The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-12-02
GIFT SAFETY
IN FOOTBALL
UNPOPULAR
Threatens to Cause as Much
Fuss as Baseball's In
territorial Pass
BY BILLY Et ANS


ems 10 become as unpopular as the
Intentional pass in baseball.
For years the intentional pass has
been a much discussed feature in
baseball but no one has been able TO
remedy the evil.
The gift safety in football is just
beginning to gain national promi
hence as Il safty-firSt feature along
the lines of the intentional pass ia
baseball.
Safety first, literally and otherwise,
was one Of the most ovcrworked foot
ball plays Of the past season.
None of the old timers can recall
Il season in which The safety has been
50 prominent in the result Of many
Of the big games.
When the safety play was incor-
porated in the rules it was TO cover
certain unusual SitUati0 fs, where Il
bad pass, Il tumble, Il block kick or
some other feature Of play created
Il situation that would be un Just to
the defending side to allow Il touch
down.
Counts Two Points
Such plays were covered under the
heading safety. Under the present
rules II safety counts two points.
WIN ~ IL Lbu'HNb"H means SIX.
In the Ohio State-lllinois game. with
the ball on about the Illinois eight
yard line, the Illinois center made a
bad pass. 1t didn't come close to Il
player in the Him backfield and
bounded over the goal line untouched. ,
Fortunately for Illinois, it was re-
covered by one Of their men. The |
rules state that if the impetus that !
carried the ball over came form the !!
defending side. and it was in posses !
sion of one of the defending players |
when downed, it shall count as Il |!
safety.
There are any number Of other
situations that have TO do with a
safety as a result Of some slip on /
the part Of the defending side in .
possession Of the ball.
Value Grows
During the past season the value of .
the safety has grown in Importance.
IL has become :. safety-first play in
an effort TO avoid defeat that would !
result ii the opposition scored 4
touchdown.
Until this season it was a rarity
for player to resort to the safety
as n .,.eans Of warding off possible
.efeat
If one works on the theory that the
safety was written into the rules to
permit a team to purchase 30 yards
and the retention Of the ball, then
it is play that has been overlooked !.
in the past as a strategic move.
In the game between Drake and
Iowa and Iowa State the play was
worked overtime to stave off defeat
by Iowa State
Drake Beaten by Safeties
Drake was favored to win but Iowa
State went into the last period lead
ing by 10 margin. Drake made
several drives to put over a touch
down and was apparently on the way
when Iowa would get possession Of
the ball.
On such occasions Captain Benin
of Iowa State would deliberately
give Drake \ safety. By so doing
he gave two points for the privilege
of putting the ball in play on the
30-yard line, the proper procedure
after a safety.
Three times during the final
period, when Drake threatened to
score, Benin handed Drake safety.
Iowa State won the game, 7-6,
through Behm's strategy, if it
strikes you that way.
It's dollars to doughnuts that Drake
wasn't enthused over the actions of
the Iowa State captain. But then,
rules are rules.
Northwestern Used 1t
In the Michigan game Northwestern
emerged the victor, 32, because
Northwe stern decided to award u
safety rather than take q chance that
Michigan might score touchdown.
In the Purdue game smart football
again kept Northwestern in front.
With the score 1877 in favor of
Northwestern, Purdue carried the ball
to the 20-yard line, where it came
into the possession of Northwestern.
Two minutes of play remained at the
time. On the first play Fullback
Lewis, after receiving the pass from
center, dashed back ~ yards over his
own goal line, scoring safety for
Purdue.
While this brought Purdue's total
to nine points, it permitted North
western to retain possession of the
ball, putting it in play in it's 3O-yard
line.
These are just few of the many
big games in which the safety play
has been used to thwart a possible
defeat.
No doubt the craftsmanship of the
play from the spectators standpoint
depends on which team pulls it. It is
IKE the intentional pass in baseball.
ii the team you want to win pulls
it then IL iS q smart nlo,y If +Lo