Evening star., 1940-11-20
Holds Reversal
|sLogiica| Only
On LastP|ay
Misuse Would Harm
Sport ond Players,
Says Grid Chief
BY BILL BONI,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

| NEW YORK, Nov. 20-Anxious
that revision of the Cornell-Dart-
mouth score should not establish a
precedent which could become
harmful to the sport. its players
and its officials" Commissioner Asa
Bushnell of the Eastern Intercol-
legiate Football Association empha-
sized today the unique circumstances
under which the fifth down mixup
at Hanover occurred.
Bushnell pointed out that only
when an official reverses his deci-
sion on the last play of game is
it possible to accept such a reversal
and permit it to change the score.
I'm any sport such as football"
his statement read in part, where
the game unfolds in a consecutive
series of inter-related and inter-
dependent plays, it is manifeStly inn
| possible to alter any one of these
plays without affecting and perhaps
altering every one of them which
follow Thus the Dartmouth.
Cornell game provided the one case
| in a million in which change could
]
gerous precedent, for in it the error
which proved decisive came on
scoring play which also was the
very last play of the final period"
Error Termed Beneficial.
Bushnell praised football officials
and the high standards of their
work, then added that they do,
however. make occasional mistakes,
and they are bound TO continue to
do so in the future If, when such
errors occur, as inevitably they must.
there are demands that decisions
and results be set aside, as was done
in the 1910 Dartmouth-Co
game, then unique example will be
so misused as to become precedent
harmful to the sport, its players and
its officials.
IF, on the other hand, sight is not
lost of the extraordinary circum-
stances surrounding that particular
game and its transformation from
victory for one side into victory for
the other. then there will be no mis-
Interpretation of standards for the
conduct and administration of foot
ball competition. and the effects of
the unparalleled Cornell-Dartmouth
atcion will be as unqualifiedly bene-
fetal to football as it is to the
| cause of sportsmanship.
Bushnell said he had not received
any noticeable volume of complaints
over officials being too officious, all
though that is the chief criticism
this corner has heard as an out
growth of the Cornell-Dartmouth
incident.
Harvard Penn Case Cited.
One prominent Eastern coach
pointed out there never would have
been any confusion over the num-
Der of downs if Referee Red"
Friesell had taken time to consult
with Dartmouth Capt Lou Young
when the latter protested that Cor
nell was being given an extra down.
I'm that case said this coach.
'rFriesell probably would have
checked off, with Young. the plays
Cornell already had run-three line
plays, then a penalty for too manv
times out, then an incomplete for
ward pass-Wtlich, Friesell then
would have realized, had come on
fourth down.
This coach said his OVID captain
had been brushed off several times
by officials when seeking rules in
depreciation. though the football
rules specifically give the captain
the right to ask for such interpre-
tation. He recalled. too, the Har-
vard-Penn game 10 days ago, in
which Penn was offside on the
Harvard field goal which tied the
score at 1910.
Harvard, therefore. should have
had its choice of taking the three
points or getting a first down on
the Penn 3-yard line. The Harvard
acting captain, asked after the
game why he declined the pen
atty, said no one had told him
there was one, and he didn't know
he had choice. The referee in
| tbiS Coma o1so uoc Frieeel