The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-30

F. k
 Coach D. X. Bible, mentor from the rugged southwest, where real men play real football in manly way, Tuesday night gave a large gathering of coaches, fans, players and officials some real points on football, both from an ethical standpoint and interpreta- tion of both new and old rules. Coach Bible is head coach lt Texas A. & M., where football teams are turned out which have always made great records in their section. He is the first south ern coach to be placed on the football rules committee and his explanations of rules Tuesday night at the meeting, held at the Chamber of Commerce audi torium, were derived directly from sit- tings of the rules committee where the motive of the rulings were discussed freely and nodded to suit the need in covering the point of friction.
 Coach Wade Presides
 At the meeting Tuesday night, Coach Wallace Wade, of the University of ;. Alabama, presided and made a short. introductory speech. in which he thank ed B. M. Chenoweth for making 1t pos sible for coaches and officials from Bir- mingham and the state of Alabama to hear such an authority as Coach Bible on interpretation of rules.
 After meaty speech on sportsman ship, outlined above, Coach Bible took up the new rules for the coming season. The new regulations, he said, were made with three objectives in view, to speed up, the game, to make it more scientific and to get more effective system on the scoring of point-after- # la s
 There were not many radical changes, Coach Bible explained, but the aboli- tion of the kicking tee was one signi- ficant one. In order to speed up the game the artificial tee for kicking off, place kicking and such had been elimi, mated. Now no tee can be used what soever but on the kickoff the ball is to be stood on end in a vertical p0- sition and kicked. A heel mark dug in the turf may furnish a base in which to sit the ball and make it remain in position, or a player may hold it. The cause for the abolition Of the tee was to stop the waste of time in preparing them, to eliminate the large mounds of mud often erected for the kickoff and, to get more science into the kick.
 To offset the possibility. of short kicks D. from the 40-yard line to. the center of ' the field. The ball will be kicked off from the 50-Sard line. In this eohnec- tion, Coach Bible suggested, that it might be good policy for the receiving side to line up about five men on their 40-yard line to cover short kicks. The elimination of tees would also do away with much kicking over the goal line from kickoff, he explained.
 , Then there was modification of the point-after-touchdow play. This pro blem has been thorn in the side of the rules committee for the past few years and has been changed practically every year. Formerly the ball was brought out where it crossed the goal line when touchdown was scored, or was punted out when far over to the side lines, then try-for-goal was made Next it was brought out to the five yard line directly in front of the goal and try-fOr-goa1 made, next the running and forward passing play Swas added, but this did not get the desired result as teams still drop-kicked or place kicked, largely, for their point. So the rules this year are changed so that the ball is placed on the 3-yard line and try-for-point made nkieking, passing or running. This, it is hoped, win bring out more passing or running plays.
 Proposed Rule Failed
 In this connection, Coach Bible said, a resolution was brought up, but failed to pass by one vote, whereby teams scoring a point by kicking were to be credited one point while the those scoring a point-after- touchdown on f,r ter h. credited with two points. He stated that this rule would probably be passed next year.
 The rule .on times out was also changed to speed up the game. Former ly a team might ask time out more than three times in one half and only be penalized two yards for each time after three. Now the rules allow four times out but after four a penalty of five yards will be inflicted, for each time out. This is to stop illegal use of the privilege of calling time out
 On the shift plays the rule was somewhat clarified. The player must have a definite pause with an ap- preciable time intervening between shift and start" This is to eliminate advantages gained by rushing an op- lponent on the shift
 Rule Against Interference
 Another rule on passing interfer- ence" also makes the aerial game much better one, Where an ineligible man interferes with a mQn elegible to receive a forward pass he may be penalized for interference. For instance a Hneman, may not block an opposing player, or interfere with him, if he is trying to intercept a forward pass. The same applies to punts or any ball in the air.
 On stalling the referee is given power by the new rules to order time to go on where he is convinced that a team in killing time. In substituting players or balling up signals and other dila- tory tactics he may mot allow time out but order the time-keeper to let the lime go on.,
 The rules on grounding passed de- hberately and hiding player on the Y H