Evening star., 1928-08-30
CADETS MAY ADOPT
! 4YEAR LIMIT RULE
This Would Minimize Chance
of Many College Stars
Getting on Teams.
NNApoIIs. Anp,,st so-T

A NNAPOLTS, August 30-There
n is defined and generally be-
Il neved report here, though it
4 i lacks official confirmation. that
the foot ball teams of the
Naval and Military Academies will meet
again in 1929.
Outside of those i'll official position.
who decline 10 make any statement on
the subject. most Of those attached to
the local naval station express entire
confidence that a way has been found
70 meet the differences as to eligibility
Of players
According to this report the one-year,
or freshman, rule, row II force at
both institutions. Will be continued. and
the service schools viii agree TO limit
membership on their teams to players
having not more than four years var
sity experience
Would Be Comnromise.
The latter provision Will be in the
nature of compromise The Naval
Academy now obSevres a three-year
limit. while the Military Academy has
declined TO limit itself at all on this
ground
The general opinion here IS that off,
cials of the War and Navy Departments
have quietly intimated that thev are
anxious for athletic relations between
the service schools to be renewed and
have urged compromise.
There is every reason to believe that
khe application of the freshmen and
four-year rules 20 service school ath-
ietics will form satisfactory rule OF
action between ths two and prevent
the feeling which has been indicated al
times for many years back.
The Military Araips13y aG0nfa6 the
freshman rule two years ago, and it
Is notable that it has not received any
outstanding college players as members
OF its entering class since that time.
Many believe that the continuance OF
this rule alone will obqiate the great
complaint of the Navy: namely, that
crack players could be used at West
Point after they had completed the
usual term as members of other college
teams. Il IS thought to be unlikely
that old college players viii enter the
Military Academy when they will not
BE- allowed to play during their first
year
The four-vear rule undoubtedly
would make the entry of such students
still more unlikely. It is thought that
q student who had played the full term
Of three years at some other college
would not be likely TO enter the Mill
tary Academy on account of foot ball,
when he could play on the varsity there
but one season during his whole course
Would EquaEize Matters
1t Is generally believed that an agree
inert on this basis would put the teams
Of the service school upon an even
footing. the greater average age at the
Military Academy being balanced by
the larger number at the Naval Acad-
emy.
Naval people have not ground in
favor Of the ordinary eligibility rules.
not because they feel that the Military
Academy is likely TO win generally
under present conditions. but because
they feel that the service schools should
observe the eligibility rules which
govern their opponents 1t is felt. how
ever, that the four-year rule would be
proper compromise.
The probability of the correctness of
reports Of renewed athletic relations be-
tween the service schools is made
stronger by the fact that it is known
that high officials Of the Government
and of the services involved feel it is
TO scme degree stigma that the two
services cannot maintain friendly ath-
letic relations.