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THE FORWARD PASS IN FOOTBALL

CHAPTER I.

THE COMING OF THE FORWARD PASS.

INTRODUCTION.

The history of football has been a story of limiting the power of the
offense. The defense has never been restricted, never curtailed, never
hampered, always free to line up as it chose, to go when it pleased
(barring offside), where it pleased and do practically as it pleased.
Always the offense has been too strong, too powerful, and there has been
the necessity of legal restrictions directed toward equalizing the
attack and defense. This was true in general up to the "revolution" when
ten yards and the forward pass came and the "new" game was created.

With the forward pass a great, new, unknown offensive weapon was
provided. The history of the game since the granting of this new method
of attack has again been chiefly a story of limiting the power and
effectiveness of this new offense. To be sure minor changes in the rules
have had other motives and objectives, but taking it by and large the
statement is true to fact.

A brief review of the conditions of the "old" game will recall to
players and spectators of that period the situation, and perhaps help
all of us to better appreciate and understand the changes that brought
the "new" game.

Mass plays predominated. Possession of the ball was vastly important.
Five yards were to be made in three downs. If a man six feet tall could
fall forward his full length three times he would make six yards and
first down. Consequently "fall forward," "get your distance," were
slogans of the old game. End runs, though they might occasionally
succeed brilliantly, were apt to lose precious distance that could not
be regained. If a team won the toss and took the ball there was
practically nothing but a fumble between them and a touchdown, and games
between evenly matched teams were often really decided by the luck of
the toss at the beginning of the game. For with even weight and
particularly with a slight advantage of weight in the line, a safe,
conservative game, straight ahead, slow but sure, tackle to tackle,
hammer the weak spot, was sure to bring the ultimate touchdown. All
sorts of ingenious formations were devised for massing power on the weak
spot. The famous "guards back" of Pennsylvania, the "flying wedge" of
Deland of Harvard, the "turtle back" wedge of others, the rolling mass
on tackle and others of this type will bring a sm