The Key West citizen., 1952-12-12
Sportswriters
Say 2 Platoon
System Is Bad
By HUGH FULLERTON JR.


NEW YORK tR - When the Ma
tional Football Rules Committee
meets next month it should:
/. Rule out the two-platoon sys-
tenn.
2. Allow unlimited substitution.
3. Clarity the pass interference
rule so as to (A) infliet fewer
penalties on doubtful interference
and OBJ protect the receiver from
roughness because interference
isn't called.
A. Do away with the so-ealled
''sucker shift"
S. Eliminate the dangerous ''hel-
met block"
s. Return the goal posts to the
goal line.
Z. Permit running with reeov-
cred fumbles.
s. Do away with fumbleS en-
tirely.
9. Require a fifth official to
watch for downfield infractions.
10. Eliminate a couple of the Of
ficials who keep getting in the
way or at least take their whistles
away.
It's all very simple. All the
rules-makers have to do is figure
out the wording of new rules to
bring about all these things and
a few more.
Actually these 10 points take in
the most frequent suggestions Of
fered by sports writer's and broad
casters replying to the Associated
Press post-season QUESTIONABLE.
There were many others and a
solid bloc who voted ''leave the
rules alone"
BY far the greatest number Of
proposals concerned substitution
and opinion was almost equally di-
vided as to whether the rules
should be tightened to end the
platoon system or should provide
for unlimited substitution as in pro
football.
The publicity given this sea-
son to shifts which tend to draw
the opposition offside and which.
according to some coaches, are
designed to do just that, brou4ht
a demand for a clearer definition
of the illegal shift. And good
many experts agreed that pass in
reference is the hardest penalty
to call and resulted in more Rhu-
barbs. One school held that the
defenders are ''clobbering' re-
ceivers and getting away with it
while another insisted that inter-
ference is called too often in ques-
tionable circumstances.
The rash of "fumblitiS" during
the past season brought fresh de-
mands that players be allowed to
run with the bal after recovering
fulmbleS and for other changes,
One proposal was to rule out
fumbles entirely. "A team would
retain possession at the point of
the tumble" ne wrote. The rough
est play in football comes when
a team tries TO steal the ball And,
after all, what's the point Of the
game--fineSse in offense and de-
fense, or how rough can we get?"
The replies showed increasing
concern over unnecessary rough
ness and the frequent Travis dur.
ing games. There was strong
demand, mostly fro mthe South
west, for abolition of the helmet
hlock"-when a blocker lowers his
head and rams his hard plastic
helmet into a would-be taekler'S
face.
Roughing kiekers and paSsers
and changing the fair catch rule
to provide better protection for
punt receivers also were brought
in. One writer proposed banning
the use of forearmS and elbows in
blocking, returning to the old Shoul.
der block. Others thought the rule
limiting the use Of forearms wasn't
being enforced strictly enough
while several said tha: mandatory
expulsion from the game was too
severe a penalty for Illegal use
Of the arm
But more than hall Of the queS-
aonnaires either said no Change"
or left the space blank.