Evening star., 1953-01-15
BY the Associated Press


try's coaches revealed today that
opinion on the merits of outlaw
ing the two-platoon system is
almost equally divided.
Those in favor of the "one-
platoon" system. which was re-
stored yesterday by the NCAA's
Football Rules Committee for
the first time since 1941. ad-
vanced as their main reasons:
/. The era of the specialist is
over.
2. Recruiting will be lessened.
8 Coaches will have to go back
to teaching fundamentals.
4. It will benefit the smaller
schools
5. It will help colleges finan-
cially by making for smaller
squads.
The coaches who preferred the
two-platoon system advanced as
their arguments:
/. It gave more boys an op-
portunity to play.
2. Boys were less susceptible to
injury.
3. Not as much practice time
was required.
4. The change will mean a
poorer brand of football.
Biggie Mum, coach of Michi-
gan State, the national cham
pions. said:
This needs study. I have
gone on record by letting as
many boys as possible play, and
I'm for anything that gives
players that chance. So I like
the platoon system even though
as a player, I was in the 60
minute area. I'm not against
the rule change. and naturally
will go along with it, but I
can't see anything wrong with
the way it was. I think it will
throw the picture wide open
next fall"
Red Drew of Alabama, the
& Il
against the change.
Football has now returned to
the horse and buggy days. he
said. Instead of having 90
man squads. it will be reduced
to so men,"
Floyd Schwartzwalder, whose
Syracuse team lost to 'Bama in
the New Years Day game, was
elated with the new rule.
"I'll enjoy coaching again
that is, more than I have BEEN"
he observed. THE two-platoon
system was like a three-ring cir
Gus. The emphasis now will be
placed on all-round ability
rather than a specialized phase
of the game"
Jess Hill, coach of Southern
California, Rose Bowl winner.
advanced the theory that two
platoon football was not dead.
1T simply means that the boys
will play both ways" he said.
"But you still can have platoon
football by alternating two
teams. It will be more difficult
to use specialists. but we'll still
use them. The ruling means
that athletes will have to be bet
ter all-around players"
Ivy Williamson of Wisconsin,
which fell before Southern Cali
fornia in the Rose Bowl. said:
Football won't be ae good
without the two platoon system.
/ was completely lor LIE system.
It made for a letter game"
Ohio States Woody Hayes per-
haps was the most outspoken foe
of the change. Terming the
ruling lousy" Hayes said the
action was ill advised" and that
he was thoroughly disgusted."
He added that he thought the
change was made because of
pressure from small colleges. but |
not from small college coaches.
implying the administrators were
Dehlnd the move.
Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma:
"It's in the best interests of the
game. That's why I'm in favor
of 1t. It will be a disadvantage
to us. but a definite advantage
to small schools that have been
working under a handicap
WaIly Butts, Georgia: "Of
course. the new rule will develop
more all-around players, but I'm
a believer in the specialist"
Lefty James, Cornell: I'm
afraid it will curtail advanced
thinking in football"
Frank Howard, Clemson: This
will help football. but it will Gre
ate problems none of us has had
to face in many years"
Art Guepe, Virginia: "It just
shows that the coaches have
very little to say about the con-
duct of the game. The rich get
richer and the poor get poorer"
Chuck Taylor, Stanford: 1T
pleases me no end. I have felt
the unlimited substitution rule
hurts small schools such as ours"
Lynn Waldorf, California:
mot so many boys will get
chance to play and it is ques-
tion of whether injuries to play
ers will increase or not"
Rusty Russell, Southern Meth
Odist: "I don't like it. If foot
balls good for II boys. it should
be just as good for o."
Ed Price, Texas: when you
legislate to limit the number of
players or size of the squad, you
are working against what you've
been preaching all along, to give
more boys a chance to play"
Amos AlOnZO Stagg: THE
double platoon makes for better
football because it provides a
crew of specialists to handle the
essential job of slowing down the
offense."
Yves Fesier, Minnesota: I'm