CHANGES IN FOOTBALL RULES

The American Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee has met and adopted amendments to the rules as in force last fall. The important changes for 1912 are as follows:

1. The. length of the playing field is reduced ten yards, giving a total now of one hundred yards. This is to provide for a 10-yard space behind each goal line in which the forward pass may be recovered. This ruling is made with especial reference to fields and stadiums now constructed with insufficient space for this under the old dimensions.

2. The kick-off is to be made from the kicker's 40-yard line. If the ball were kicked from the center of the field shortened as it is. it would tend to put a team on the defensive at or near its own goal line, especially as.

3. After a touch-back the ball is to be put in play from the 20-yard instead of the 25-yard line.

4. The definition of a goal from the field eliminates a goal in which the ball touches the ground and bounds over the cross-bar.

5. The value of a touchdown is to be six points, instead of five, as heretofore. A touchdown and a goal will now count more than two field goals.

6. Forward passes may be thrown any distance. A player may also receive a forward pass in a 10-yard space behind the goal line, and this will count as a touchdown. An incomplete pass here is a touchback.

7. The onside kick is abolished.

8. Four consecutive downs instead of three will be allowed to advance the ball ten yards.

9. The office of field judge is abolished.

10. The intermission in the middle of the halves is reduced from two minutes to one minute.