FOOTBALL RECOMMENDATIONS

At the meeting of the American Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee held Saturday at the Murray hill Hotel, New York, the following recommendations were given out as tentative, to await final action at the next meeting on February 10:

In regard to the disqualification of players: Striking with the fist, elbow, knee; kicking an opponent, or the deliberate injury of an opponent shall be punished by his disqualification for the rest of the game and the offending team shall lose half the distance to its own goal line."

The committee recommends that any player who has been disqualified the second time in a season shall be declared ineligible to play football for one year from the date of the second offense.

Unnecessary roughness is defined to include "striking the runner with the ball in the face with the heel of the hand by the man on the defensive; meeting with the knee; striking with locked hands by the linesmen in breaking through, tripping, tackling the runner when out of bounds and all other acts of unnecessary roughness." The proposed penalty is a loss of 15 yards.

"Unsportsmanlike conduct" includes the use of abusive or insulting language to opponents or officials. The penalty is suspension during the remainder of the game. Following is the definition o folding. "The players on the side which has possession of the ball shall not hold, block or otherwise obstruct their opponents except with the body, but a player running with the ball may ward off an opponent with the hands."

Neutral Zone.

The Harvard rule suggesting a neutral zone, which reads as follows, was adopted:

1--That in a scrimmage the holder of the ball shall place it flat upon the ground and put it in play with long axis at right angles to the line of scrimmage, and that until the ball is put in play no part of any player, except of the man who puts the ball in play, shall be ahead of the point of the ball nearer his own goal.

The following arguments in favor of this rule appeal strongly to the committee:

1--It will prevent personal contact and will tend thereby to eradicate brutality in the line.

2--It will make holding more difficult and easier of detection.

3--It will tend to prevent injuries.

4--It will simplify the duties of the officials.

5--It will make the game more visible.

There shall be a referee, two umpires and a linesman.

In games of much importance the second umpire may be dispensed with on agreement between the colleges.

Forward Pass.

In regard to opening up the play, the following methods were recommended:

Any man back of the snapper-back may be allowed to make a forward pass, provided said pass does not extend beyond the line of scrimmage or to a man who is in the line of scrimmage when the ball is put in play.

"Six men shall always be on the line of scrimmage. The five centre men shall always be on the line, except that one of the centre men may drop back at least five yards or more, another man to take his place on the rush line.

"Not more than six men shall be on the line of scrimmage on the defence, the balance to be clearly behind the feet of all of the line men and inside the men on the end of the line.

"Hurdling in the line is prohibited.