HARVARD COACHING STAFF FIRMLY OPPOSED TO NEW "COFFIN" PLAN FOR CHANGING PRESENT REGULATIONS

Despite the fact that the changes in the football rules proposed by Mr. H. C. Coffin '94, limiting the number of plays in a period, were supported by such eminent football authorities as Walter Camp and Percy D. Haughton '99, here at Cambridge they have received a rather chilly welcome. Fred W. Moore '93, Graduate Treasurer of the Athletic Association; Dr. Paul Withington '09, coach of the 1923 eleven, and R. T. Fisher '12, head coach, have all expressed themselves as opposed to it.

Both Dr. Withington and Coach Fisher point out the fact that stalling could not be eliminated in this way. A clever quarterback could find plenty of way of delaying, either by purposely running the ball to the side of the field or by purposely touching the ball to the ground, to call it a down.

Taking the viewpoint of the spectator Mr. Moore opposes the new rules, because they would spoil the suspense of the game. "If we suppose a case where there are eight or ten plays left to be made, and the team with the ball is one touchdown behind, everybody will know that there is little chance for that team to gain 50 or 60 yards to make a touchdown.

Coach Fisher's statement on the subject follows:

"Mr. Coffin has based all his arguments on statistics of games played by Yale, Princeton and University teams. Such proof is not conclusive, for at present these three colleges are not the best in the country. The records of other teams must be considered.

"The scheme would not prevent stalling, because a clever quarterback could find plenty of ways of using up plays. And, aside from this, I maintain that stalling is perfectly legitimate. The Harvard and Yale teams have always practised it, as well as the best teams in the country.

"To prevent stalling would of course be advantageous to a physically strong team. Suppose that a Harvard team, the inferior of a Yale team in brawn, but equal in knowledge of football, managed to score first. Its only hope would be to stall, to oppose their wits to their opponent's strength. And this I call perfectly good football.

"There are rules regulating stalling. A good official can prevent undue stalling, and it is his duty to do so. If he can't, the fault lies with him and not with the rules."