The Daily Alaska Empire

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE, TUESDAY, DEC. 29, 1936

Sport Slants

By GEORGE PAP

Some of the suggestions for improving the present rule on interference with forward passes may be advanced for the good of football, but, in too many cases, one can "smell a rat."

It's the old quarrel. The coach whose team lost an important game when some official ruled interference against one of his players wants defending backs to have more latitude in warding off pass attacks. On the other hand, you hear no complaint from the coach on the other side of the fence. He is perfectly satisfied, and feels that the receiver should be protected.

It's the same way with many other suggestions for changes in the rules. It looks very much as though the rules committee is going to find itself with a bumper crop of changes to consider. Practically every coach in the country has a pet piece of football legislation he would like to see enacted. Probably because at some time or other he felt the sting of an official ruling which did not sit so well.

Just glance over some of the changes suggested by prominent coaches:

There is, as usual, a demand from several quarters that the point after touchdown be abolished. (That one never fails to come up.) Of course, it comes from coaches who lost games by the slim margin of a single point. One enterprising tutor would count first downs as a substitute for the point after touchdown.

Wants Laterals Watched

Others insist that the 15-yard penalty for failure to pause for a full second before putting the ball into play after shifting is too severe. It should be reduced to five yards, they argue, and plenty of officials back them up. Coaches who felt that their teams suffered when officials were lax in enforcing the rule think 15 yards is a fair penalty and want to see the present rule rigidly enforced.

Some would have the goal posts returned to the goal-line. It shouldn't be necessary to add that they very likely have capable field-goal kickers and want to see that phase of the game encouraged. Even at the risk of injury to the players.

One coach, whose team had considerable difficulty trying to cope with lateral passes, would like to see a fifth official on the field whose sole duty would be to watch lateral-pass plays. The coach is of the opinion that at least half of the laterals attempted are illegal.

Another coach with a small squad would like unlimited substitutions permitted so that his boys could compete on a more even basis with the big squads. Allowing a team to take time out without restrictions likewise would help the smaller squads, he contends.

Favors Wider Field

The fellow who wants to change the size of the playing field is here again. This year he would widen it some 30 feet, bringing the width of the gridiron to 190 feet. The same chap suggests that the ball be brought in 15 feet from the sidelines, instead of 10 as at present, to give the offense more elbow room.

Among other suggestions is one that the recovery of a loose ball behind the goal-line be made a touchback, irrespective of which team recovers; that identifying numerals on players' chests be mandatory; that the rule regarding the kicking of a free ball be clarified, and so on and on.