Evening star., 1936-12-12

"OOT BALLS men In Wmue-
l. the oficialS-played great
part in making the 1886 sea-
1 son the hectic one it was. This
Is not in criticism of the whistle
blowers-they call 'em as they see
en-, and being human like the rest
If us they make an occasional mis-
axe. But decisions rendered at vital
stages of important contests did have
important bearings on the results in
many cases and earned headlines for
he officials.
Foot ball must be played according
to the rules or not at all. The safety
of the players demands that. Even
when an officials ruling practically
hands victory to one team, as it did
late in the Arny-Navy game, his
honesty must be applauded.
The frequent enforcement OF the
rule on interference with a pass re-
ceiver excited lot of discussion,
and in some quarters there was heard a
demand for a change in the rule. In
three major contests Dartmouth was
the victim of such decisions by officials
in the shadow Of its goal posts. 1t is
hardly likely that the officials were
wrong in calling interference in each
case. More likely the trouble was
with the defending backs and their
manner of protecting their territory.
Dartmouth came dangerously close to
losing both the Yale and Princeton
games for the same reason.
Call One on Gophers.
WHEN the officials ruled that an
w Army player hao interfered
with a Navy receiver toward the end
of the game in Philadelphia and gave
the Midshipmen possession OF the ball
on Army's 3-yard line he set up the
winning score for Navy He saw IN
terference and he called it. And there
vas no complaint registered by Army
coaches, disappointed as they must
have been.
John Getchell'S ruling in the Min
nesota- game gave the
Wildcats possession of the ball on
Minnesota's 1-yard line. In three
plays Northwestern carried the ball
over for a touchdown ano the only
score of the game. 1t WAS in the
fourth period and Minnesota did not
have time to come back That ruling
probably was what cost the Gophers
an unbeaten record. Yet 10 one con-
demned Getchell for making the
decision.
According to the offici ial, big Ed
Widseth. star tackle and co-captain
Of the Gophers, hit Don Geyer twice
in the face after the whistle had
blown. The offense called for a Is
yard penalty, but since the Wildcats
we're in possession OF the ball only
l3 yards from the goal line. the actual
penalty was IL yards and left North
western with four chances to put over
the oval from the l-yard stripe.
That Kelley Case.
THE officials found themselves in a
delicate position during the Navy
Yale battle Schmidt of Navy fumbled
punt on his own 25-yard line and
Larry Kelly. Yale captain and end,
kicked the ball soccer fashion in the
direction of the Navy goal. The
officials could not look into Kelley's
mind to see whether he had inten-
tionally kicked the ball or not. To
them it appeared that the ball had
bounded into the middle of his stride.
SO they ruled the kick unintentional
and gave the ball to Yale on Navy's
3-yard line where Kelley had recov-
cred it. HAD it been any one but the
effervescent Kelley no one would have
paid much attention to the ruling.
Harry Wheeler, one of Manhattan's
co-captains, pulled one for the book
In the game with Holy Cross this
Fall. Past encounters between Man
haitian College and Holy Cross had
been bitterly fought. The 1885 con-
test wound up in fist fight. So the
officials of both colleges impressed on
the athletes the Importance of waging
q clean, fair battle Wheeler leaned
over backward in carrying out the
instructions. Early in the game, when
Holy Cross was threatening to score,
he refused to accept a penalty of IS
yards when an official ruled Holy
Cross guilty of holding. In a few
plays Holy Cross put over the touch
down. That gesture loomed bigger
and bigger as the game wore on. for
the final score was: Holy Cross 13,
Manhattan 7.
Game Is Without Penalties.
THE officials had very easy time
when Pennsylvania and Cornell
battled on Franklin field in their
annual Thanksgiving day contest. 1t
was hard-fought game with the
inexperienced Cornell team finally
going down to defeat before the power
Of the veteran Penn eleven. The
amazing part of the contest was that
there was not single penalty called
by the officials during the game. After
the hectic Saturday afternoons the
oficiak had spent this Fall this one