Evening star., 1934-04-24
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TO IMPROVE SHOW
Further Divergence From
College Code May Be
for 1894 Season.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.

- HICAGO, April 24.-Pro-
fesSional foot ball rules
will differ still further
from the collegiate code
next season if certain amend
ments now under consideration
are accepted at the annual
meeting of the national league
in June.
The professionals hold a quaint idea
OF making the game more spectacular
and interesting for their customers
and are willing to restore some of
the elements of chance to the sport,
which the colleges have eliminated by
rules changes of the last several
years. But then the professional is
purely commercial in his attitude
toward the game and interested in
pleasing the customer, while the COL
leges, with never a thought of the
gate" frequently disregard the prefer
ences of the spectator.
The professionals want to restore
the old rule which permits the de-
Tending team to advance with a re-
covered tumble, except when the
error is made on a lateral pass. The
restriction in favor of the lateral pass
is made because the pros want to
do nothing that will retard the de-
velopment of that phase of the game.
The college rule which prevents ad-
vancing the ball on a tumble always
seemed more or less foolish and a
safety-frst measure on the part of
coaches. 1t is just about as sensible
as If, in base ball, a batter were
prevented fom taking an extra base
on a tumble by an outfielder. Still
coaches must defend their positions.
Differ on Pass Penalty.
PROFESSIONAL foot ball will ac-
cept the colleges elimination Of
the 5-yard penalty for successive
incomplete forward passes without
change, but will limit the other new
rule regarding passes over the goal
lines. The colleges now rule that any
forward pass into the end zone, ex-
cept on fourth down, shall be re-
garded as an ordinary down. The
professionals have different ideas on
the subject and may specify that an
incomplete pass over the goal line
must be made from within the 20
yard zone to be regarded as a down;
II thrown from beyond that sector it
Will be a touchback the same as here
tofore.
1T is my idea that the rule per-
mlttlng incomplete forward passes
over the goal line without loss of the
ball was passed for the purpose of
splitting up the defense and permit
ting of more deception" said George
Halas, owner and coach of the cham
pion Chicago Bears. It think the
purpose of the rule can best be
achieved if such passes are restricted
to the territory inside the 2O-yard
lines. Otherwise teams will be throw
ing the ball from all ranges. I be-
leve the Interpretation the profes-
sionals will place on the rule will
achieve the best results"
Free Pass Proves Okay.
TINE professionals first important
IL break from college rules came
last season when they legalized
Forward passing from any point back
OF the line of scrimmage, thereby
differing from the college code under
which forward pass must be thrown
from point yards or more behind
the Scrimmage line. That change
worked out very we'll and enabled
the pros to add something new to the
game. In some sections high schools
will try out the free forward-passing
plan this Fall and the colleges prob
ably will be forced to accept it in
the near future, since the rule has
the support of many of the leading
college coaches.
OF course, the majority of college
leaders see nothing good in profess
sional foot ball. but it must be said
for the pros that they play an in
teresting game and are constantly en-
deavoring to make it attractive to the
public. The professionals were greatly
heartened by the increased attend
ance last season and believe their
game has finally caught the perma-