East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1950-09-14
By Bob Keefer

With the advent of another foot
ball season, the Football Rules
Committee has adhered to its usual
policy of inserting several changes
in the official rulebook. In fact,
this years rules revisions are
greater in number and more i'm
portant than they have been for
several seasons which should do
much to add to the confusion ex-
perienced every fall by officials,
coaches, players and spectators.
Anyone who has delved into the
confusing mysteries of football
rulebook will vouch for the opinion
that it takes a philadelphia law
yer" to CLEAN a thorough under
standing of the ten lengthy rules
and the accompanying Approved
Rulings" on each. By way Of ex-
planation, an "Approved Ruling"
is an official decision handed down
by the rules body to illustrate the
spirit and application of the rules.
In the technical language of the
rulebook, "The relation between
the rules and an Approved Ruling
is analogous to the relation be-
tween statutory laws and a deci-
sion of the Supreme Court"
However, there are actually only
five rules changes which will con-
cern the average football fan in
1850 and those are the ones we
will attempt to explain herewith.
Probably the most important
is that which concerns the penalty
inflicted upon the defensive team
for foul committed on a try-for-
point after a touchdown has been
scored. If the point is made and
the defensive team is offside, holds,
slugs or commits any other infrac-
ton of the rules, the penalty is
inflicted on the ensuing kickoff.
Thus, if it were a five-yard pen
atty, the team which scored would
kickoff from it's own 45-yard line
instead of the 40-yard stripe. If
the infraction called for a 15-yard
penalty, the kicking team would
kickoff from the opponents As
yard line.
Another important change is the
deletion Of the fair catch rule. In
the past, a player who was about
to receive a kick could raise one
hand above his head as a signal
that he wanted to make a fair
catch. This signal then prevented
the opposing players from tackling
the receiver who was also re-
stricted by that signal in that he
could not take more than two steps
with the ball.
Under the 1850 rules, each team
is now allowed five, instead of
four, free time-outs in each half.
An additional time-out is also per-
mitted if, after the allotted five
have been taken, player is in
jured and must be removed from
the game.
The Rules Committee, in an eff
fort to curb injuries, has taken
steps to prevent the use of elbows
in offensive blocking, a practice
which professional players have
used quite extensively in recent
years. Scholastic and collegiate
players have been prone to copy
their "play-for-pay" constituents
and, as a result, school games have
become rougher. than necessary.
In executing this type of block
which, incidentally, has proven
very effective, the blocker must
keep his hands, arms and elbows
close to the body in making con-
tact with an opponent.
The fifth change in the rules
which the "gridiron gentry" will
notice this season is the restriction
being applied to sideline specta-
tors. A new boundary, which con-
sists of a broken chalk stripe, will
be marked around the entire play
ing field five feet from the side
lines and end lines. No one will be
permitted beyond the Limit Lines