Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-24
RULES COMMITTEE
WOULD STANDPA
Goal Post Shift and Pass
Regulations Regarded as
Satisfactory.
BY LAWRENCE PERRY.

Some time on q date within the next
two weeks. which probably will not be
announced. the foot ball rules commit
tee, together with the three watch dogs
selected by the American Foot Ball
Coaches Association to sit in with the
rule makers in an advisory capacity, will
meet in New York and fix up the 1928
code.
1t is herewith predicted that the rules
as they now stand will not be changed
in any material way.
In spite of the criticism Of the set
back goal posts, they will remain on the
end zone IL only because the demand
that at least the crosSbar be restored to
it's former position has not solidified, as
most likely it will within another year
It is the contention of the rules COM
mittee. with respect to goal kicking.
that the fact that the posts are 10
wards back of the goal line give a
greater opportunity for kicking goal
from angles on the field than used to
exist.
Say Coaches Check Kicks.
And in the face Of the undoubted fact
that field goals and kicks from place
ment showed very marked decline in
the season of 1927, the posts will remain
HIltiC lIlcy DIT pohIiLS IA AAAAa
goals has been attributed by members
of the committee to an infcriority COM
pick on the part of the coaches who,
believing that the kicking Of field goals
had been rendered prohibitively diff
cult by the remote position Of the cross
bar of the goal. had coached their
teams to try for scores in ways other
than by drop and placement kicking.
The committee believes that next sea-
son the coaches will wake up to the al
legged fact that goals can still be kicked
ignoring in this fatuouS state OF mind
that the distance is the real reason why
teams have been deferred from kicking
for scores and that this is an actual
physical. not mental. deterrent.
The main point which the committee
makes, that the setting back of the
posts prevents players from crashing
into them and thus being injured. is a
good one. but is easily met by the set
ting of the posts. say 5 yards back.
with the cross bar extending forward so
that 1t is exactly. over the goal line.
PASSES to Stay.
No reactionary tendency will be held
toward the lateral or backward pass: it
will stand as is and the muffed punt
rule will not be touched. There is no
present reason why either of these rules
should be changed. the committee being
perfectly right in its stand that more
attractive offense may grow out OF the
lateral pass and that IL Is not fair 10
place so great a penalty upon the NUT.
of a punt by the safety man such as eX-
listed before last season.
It is possible that the necessity for
making point after touchdown may be
abrogated For years this rule has APP
pealed to many friends OF foot ball as
unjust and unfair. The rules commit
tee showed signs Of awakening to this
fact a few years ago when 1t ELM
mated the punt-out and ruled that all
tries for point following q touchdown
should be made from spot in front OF
the goal.
Goal Trial Disliked.
An excellent supplementary act would
be complete elimination. The fact
should not be ignored that college
team and its partiSanS are much more
content with a tie game than one they
have lost through failure 10 kick goal
after making a touchdown. especially
when that touchdown has been scored
through straight foot ball oaense as
good il not better than that which re-
suited in a touchdown by the opposing
eleven. There is nothing intrinS!cally
bad about tie game anyway: II usually
means that both teams and their sup
porters leave the field IN a mood Q!
sporting equanlmity. Pittsburgh could
probably give some strong testimony on
this point.
fCopvvight 1881