The Yale Eleven.

It will be well for all who read the following from the News criticism of the Yale foot ball eleven to bear in mind that the News does not pretend to praise the eleven for their good play but only to point out their faults. It will also be well to remember that this same eleven, which receives such apparently hard treatment at the hands of the News, has defeated Westeyan by a large score, as well as all the other teams against which it has been pitted this season. The personal criticisms are omitted for want of space.

"As regards the general play of the eleven, it must be said that there is a woeful want of carefulness. It is the rule, not the exception, for the University to lose the ball when they get it within the college's 25-yard line. There are several reasons for this, to wit; the college understands their plays nearly as well as they do themselves, and then, again, there are five or six rushers who are always unguarded. These excuses are urgent; but yet we must admit that the misplays are oftener due to the inaccurate passing or the inability of the men to catch the ball under trying circumstances, for example, when three or four men are bearing down upon them at full speed. Another fault common to the eleven is that of failing to back up the man who is running with the ball. There has been very little passing this year by the rushers owing to this very fault. The end rushers are especially guilty in this particular. Falling on the ball has gone almost out of practice here, this year, on the university side, and in consequence they rarely get hold of a ball which is on the ground. The same may be said of the scrimmages. The desire to pick up the ball on the run, and thus make a brilliant play out weighs all ideas of safe if not conspicuous playing.

The rusher line as a whole plays with a noticeable lack of spirit and determination, and is a sad contrast at present with those which made Yale famous in the rushing game. They seldom not nice in the past two days stop a kick. and are so eager to get down the fiord that they do not protect the halfbacks sufficiently for the kick. In lining up to put the ball in play they are in general above reproach, but at times, especially after a hard run. they seem disposed to lag."