Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-17
BY BOB zUPPKE,
Root Ball Coach. University of Illinois.

Root Ball Coach. University Of Illinois.
~HAMPAIGN, ILL.,, November
ia striking feature of
~ the foot ball season that is
drawing to a close has
been the unevennesS in the
strength of representative teams
Some people are alarmed at this
situation, but / do not see any
thing significant in 1t.
Top-heavy scores by teams over others
presumably in the same class merely
indicate a remarkable difference for the
time In ability and experience of the
rival personnels. This is just a cycle
and the teams that are up today are
likely to be down tomorrow.
The biggest hokum is the suggestion
that 1t Is not sportsmanlike for the team
with greater reserve power to throw its
forces into game against less for
tunate opponent. 1t is absurd to talk
of equalizing competition by penaliZing
the stronger team in some manner.
There must always be best in every
thing. The solution is simple. Play in
your own class.
There were few changes in the rules
this season and the code worked smooth
ly. Some people set up a howl that the
Rules Committee had penalized the
shift for some dark, Interior motive, but
all the committee did was to legislate
against the illegal use of the shift, not
against the shift itself. predicted that
the slight change in the old rule, which
merely made the shifting team stop "at
least a second" instead of about sec
ond" would not bother Notre Dame and
the other shifting teams, and It didn't.
Play Style Up to Coach.
The truth is that a team like Notre
Dame would be just as effective If 1t
used some other style of offense than
its backf1eld shift. Systems of offense
depend upon the whims of the coaches
and can usually be traced back to the
style under which they played them
selves. A great ado was made because
Pop Warner decided to use line shift.
as If he were repentant sinner coming
to the moulners' bench But is years
ago DR.. Harry Williams, at Minnesota,
developed the best line shift in the an
mails of the game Warner, like all
coaches, is merely trying to adapt his
style to his material.
I think the Rules Committee should
do something about the unnecessary
roughing of forward passers. Perhaps
forcing the general rule against un-
necessary roughing will be sufficient. 1t
has struck me that paSsers have been
unusually roughed this season. Blockers
are going into the air and hurting their
whole weight against the unprotected
passers, who are knocked down and
sometimes injured.
The lateral pass has not developed as
its proponents predicted. 1t seems to
be good for threat and little else.
I do not believe the interest in foot
ball has waned. Americans demand
the best-and the winning teams have
attracted the crowds.
If there has been falling off in at
tendance in some respects, this was
due TO the business depression undoubt-
edly.
Young Coaches Shine.
I congratulate two young coaches,
Dick Hanley Of Northwestern and
Harry Kipke Of Michigan. and their
teams, which win undoubtedly tie for
the Big Ten championship. North
western is already in, proving faster and
more nirnble than Wisconsin, as ! ex-
pected. Hanley in his four years at
Northwestern has had, perhaps, more
than his share of tough luck in losses
OF key players, and now he has lost