SPOKANE PRESS, DECEMBER 16, 1907MUST RESTRICT THE FORWARD PASS
Wm. C. "King" Cole, coach of
the Nebraska university football
team, has written an interesting
article on the new rules for The
Press, and suggests some changes
for the benefit of the game.
TOLEDO, 0., Dec. 16. ?Any
changes made In the rules should
foe made to Improve the game for
the player. The question should
foe, is it a good game to play? Not,
Is it a good game to watch?
If it is a good game to play, it
lr of necessity a good game to.
watch. The player
is to be considered before
the spectator.
The forward pass and onslde
lclck lwve wmuirht p-reiit chnncp�
"KING" COLE
Under the old rules, one familiar
with a team could tell with reasonable certainty what it would do
In a given contest.
Under the present system surprises have been frequent and a
well executed pass or the lucky
bound of an
onslde kick has often
decided a contest in favor of an inferior eleven.
The onslde kick is good as It
stands. The defense for the play
must be open and consequently
often enables the side carrying
the baa to gain Its 10 yards in the
required number of downs.
The forward pass opens great,
possibilities. Hut. the indiscriminate use of tbe play leaves too large
a hole for luck to enter the game.
When we consider the advance the
pass had made during the past two
years, the outlook leads one to believe it will open possibilities for
development along undesirable
lines.
The rule necessary to restrict the
play will require careful study
upon the part of the rules committee.
A rule confining the scrimmage
line to proper distance from the
point where the ball Is snapped
might solve the problem without
eliminating the pass.
Forfeiture of the ball on the second down, after failing to make
the pass, would prevent its indiscriminate use.
There has been some talk of reducing the value of a goal from
placement or drop. There is a possibility that such a change will be
made, but It is not best
to juchp to
the conclusion that the play shall
count for less than four points on
the ground that a touchdown is
harder to score.
Take the case of a team carrying
the 'ball close to its opponent's goal
line several times and failing to
score because of a wet field. Suppose it finally kicked goal from its
opponent's 15-yard line. Would it
be fair to reward this offensive
strength with but two or threo
points?
It would appear that, if the
points are reduced from four to
either three or two, the side trying
for and making a goal inside its
opponent's 15-yard line should be
given the subsequent advantage of
receiving the ball, as stated
above,
on a kick-off from the opponent's
35-yard line
