The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-21
SOLEM PLAN HAS
 STIR IN GRID WORLD
Coach to Ask Official In. depreciation of Rules
 Committee
: BY PAUL sCHEFFEIs

tUMtGM RE9D8 Se8M CWkTc8p pOn@SMkD
 New York, Oct. 2l = (UP) - Let other coaches tell how unpre. dictable football has been this sea. son. Let others become bewildered by the ravages of the selective service act. Let the majority bemoan that injury-depleted squads lead to the topsy-turvy upsets that Turk behind Saturdays schedules. But don't ex- pect genial Ossie Solem, coach of Syracuse University's football forces at the wailing wall.
 Never one to be fettered by the Spartan rules of gridiron tradition or Ossie, who resigned as athletic director and head football coach at the University of Iowa in 1887 for reconstruction work at Syracuse, has produced the years most radical football reformations.
 The oracle of the Orangemen first set pigskln protagonists back on their heels two weeks ago by introducing an unorthodox center who faced his own backfield instead of the defensive team. After much haggling by ofilcials who threatened to toss Solem and Syracuse out of fotball if his center did not revert to normal, or Ossie got his way and his team has won three out of four starts.
 Now Solem again has scheduled c break with the past by announcing that his center, who already changes like a chameleon, will become e sex. tuple threat man and take his place as ful-fledged fifth member of the backfield.
 This nimble gent, already dubbed "Kid Quicksilver" and william Weathervane", will--if everything goes according to the Solemn sched- ule-(D snap the ball; (2) run the ball; (3) kick the bal; (D pass the ball; (5) block; and Co lead the inc reference.
 Solem hasn't figured out how this mobile man can do all these things at the same time, but as it Is, the deception he will add to the of7en- sive may revolutioni1e the game. That is, if he officials don't kick up another fuss.
 Within The Law
 To date, the gridiron law says that before the center can run the ball he must make such an obvious wheel-around that any trick plays would be tipped of. However, Solem thinks his innovation is safely with in the rules and will request an ofl- cial interpretation.
 He says: .
 i've always thought 1t stupid tC stand a center on his head wher he's snapping the ball." he explains Tt leaves him easy prey for oppos. ing linesmen and it practically elirn. mates him from action as 6 blocker
 T thought 1t would seem crazy te my assistants and my boys when ] first figured on turning the center around but we're all sold on 1t now after using 1t against Cornell and NYU. He can flip the ball more ac- curately, can swing out more quick ly to lead interference and can flir to flankers instead of straight back
 Better Chance
 Note that last point because 4 stops the defense from shifting tc an unbalanced formation to meet the spear-head of the attack. If the defense shifts, the center can snap the ball to a halfback playing end and the back can zip around the end before said end knows what k afoot.
 The use of the center as an offen- sive man in ball-handling comes from the reverse position idea. Once the ball is snapped the center con- tinues right into the backfield where he can be handed the ball. Then he can pass, run, kick or hand 1t away So far as I know" Solem says This system has no weakneSs-ex. cept with the officials"