Communication

(The CRIMSON invites all men in the University to submit signed communications of timely interest. It assumes no responsibility, however, for sentiments expressed under this head and reserves the right to exclude any whose publication would be palpably inappropriate.)

To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

In the Boston Herald of October 24th there was an article by Burton Whitman on the breaking of the side-line coaching rule at football games. This rule reads:--

"There shall be no coaching, either by substitutes or by any other person not participating in the game."

Whitman writes that coaches regard the ban on coaching from the side-lines as a joke and that they convey orders by various devices. He cites the manner in which Pfaffmann was sent into the Harvard-Holy Cross game as substitute quarterback and then called for a semi-trick play, as having something to do with this general discussion of football ethics and coaching from the side-lines. This week the newspapers have been press-agenting the Dartmouth game as a battle between coaches, partly resulting from the quarterback dilemma at Harvard.

He suggests further the revising of this rule to make it accord with the law of the game so that a coach, through the medium of substitutes sent into the game, may direct his team during the conflict.

Obviously this is not the way to remedy the situation. The consensus of opinion is that there should be less coaching instead of more, unless our colleges wish to professionalize their greatest game.

What, then, is to be done.

I suggest that this coaching rule be retained, but given vitality by taking away from the coach the power of sending in substitutes and giving this power to the Captain, or in case of injuries, to the Acting-Captain.

Side-line coaching would be eliminated and there would be certain decided advantages. There would not be the constant worry of being taken out, so deadening to team spirit. The team would have to depend more on itself and there would be shown greater initiative, daring and resourcefulness. H. J. POPE '25