The Washington times., 1930-12-16
DICK HANLEY
STRONGF FOR
HUDDLE
BY KIRK MILLER

BY KIRK MILLER
Coach Dick Hanley, of North
western University, were he chair
man Of the football rules commit
tee which will meet shortly after
the first Of the year, would advise
his brethren to not tamper with
the rules, but rather leave them
rs they are at present and there
BY give the public a chance to
catch up with the game before try
ing to change it any more.
Answering the request Of this
newspaper for comments on the
rules as well as other phases OF
the sport, Coach Hanley stated
very positively he believes the foot
ball rules are changed too often
and that the modern fan doesn't
get an opportunity to familiarize
himself with the sports conduct
before some important elements Of
play are legislated in or out OF
the rules or otherwise altered.
Leave the rules alone" Han
lev says in effect, land let
John Public catch up with the
present twists Of the rules
that have been changed so
often already that the aver
age spectator has to inquire
about plays and penalties and
inhibitionS never originally in
tended to be q part Of foot d,
ball."
That is Hanley's real prayer as
the football rules committee gets
ready to get out scalpel and band
age and fix the sport up for It's
1881 extravaganza. He wants
things left "aS is" and he hopes
for a leSSening Of major opera
tions on the rules governing the
game as time goes on.
Ha1ley Likes the Huddle
But Coach Hanley has other
ideas, and he freely states them
In his reply to the invitation to
comment on football, sent him by
The Times. Hanley likes the
huddle, and does not think 1t
takes up too much time. He
thinks that the noise in the larger
stadiums makes some sort Of hud-
die and rhythm shift necessary to
get the players into their proper
positions and playing relatively.
AS to the lack of more and bet
ter kicking, Hanley is not positive
that that angle Of football is get
ting too little emphasis.
Despite some legislation
against the deadly flying
tackle taken many years ago,
Coach HanIey finds NO at
tentiOn is paid to it and sees
Il used continuously in one
form or another in modern
football.
In the sense of discouraging |
players to come out for football,
Hanley is not in favor Of placing |
any numerical limit on players
to a squad, but many Of his fel-
low-coacheS, as will be revealed |
later, believe it would equalize |
matters considerably between
teams If the captains Of the |
teams handed the officials list |
OF players, equal in number, to
which a team would confine itself |
In a given game.
Against Junior College Idea
Too, Coach Hanley protests
vigorously the growing practice in
many sections of the country in
having players under cover for
from one to two years between
their prep school days and their
freshman year in college. These
So-called "junior colleges" enable
O player to have extra seasons
instruction in a given system of
football after he leaves his pre-
paratory school and before he is
officially in college. OF this grow.
ing practice, Coach Hanley says,
ut Is absolutely unfair"
Hanley would be against
the resumption Of the tan
dem play in football, beIiev-
ing the game has passed the
puSh-and-pulI stage.
Many modern football fans
have never seen the tandem, but
q couple Of decades ago it is said
to have been very popular form
Of advancing the ball, a player
getting behind the ball carrier and
pushing or otherwise propelling
him; quite in contrast to the
interference a ball carrier now
gets from a fellow player imme-
diately in front of him.
AS to eligibility rules, Coach
Hanley believes the Western con-
ference has the beau ideal. He
is distinctly in favor of enforcing
the six-Second pause in the shift,
as incorporated in the football
rules last winter, and he noted
many, many violations of this
rule this season without much
notice being taken of them by the
officials. This Coach Hanley
would correct, enforcing observa-
ton Of the rule, with penaltiesi
for violations!
Hanley like the old rule per-
hitting a. defensive player to re-
cover a tumble and run with