaw coach who does not work
for the real interest of the game it
SELF. and 1t means the vigorous up
holding OF conscientious officials who
VIII not hesitate To penalze infrac-
tons of the rules and particularly
enforce those relating TO brutal con-
duct. And the spread of the technical
knowledge of the game through both
coaches and officials associations
VIII not be the least of the advantages
that the season Of 1923 will see
Effect OF Rule Changes.
As TO the effect of the alterations
in rules:
The one that provides that the
penalty for clipping is to be enforced
either from the spot of the foul or
from the point where the ball was
put in play, according TO which is
rh% most severe upon the offending
side, may prove more far-reachins
than would appear at first glance. 1t
- a mighty broad proposition and
might really be sufficient in itself to
cause any coach to consider very
carefully especial instructions to his
team I" avoid clipping as one would
the plague
The elimination of the onside kick
viii worry few coaches but will be
hailed with acclaim by officials who
have had to watch with hawklili (
eye to be sure that some sneaking
q
kuicker and likely to tear down un-
der the punt and seize the ball to
the Chdgrin of some waiting player.
But this elimination is in one way
detriment to the game because it
makes safer the waiting back who is
afraid TO catch a punt and always lets
back has watched with shame these
safe" players who dare not take a
chance under any circumstances. And
the practice of the Onside kick has
upon occasion caught one of these
"waiterS'' and made Il touchdown on
him. This situation will be helped
slightly. although not materially. by
the elimination of both the tive-yard
penalty for an offside player touching
the ball and also the alteration in
til" rule 50 that touching the ball in
side the opponents ten-yard line no
longer results in touch back.
Chance for Real Puntcr.
f3ut there will not be any marked
results from these except a lessening
of the value of such accurate punters
as kipke Of Michigan. who could cut
the side line within the tive-yard line
with his kick. 1t has been argued, that
with these privileges Of touching the
ban, q good punter and a fast man 60
ing. down under the kick. will result in
decided advantages TO the attack. But
the writer does not think this will be
borne out Very strongly in the play it
.salF a1l 1lyy
tricky kicker and a mighty fast pair
of ends. If a kicker We're as good as
that in placing his punts and the ends
were so extraordinarily fast and clever
in getting down the field, the punter
should send them as far. and as
straight down the field as possible and
count upon those star ends checking
the catcher, besides giving him a chance
to muff the ball. if lie would.
OF the same character with the elm
ination of the outside kick so far as
radcalism is concerned is the new per-
mission to decline the penalty on an
illegal pass. While the outside kick
is a generic feature of the original
rugby game the edict that no forward
pass penalty could be declined has stood
IN the American game ever since the
forward pass was introduced into the
play.
The reason for this was that the rule
makers did not dare introduce such a
provision until the throwing of the ball
forward had been thoroughly grated
upon the game. Now that this has tran
epired they evidently believe that the
inconsistency of permitting any other
kind of a foul penalty to be declined
If it were to the advantage of the
offended side and forbidding it to the
interpreter of forward pass simply
because the pass happened to be made
illegally should be remedied This is
eminently proper, but will not have
very much real effect upon the play. as
illegal forward passes are seldom made
by well drilled teams. However, there
is just Il chance that this new ruling
might settle the issue in a game.
Forward Pass Is Defined.
II is well, too, that the rule makers
cleared up another point which has
sometimes given trouble by distinct
ly stating that handing the ball for
ward is a forward pass and to be so
ruled.
The rule providing that time ball
be taken out during the try-for-point
after a touchdown will serve to
actually increase the playing time
quite considerably In any game
where scoring is frequent
1t is consistent in one way and quite
incongruous in another. Time was
taken out in a try for goal from
place kick, but on the other hand, in
the old days of 'punt-out" it was not.
and furthermore the attempt by a
rushing play to make this extra point
is surely actual playing by both sides
However. such an attempt is seldom
seen. and, in fact, with the single e&-
ception of that great Washington
Jefferson Lafayette game, in New
York last year the drop-kick was
practically the only means used for
scoring this try-for-point.
When is came to deciding to penal
iZe a team for failure to appear on