The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-16
TALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Dec. 16.-Would you
rather have Canadian football,
American football or deaths? This
seems to be the gist of an interest
ing letter I have just received from
an international football enthusiast.
This letter stresses. among other things.
the newnesS and Importance of the for
ward pass in Canadian football. fact
which may be of unusual interest to
American readers. Are you listening?-
ut has taken some years of agitation
to get the forward pass into our football.
but it has become greatly popular in
opening up the play and giving speed and
deXterity an even-or more so-a break
against brain and weight.
ct read that your w. S. Langford saws
that if the COLLEGIATE rules can be
changed to make the game less danger
ous it will be done. Here, with twelve
men to team. the game is played very
hard but without mass plays. There are
no serious accidents and no fatalities and
it is quite exciting to watch.
an our game. interference is permits
stable only in zone three yards wide in
advance of scrimmage. and is not al
lowed at all back of the line. The held
is 10 by sixty-f1ve yards. And while it is
called rugby football it is vastly different
from 'Rugger," a point that does not
seem to be generally understood in your
country.
ITO show what one change in the rules
has done for US, the InterprovincipaI
Union consists of four teams, Montreal,
Ottawa. Hamilton and Toronto. Montreal
won in 1919 and trailed every season since
until this year. With the introduction of
your forward pass and the addition of
one player, Warren Stevens, formerly
OF Syracuse, Montreal won all its games.
the details of which are amazing and
would be interesting only to Canadians.
stevens opinion of Canadian foot
ball (Which should be interesting to
Americans) that the kickers here are far
better, tackling on par with the major
eastern colleges. lateral passing a revela-
tlon and the game as rough as that across
the line. my correspondent inclosed
clippings quoting Stevens as saying that
unless you kick eighty or ninety wards in
Canadian football you are practically a
novice.)
THE statement of j. P. Nichol-
4 son, now an assistant coach at
Notre Dame, may be of interest to
you. After coaching the Montreals
for a spell he said:
The ultimate Canadian game. me
which will be the game in the next ten
years. VIII be the finest. most exciting
personal contact game the world has ever
seen. True there will be only paper wall
between 1t and the American game. but
what difference that wall will make"
Nlcholson's suggestions. or predictions.
Tor achieving this were few and not so
radical. namely. allowing twelve yards in
reference instead of three. four downs to
go twelve yards instead of three to 90 ten.
neutral zone between lines to be width of
the ball instead of three feet.
TN case you don't know. Canadian
scoring gives five points for try and
one for a convert: three points for
drop or placement goal: two for a safety
touch; rouge one and kick to deadline one
A rouge is counted when player is forced
to ground the ball behind his own goal
line. and if YOU are still interested.
Nicholson says II believe the rouge will
be the next big step in American foot
ball. The rouge is great play. in fact
the only distinctive thing the Canadians
H..
incidentally. the kick to deadline ,Ax-
tremity of the fleld) has no defense
when the kick is made from close in and
there is some agitation here to restrict it.
IT must confess that am not familiar
with American football or rules although
we saw Red Grange play here in a game
between two professional teams from your
land and from our point of view. anyway.
Canadian football is much the finer game
to watch.
81 am not a sport writer but am send
ing this as lover of the game and as
daily reader of your column, with the
hope that it may create some interest in
the Canadian game and perhaps merit
some attention."-W. ]. B.. Toronto.
Canada.
HOMMENT: I am emphatically
~ for reciprocity. Even more so,
am I for anything that will cut
down the hazards of football. It
is Illuminating to me to learn that
Canada is now trying to make a go
Of the forward pass.
For several wears we have been trying
to make 20 of the Canadian lateral.
If there is anything else that Canadian
football has that we can use we ought to
be interested in it. I am deeply impressed
by the statement that football as played
in Canada still retains the man to man
contact and that when the score is posted
there is no hospital list
More than forty lives have been snuffed
out playing American football this year. So
far as have heard the Canadians have
played a much similar game and no one
ILL T. GH4r-s-
is important enough for very deep con-
sideration on the part of the football men
tors. executives, chiefs. or whatever they
best prefer to be called