Newspaper Page Text
|VeT Game Means Plenty of Work for Coaches and Field Generals; Policy of Play Is Vastly Different This Year
Loach heisman explains changes made in gridiron rules
’ ec h’s Famous Football Leader Goes
Over New Code Carefully and Ex
plains Just What Can Be Expected
of the Gridiron Warriors This Fall.
I q. .asual spectator football
I . the same year in and year
, jumbled-up mass of
| „ n and drag-outs, with no
I ,f order or system. He
K . , t : x n<>w the difference, anyvfay,
■ .. , twenty-yard zone. and a
I .why concern himself as
I, j, i> r t;> : either or neither of them
I changed into a fozzle-dill or
I a-’tf, r.’oof. so long as he is assured
I ing. lightning dash through
IL ~T „-. n field, that mad charging and
I of the buffalo herd, and
I boom which means another
I , . pant the same as it al-
B W." ... tai as he is concerned, foot-
I look just about the same this
I ■ always looked, but it will
I ti.cd a-plenty for the coaches
I •(.-!.! generals. Not so much,
■ in trie matter of fundamentals,
, a in the formations or plays.
Kut in tin system of handling those
;ae strategy of the game, in
I x ~f play. I will illustrate fur
tier on
I , n:>t change comes in rule 1.
Lr ,a fill 's the field. Heretofore the
J. ways been 330 feet long and
JSO fret wide. This-year the width re-
Lire th- -ame. but the length bit
keen goal lines is reduced by 30 feet,
having th- distance from goal post to
Lt! post an even 300 feet.
you suppose a team gets'real clos
jown to that opposing goal line and
r l -ms that it is going to be almost
iiposs-blf for them to shove the ball
jeross by either running or bucking.
Man; time in the past that has been
rhe ea.'-e. and they have wished so
hard that they might be permitted to
hrn« the ball across tile line by use
r s i f.rward pass and trust to one Os
their eligible players getting It on the
fli as the rule requires. But hereto
fore it would have done no good what
ever tn attempt such a maneuver for
the reason that the instant the ball was
p-,s«eil forward across opponents’ goal
line it was declared a touchback and
th l .'I was dead, and in the posses-,
son a the team defending that, goal,
r. tvitter who caught it or where.
A? a touchback entitles the clefend-
Ins tram to the possession of the ball.
ai bring it out to the twenty-yard
'.r.e and put it in play, it was tnani
f.-f-y suicide to make a forward pass
cross tiie goal line. But when a team
. pt.W'cd right down to its own goal
i: ■is forced to bring its second and
men its third line of defense right up
.w -c.. heels of the rush line in order
'o be n hat..: "d do something be
■ offensivi ■ > can advance
i ’ th- slight distant- .et remain-
Tit s made the* defensive formation so
r-i '.-ret that it was exceedingly diffi
ruit for the attacking eleven to con-
- make the required ten yards
I- th' three downs permitted them.
til wrts too frequent failure to
s- ■ - . and altogether too many tie and
s or- - -s games.
S-, in order to keep that secondary
line of defense of the goal-crowded
I- Pack the usual distance behind
Its rush line, it has this year been
in-rid that the attacking team shall
■ right to make a forward pass
■ro - ■ ... goal line, and to capture it
n f ; , ,--,n - provided the fall gives
■ than ten yard- beyond that
. nd is. of course, caught with-
ten-yard zone. As the other
■ have the same right at the
u-i of the field, it results that
I must have a playing zone
m.uked off and added be-
i h goal line, thus making the
>• y eat in reality 360 feet lolig.
t 330 feet, as last year.
- added playing zones are
pass use only and cut no
•ig with the bucking or end
game than thev ever did; so
-in once getV the ball across
■ ■ ■ goal line either by running
I'-iig. it will have scored a
a without further reference to
'ion.il ten-yard forward pass
Is change result in compelling
■‘ fending a goal to. keep its sec
lefense back as in the open
look out for the possible for
-r w ill they let the forward
U^ Zto
JJzmartin may's*
19*/ 2 PEACHTREE STREET
UPSTAIRS
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
UNREDEEMED PLEDGES >
sex FOR SALE ’ A/
L
[SANTAL-MIDY
J Relieves in 24 Hours
Catarrh of the Bladder
Bctvare of Counit rfeits
uSANTAbMiDY
By J. W. Heisman.
Coach Tech Football Team.
pass take care of itself and bring up
their reinforcements as in the past in
order to make sure of slopping a run
or a kick? That is something each
team will have to decide for itself.
Most teams will tr 4 to straddle the
question and place themselves so as
: TECH TEAM HURT BY *
J REVISED GRID CODE:
• The chances that the Georgia •
• Tech will have a good team under •
• the new football rules is extreme- •
• ly. remote. Big men have never •
• been particularly numerous at •
• Tech. And this year a team with- •
• out big men will have small •
• chance. Os course, extreme speed •
• will, in a measure, take the place •
• of weight, but the heavy teams •
• will win most of the battles. To •
• the Yellow Jackets the new code •
• is a hard blow. •
• •
>•••••••••••••••••••••••••
to stop either play if they can. For
the attacking general it will be a nice
point each time he gets his team down
there, whether to try a forward pass
over the line or to continue his running
or smashing tactics.
• ♦ •
Kick Off From Your
Own 40-Ya rd Line.
T N my opinion it was always unfair
' foi the team that had to receive
the kick-off to permit the kicking team
to perform their stunt from the mid
dle of the field, for the kick, even if
caught, yet placed the ball away down
in the receiving team’s territory the
first rattle out of the box. Now that
the length of the field has been short
ened ten yards for all but forward pass
purposes, it would be .worse still, for
it would mean that most any decent
kick-off would go clear to ttys other
team's goal line, and an unfortunate
fumble right at the outset, when every
body is a bit nervous, might give the
ball at that spot to the kicker’s side
and result in the loss of the game then
and there.
i As the field is now 100 yards long, the
middle point would be the 50-yard line:
but the committee has wisely ordered
that the kick-off shall be made from
ten yards back of the middle, or from
the kickers 40-yard line, A good kick
from here will take it about to the
opponents' 20-yard line, and if they
gain 10 yards with it before being
downed the teal game will start with
the ball in possession of the receiv
ing team on their own 30-yard line,
which is about where it ought, in fair
ness. to be.
Kick Out To Be
From 20-Yard Line.
T,” ORMERLY when a touchback had
1 been made by' a team defending its
goal, or a safety scored by the team
attacking that goal, the ball was brought
out by the defenders of the goal to
their own 25-yaixl line, and put in play
from that line. This distance has been
shortened by 5 yards, so that now after
a touchback or safety the ball will be
brought out by the defenders to the 20-
ya-rd line only and put in play from
there.
This is also a more equitable decree
than formerly, for if a team in trying
for goal from the field were so unfor
tunate as to miss the bar the result
was invariably a touchback and they
los; not only the score and the ball,
but 25 ya : ds from their opponents' goal
line as w ell. It was practically a heavy
penalty for missing the difficult play,
and operated similarly whenever the
kicker of the attacking side made an
Between Straw Hat Days
And Derby=dom Conies the
Cloth Hat W”F
filling to perfection the interim which calls for neither
felt nor the ultra derby. Our stocks show everything \
affected by every taste, from the curving college dip
to the staid dignity of the business man's lines. All W
the regular and newer color effects. \l.f/r
Prices s 2* s 2' so and s 3°"
PARMAMBERS’HARDWICK
57-59 Peachtree Street _ COMPANY r Atlanta, Georgia
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4. 1912.
Heisman to Write Football for The Georgian
The Georgian has added Coach Heisman of Tech to its staff of
experts on sports, and he will write many interesting stories of football
this season. His story today deals with the changes in the rules. He
takes up each change, picks* it to piece’s, and tells why, in his opinion,
it is for better or worse. Coach Heisman is undoubtedly the best
football expert in the South, and, besides knowing the game from A
to Z, he has the happy faculty of writing a corking article.
extra good punt which went so far
that it crossed the other team's goal
line.
In other words, he was penalized for
being a very good punter. Os course
the ball has to be brought out some
distance to be put in play, but 25
yards was too great a distance. The
result of the change will be that more
goals from the field will be tried, as
the penalty for failure will not be so
great. Also the defending players will
not let a punt roll across their line so
often.
Sometimes they will figure that they
can gobble up the ball and make more
than a distance of 20 yards out from
their own goal line with it before being
downed, and by whatever distance
greater than 20 yards they prove their
judgment to have been correct, to just
that extent will they- be playing bet
ter ball to take the chance and make
the try rather than to play’ safe for
a 20 yard recovery, as allowed by the
rule of touchback.
• • •
Lowering the Time of
Intermission Between Quarters.
jNSTEAD of having two minutes in
-1 termission bet wen the first and
second quarters, and between the third
and fourth quarters, the rule this year
will be to allow but one minute's rest.
I can not but feel that the rules com
mittee is making a mistake here. In
the first place, what reason is there,
anyway, for reducing this short inter
mission? The spectators will not mind
the lengthening of their afternoon's
outing by so trifling an amount as two
minutes, and, indeed, they would be
glad of an opportunity to chat a bit
and exchange views as to the games,
plays, players, etc., which they can not
do when there is little or no cessation
to the play.
It may well be that most of the play
ers would not need more than a min
ute's rest, but some of them may, and
that was the very thing that brought
about the big trouble that beclouded
the game a few years ago. Players were
getting hurt without anyone knowing
it—not eyen the player himself, and
there was no way of stopping the game
to take inventory of the condition of
all the players on both sides.
At my suggestion, if the reader will
pardon the reference, these automatic
stops were put in the game, though I
recommended a three-minute halt. The
committee thought the suggestion a
good one, but decided that two minutes
would be sufficient allowance. Now
they cut it to one minute, and next
year we may be back to no intermis
sion at all again. And then we will
a few more startling accidents
and everybody will wonder what can
be done to avoid them. It's a great
pity that the committee could not have
left this two-minute rest period un
changed.
Will Be No On-Side
Kick This Year.
T AST year an on-side kick was made
by kicking the ball to some for
ward part of the field that seemed to
be uncovered by any of the opponents,
but which could be covered by some
' man of your own by the time the ball
struck the ground. After so striking,
the kicker’s own man was entitled to
take it on the spot without first wait
ing till opponents had touched it.
This year this is all done away with
and. in fact, there is no such a thing as
an on-side kick this year under any
conditions. This change will huj-t us
at Tech a bit as the team was particu
larly good on these things. However,
I favor the change, as the game was
too complicated anyway for the short
season that, the game Ums. and by
eliminating a whole department of play
and practice it simplifies the whole
thing
• • •
No Limit to Length
Os the Forward Pass
AS the 20-yard zone back of the de
fending rush line has also been
done away with there is no limit to
the allowable length of a forward pass
and we shall once more/ perhaps, see
them going down the field almost as
far as a good kicker can punt a ball.
These long passes, however, while easy
enough to make are apt to fail of suc
cessful completion for the reason that
it's hard to get one of your men down
that far and have him catch it with
out hitch or miss.
Nevertheless, and paradoxical as it
may sound, this greater latitude still
further simplifies the game, for by re
moving the 20-yard zone and the on
side kick from the game we are also
enabled to dispense with the services
•••••••••••••••••••••••a**
•NO COMPLAINTS FROM ’
: VANDY OVER CHANGES:
• •
• The Vanderbilt team will prob- •
• ably feel no particularly ill es- •
• sects from the change in the rules, •
• though they are not especially •
• welcoming them. Coach McGugin •
• prefers the open game. He is •
• no believer in steady line plung- •
• ing. The removing of restrictions •
• from the forward pass will help •
• him. And as he has a great line •
• plunger in Sykes, he can hold up •
• his end at the bucking game. Also •
• he has a lot of husky players to •
• pick from. •
•«••••••••••••••••••••••••
of a field judge, who in the past has
seemed to do little but get in the way
of the players, and ball the other offi
cials up with his buttings-in.
Touchdown Stock Still
Above Par and Going Higher.
WHEN I first began to play football
a quarter of a century ago (moie
or less), the value of a touchdown was
four points, and that of a field goal
five points. So that one field goal could
win a game even as against a touch
down. provided the try after touch
down was missed, for the try at goal
after, touchdown counted two points, if
successful. At that time, though goals
from the field were of very rare oc
currence. for the reason that the play
was practiced hardly at all. As time
went by teams and kickers gradually
became more and more expert with
the play and the Jesuit has been a
steady diminution in the value assign
ed to field goals and, in the meantime,
the price of a touchdown has twice
been whooped up.
This is as it should be. for the spirit
of our American game is rushing (not
kicking) the ball. The goal from field
is a one-man stunt, not a team play,
and should by no means be credited
with the merit which attaches to such
team work as is required to shove the
ball across the goal line.
Under the new assignment of values,
the team which kicks even two goals
from the field will not beat a team
I which makes even one touchdown, but
will merely tie It; and if the latter
team is successful in its try for goal
after the touchdown, it will beat the
former team by a scare of 7 to 6.
The effect of this will probably be
that not so many field goals will be
attempted this year and more practice
will be put upon the rushing game.
♦ • •
One Official For Each
Team Allowed to Patrol.
C OME years ago there was no limit
to the number of coaches, mana-'
gers, substitutes, etc., who could march
up and down the side lines as the two
teams moved back and forth. To say
the least, this was an unmitigated nui
sance to spectators, as well as to offi
cials; so they ruled, first, that five men
for each team were plenty to move up
and down. This was later cut to three
men, and now it has been still further
reduced till but one man for each team
has the right to patrol the side lines,
all the rest being required to be and
to remain seated. This will make it
much pleasanter and more enjoyable
for the spectators
The Big Change
For the Season.
rpHE changes already discussed are
1 for the most part wholesome and
will tend to make the game fairer to
both teams by still further eliminating
the element of luck; but for the most
part they are but minor changes after
all.
Now, however, we have to discuss
a change that will be of first impor
tance in its effect on the game. I re
fer to the allowance of four downs to
make a first down.
For over 30 years the rule had been
that a team could have three trials in
which to advance the ball a distance of
five yards. Finally this resulted in
such continual massing on the defen
sive tackle —first, through the medium
of such plays as Pennsylvania's
"guards back” play, and then by Yale’s
“tackle over” play—that It was seen
something positively had to be done to
lessen the hammering on the one man.
This was accomplished by the intro
duction of the forward pass and by
lengthening the distance to be gained
in three trials to ten yards. So far
as the defensive tackle is concerned,
his life has indeed been rendered more
endurable by the operation of these
changes, but another bad feature has
cropped out instead. 1 will explain
End running, while not so apt as
bucking to result in a positive gain of
some sort, is yet (when it does pull
off successfully) much more apt than
bucking to result in a long gain. This
being the case, end running came back
into favor when it was required to gain
ten yards in three trials instead of
onlv five, and this, to a considerable
extent, was what eased the tension on
the defensive tackle.
Still, it has been found in the last
couple of years that neither end run
ning not anything else was able con
sistently to keep up the task of acquir-
Sfetso nHafExhibifion
In Muse's Windows
Many a man wears a Stetson Hat. but a comparative few have realized
the intricate process of manufacture. Should it be the cornrrn of any man to
know the history of the hat he wears he may have the rare advantage of the
demonstration in our big display windows during this week. There is more
than casual interest in the making of a hat —there's decided education in it.
It is something more to learn of the methods and life history of John B.
Stetson, the man who made hats with his own hands —who taught hat-making
to thousands of men—who made men of his hat-makers.
Such history, compiled and edited by Elbert Hubbard, in
“Little Journey To the Home
of John B. Stetson”
is complimentary to our customers. ( all tor a copy, phone for it, or write
for it.
Geo. Muse Clothing Co.
Is in Favor of Some of Shifts Made
by Rules Committee; Against Others.
Believes, However, They Should
Not Be Criticised Until Tried Out.
ing the required ten yaasds of addition
al territory after a team had once
worked its way to. say, within 25 or 30
y/trds of its opponents' goal. And'this
for the reason that I;have already men
tioned, viz. that when the defensive
team begins to find itself so closely
pressed as this, it brings its secondary
defense up closer to the rush line to
•••••••••••••••••••••••••a
• NO TELLING HOW CODE :
: WILL AFFECT GEORGIA :
• At the University of Georgia •
• there appears considerable, uncer- •
• tainty about what the new rules •
• are going to do to the Athenian •
• eleven. It will all depend on the •
• new material. For one thing, the •
• new .rules will giv*e Coach Cun- •
• ningham's men more chances to •
• try their great star. Bob McWhor- •
• ter, on end runs. And in the past •
• it has proved that the more times •
• they were able to use him the •
• more ground they gained. •
• •
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
give It quicker support.
The reason they stayed back a con
siderable distance up to this time was
that they had constantly to be on the
lookout for forward passes and on
side kicks; but when they have been
forced back so close to their own goal
line, they need not so greatly fear
either the forward pass or the on
side kick, for. as the rules stood last
year and as we have already noted, a
kick or a pass that went beyond that
goal line gave the ball to the defensive
team, and, “presto changeo!” they were
at once out of danger.
Now. operating so near the defend
ing team's goal, the attacking team was
very apt indeed to see its forward pass
or its kick go right across the goa.
line that very way, hence it was a
dangerous thing to attempt either play
Such being the case, the defending team
could and dared with impunity to bring
its secondary defense up to where it
so helped out the rush line that the
attackers now found It next to impos
sible to continue making the required
10 yards in only three trials. Hence so
many tie and scoreless games.
To remedy this state of affairs the
committee has struck a compromise.
It has decided to help out the attacking
team to the extent of saying that it
shall have not three but four trials in
which to gain the same required dis
tance of 10 yards Coupled with the
HERNSHEIM C.IOAR ,
Ricpn,
new rule which allows them to make a
forward pass across the goal line, it is
expected that the effect will be to keep
the defensive second line back for a
longer time, and at the same time the
team hammering for admission will
have, in the extra trial, one-third more
time in which to batter down the de
fending team's loosener! barricades. And
will this result in more scoring” No
doubt of it. But as to the particular
way?
Well, everybody is saying that the
change will operate in favor of the
heavier team. Why? Because, it is
figured, by reducing the average to be
gained in each down from 3 1-3 yards
to 2 1-2 yards a heavy rush line witu
heavy plunging back® can negotiate
that lower average by steady line
smashing. Then, too, it is argued that
continued line bucking of this char
acter will tend to wear out the lighter
line until it succumbs altogether, when
the heavy team will rush on and over*
like a Johnstown flood sweeping
through the broken Conemaugh dam.
No doubt this reasoning is largely cor
rect; and the worst of it is that these
bucking attacks will once more be di
rected in the main at. the poor tackle*
whose troubles, I fear, will be almpst
as great as ever they were.
Some will not assent to this, on the
strength of the argument that the
bucker can no longer be pulled or push
ed by his teammates. This Is correct
as far as it. goes; but it should be
remembered that neither will the tackle
himself get the •help and support'of
the half back as formerly, for the rea
son that the introduction of the for
ward pass to help out the offensive
team compels that defensive half to
stay back and further out so as to look
out for those forward passes. Thus
it is made clear that the heavy team
will again have a big advantage
But let us give the new code a fair
trial, so that we will know for a cer
tainty at the end of the season just
what we afe talking about.
PRINCETON ELEVEN WILL
START TRAINING MONDAY
PRINCETON, N. J„ Sept. 4.—An
nouncement was made today that
football training at Princeton will be
gin next Monday. Logan Cunningham,
of Washington. D. C.. will act as head
coach, although the advisory system of
coaching which was established some
time ago by William Roper will still
be maintained.
11
