GRIDIRON PROBLEMS CLEARED

The football rules committee and the central board of officials met last Saturday night in New York for the purpose of interpreting doubtful questions of the game. No radical changes were made but several points which have occasioned discussion after the big games of previous years were definitely settled. Hereafter a free kick hitting the goal posts and bounding back onto the field of play automatically becomes a touchback just as if after an ordinary punt.

Most important perhaps was the change governing the recovery of a kicked ball. Heretofore when an onsike kick was attempted only a man who was behind the ball when it was kicked was eligible to recover it until an opponent had touched it. Now, if a man behind the ball at the time it was kicked touches it, every other than on the field is automatically placed onside and is eligible to recover it.

Under the new interpretation of the rules the player carrying the ball will be declared down at the point where he is first tackled. There has been a wide difference of opinion among officials as to whether a man making a sharp, clean tackle should not receive credit for his work by having the ball put in play at the point where the ball finally landed.

Tripping by hand as well as by foot, and roughing a player receiving a forward pass is forbidden.

Paul Withington '09 represented the University at the meeting. Others present were Al Sharpe of Cornell, William S. Langford of Trinity, William Herring of Princeton, Nathan Tufts of Brown, Dr. James A. Babbitt of Haverford, and Walter Camp of Yale.