Decision of the Faculty on Foot Ball.

The meeting of the faculty yesterday was the one at which it was announced that the recommendation of Athletic Committee would be acted upon. The result is that the recommendation was approved by the whole body, and intercollegiate foot ball is prohibited for the future. This will necessarily break up the intercollegiate foot ball association unless Yale and Princeton see fit to take in other colleges to fill the vacancy made by the forced retirement of Harvard. No amended rules were submitted to the faculty by the committee of students appointed early in December to do so. This committee, it will be remembered, consisted of Messrs. Kimball, Cabot, L. S., Curtis, Simpkins and Adams. Instead of the amended rules they handed in a petition praying for further delay. Another petition was sent in by a New York graduate, as representing the feeling prevalent among the Harvard men in that city, contained some suggestions for amending the rules which are of interest and worthy of notice. To obviate the present nuisance of partisan umpires he says:

"A remedy for this seems to lie in confining the appointment of the referee and judges to members or alumni of neutral colleges. This being done, one of the most serious questions would be met. At present the judges use their time in coaching their respective teams, and are unable to give proper attention to the whole game, consequently as the judges always disagree, everything of necessity falls to the referee. With three impartial judges these difficulties would be obviated, and a degree of fairness would at once become the spirit of the game."

To rid the game of the opportunity for brutality furnished by "lining out" so often, and better to prevent the present off-side play, he suggests:

"A remedy for this seems to be as follows: That the field be marked off with lines parallel to the goal line five yards apart; that in all cases of lining out the ball be carried to the five-yard line next nearer the goal of the side having the ball; that the snapper-back here take possession of the ball; that the teams then line out on the next five-yard lines toward their own goals, respectively. The opposing lines are then ten yards apart, with the snapper-back midway between them. This plan would prevent the players from remaining in contact while lining-out, would enable the ball to be passed more scientifically, and allow greater freedom in kicking. Where the ball is carried back to any five-yard line compensation is made for loss of ground to the side so carrying it back, by greater freedom in passing. This method would evidently increase the opportunities for scientific kicking, running and passing, and on the other hand would greatly diminish the chances for blocking and the display of weight and brute strength. Again, the present manner of disqualification is practically a premium on violating the rule, as it permits a player to be offside twice with impunity. To obviate this a single violation should disqualify the offender.