Evening star., 1931-12-28
MUST TAKE ACTION
TO CURB INJURIES
Adjustment to Strengthen
A. LikeI, to Become
Serious Topic.
BY GRANTLAND RICE.
TEW YORK, December %

legiate Athletic Association, meet
ing in annual session in New York
this week, troubled them a year
ago, or were even dimly foreSeen.
The great Fall game has taken
sudden unexpected twists and
tuInS which will demand some
changes in the underlying atti-
tudes of the Rules Committee and
the collegiate authorities.
NTncn the CoEclayes were held last
We S.nutc EocNne was alive, and
the brand oi~l06,, a-.l he brought 20 a
h.El peak OF cnic.cncy w2s the 2to.m
Ccluc.' aiound which the COGe WaiS
wee lCuglJ. Tie increasing power of
the attack, Wilicl neceSSitat.d d a curb
ing OF ShitJS and yet was given further
impetus by the new tumble ruling, kept
the legislators concentrated on purely
technical matters. Through 1928, 1929
and 1880 foot ball scoring per game
steadily rose, and the problem presented
was a clear one.
Now, suddenly, there has been a
right-about-face During the 1881
campaign, which was played under un-
usually fine weather conditions, the at
tack fell of, lifting the lowest level
since 1922. 1t is obviously a new ad
justment that must be made.
IT is not the annual adjustment O. the
i delicate balance between attack and
defense that will be the big issue
this week, however. Two major de-
velopnents, one unforeseen and the
other foreshadcweS. stand out boldly
Some sort Of action mu~t be taken 10
explain the heavy toll of injuries md,
If possible, develop a safer game. And
the reaction to different ideas Of over
emuhasiT will be noted
This IS the first year that the mere
bulk Of gate receipts has not evoked
furious condemnation Of foot ball IS
a college hiDpcdrome. Foot balls
stanch defenders used to justify It
becau-e it carried extensive and costly
programs of intramural and non-self-
supporting athletics. TIE critics used
to take this argument very lightly.
Now. when the budgets everywhere
are being pared because of lack of in
come, there won't be such a tendency
to criticize the commercialization Of the
sport.
TN the battle that always RACES over
/ emphasis, the salient has moved from
one extreme to the other. Only a
year ago Spring foot ball sessions,
early Fall conditioning and the hocus-
pocus OF getting a squad into condi-
ton were roundly condemned by the
Seh-appointed defenders of true anna
teur sport.
Now when mounting injuries have
focused attention on the necessity for
getting the players in good condition,
there will be a reaction in favor of well
organized training programs, and more
rigid supervision by capable authorities.
You don't hear so much, nowadays,
about giving the game back to the play
ers. The colleges can use the money
that expert foot ball draws, and few
of the players want to take the reSpon-
sibilities involved in training a team,
making judicious substitutlons and
keeping the competitive spirit in bounds.
ALL sorts of suggestions will be made
n to the rules body before the 1881
code is revised. but the technical
suggestions may be grouped under
three heads:
/. Alteration of the kickoff play to
preTent the formation Of the dangerous
flying Wedge by the receiving side.
?. Increased penalties for roughneSs,
especially roughing the passer.
3. Restraining the use of hands by
the defense, especially on the heads Of
thu offensive linemen.
Burt A. IngWerSen, chairman Of the
Rules Committee of the coaches or
ganization, recently published three
proposals which he will make this week.
They are:
/. Place the ball on a tee to get
higher and shorter kick-offs.
2 Provide that receivers be spaced
farther apart to prevent the flying
wedge formation.
3. Provide a penalty for formation
of the wedge inside the 30-yard line.
Ingwersen also said that sentiment is
still strong for a return to the earlier
tumble rule.
A newspaper poll of leading players
at the close Of the regular season found
them stanchly defending the present
kickoff formation, and many of the
leading coaches throughout the country
have insisted that the ratio Of injuries
incurred on this opening play was really
very slight. The cause may be laid
more properly TO poor condition, so they
say, and the fact that at the start Of
the game, both teams are keyed up to
almost hySterical tension, but not
warmed up.
One Of the more original suggestions
for the opening Of the game was to put
the ball in play from SCTimmage, with
the kickoff side bcotirg a placement
kick This would keep tho drama in
the game and prevent the two te3ms
from getting up momentum before
clashing.
Of h,t
i the head received b. every line
man in a bitter foot ball game is
certain to cause great disagreement.
To prohibit the defending lineman from
using his hands would hobble the de-
fense tremendously. And now that the
clever manipulation CT running guards,
and, in some cases, running tackles, has
brought back the old momentum play
in its real essentials, every possible de-
vice open to the defense must be used,
and used briskly.
There is no question that foot ball
would be a cleaner game and far more
pleasant to pay, if the thinly cloaked
fistiCuf1ing in the line could be baniShed
altogether If the TulemakHrS can
think of a way to help this they will
TAX a greet f,-Ward step toward the
reGuction Of injuries. A player con-
NhitGlAJ NulltI III lllG lsNuA Allt9 4ADN
b. hurt by that roughing bat he is
worn down so that at a later stage in
the game he may neglect the precau-
items he would otherwise take.
Inasmuch as the vast majority Of
serious injuries are received in scholastic
and sandlot foot ball, this point is
doubly important And closely related
10 it is the matter of protective pads
and harness. The urge for speed has
tempted many players to cut their
armor to minimum.
Because foot ball is game founded
on impact, the best method Of guarding
against its costs is to see that, as far
as possible, foot ball is kept in the
hands Of experienced directors, who
will keep the men in condition to take
tho risks without multiplying them.
change here and there in the rules