Evening star., 1924-07-13

| There has been an increasing com
plalnt, voiced particularly by the sur
geons who have had charge of foot
odIl players, that the matter of pro-
tectlon 10 players has been carried so
lar as 70 constitute menace to on
ponents. The committee took cogni-
zance Of this and has made a ruling
that all stiff shoulder guards and
protectors must be padded on the out
side as thoroughly as on the inside
moreover, that cleats must not be
dangerously sharp.
Subs Must Not Talk.
To show how strict an interpreta-
ton the committee wishes of the rule
barring substitute talking when he
goes on the field, an approved ruling
was added that if this substitute even
calls out the word signal" his team
is to be penalized
The ruling was made also that any
part of players person being out Of
| bounds counted just the same as
though his foot were out.
The committee handled complaints
regarding shift plays by stiffening
the legislation of last year, with the
specific instructions to the officials
that the players must come to an abb
solute stop and remain stationary in
thelr new positions a sufficient length
doubt in the minds of the officials as
to the legality of the play
They also permitted the scrimmage
for the try for point to come up 70
the 3-yard line instead of the 5-yard
line.
Every effort was made throughout
the entire session of the committee
to quicken the game and to do away
with the unnecessary and unreason-
able delays which have sometimes
q Enyr L
the official the power to arbitrarily
call time whenever he thinks a team
is unreasonably delaying putting the
pail IN play or making a substitution.
The duties of the field judge were
somewhat more extended toward
those of an assistant to the umpire.
Pass .Screening, Banned.
The tendency to the so-called
screening" of a forward pass was
recognized and a ruling made that
Ineligible players must keep out of
the way of the players of the side
which did not make the pass. and il
they do not do this they are liable TO
penalty for interference.
The committee also forbade man
running out of bounds and then COM
ing in to receive a forward pass. He
must keep within bounds all the time
or he is not eligible.
The last vestige of 10-yard penal
ties was eliminated when the COM
mittee ruled that intentional throw
ing of forward pasy to the ground
should be penalized 1iteen yards in
stead of ten.
The committee al:D cleaned up the
whole affair relatin { TO on-side kicks
by ruling that if kicked ball crosses
the scrimmage line no one of the
kickers side can either touch or re-
cover the ball until it has touched an
opponent.
1t has been made possible to de-
cline practically all the penalties in
cident upon a forward pass
The rule regarding interference by
coaches or others has been broadened
out by making it include any one con-
nected with the teams
When foul is committed behind
the goal line which does not involve
change of possession of the ball, the
penalty of one-half the distance to
the goal line from the spot where the
ball was put in play is inflicted.
Must Expi:.in Penalties.
1t has also been made obligatory
upon the referee to explain alterna-
tive penalties to the captain of the
offended side.
But the rule which probably will be
most apparent to spectators and will
have the most effect upon the game
is the elimination of the tees. The
ball must be kicked from the ground
without adventitious aid of mounds
of earth, although a comrade may
steady the ball for the kick AS a
kind of offset to this, the kick off
now is to be made from the middle
of the field instead Of from the
teams 40-yard line.