The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1934-10-24

FOOTBALL TIES
ELIMINATED BY
DARING CAME
BY HARRY COSTELLO

BY HARRY COSTELLO
Daring football has become the
style, and the tie game rapidly is
passing out of the gridiron pic
ture.
Where last year, and the year
before, there were five ties, now
there is only one. To date this
year, ties have fallen off 70 per
cent from the figure for the CORE.
spending period of 1888, and 80
per cent from the figure for the
corresponding period of 1882.
Some say the new forward pass
rule permitting two grounded for
ward passes in the end zone before
touchback is declareO has caused
this slump in tie games. While the
rule has had the effect of helping
to eliminate tie games, particu-
larly in games between closely
matched big time" elevenS, dar-
ing football has accounted more
for the drop in number of tie
games than any other factor.
In a study involving compari-
sons of game results of 1882, 1888
and 1884, one is first impressed by
the Importance of the point after
touchdown. For instance. had
washington and Lee last Saturday
been as efficient in registering
point-after-touchdown as the Gen
erals were in registering touch
downs, Princeton wouldn't look
quite so good today.
Field Goals Favored
After one has absorbed the les
son in relation to point-after-
touchdown, one is rather aston
ished to discover that the field
goal (both from placement and
by drop-kick) is gaining favor
with great rapidity. In no less
than IA games of last Saturday,
for instance, the field goal spelled
the difference between tie games
and victories.
Statistics in no indefinite man
ner indicate that teams this year
are casting caution to the winds
and in a big way are going in
for football which a few short
years ago would have been taboo.
Such a team, for instance. as
Navy. In the Columbia game,
Navy, in the van, opened up wide
to score a third touchdown, rather
than to defend the lead already
gained.
Listed prominently among the
open plays which have Wreaked
havoc with the enemy are the
lateral pass tailed by forward
pass; double and triple laterals
tailed by forwards. and the for
ward tailed by lateral.
Probably the outstanding gen
eral feature of the grid season to
date is fine line play. Reports
from all over the country, printed
in newspapers, make mention of
excellent line play. Also, in a
number of games, notably the
G. W.-Tulsa contest here, linemen
have played important roles in
the scoring of victories. In any
number of game-reports of this
season, l:nemen have scored the
points which brought victories to
their respective elevens.
The Punting Business
In the matter of punting, the
seasons reports to date do not
indicate any particular paucity of
good kickers, yet the same re-
ports, matched against those of
the past several years, clearly
indicate that coaches, one by one.
are coming to the idea that the
punter (even the coffin-corner
kickeD is not such-a-much as an
influence one way or the other
when punters are of equal merit,
or something near equal.
Another feature of game
strategy this season is the con-
sistent tendency of coaches and
quarterbacks to pay slight heed
to the once iron-bound rules Of
zone play. Possession is now con-
sjdered of more Importance than
position, much as it is in war
fare. 1t would be interesting to
bear from such an institution as
the War College in this matter OF
Possession VS.. Position.
Shooting for the touchdown"
on nearly every play early in the
game, seems to be the game-plan
of the team entering contest as
the underdog.
Notre Dame once again has
concentrated on plays designed
to shake men loose for long
jaunts to the enemy goal-line,
much in the manner that Notre
Dame, in the days of the Four
& 2S1 T:pne- Mem