Evening star., 1932-02-15
BY the Associated Press.

ANOVER, N. H., FeDruary 10
~ The National Foot Ball Rules
Committee today announced
six drastic notifications of the
playing code.
In an effort to check the tendency
toward increasing injuries" the COM
mittee decided:
team receiving the kickoff by requiring
that five players of the receiving team
remain on their 45-yard line until the
ball is kicked, and to allow the kick
or face with hand, wrist, forearm or
punt or drop-kick.
2. To forbid players on the defense
to strike an opponent on the head, neck
face with hand, wrist, forearm or
elbow
8 To liberalize the substitutions rule
to allow a player withdrawn from the
game to re-enter once in any subse-
quent period.
4. To forbid use of the flying block or
tackle.
5. To make the ball dead" when any
part of the ball carriers body except
his hands or feet touches the ground.
6. To amplify the rule regarding
equipment so as to require padding Of
hard and unyielding substances with
felt, foam rubber or other soft padding
at least three -eighths of an inch thick.
Changes Deemed Important.
These changes were termed by Chair
man E. K. Hall the most important. in
making the game safe for the players,
ciy hn 0f
1907.
Although it had been found that the
"so-called fatality list accredited to
foot ball was more than so per cent
entirely misleading and inaccurate, >"
Hall said. the committee had noted an
increasing number of injuries, due, it
was believed, to the intensive develop
ment of the open game
The result" Hall explained, "has
been to bring into the game certain
practices or styles of play, most of
them entirely legitimate and within the
spirit of the rules. which are tending,
in the opinion of the committee, to
bring into the game certain new sources
of hazard to the players"
1t is to combat this tendency that
the notifications have been adopted.
The new kickoff rule is aimed di-
form of interference. With five men
on their 45-yard line, there will be
much less chance for an effective Fly
ing wedge to form about the receiver.
The rule also provides that the re-
ceiving team must be given the op-
portunity to make a fair catch without
interference by members of the kicking
team, even though the latter are on
side
Public Wrong on Wedge"
Although public agitation last Fall
over foot ball deaths centered on the
flying wedge" as the principal Of
fender Hall said the facts show that
this is not the case
The new rule regarding the use of
the hands by players on the defense
was adopted to meet the protests Of
some coaches who said players were de-
livering weakening and dangerous "rab-
bit punches" on the necks of opposing
linemen. Violation of the new rule calls
for disqualification of the player and the
loss of half the distance to the Offend
ing teams goal line.
The liberaliZed rule on substitutes
was adopted with the idea of allowing
tired players to rest without losing their
place in the game.
The new rule further provides that
the team making substitution is to
be charged with a time out" unless
time already is out for some reason or
unless the substitution is made for an
injured player.
The danger of the flying block or
tackle, the committee found involves
principally the blocker or tackler him
self and not the opponent. Under the
new rule it will be legal for the tao
kler to leave his feet only at the instant
he makes contact with the opponent.
Given Time to Learn Play.
The penalty for violation has been
fixed at only yards because the COM
mittee felt that all breaches of the new
rule should be penaliZed and realized,
at the same time, that it would take
some time for players, coached to use
the flying tackle or block, to become
accustomed to the change
1t was pointed out also that this
rule will provide forward passer with
protection after he has thrown a pass
Ii the offense is committed against a
forward passer the penalty is to be
enforced from the spot of the preced-
ing down.
The new dead BALI rule was
adopted to prevent crawling and piling
up, causes of frequent injuries.
Hall explained that the rule had
been adopted because of the danger of
injury when the ball carrier keeps
struggling for distance until the whistle
blows.
IF he is partly on the ground his
opponent has no way to stop him ex-
cont to come down on him." he said
and he is in no position, under such
circumstances, to protect himself"
In addition to providing for the pad
i:.z &C Lord en,I,ctancas 1isod in foot