Imperial Valley press., 1927-11-30
UMPIRE GIVES
HIS VERSION OF
DISPUTED PLAY
Declares Decision Made
Only After All Points
Were Considered.

CHICAGO, Nov. 30.-John c.
Schommer, umpire IL .he Notre
Dame Southern California football
game last Saturday, defended him
self today of having cost University
of Southern California the game
ough an error.
The charges were made by Captain
Morley Drury, of U. S. G. in cam
pus speech at Los Angeles last night
IN which he said the team chad
travelled long distance to be rob
bed of victory.' He later explained
he meant "robbed by breaks of
the game and not by any officials.
The controversy centercd around
the U. s. c. forward pass which Ri
ey of Notre Dame knocked down.
mere was some question as to
whether it was an intercepted or an
incomplete pass. The ball went ont
of bounds behind Notrc Dame 8 goal
line.
Schooner ruled the pass was incom-
letc, not intercepted and therefore
ruled the play scorcless touchback
instead of "A safety which would
have given U. $. c. two points and
Victory.
schooner s statement follows:
Riley intercepted the pass III
question, reversing in the air and
WAS facing his goal line when be
Landed on his feet. He took several
steps toward his goal and was
struck by several L. S. c. players
Oh about the four yard line. The
ball shot forward, struck between
the goal line and the end line and
rolled across the end line where a
California player fell on it.
- overruled cries that Riley was
tackled in the end zone and that il
MAS touchdown because | was GER
tain Riley had been tackled on the
three or four yard line and that It
was either safety or a touchback.
~ called the captains and the
field judge for agreement on the
facts. Notrc Danes captain dis
sentcd and this | overruled.
When Riley caught the ball he
vas facing his goal and | could not
see the ball. If Notre Dame had
possession and control of the ball
thcn Riley gave the impetus to send
it across the goal line. (This would
have made it a safety.) If he did
not have possession and control then
IL was Il touchbaek.
I" asked the field Judge who was
facing the play and he said mot
possession and CONTROL ! then gave
the ruling of touchback.'
SOUTH BEND, Ind, Nov. 30
1.-The official ruling has always
been final so far rs we been con
ocrncd, - Coach Knutc Rockne of
Notrc Dame said today in comment
ing on charges of Captain Morley
ljrurv that Southern California had
lost TO Notre Dame because of an
error.
" However, I suppose Drurv is en-.
titled to his opinion" he added.
PASADENA, Nov. 30.-John F..
Pinkey" Griffith, field Judge of
the Southern California -Notre Dame
football game in Chicago, emphatic.
ally denied here today that he told
Umpire John c. Schommer that
Riley, Irish halfback, did "not have
possession and control' of the ball
on the now famous "touchback de-
cision' that held California from
victory.
In fact, Griffith came out flatlv
and declared that Schommer uttered
the first verbal opinion heard on
the field as to what the play should
be judged.
81 was to the right when Riley
intercepted the pass" Griffith said.
When | saw the ball fumblcd |
followed it through with the idea
of safety in mind. Then when it
was over Schommer ran up and said
to me-'a touehback. Notre Dame
did not have possession and con-
troll.
II figured he must have seen
more than | did so replied, 'Okay.'
That was all l said at the time. I
most certainly did not make the
statement Schommer is said to have
attributed to me.
'Schommer made the decision as
is cvinced by the fact that Captain
Drury directed all his argument at
him. -
Griffith said he now held the
opinion that the play should have
been ruled a safety, which would
have given Southern California an
s to 7 victory.