The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-17
The Umpire
BY H. C. SALSINGER

FINANCES will be demanded in the
 football rules when the men who -. make the laws of the gridiron con- vene.
 The new rule concerning the kick off which was supposed to help the game, has been a failure. One season showed that it had numerable flaws. The worst fault with this style of kick off is that the ball generally sails over the goal line and is brought to the 20-yard line. It happens so often that there really seems little excuse for kicking off. That time and labor could be saved by placing the ball on the 20-yard line of the team that is to re- ceive the kick and starting the game from that point.
 The kickoff this year has been monot- onus and aggravating. Kickers who tried for either corner nearly always sent the ball over the sidelines. If they managed to get it inside the sidelines it crossed the goal line. Only when the kick was low and there was chance to grab the ball near the 15-yard line, was an effort made to get possession of the ball before it reached the safety zone.
 There is much dissatisfaction over the point after touchdown. It should be made more difficult to secure or elim- mated entirely. In it's present state it means little more than nothing. It might just as well be done away with and touchdowns counted for seven points instead of six.
 Many want to see the old method restored. They want the ball punted out at the point where it was downed behind the goal line, and they want the receiving side (providing the ball is caught to try for the extra point from the point where the catch is made. This method would call into play sev- eral of the accomplishments that are part of football. The fact that the extra point would be more difficult to secure would create greater interest in the play.
 While no ruling will probably he made on two features of play, prevalent ]. chiefly in the middle west, it is likely that they will be abolished. If they are f retained it will be in the face of much protest. One of these features is the "huddle'' or ''ring- -the-rosie" - system of calling signals, and the other :; is the plan of letting punted balls bound free instead of catching them. One an noys the spectators and the other is poor football.
 The 'huddle" system, where the play CTS stand in a group before each play 1 and decide upon the signal, slows up :, play and handicaps team when on the offensive inside its opponents 2O-yard :: line. Here, with the goal just ahead, play should be hurried. The faster the play the better it's chance of success. All the psychological advantage is with the team having the ball, all the worry with the team defending the goal. If the defensive eleven can be kept on the jump, can be prevented from getting set, then the chances for a touchdown are augmented. But the "huddle" sys- tenn gives the defensive team all the advantage. As the team on attack gets nearer the goal it takes longer and longer to decide on the play and each moment wasted in conference gives the defensive team more opportunity to gather fresh strength and to bolster itself against the onslaught.
 Letting punted balls bound free is an innovation introduced this year. It was never popular at any time, but teams continued using it. Punted balls are supposed to be caught and returned if possible. The rules do not say that the ball must be caught, and therefore some coach decided it would be a nice thing to let it bound free. As soon as the stunt was introduced others copied it.
 This idea when put into practice gives the team with a powerful punter all the advantage. There are any number of punters who can kick football from their own goal line to within their op-