American football

Contents

CHAPTER PAGB

Introduction ix

I. Organization — Condition and Training • i

Introduction

The author of this book desires to present a treatise on the game of football, primarily for the benefit of football coaches, football players, and the football public. The material is presented in a popular form, except in a few chapters where it has been necessary to limit the discussion to the technical side of the subject.

In general the author has tried to establish certain basic principles that govern the game and has laid down what may appear to be hard-and-fast rules for training and playing. But though he realizes that rules are largely a matter of individual opinion, he feels safe in saying that the principles which he has stated are sound as a result of their having been tried and proved during many years of successful application by some of the best coaches in the country.

Although the author treats his subject from the standpoint of the large college team with a squad of fifty or more men, and with

INTRODUCTION

one or two important contests at the end of the season toward which practically the entire effort of the team is directed, the principles and rules that apply on a large scale to the large-college team apply equally on a small scale to the little college, preparatory school, and even high school.

Therefore, the author hopes that American Football will serve as a reliable guide for all who want to know the principles of the game, but more particularly for the coaches and captains, upon whose knowledge of the game depends largely the success of their teams. The author desires to make grateful acknowledgment for certain material used in connection with this book to Colonel Graves, Colonel Thompson and Major Pritchard, U. S. A. He feels particularly indebted to Colonel Graves.

FOOTBALL AXIOMS

1. FOOTBALL IS A BATTLE, GO OUT TO FIGHT

AND KEEP IT UP ALL THE AFTERNOON.

2. A MAN*S VALUE TO HIS TEAM VARIES IN~-

VERSELY AS HIS DISTANCE FROM THE BALL.

3. IF THE LINE GOES FORWARD THE TEAM

WINS, IF THE LINE COMES BACKWARD THE TEAM LOSES.

GAME AXIOMS

1. MAKE AND PLAY FOR THE BREAKS. WHEN

ONE COMES YOUR WAY, SCORE.

2. IF THE GAME OR A BREAK GOES AGAINST

YOU, DON*T LIE DOWN! PUT ON MORE STEAM.

3. don't SAVE YOURSELF. GO THE LIMIT.

THERE ARE GOOD MEN ON THE SIDE LINE, WHEN YOU ARE EXHAUSTED.

I

ORGANIZATION— CONDITION AND TRAINING

AREMARKA.BLE similarity exists between war and football. This is particularly manifest in their organization. In both war and football we have the staff and the troops. In both we have the supply department, medical branch, and the instruction branch. In both, the importance of leadership is paramount. The principles of war laid down by Clausevitz are the principles of the application of force. Just so in football, we have exactly analogous principles of the application of force and a similar organization.

There are five elements that enter into the organization of a football team: first, the material; second, the coach; third, the assistant coaches; fourth, the captain; fifth, the trainer and the doctor.

The Material

If the material at the start is to be without defect there must be the following :

1. Powerful and fast line material.

2. An experienced player available for quarterback.

3. Speedy, rugged, back-field men.

4. A reliable kicker who can get good distance.

5. Sure catchers for the back-field.

6. A back and a kicker, both of whom can pass.

7. Speedy ends who are sure tacklers and who can

catch passes.

Unless the material has players capable of fulfilling these requisites, and good substitutes to take their place, the material is weak.

The above statement covers the ideal case. Ordinarily a coach is not fortunate enough to be blessed with such rounded-out material. If he is, victory will ordinarily perch upon his banner. In the ordinary case there are generally one or two weaknesses in the material which must be adjusted by skillful coaching.

It is the business of the coach to determine these weaknesses in both his own squad and in the enemy squad. His scheme of play

Two Successful Offensive Distributions

o o oooo#oo

Normal attack developed into eight men on line of acrimmage using direct pass.

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o

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Cbncentration for a direct pTunge with dispersion for passing. A freak formation.

should then be so designed as to minimize his own weaknesses and still take advantage of those of the opponents. Play to the other team's weakness is one of the basic principles of both football and war.

The Coach

The head coach supervises the organization and its work. He takes charge of the first eleven when it assembles for dummy scrimmage or signals.

He is responsible for the organization, schedule, equipment, officials, and all other matters incident to the team's progress, not specifically in the hands of parts of the organization. The manager and his assistants are the supply officers of the head coach.

However, the most important duty of the coach is to put character into both the team and the squad. He should not only promote and secure harmony in all the elements of the organization, but at midseason, when ''drive " and *' fight '' are the watchwords, it is the head coach who should secure that savage drive and desperate fight which are essential to victory.

Above all, the head coach is responsible for the spirit and morale of the team. He should so co-ordinate the effort of the parts of the organization that, as a result, there should be produced for the final contest a band of crusaders with nothing in their hearts but victory and with the unshakable determination to have that victory at all costs.

The Assistant Coaches

Five assistant coaches are necessary. Daily attendance from the first day*s practice is imperative. More than seven assistants are bad. A large number of coaches produces an underdeveloped, characterless team. The coaches should be: one end coach, two line coaches, one back-field coach, one secondeleven coach. The position coaches make the team, by their work in position and group drill. The success of the team or its failure is mainly theirs.

The limit on the number of coaches prescribed above is not meant to rule out special coaches for particular performances. It is always advisable to secure a good instructor, if available, for work on the specialties, such as drop kicking, goal kicking, and passing.

Too much credit cannot be given to the position of assistant coaches for the success of the team. The individual excellence of each player arises from the work of the position coach. It is this individual excellence that spells victory, and the coach should have the credit for it.

The Captain A good captain accomplishes the following:

1. He plays his own position excellently in the final

game. This is his first duty. All others are secondary.

2. He keeps the squad cheerful and in harmony with

the coaches.

3. He advises the coaches of opinions or sentiments

on the team at variance with their ideas.

4. He checks all decisions by the officials and claims

his rights. He should know the rules thoroughly. Many slip-ups can happen due to the failure of the captain to secure his advantages under the rules. It is advisable, therefore, to detail another player who is well versed in and quick to appreciate the application of the rules to check the captain throughout a contest and to advise him, when necessary, of his rights. In other words, two heads are better than one.

5. He encourages the team in games when necessary.

The captain should, however, be careful not to talk too much. A youngster chattering to his fellows all the time is an irritating influence, and a good captain should talk only when necessary and then in a manner which will appeal to his comrades.

Many captains have made the mistake of thinking that they were administrators instead of players. No more fatal error could be made. If the captain does nothing more than play his position well he is generally a success. If he attempts to do much else he is generally a failure. Quite often the worry of the captaincy requires the player to lay off considerably in order that he may be able to play his own position well. If he plays it exceedingly well, leadership will fall to him naturally. Nothing can make up for the failure of the captain to play his own position as well as his comrades are playing theirs.

The Trainer and the Doctor

The trainer and the doctor are responsible for the physical condition of the players. The doctor is directly responsible for all the injured. The trainer must see that the reserve energy of the players is never exhausted. He must also make sure that the prescribed treatment for injuries is carried out. He keeps the head coach informed as to the equipment of the players and supervises the fitting and use of pads and guards.

Mike Murphy, in an article on training a football team, placed his finger on the crux of the matter. In substance, he said that players must be so trained that they will enter a contest eager to play and eager to make a touchdown. They must be, so to speak, tugging at the leash. Unless this strong desire to play and to win is present, there is something the matter with the physical or mental condition of the player.

Condition and Training

Organized practice each day rarely can consume more than two and one-half hours. There are ten weeks in the regular football season. Games are played on Saturdays, leaving five days per week for practice — that is, 5 X ID X 2^ hours, or 125 hours. Therefore, it is true that the preparation of a team for its final contest is a race against time.

The time of preparation is even more limited than stated above. Players overtrain easily and often the regular practice must be shortened. From time to time it is, of course, necessary to withdraw certain players from practice in order to rest them. Physical condition is paramount. Coaching is secondary.

The following principles are standard in, the training and development of a team :

1. Always underwork the players, individually and

collectively.

2. Place no stress in the first half of the year on

that character of fight which leads to the rapid exhaustion of nervous energy.

3. At midseason drive the team, individually and

collectively, for at least one week. The fighting spirit here is paramount.

4. At least two and often three weeks from the final

game, the team must be handled solely with the idea of perfecting what they already know and conserving their reserve vitality.

5. The result of good training is a mental attitude

of eagerness for the entire afternoon's play, with muscles and sinew capable of sustaining the fight at high pressure.

Coaches always tend to overwork a player. They are inclined to drill a man (or a team) until the man draws on his reserve energy to sustain him. This is a great mistake. Drill should never draw on anything except the excess and ordinary energy of the player. The reserve energy must always be carefully guarded. It is used only in the final game. Its exhaustion at any other time results in overtraining. Recuperation takes not less than three weeks of almost entire rest. The guarding of the reserve energy of the individual players is the most important duty of the trainer.

The trainer should make a careful note of each player's physical and nervous qualities. He should keep a book showing the weights from day to day before or after practice, or both. He should carefully note the amount of work each man can stand without undue effort, the quickness of his recuperation, and the amount and kind of food he eats. Above all, it is his business to step in and advise the coach when a player should cease work. On this expert advice a good trainer defers to no one.

A good trainer keeps constantly in touch with the doctor who has charge of the injuries. He should seek his advice on matters of condition, as well as being entirely guided by him with respect to the injuries.

The doctor is responsible for the care and treatment of all injuries. In the caring for injuries the trainer works under his supervision.

Scrimmage should not be held if the doctor is absent. This rule is a vital one in safeguarding the best interests of the players and the sport.

Football injuries are characteristic. In

ORGANIZATION n

order to be competent to decide how soon certain injuries may be subjected to the strain of scrimmage, previous experience on the part of both doctor and trainer is necessary.

Equipment

All clothing and equipment should not weigh over eight pounds when dry.

Shoulder pads should cover the collar bone and be sprung over the point of the shoulder. They should be under the jersey.

Headguards should not be too large and should resemble a helmet rather than a cap.

A piece of light leather should re-enforce the jersey at the elbow joint.

The hands or wrists of line men should be taped.

The point and edge of each hip joint and the small of the back should be covered with a light felt pad about one half inch thick. This pad is sometimes re-enforced with leather.

The knee joint should be covered with a felt cover fastened below the knee or sewed into the trousers.

The thigh should be covered with a rigid guard sprung off the muscles of the leg.

Ankle supports should always be worn.

Shoes should be light in weight, close fitting, and flexible.

No player should be allowed to scrimmage who is not properly protected as stated above.

Whenever a man is injured, so that it is questionable as to his capacity to protect himself, due to being stunned, loss of speed, turning ability, or other causes, he should be instantly removed from the scrimmage. Always err on the conservative side.

Certain injuries are typical and characteristic of the game.

1. Tackle shoulder: Injury to the cartilage covering

'the point of the shoulder, due to a sharp blow. Player unable to raise elbow above shoulder. Not less than two weeks of absolute quiet for the shoulder required. When play is resumed a brace should be sprung over the injury, resting on chest and shoulder blade.

Will last, if properly treated, not longer than three weeks. Never massage. Bake, hot water, tape, and absolute rest.

3. Wrenched knee. Bake, hot water, and tape. A

brace may be worn in practice. Where siliovitis may prove chronic, the player should give up football. Rest essential.

4. Blow on head. Recognized by small pupils of

eyes, wabbly walk, or inability to multiply quickly. Should be removed from scrimmage fHJIHHHH i

HP

M

W instantly and turned over to doctor, and should not play again that day.

5. Bruise on point or edge of hip bone. Hot appli-

cations, tape, and rest. Should not be troublesome, if properly treated, after two weeks.

6. Sprained ankle. Bake, hot water, tape, and abso-

lute rest for very short while; then mild use.

The above remarks on ordinary football injuries are in no way meant to take the place of the medical advice which should always be present.

Schedule

It is better to have too hard than too weak a schedule. The teams played should demand the maximum effort without drawing on the reserve energy. Fifty per cent of them should be such that they could be held in check by the substitutes. However, as intimated, no more insidious element in development can exist than that of a weak schedule.

It is well to play two teams unusually strong on the forward pass.

Scouts should follow the work of all the teams played that appear dangerous. Reports should be submitted from the beginning of the year.

The work of the team against an opponent with a strong kicking game should be carefully studied.

The last word on every item of condition and training is: Never exhaust the reserve vitality of the players; always keep them eager for a whole afternoon's battle.

II

THE game of football is based on three underlying fundamentals: tackling, interference, and following the ball. These are called basic because the entire success of the attack and defense depends on their skillful execution by each and every man on the field.

Interference

Advancing the ball by rushes is based on the rule allowing interference in advance of the runner. Offensive line work is really a study in interference and is considered under Position Play.

When the runner passes through the line of scrimmage, or skirts it on a sweeping run, or by any other means is running in the open, open-field interference becomes of the highest importance. This interference should be a matter of drill.

There are several ways of interfering : No.

I or 2 back, when covering the runner on a skin tackle play, may interfere and block the opposing end or halfback by advancing to him, and then, with wide steps and arms close to body, going forward and covering him. When the shock of contact is not great this may be called '* covering interference." On an end run the backs often find it advisable to lunge with their shoulder at the opposing end or back, sometimes actually leaving the ground on a diving interference. This has the disadvantage of compelling the interferer to surrender control of his body. This may be called *' diving interference." A skillful interferer often may jump at an opponent, sustaining the shock on his arms and still keeping his feet. This is a particularly effective form of open-field interference. This is *'high interference." ''Diving interference" is, of course, low. Another kind of open-field interference, which may at times be used on an end run, is where the interferer dives slightly to one side of the tackier and swings his legs across the legs of the tackier. This is effective for open-field work where the tackier is not close to the runner.

These various forms of interference should be drilled at least three days a week. The basic nature of this work should be carefully explained to the team. Although the matter of drill is important, the player should have it impressed upon him that, irrespective of

Two methods of attacking an qwl

Backs hold their feet and "^issor" the end form or coaching, when it is his place to interfere, he must take the man out, skillfully if possible— if not skillfully, by any other method. The result must be obtained. The tackier must be eliminated.

Tackling

Good tackling is the result of daily trips

to the tackling dummy — Mondays excepted,

possibly. The men should be taught to

throw their body across the dummy, chest

against the thighs, head well beyond the off 2 leg, eyes opeUy arms and hands extended wide and gripping. Great stress should be laid in striking with the arms and holding on with the hands. A good handgrip is often the saving grace of a tackle. Good tackling is always low. However, if the situation is such that the tackier cannot get low or will not get the runner by going low, let him tackle any way he can. Knock him down with the shoulder, tackle him high with the hands or arms, but at all costs bring the runner down. The result must be obtained. The runner must be brought down.

The use of the hands and arms in getting by interference, in order to get at the runner, is almost a fundamental of good tackling. A good tackier is built with his hands and arms ready to extend in front of him and ready to strike his way by interference.

The judging of the speed of a runner is another essential of good tackling. The tackier should be paired off with another player and together they should drill in running down each other. All the practice of straight-arm work, change of pace, and dodging can be obtained in this drill by the runner. The tackier makes every movement except the actual lunge. The actual tackle should not be made. Actual tackling is best done at the dummy and in scrimmage.

Following the Ball

Following the ball is one of the attributes of all good players. Without it the best of teams will lose. With it, teams 50 per cent weaker will stand off their opponents. Eleven men following the ball every minute of the play means victory. It has been said that a man's value to his team varies inversely as his distance from the ball, and no saying was ever more true. Close following of the ball means that every man on the team follows the ball and never loses sight of it, whether his own team or that of the opponents has it. This is one of the keys to success in football.

Following the ball is best coached by harping on it throughout the season and making each individual player responsible on any long run, no matter whether the team be on the offense or defense. It may be drilled in a minor way by having two men practice passing on the run to one another, while two others attempt to intercept and spoil the pass. This passing drill is called '* Passing and following the ball/' It is possible that other drills may be devised.

The above are the essential fundamentals of the game of football. The minor fundamentals are :

1. All forms of kicking — punt, drop, placement,

field goals, (a) Catching punts.

2. Carrying the ball.

3. Dodging.

4. Falling on the ball.

5. Charging by line men.

6. Use of hands by line men.

Kicking and Catching

The various kinds of kicking and catching are so important that they are considered under a separate section. It need be said here only that all kinds of kicking and catching should be practiced a short time every day before practice. '* Before practice" is specified because it is at that time that the attention of the players is keenest. After practice is undesirable because the player is liable to catch cold or to lessen his vitality for the week by too long practice.

Carrying the Ball

All the players should know how to '*fix" the ball. It should be grasped between the wrist and the elbow, and held tight and close to the body. One point should be covered with the palm of the hand, the other point with the crook of the elbow. Players should be cautioned against swinging the arm and carrying the ball loosely. When running, the ball should never be changed, on ordinary plays, from one arm to the other. At times an old, skillful player can slip the ball from one arm to the other when running free in the open, but this is a practice which should be discouraged. The ball, on wide slants and wide runs, should be carried in the arm farthest from the scrimmage line, thus permitting the free use of the arm nearest the opponent. On close slants and plunges, the ball should be placed by the quarter firmly on the belly of the back receiving it. One of the back's hands should cover the upper part of the ball, the other the lower half, with the quarter's hand in between. The long axis of the ball should be parallel with the ground. Receiving and fixing the ball is an essential drill of back-field work and a matter that must be watched the entire season. It is the answer to all the fumbling in scrimmage work. Some backs will be found, at times, who seem to be unable to receive or fix the ball and hit the line at the same time. Such backs are natural fumblers and are not available material.

It should be stated that a back hitting the line should not hurry to fix the ball at the

Revering the field in opeo field nmnia^ expense of his eifort to go forward. He may and should carry it covered with both forearms until the opportunity for fixing it is at hand.

Dodging

All the members of the team should practice dodging in the early season. The converse is also true — that is, that the entire squad should practice pocketing a dodging runner and negotiating his straight arm.

The backs should practice a few dodges every day. This work should be of two kinds: close dodging and open-field work where the back ** reverses the field.'* Close dodging may be practiced by making the backs in turn run in and out among a line of their fellows or by setting one man with the ball to dodging around among three tacklers close to him. Reversing the field consists in making the tacklers run full speed toward the runner, who watches his opportunity and by a sharp change of direction drives through a space in the oncoming field of tacklers, who must reverse their direction to cross again the path of the runner. The best open-field runners have used this method considerably. It consists in running for the open on a straight line at full speed and then sharply reversing the field by cutting directly across the line of oncoming tacklers. Often the back, after crossing the line of tacklers, will find himself in the open field with nobody near him. This idea should be carefully explained to the backs and it should be practiced as best it may be.

Falling on Ball

Falling on the ball is dangerous and should be practiced with great care and only at intervals. Line men should never be required to run after the ball and throw their bodies on it. The result of such work has always been injurious to shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee. There is very little advantage to line men in falling on the balL When they do practice it, the ball should be placed five or six feet in front of them or rolled gently along the ground on its side. The line men, as also the backs, should be cautioned not to injure themselves, and nobody with an injury ^ should be allowed to fall on the ball. Backs should fall on the ball gently about three days a week in the beginning of the year to harden themselves by the shock of hitting the ground. In midseason this work should be reduced, but not altogether eliminated.

The player falling on the ball should throw and drop his body in front of and across its path, surrounding the ball with his arms and legs. He should not attempt to roll over and come up on his feet.

The last word on falling on the ball is that it is dangerous work and should command the care and watchfulness of the head coach.

Charging by Line Men

Although an instantaneous start is not all-important to a back, it is all-important to a line man, particularly offensive line men. The ability of an offensive line man to start sharply and powerfully from a strong stance to a hard charge, which is properly followed up by his feet with short steps, marks the critical point of the rushing attack.

If the team has a starting signal, the charge and the signal should be practiced constantly for the various plays, against a dummy defense. If the team starts with the ball, the drill becomes even more important.

A detailed discussion of this, and charging, is made under Position Play. It will suffice to say here that the offensive line should be practiced daily in getting off with the ball or the signal in order to get the jump on their opponents. It is the key to the success of the rushing attack, and too much time or care cannot be spent on it. Every detail of the stance of the player should be given the most careful consideration.

The positions of the feet, arms, elbows, and hands require careful study in each individual case. Slight modifications of stance for different players are often necessary. But the result should be the same, so far as getting the jump on the opponents and carrying through the charge is concerned.

This point should be made in regard to Une position. The weight of the player should be carried on his legs. A hand may sometimes be used with which to balance the body, but it is of the highest importance that the line man play the game on his legs.

Line play is a combination of fighting and wrestling. The position of a wrestler about to begin a bout is almost identical with the stance of a line man, except that it is higher. The position of a fighter mixing it up in close work with his opponent is also almost identical in its elementals with the position of a line man carrying through his charge. The wrestling mat and the fighting ring have been the source of the best information on line play. It will pay line men to study both.

Use of Hands by Line Men

The key of good defence work is aggressive breaking through by the line men, which depends for its success on the use of the hands.

The general theory of retaining control of one's body and holding the weight in hand should be carefully explained to the entire team. The success of this principle in de-

W. W. HEFFELFINGER, GUARD, YALE fensive line work depends on the sharp, aggressive use of hands.

The principle of retaining control of one's body or weight is that a player either in tackling, interfering, charging, or breaking through should not commit himself until he is sure of doing effective work. Once committed to diving interference, or once having allowed the opponent to get under the arms close to the body, it may be said that the player has passed control of his body or weight to the opponent, to be steered as the opponent may desire. This is a wide principle in all athletics and is no better exemplified in boxing or wrestling than in the game of football. Keep your weight in hand, under control.