The Bismarck tribune., 1933-10-24
BACKS ARE ALMOST
HELPLESS WITHOUT
husky front WALL
Coach Bill SpauIding Of Cali
fornia Gives Idea of
Qualifications
PUT PRESSURE ON TACKLES
Each Forward Must Have Par.
ticuIar Abilities for His
Position
PUT PRESSURE on TACKLES
BY BILL SPAULDING
Coach University Of California at Los
Angeles


Coach University Of California at Los
Angeles
Los Angeles, Oct. 24.-No football
team has gone far nor won any cham.
pionships without smooth clicking
line. After all, 1t is the line which
makes the ball go up and down the
field.
Starting with the center, the heav-
Ter the line the better 50 long as 1t
doesn't interfere with the agility and
speed Of the individual player. The
center must be, first, an excellent
passer, for each back has his own Pc
culiarities and the ball must be passed
to each just so.
If a back can depend on a perfect
pass from center, he doesn't worry
about the ball and can use his ef-
fort thinking Of where he Is going and
how he Is going to get there. Moth
ing slows up the ball carrier so much
as to have center In which he has
mo confidence.
After the center passes the ball, he
must have poise enough and sufficient
balance to protect himself against the
onslaught of a defensive man.
On defense, q center may be called
upon to pull out Of the lire to make
tackles on the wings and also to help
In the passing game. In other words,
when six-man line Is used, he might
become second fullback 50 that q
good center plays on the line physi-
cally, and in the open mentally.
\ X X
Guards must be rugged and aggres-
sive, and at lea6t one must be able to
pull out and run interference as fast
as q back. He must be able to knock
down at least one Of the secondary
defense. If he is big man, he might
run straight down the field, with the
ball carrier using him as dodging
post.
A good guard always will protect
the center, who Is helpless until after
he gets the pass away. At least one
guard Is almost always used to pro-
tect the passer of q forward, and
sometimes both guards pull out for
this purpose.
On defense, if the center is not
Of the rowing type, one Of the guards
must be shifty enough to drop back
and help on passes, take his place in
the secondary defense !. and make
tackles on the wings as well as back
up the line.
To be q tackle Of championship cal
iber good amount OF weight Is ne
cessary as he is the one who bears the
brunt Of the defense, and who Is
called upon to stop all plays directed
at his side OF the line. The fact Il
practically all offensive plays are d.
rected just inside or off tackle, put
ting great pressure on this position.
A tackle should be veritable tiger
On offense he must handle his op-
ponent, who usually is guard, II the
offense Is to get any place-so the
better the tackle, the better the Of
Tense. Some coaches run their tackles
in interference, SO speed Is a great as
set.
A good end must be fast and shifty
enough to handle weight. He should
have big hands to catch forward pass
es from any position. Big hands arr
necessary also In holding back inter.
ference until the tackle Is made.
The reason an end should be heavy
Is because he Is called upon to handle
the tackles we have just talked about
He must be tall and rangy 80 he car
cover lot of territory getting down
under kicks and passes.
A line of this sort Of material makes
Iit easy for backs to gain. After tn
lime has worked together for . time
team play Is developed, and when I
play Is called, openings are made II
iithe defensive line which enable tn
backs to reach the open.'