%:" >A .-^■ x^"""..* •- '^ 'V^ ■^/."' v: y" * V o <^ =, '■^'s■^^ ,0' ^ -^^'-^ <^' ^ XN^' r~> * ^. s " ■' <>%■ .^■% ' .- '/ '^.- V* .- ^0 ^^^ ^^/ 'xf, .vs .s->^ ^ .^:^ ^ ^. A \\ ^A v^^ .-^^ ^0■ '^^ ^- ■' i> : 0.^- N^ S -r N ^ -^^ O^ A c. ">•^^^'■ .;^ u ^^ >*, =■■■ V, ,J^ O, . , , , aN ■" . '■ .^^ ^ ^^ A^ ^"■' Oo ,/. ' 3 ) ^^.C^ \^" :?:^ '^^ . - -. ^> ^ '^"1'" -o- ^,'' ■>^_ •^■%.' ..f^..^^^ r> -r, (/ <5_>v^ ^L rDLIXG BALL IX BACK-FIELD. XOTE POSITIOjS' OF QTJABTER-BACK, HOTT HE HOLDS THE BALL, AXD THE "BASKET" WHICH THE HALF- BACK MAKES TO KECEIVE THE BALL. HARVARD-I]S"DIAK GAME, 1911. HARVARD FOOTBAIiL MEN PRACTISING TACKLING DLTMMIES AT SOLDIERS FIELD, CAMBRIDGE, QUARTER-BACK PLAY, AND TACKLING FOOTBALL GENERALSHIP 57 Li choosing the play and the formation for play, the quarter should study the opponents carefully, looking for weak spots in the line or openings in the backfield. The position of the opponents in the line-up is very important. An experienced lineman on his team may often be of great aid in giving the quarter informa- tion as to the weak points in the opponent's line as well as the strong ones. Then he should have his plays so well learned that he can group them in his mind and be able to attack a point in several different ways. He should know his scoring plays, his strong running plays, and his gambling plays, and when to use each kind to its best advantage. If the score is six to nothing against him and there is a minute to play, a good quarter is not going to waste the time trying to plunge through the line from midfield to the goal line but instead he will try one of his gambling plays. Or if he be ahead with the same conditions, he will know enough to play safe and not use a gambling play. The kicking game should be thoroughly mas- tered and used to the limit. In doing this the quarter should bear in mind his position in the field. The side-lines and the goal-lines are im- portant. Then, too, the kicker should be well guarded by the skillful use of fake kicks. In all kicking the quarter should do his part in pro- tecting by blocking an opponent. A good quarter never uses the forward pass 58 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS except when he is willing to take a chance, as it may prove a boomerang. The pass is an essen- tial to modern football and the team which has not perfected it, is not going to win many games, but its nngnarded use is dangerous. Every pass should be well covered, so that if it goes wrong it will not result disastrously. In the opponent's territory, not in his own, is the time for the quarter to call for the forward pass. In approaching the opponent's goal line he always uses the strongest plays on first down and makes them go. He gathers his team before the attack and drives them into the play at top speed. No quarter is good until he is an actor to such an extent that he can fool his opponents by his eyes and his actions. This is a little point, but little points must be mastered by the great quarter-back. In handling the team the quarter must have absolute command. He can only do this by gaining the entire confidence of his team, and his attitude and the character of his voice will do much in accomplishing this. Never should he become discouraged or captious. Never let things lag, but always be alert and eager. In- stil in all the team a spirit of unity and action. When his team is on the defense, the quarter- back usually plays in the backfield, and from a casual glance one would say that he had little to do save catch punts when they came to him. FOOTBALL GENERALSHIP 59 This would be enough in many games but it is far from all the quarterns duty at this time. First of all he must study the opponents and think and plan out the attack he is to start when his team gets the ball again. Then he must be in constant touch with his team to encourage or to warn of a weakness. Often he can fore- tell a play from his removed position better than the men in close. As the play develops, he should run up to give support to his team, keeping the runner between himself and the side-lines, so that he can either tackle him or drive him out of bounds. He is the last line of defense and must play it safe. Oftentimes by advancing he can save his team ten or fif- teen yards. Or again he may be able to inter- cept a long forward pass. As the opponents approach his goal line, the quarter closes in and gives more active support, always guarding particularly against passes, wide end runs or trick plays. In catching kicks, the quarter is all-impor- tant. Poor handling of kicks in the back-field has cost many a good team the game. Here, too, the quarter is in command and calls direc- tions as to who shall catch the ball, calling as well when he, himself, essays the task. In catching a kick, the first point is to get under the ball fast, concentrating all attention on the ball. The catcher should never be set but al- ways ready to move with the ball. It is best 60 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS to raise the hands well and catch the ball on the chest, grasping it tightly the instant it strikes. In running in the kick, always remem- ber that a step ahead is ground gained, while a step to the side is time lost. However, a suc- cessful runner uses all the wiles of dodging, side-stepping, and reversing, but always goes ahead fast when the chance comes. A good point to remember is that when pressed hard, a fair catch is good policy, for the ball safe is far better than the chance of a short run back with a possible fumble. HOW TO PLAY CENTER BY HENEY H. KETCHAM IiT writing on tlie center position I may be inclined to give it undne importance and at the outset I want to say that there is not any one player that is going to make the team a good one. Most people will consider the backfield positions the most important ones to fill, and of these, that of the quarter-back probably the most difficult one. This is in a measure true, and a good quarter-back is essential for suc- cess, but in looking over the other positions, forming the backfield and the line, it seems to me that they are both absolutely essential and a good backfield with a poor line is helpless. Too generally the idea prevails that the back- field men alone have responsible positions. They do have the most spectacular parts, and too often the line is absolutely lost sight of. Plays that do not bring all eleven men into them are usually discarded by the coaches. Every man has something to do in every play and the man, no matter who he is, who is not 61 62 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS doing his particular part in every play, is apt to spoil that play, and when only three downs were allowed for ten yards this was a serious handicap. The point which a Minnesota coach used to lay most stress on was that every time a man was tackled in practice or in a game the rest of the team should find out ^* who got him,'' and whose fault it was, and see that the same thing was not repeated. Great size is not essential to modem foot- ball, but any boy with a fairly good physique to start on may build himself up by winter work when others are wasting time in idleness. I know of several fellows who barely made a school team but who, nevertheless, kept work- ing right ahead every winter and working hard to develop their bodies, and ended by making the university team. Some years back the center position had nothing like the responsibilities that are now attached to it. In the old games it was quite essential for a player to be big and heavy. Ordinarily the largest man was put in that posi- tion. Then his work was simple. His only duty was to be able to pass the ball reliably to two places, namely, the quarter-back, and the long pass for the kick. On the defense the cen- ter generally played in the line and was respon- sible only for the little patch of ground that he would ordinarily cover. HOW TO PLAY CENTER 63 The Center's Responsibility Now, in the present game, a heavy man can still be nsed but is not essential, and a heavy man without speed is useless. A center to-day has to be wide-awake for all emergencies. No longer are the passes restricted to two persons. A center may have a dozen passes to make now when formations are so numerous and in all these passes a center has to use his head and help his backs. On a run around end if the ball comes back a little bit behind the man who is to carry it the play may be delayed a fraction of a second and that moment may be vital to the success of the play. For end plays a center can greatly aid the speed of his backs by passing the ball just far enough ahead of them to make them run hard for it. It is also quite necessary to be able to pass the ball in the same spot, as it is the little things that are going to aid the backfield materially. For the last few years the majority of cen- ters have played out of the lines on the defense, when the other side is going to kick. This greatly aids the center who is going to pass. He ceases to worry about charging his opponent and has a free opening to go down the field under a punt. On the offense, then, watch your passes, but after that is done follow the ball. On a kick your place is down with the ends; 64 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS on a mass play or end run get in the inter- ference. On the defensive, too, the possibilities for the center position are much greater than ever. The little plot of ground which the old center used to cover is the smallest part of the duty that the new game requires. Here speed is required more than ever. A center is respon- sible for end runs, for forward passes, for blocking off men going down the field under kicks, and for handling his individual opponent in his own little bit of territory. A center should stand two or three yards behind the scrimmage where he will be able to size up a play by the time it reaches the scrim- mage line. As soon as the play is seen to be an end run the defensive center should have time to get out there as soon as the man with the ball, and, with the help of the end, ought to drive the man to the side-lines, or get him if he tries to run in. This style of play made the Yale center of 1910 great, and in the Yale- Harvard game this man made nearly half of the tackles, either getting the runner from be- hind, or helping the end. Stopping Forward Passes In forward passing the center ought to be able to get a pretty good idea as to when this play is going to be attempted. Football is a HOW TO PLAY CENTER 65 game of brains and it consists in trying to out- wit the opponents. In one Princeton-Harvard game Harvard tried a forward pass. Blumen- thal, the center, who is a short man, did not rush in, but from behind the scrimmage line, diag- nosed the play and when the pass was made he intercepted it. Such a play is not a lucky one but is a matter of figuring out what the other team will do, and a thoughtful player can often decide pretty accurately when a certain play is coming. Quarter-backs often give away the play they are planning to use by a glance or a change in position. The difference in pos- ture of a backfield man, be it ever so slight, may serve as a pointer as to what play is going to be used. On a third down, when there is still some dis- tance to gain, and a kick is inevitable, a center will often fall back six or seven yards toward his own goal. On a good team the center men have very little chance to break through and block a kick and the only advantage in staying in the line is to bother the opposing snapper- back. This annoys a good center but little, and so a man can be of much more use in blocking off a man running down the field and help save his own backs in catching punts. With three backfield men and the center helping to protect the man who is catching the punt, the latter has a fairly good chance to gain five or ten yards in running back. 66 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Most plays coming against the center are de- layed plays and a center has to be careful that he is not pnlled in and blocked out of the play. If you are playing a couple of yards back, and are watching the ball, you can delay a moment until you are sure where the play is directed and then go in. I think it poor policy to try to break through, but that you ought rather to check the opponent for a moment and after diagnosing the play rush for it. This new game affords endless opportunities for a man who can think quickly and is fast. It is hard to mention what chances will occur, but a heady player is one who is going to be ready for the chances that do come. White, 1911 ^s All- American end, may have had some luck in having the chances he had against Yale and Harvard, but it was because he was wide-awake that he could take advantage of them. Opportunities to recover fumbles are perhaps offered to a center more often than to other members of the team because he is more or less of a free agent after his pass has been completed and it is his business to be near the ball. Passing for Field Goals Too often the man who runs with the ball or who makes a kick receives all the reward, while the snapper-back is lost sight of. How HOW TO PLAY CENTER 67 many people remember the name of the center on the Harvard team which beat Yale 4-0 in 1908? The name of Kennard has gone down in football history as one of the heroes of the game, while Nourse is probably forgotten. To my mind, Nourse did almost as much toward winning that game as Kennard did. Imagine a team rushing the ball down the field until it reaches the thirty-yard line. There is a pause and a new man hurries on the field. Every one knows what is going to happen. Nourse and Kennard have been practising together for a good many months and now comes the crucial test. Both men know what it means. If the pass is high or low the opportunity is lost, and the strain on both is intense. The pass comes back true and the goal is kicked. But can't you understand what the center had to undergo and how much depended on him? That is the reason why the center's position is difficult, and why I think he plays almost as important a part as the kicker. I want to call attention to one center whom I have already mentioned. A center handi- capped by a small physique has to learn, so to speak, ' * the tricks of the trade. ' ' This is what one famous Yale center did. He was not a big man but he was an accurate passer and could stop any other center with whom he came in contact, and was able to do so because he had learned how to get the most out of himself. For 68 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS instance, when playing a man larger than your- self it is necessary to get below him and raise his head. In opposing a center you can use your hands on the defense either by straight- arming him, or raising his head by bringing one arm under his head and charging at the same time. If one is quick enough this will stop any man. This speed and skill made Morris able to oppose and better nearly every center he met. A center should always remember that his is the '^ pivotal " position. He is at the center of the line and in a position to give inspiration to those on either side of him. This is an addi- tional reason why he should keep close to the ball and put spirit and dash into his work, appreciating his responsibilities. He is the man about whom the team lines up. He should be close to the ball when it is downed, ready to step up and take possession of it. If the center springs to his position with confidence and vigor it will put spirit into the entire team, and spirited team-play wins games. In conclusion let me state what I think are the three fundamentals for a good center and which ought to be thought of continually. First and uppermost, watch your passes and realize that the success of every play depends upon you and your passes. Second, use your hands on the defense. This use of the hands is of the greatest importance and does not want to be HOW TO PLAY CENTER 69 neglected. Third, watch, the ball all the time. K a fellow thinks of these things and practises them in a scrimmage, he may help his own game greatly. HOW TO PLAY GUARD BY JOSEPH M. DUFF As we were told down at Princeton, the main essentials of a football player, no matter what his position, are : 1. Follow the ball ; 2. Fight, and if there was a third it was to keep on fight- ing. By ^ * fight ' ^ I do not mean ' ' dirty ' ' play, but simply hard play ; making the man against yon know that you are there. It also means to keep at it. Never let up at all, for a let-up might give the man against you confidence, whereas you want him to fear you. The first five minutes in a game between two evenly balanced and well trained teams, usually sees the game lost or won. Perhaps not in the score, but by putting confidence in one team and taking it away from the other. Therefore, when you go into a game, go in and play the first ^ve minutes with all your might, and you will find that as the game goes on your work will get easier and easier. The first thing that a young player should learn to do is to take the right position in the line. He wants to take a position that is both comfortable and easy, that is, he does not want 70 HOW TO PLAY GUARD 71 to play his position a certain way because he has seen some one else do it that way. The position should be crouching, balancing on the toes, so that the opposing players cannot easily push him back or to the side. The head should be up in the air so that he can watch the player opposite. The back must be kept straight and stiff in order to have strength. When a player once has good form in his position all he needs is the necessary ** never say die " spirit in order to be a good player. In the old game the guard had a limited ground to cover, that is, the opening between himself and the center and also between himself and the tackle. But in the new game there is no special place for him to cover. Of course, he must above all else see that no gains are made through him, but he is just as responsible for plays around end and on the other side of the line. To do these things a good guard has to break through the opposing line, and to break through that line he has to charge harder and faster than the men opposed to him, every time. This means a good deal, but practice in sprint start- ing will soon make you good at this. Above all else when charging, charge low. To charge high is the same as not charging at all because as soon as a player can get his body against yours it is the easiest thing in the world to stop you. Now when I say charge low, I do not mean 72 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS that you are to bury your head and go in blind. You have to keep your head up in order to see where the play is going. A good method of getting a low charge is to tie a string between two poles, from two to three feet (varying with the size of the player) and practise about ten minutes each day charging under the string. Defensive Play On the defense a good guard should play about a yard and a half from the center, and a little outside the man opposed to him. Watch the ball closely. As soon as it is snapped by the center, charge through if you are reason- ably sure where the play is goin^. If you are not sure where it is going, stiff-arm the player opposite you and wait to see where the play is going before you make any false move. It is easy to stiff-arm a player, for you know you can shift your hands much faster than you can your feet. When you stiff-arm a man you place your arms, with your hands outstretched, against his head or shoulders, and hold him in this way at arm's length. The whole use of this is that it gives you time to see the play, and at the same time keeps your opponent from push- ing you back and thus keeping you out of the play. On the offense a guard has a hard job. Don't think when the play is on the side opposite to HOW TO PLAY GUARD 73 you that you have nothing to do. Your duty is to go through and get the secondary defense. When the play is through center, you must charge shoulder to shoulder with the center and tackle. WTien the play is on the tackle you must help your tackle get the opposing men out of the way. On the kicks the guards do not have such hard work. If the kicker is slow they must check their man, but if fast, as DeWitt of Princeton, they check just for an instant and then go down the field with the ends and tackles. But they are nevertheless responsible for any man that gets through and blocks a kick, for a blocked kick is a bad thing, and often leads to the losing or winning of a game, as was the case in the Princeton-Harvard and Harvard-Dart- mouth games of 1911. There is no excuse for the player who lets another block a kick, for the check of an instant is generally long enough to allow the kick to get off safely. The Kicking Game When your opponents call for a kick forma- tion there are several things to remember. In the first place if the ball is in your opponent's territory it will generally be a kick, but if the ball is inside your forty or forty-five yard line you have to watch out for one of four things : 1, A fake play through the center; 2, A for- 74 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS ward pass; 3, A run around the end; 4, A drop-kick. When a kick formation is called, and the op- ponents take their positions, look to see if there is a man close up to the center, who is in a position to take the ball from center and charge through the line. If there is no one in this position a guard can shift out pretty far, but if there is a man there the guard must play in close and keep an eye on this man, and see that he does not take the ball and try to gain through the line. A guard is directly responsible for all plays on center. You are not responsible for a for- ward pass, but you should try to block it. When you see them try a run around end, do not run directly for the man if he is trying to get around you, but run right straight across the field so that you will either meet him or drive him out of bounds before he has gained many yards. My last admonition is, play hard, fast, and clean, and above all never give up, but have a determination to win no matter how great the odds against you. This is the spirit that counts in football, and in no other game are more man- liness and restraint required. HOW TO PLAY TACKLE BY EDWAED J. HAKT To play tlie position of tackle well tlie young man nrnst be fitted for the place. He must de- velop his legs, arms, and back because these parts are used often throughout a game. After this he should not neglect to practise quick starts, and so train his muscles to act instantly when called upon. After developing and strengthening the important parts and training the muscles for speed he should not neglect to gain as much endurance as possible, because, no matter how big his muscles may be or how much speed he has, if he doesn't have a fair amount of endurance he will be very much handicapped. One cannot develop a high de- gree of endurance if he abuses his body by smoking or other dissipation. Eemember that you have a head and a pair of arms and use them every second of the game. On the defense the tackle should never be afraid of playing too far away from his guard. He should take his position directly opposite his end or in fact a little to the outside. Right here I would like to impress upon the mind of the 75 76 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS young tackle that he be careful not to play between two opponents and depend on his strength to go between them to get the man with the ball. I have heard of big, powerful tackles doing this but after asking them if they did this they all said no. They would appear to the spectator to be playing directly between two opponents, but just as soon as the ball was snapped they would instantly change their posi- tion to the outside man, and either charge him on to his help-mate or side-step him. The great tackles who are noted for giant strength were masters at using their brains. These men often played men who were just as powerful, but outplayed them because they didn't depend upon their strength entirely. The great players are constantly figuring how they are going to outguess their opponent on the next play. The tackle cannot use the same tactics throughout the contest. He has to have at least a half-dozen ways of charging his oppo- nent and use these different ways in such a manner that the opponent cannot diagnose what he is going to do next. As long as you have your opponent guessing, you will have an easy time, but just as soon as he has you sized up, no matter how strong you are, you will find much trouble ahead of you. Just as soon as the ball is snapped, the heady tackle will at- tempt to be at a point different from where his opponent expected him to be. HOW TO PLAY TACKLE 77 Use Your Arms After a young man feels that he can keep cool and nse his head he must learn to use his arms. Just at the instant the ball is snapped he must shoot his arms at full length, and with every ounce of strength and speed, against the upper portion of his opponent's body, remem- bering at the same time to keep his legs as far away from him as possible. If his opponent gets under the player 's arms so that he has him boxed, the one that is boxed should never try to force his opponent back by sheer strength but instead back away and get to the man with the ball at once. If the tackle tries to get out of the box in any other way he will only be wasting his time and energy. So be careful to see that your arms are on your opponent when the ball is snapped, and hold him off until you find out what course to take in order to get the man with the ball. One of the best ways to do this is as follows: if playing left tackle place your right hand on the side of your opponent's neck and place the left hand on his right arm around the triceps or under the arm-pit. If you get him in this position you can turn him in any direction you wish. As I said before, yon must vary your attack or the opponent will be able to get under your arms. If you once get so you can use your arms well, you will find little trouble handling your rival. 78 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS The tackle should also remember to charge everything towards the middle of the line. For example, as soon as the ball is snapped he should charge in on the outside of the opposing end and be in such a position that the man with the ball will be unable to circle around his end. When the man with the ball sees a big tackle charging in so that he can't get around the end he will try to cut in close to the center where it will be much harder to gain. Very often the tackle who uses his arms well, will be able to get by the end and then charge in so as to get the player before the three center men. Every instant gained in this way counts for much. The tackle and end should work in harmony with each other. They should work out a set of signals independent of the team signals; in this way they can improve their game to such an extent that they will be a hard combination to overcome. By working together I have seen many a tackle gain a big reputation because he had a good end helping him, and vice versa. If the tackle runs up against a player who is more than his match, the clever end can save him; on the other hand, a clever tackle who uses his head and arms can stop plays from reaching his end, thereby saving his end so that he can keep his strength to do other things such as receiving the forward pass, running down punts, and taking the ball himself. If the end is obliged to do the tackle's work he will be in HOW TO PLAY TAGKLE 79 no condition to carry out tlie above work suc- cessfully. By working together they can make each other ^s work very easy. Play Hard Play hard, keep cool, fall in love with your position; no matter how tired you are remem- ber that your opponent is just as tired, and perhaps more so, and this is the time when you should charge against him harder than ever. Make him believe that you are as fresh as you were the moment you started. On the offense, the tackle should play close to his guard. As a rule, on all plays inside of tackle he should help his guard and on all plays outside help the end. Of course, if the guard is able to handle his man alone the tackle can help the end. If the end can handle his man, the tackle can use his judgToent and so play as to get the maximum efficiency out of both his partners and himself. On the offense the tackle should play as close to the ground as possible and charge with a terrific drive from his legs. Charge low and hard and never straighten up unless you have your opponent on your shoul- ders. The tackle who charges low, quick, and hard will be a hard player to defeat. Here again I would strongly advise the tackle to charge neither ahead nor behind his guard or end, they must be shoulder to shoulder or a 80 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS clever opponent will side-step and get in be- tween them. In conclusion, don't forget to use your hands and arms. Go at your work to make it enjoy- able. Eemember that a player who won't be outplayed can't be outplayed. After each charge and tackle, make up your mind to do a little better the next time. Never be satisfied that you have done well; there is always a chance for improvement. The best tackle that ever lived learned something in his last game. Work from the time the official blows his whistle until the finish. If you walk off the field not feeling tired you can rest assured that you have not done your duty, but if you give every ounce that's in you for every second, win or lose, you will always have a clear conscience. TACKLE PLAY BY LELAND S. DEVOKE The key to successful football playing, as well as to any other athletic success, is largely experience. That which applies to a tackle is applicable in many ways to any man on a foot- ball team. To be a player who can hold his own in the game of to-day, it is necessary to have a thorough knowledge of the fundamen- tals, which can only be obtained by practice — by years of experience from boyhood up. No matter what class of team one plays on, the football sense is bound to come if the player has the energy and ambition to keep at it. He should benefit by the bad, as well as by the good plays; by his opponent's style of offense as well as defense. In a season of eight or nine games, by getting even one point from each op- ponent, a player's all-round ability should be strengthened. There are ^* knacks " in all our games, but probably more at football than any other. The little fellow who knows how is of more service to his team than the big, lubberly man put in on account of his weight and strength. Brute 81 82 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS force can accomplish some things, but can never hope to match science in anything along the line of athletics, or in any other direction where the force of brains and energy have play. Obvi- ously, the strapping, big fellow who can combine science with cultivated natural abilities is what we want on our college teams, and an effort is made to obtain material which will develop up to this standard. When the freshmen come in in the fall you do not see all the '' last year '' men looking over the runts, for in the end it is better to spend two, three, or even four years to develop a big man into a 'varsity player than to work on a likely small man for a year or so, and at last have to discard him, or keep him on the scrubs because of his lack of weight. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but they are not many. The tackle, in the running game particularly, is the man upon whom most of the work falls, and for a team to make a successful season, it is up to him to make good. On the offensive, both in line plunging and running the ends, he must do effective work in opening holes and making interference. The man with the ball is absolutely helpless without a space opened up for him to go through. If the tackle does not get his opponent out of the way, his back carry- ing the ball either bumps into his own men or runs into the arms of the linemen on the other TACKLE PLAY 83 side. Tlie reason that this work falls upon the tackle is that most line plays in the present game are ** skin tackle/' plays in which the back goes over the tackle or just outside. If the offensive tackle does not put his man clear out, the back would save himself a strenuous effort by yelling ** Down! '^ He is helpless without his helpers. The success of every team depends upon every man doing his assigned duty, for if one man out of the eleven shirks, the play is spoiled. When a hole is once made and the man carrying the ball safely through, the majority of players think they have done their share of the work, but they have not. It is up to them to be up and away, looking all the time for another man who may be dangerous to the success of a play ; to keep hustling until the ball is down. Never stop for a horn when you hear it, unless you see the ball is down, but play harder than ever, for if it is a penalty against your opponents you may have your choice of a fifty-yard run or a five-yard gain for off-side play. But if you see that the ball is down, there is no use in your piling on, shoving, or pulling, because the ball will be brought back and the offending man will cause a penalty loss of five, ten, or fifteen yards to his team instead of gaining a measly yard or two. When the ball is going over the opposite side of the line, the tackle has his hardest work to 84 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS do, for if Ms rniining mate does his work well, it depends on Mm whether the back makes a gain of five yards or lengthens it into fifteen, twenty, or even a touchdown. It is Ms duty then to put out the men playing back, for they spoil ninety per cent, of all plays. In one of our biggest games of a recent season we went over for a touchdown in less than three min- utes from the kick-off just because our linemen broke through and put the opposing secondary defense out of the play. It would be a safe wager now to say that team does not know how we went through them as we did. It was sim- ply a case of blocking the men who could spoil the play. On the defensive, the tackle is the most val- uable man to his team, and he should be made to understand that he is directly responsible for all line plays and end runs on his side of the line. No interference has ever been in- vented that cannot be absolutely ruined by a tackle and his side partner, the end. With a heavy end next to you, either can break up the interference and the other get the man, but with a light end the tackle must scatter the inter- ference, and if possible, get the man carrying the ball. On seventy-five per cent, of line-bucks on his side of the line he should get the man carrying the ball before he reaches the line of scrimmage; it takes fast and powerful work, but a tackle can never hope to be a first-class TACKLE PLAY 85 player unless lie has speed and muscle. In case of a forward pass the tackle is responsible for the man on the end of the opposing line who is eligible to receive it. He must get him out. Stay on the job and keep busy; do something every moment. Every play of every man should be clean and above reproach. No one should attempt to wantonly injure another, or let his temper interfere with his judgment or his gentlemanly action. The spirit of sport and friendly rivalry should be, and can be, fostered by manly aggressiveness. A tackle's position on the oifense is practi- cally the same as the guard's. He should be facing the line squarely, with legs well under him, feet separated far enough to keep from being pushed sideways, with most of the weight on the feet, but both hands resting on the ground even with the near end of the ball, with sufficient weight on them to carry him forward when they are taken off the ground. The back should be straight and sloping slightly from the shoulders to the rear. Hold the head always erect. Play as close to the guard as is possi- ble without impeding your movements. Have a complete set of signals with your guard so that you can work together successfully. Im- press upon him that he is to help you put the opposing man out when you touch him on the hand; or that you will help him put his man in when you hit his arm or shoulder. This 86 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS coordination is necessary for effective work. When the signal is sounded to snap the ball back, be off with it. You can or should be into your man before he knows the ball is in play; keep low so that you can get under him; keep your hands down and put your shoulder and body into him. The man who gets the jump is the man who can handle his opponent. If you want to put your man in, let your head be on the outside of him so that he has to pass inside of you to get through, and as the play is going on the outside just put your inside shoulder against him and see that he keeps on the outside. You have your body between him and the play, so there is no reason for his getting into the play at all. If you are not required to make a hole, as soon as the ball is snapped back you should be away, hit your opponent and go down the field after the secondary defense. Follow the ball so that when it is down you will be near it ; help your backs up, and get into your place in the line. Rest on one knee until your quarter starts his signals when you take your charging position. On kicks, hold until you know the ball has been kicked and not blocked, then hustle down the field. In playing the tackle position, when your team kicks, a great deal depends on whether you play on the right or left side of the line, and also on whether your kicker boots with his right or left foot. Most men kick with their TACKLE PLAY 87 right foot, and if you are playing right tackle you must take especial care that no one breaks through you. You are not only responsible for the player opposite you, but also for any one else who tries to get through your position and block the kick. But remember that your first responsibility is your immediate opponent. If you play left tackle there is little likelihood that an opposing player who is opposite you can reach a man kicking with his right foot. The punter naturally steps a bit to the right in kick- ing, and so away from any one breaking through on the left side of the line. Thus the left tackle has less responsibility in blocking in the case of a *^ right-footed " kicker. If you are playing that position you need worry only about your immediate opponent, and should endeavor to throw him back and off his balance so that you can be in a position to hustle down the field as soon as you know the punt is away safely. Do not depend upon the end to get the man who received the punt. The end may have been blocked and you have an almost equally good opportunity to make the tackle. Use your speed and follow the ball down. If it is caught, get the man. If it is fumbled, be on top of it. You have an especial responsibility if the punt has been short, for the ends have probably dashed farther down the field and are not in a position to stop the man who receives the ball. In this case the duty devolves upon the 88 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS tackle. All this is reversed if your punter kicks with his left foot. There is more knack in defensive play than in offensive. The position of the tackle is dif- ferent; he should always play a foot or two outside the man on the end of the line. Play rather high, legs slightly bent with hands on the knees, or on the ground, but the weight should be on the legs. It is on the defensive that a tackle has a chance to display his foot- ball sense. Keep your head up. Over half the time you will know where the ball is going iDefore it is even put in play. When you know, yell out, so that the opposing team will know you know, and your own team will benefit by your knowledge. When the ball is snapped, be sure of getting the end. Put your inside hand on his neck or shoulder, the other near his hip ^ keep him away from you. Hold your head up all the time watching the ball every instant. If you see a line play coming throw him into it if you possibly can. Otherwise pivot around him and get into it yourself. If an end run is being attempted, put the end out of the play and go into the interference with the idea of getting the man carrying the ball. Use your hands all the time; efficiency in their use means your success on the defensive. When you get near the man with the ball tackle him — which is a lot easier said than done. When you tackle go into the man hard; wrap both arms around TACKLE PLAY 89 his legs, and wrap them with all the strength yoTi have. Keep your hands closed and thus save broken fingers. For the average player a point about the knees is the best place to aim for. A big man can do good tackling around the neck, but this takes weight and confidence in one's ability to hold. The tackle about the legs is more sure. Never slow down before tackling, for the man going the slower will get the harder bump. Just before you get within tackling distance put all the power and energy you have into the last two or three steps before you meet the runner, and instead of having him fall forward and gaining two or three yards, you will throw him back for a loss. This tackle successfully played encourages every man on the team, puts ginger into his nerves, and makes him brace up ready and alert for any regular or surprise play which the opposition may uncover. It is catching, and every man on the team tries to do better than any other. This spirit, with team-work and friendly fighting, is what accomplishes things worth while and wins games. In a few words, the work of a tackle consists in playing low and charging hard when on the offensive, and using the hands when on the defensive. Aggressiveness at all times is a winning quality, other things being equal. Quickness to diagnose a play is a very helpful element to success. When you have made up 90 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS your mind as to what is coining, or what is to be done, act quickly, and put forth all the power you have. Talk to the men near you, help them when you can, always be on the jump. Take advantage of every opportunity, profit by every misplay, and keep on the firing line, using every missile of science and strength, of skill and energy until a victory is won — or a cred- itable game lost. A FEW FACTS ON END PLAY BY HUNTINGTON R. HARDWICK A COMPREHENSIVE studj of end play would make a book in itself. In this instance I shall undertake to show merely the skeleton structure of correct end play, supplemented with a few examples of the finer points. The subject can conveniently be divided into three parts, viz: 1. The Forward Pass. 2. The Kicking Game. 3. The Running Attack. These I shall treat in the above order, from the defensive and offensive points of view. Forward Pass Defensively Under ordinary conditions, the fundamental defensive requirement for an end against the forward pass is to develop the play. By 91 92 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS "develop the play/' I mean by aggressively attacking the passer to force him to pass at once, — to hurry his pass. If you permit the passer plenty of time to look over the field, pick his receiver, and have an opportunity of carefully timing his speed, the chances greatly favor a successful completion of the play. On the other hand, if you can press him so closely that his one idea is to get rid of the ball, his choice of receiver, judgment of dis- tance, and, most important, his timing are thrown out, as in the final analysis the forward pass boils doTMi to a question of accurate timing, the play seldom succeeds. Care must be exercised in not committing yourself too quickly, only to see the play develop into a fake pass and then sweep around your end. No rule, of course, can be definitely set; — there being always exceptions. There are times when it is evident from either the do\\Ti and distance to be gained, the time of play, or the formation employed, that a long forward pass is your opponent's only recourse and that the chances of an end run are practically nil. In that case it is frequently advisable to drop back off the line of scrimmage, tending Tvdde, and assist your defensive backs in covering the dangerous area open to passes. For example, your team leads 7 to 3, it is nearing the end of the final period, your opponents 3IAHA>r OF HAKTAED :.IAKI^■G- A LOXG r.>'r' l;rx IX K VKVA11I> HOLY CKOSS GAME, 1913. FOUK HOLY CROS> PLAYERS HAVE BKK.N PUT OUT OF THE PLAY BY THE HARVARD I>-TERFERE>-CE, A2fD THE Rr2s>'EB IS GIYEX A SPLENDID OPE>'I>'G. 'F '. AELI-LE STAETIX<> (jX A LO>'(x E>^D EUX IX HARVAED- CARLISLE GA3IE. 1911. XuIE IXXERFEREXCE GFS'EX THE IXDIA>.' PLAYER. HARDWICK OF HARVARD 3IAK1XG A SrCCESSFCX EXD EUX EX HARVARD-YALE GAME. 1913. >'OTE I>-TERFERE>'CE OX EXD, A>'D XTMBER OF YALE PLAYERS PUT OUT OF THE PLAY". THE VALUE OF INTERFEREISJCE A FEW FACTS ON END PLAY 93 have the ball on their own 30-yard line — only a touchdown can mn the game — it is only intelligent to expect a pass and you can afford partially to weaken your defense against a running attack to make sure that no wild gambol in a forward pass turn almost certain victory into last-minute defeat. Press The Passer Offensively The forward pass is employed in so many w^ays, — some depending on plain speed, others on delay and deception — that the subject can be treated only by general rules. An end must be able to handle the football as though it were a baseball. Constant practice in catching it in one's hands, either high or low, running or standing, is essential. Toss a ball about in odd moments with a team- mate or friend until it is almost second nature to catch it. The actual plays themselves depend largely on perfect cooperation between passer and receiver. They must constantly practice so that the passer can accurately judge the speed of the end and time his pass accordingly, as well as have a complete understanding of the little finished points pertaining to the indi- vidual plays. 94 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Kicking Game Defensively The defensive work of an end against the kicking game is very similar to that employed against the forward pass — that is, develop the play. Hurry the kicker. Block it if you can, of course, but make him kick as quickly as possible. This pressing hinders his accur- acy, frequently resulting in short kicks and also permitting the opposing ends and line less time to get down the field to cover them. Here again care must be exercised not to commit yourself too quickly and leave your end vulnerable to a sweeping run. A knowl- edge of the down and distance to be gained and the position on the field — in other words a bit of common sense as to whether a kick is the opponents' intelligent choice of play — usually takes care of this difficulty. There are times, however, when you will be fooled. I personally distinctly remember one such case. Yale had the ball on her own 14- yard line, third down and 12 yards to gain — they lined up in a kick formation. A kick was the orthodox play to call in such a precarious position. I cut in sharply to block the kick, only to see the Yale backs skirt my end for 40 yards. A run, however, under such cir- A FEW FACTS ON END PLAY 95 cumstances will seldom be called and a think- ing player can almost invariably anticipate the play. Nothing so upsets a team's confidence and destroys [the effectiveness of their attack as to have their kicker hurried, or a kick blocked. There are innumerable little tricks that the end and tackle can work up to fool the pro- tecting back. The chances of blocking the kick are greatly facilitated if they work in conjunction with the idea of getting one or the other clear into the kicking zone, rather than both individually attempting to do it by them- selves. A close scrutiny of your opponent's kickers as they warm up in kicking practice before the game can be of considerable assistance in blocking a kick. Watch each kicker to see whether he steps straight ahead in kicking or whether he steps off on an angle. Also notice the number of steps he takes in getting the kick off. A common fallacy in blocking punts or drop kicks is to watch where the kicker stands and then charge that spot, only to find that in stepping forward to kick his leg is inside you and although you are close to his body, the kick is safe. Remember, he kicks with his foot, not his body, and your task is to be in front of his foot. So, study the kicker in practice, and you can easily gauge the exact 96 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS spot in which you must be successfully to block the kick. If you fail to block the kick, follow the kicker and backs down the field prepared to make interference if your receiving back gets loose on a long run. Press The Kicker Offensively Offensively the kick is one of the strongest plays in football and the duties of an end are of great importance. The first feature is to give protection to the kicker, to be sure he has time to get his kick off well. It is a sound rule on your first kick to bump the opposing tackle, forcing him outside you before you go do\\Ti the field. You can soon judge whether he is dangerous to the play. If he is an aggressive, charging player, go inside him always and sacrifice speed in covering the kick to safety in protection. If, however, he is playing a waiting game, you can afford to break wide and go down outside him. Assured that you have given ample pro- tection the next duty is to cover the kick as quickly as possible. The defensive backs are prepared to block your way. There are two methods generally employed by them. First, to bump you shortly after you cross the line A FEW FACTS ON END PLAY 97 of scrimmage, and second, to follow you down the field and take you out just before you are to make the tackle. In the former case the end should have no excuse if he is stopped. A good open-field runner feels disgruntled if a tackier pulls him down in a clear field. In that case the tackier can use both arms to pull the runner down, and the runner has only one arm free to ward him off. Whereas an end going down under a kick has both arms free, and the interferer is not permitted to use either of his. No difficulty should be en- countered in getting by. The latter case, however, is more difficult, as the defensive back attacks you when your attention is centered on the receiver of the kick. The best weapons for protection in this case are speed and use of hands. Out- run him. If failing that, prevent him from getting into your body by using your hands. Hold him off. Once underway and shortly after you hear the thud of the kick, look over your inside shoulder to ascertain the length and direction of the kick. By practice you can learn to judge this at a glance. A good outfielder after a long fly, turns almost at the crack of the bat and runs with back to the diamond turning just in time to relocate the ball and make the catch. The same accuracy and speed of judgment can be acquired by an end. 98 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS In addition by watching the eyes and feet of the receiver you can pretty thoroughly gauge the flight of the ball. Guard the outside so that in case you mis- judge the ball or miss the tackle the back does not run outside 3^ou, but inside where the majority of your linemen are following you down. Be on the lookout for fumbles which happen even with the surest of receivers, and which if you are on the alert can be turned into a long gain for your team, if not a touch- down. Rejviember, Protection First, then Cover THE Kick The Running Attack I have treated this department of football last, as I consider it the most important. Recoveries of fumbles, fluke plays, and long passes occasionally bring victories, but a team to be consistently successful must be able to gain through its running attack. Other de- partments bring the ^ ^breaks'' or opportunities that put a team in a scoring position, but then the running attack must be able to take advan- tage of the opening. Gaining ground through a running attack is the very foundation on which the game is built. A FEW FACTS ON END PIAY 99 Defensively There are two main forms of defensive end play, — one a waiting defense on the line of scrimmage, the other an aggressive game across the line of scrimmage. The latter, to my mind, is far more sound, and therefore I shall not discuss the former method. The moment the ball is snapped, get across the line of scrimmage. The main requisite is to prevent any play from going outside you. Turn it in where your line and defensive backs have a better opportunity of making the tackle for a little or no gain. If the play comes on your side, unquestionably inter- ferers will be sent against you. Do not allow them to get into your body. This can be prevented only by use of hands. WithTyour body well forward, get your hands on the shoulder or shoulders of the interferersf and keep them at arms length. If they are com- ing too hard to hold, you can retreat with them, but always holding them off and al- ways being in a position to break out or in, in accordance with the movement of runner. With practice you can readily learn to handle the interferers and still keep an eye on the runner. If the play develops on the other side, follow at full speed after making certain that the play does not develop into a criss- cross and catch you off your guard. Oftenra 100 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS good end can get a pla}' around the opposite side when the runner slows up to dodge or is partially stopped by a tackier. Also many a fumble can be recovered if you are alert. Reaioiber, Get Your Hands ox the In- terferers axd let xothixg go out- SIDE You Offensively There are so many fascinating and varied fine points of offensive end play on the run- ning attack that I am bewildered as to where to start. Xo part of football can give more fim than end play on the offense if done intelligently, and no part can be more drudger\^ if the true conception of your func- tion in the success of the play is not under- stood. Your duties are legion, and how far you carry them out is dependent solely on how willing you are to play the game to your limit. With plays directed on your side of the line, ordinarily your duty is to box the tackle — putting him either in or out. Xow almost invariably a tackle is a big, powerful, and aggressive player, whereas quite frequently an end is considerably more slight. The task looks hopeless. But a small man pla;>Tng with both body and head can handle a far bigger tackle. There is a mistaken theory that properly to give interference you must A FEW FACTS ON END PLAY 101 knock your opponent on his back. It's wrong. A lot of satisfaction is thereby derived, he is unquestionably temporarily out of the play, but frequently you are worse off because you fall with him and are out of further participa- tion in that play. Tackling is dependent on timing — a frac- tion of a second in meeting the running back — thus if you can block the tackier that vital fraction of a second the job is done. His timing must be correct to make the tackle, your timing must be correct to block the tackle. The ideal position is to get your shoulder against his body with your own feet under you. He naturally w^ill attempt to hold you off with his hands. There are innumerable tricks of feints, ducks, delays, etc. . . .to dodge his hands and get next his body. These must be w^orked out on your man in the game. Ob- serve his style of play and fit your attack to it. If you find him too powerful to hold up momentarily mth your feet under you it is often necessary to get on your hands and knees after you have hit him. Get into his body and legs and tangle him up, so to speak. Leaving your feet should be avoided if possible as once committing yourseff you cannot change direction quickly if he side- steps or retreats. When you have carried out the assignment 102 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS and have blocked the tackle the tendency is to self-complacently pat yourself on the back. Why, your work has just started! Go down the field, take out a defensive back, then another, and so on until the whistle blows. I have known players to get four men on one long dodging run. When the play is on the other side, cut down and take out a defensive back. This is dirty but fascinating work. Time after time you go down and dive at the defensive back. He has seen the play stopped at the line and can pay his entire attention to you, sidestepping or pushing you off or into the turf with his hands. Often he will sidestep quickly while you flop with a crash on the ground missing him completely, — humiliating, uncomfort- able, tiresome work. Eight or nine times you fail, but the tenth time you go down with the same speed and determination, this time your runner is clear, the defensive back has his eyes glued on the approaching ball, your oppor- tunity has arrived. Crash! Down he goes and the long run is assured. There's the original ^ 'grand and glorious feeling. '^ And furthermore the nine failures are essential to the tenth success. YouVe got to play it your hardest every time as you never know when the big moment will arrive. A FEW FACTS ON END PLAY 103 Conclusion I have given you a skeleton of end play which I believe correct. There are many layers of flesh over that skeleton's bones which the length and nature of this article preclude. But above all, I wish to leave this one vital fact — and it applies to all other positions as well as to the ends. Successful play depends on the willingness of the individual to give his all, his willingness to subordinate himself to the good of the team play and to everendingly keep plugging. Many a player, either slower of foot, or lacking the physique of his oppo- nents, has attained the heights because his attitude was right. He gave more to the game and you may be certain he derived more from it. HOW TO PLAY FULLBACK BY JOHN- P. DAI.T01'Or O^E OF HIS FIVE SUCCESSFC'L FIELD-GOALS !>' THE HARYAKD-YALE GAME, 1913. NOTE THE PERFECT PROTECTION GIVEN THE KICKER BY TEAM-MATES. GUERNSEY SCORING FOR YALE BY A DROP-KICK, HARVARD-YALE GAME, 1913. NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH PROTECTION OF KICKER IS FAIR, THE BALL WAS NEARLY BLOCKED BY THE HARVARD RIGHT TACKLE. THE FAKE KICK, TO PROTECT KICKEU. HARVARD-YALE GA3IE, 1913. BRICKLEY DROPPED BACK AS IF TO TRY FOR A GOAL. BRADLEE WAS GIVEN THE BALL AND CHAINED EIGHTEEN YARDS. ON THE NEXT PLAY BRICKLEY SCORED A FIELD GOAL. THE DROP-KICK HOW TO PLAY FULLBACK 109 any young fellow can do likewise with equal success if lie follows the above general sugges- tions. Hard and fast rules for kicking cannot be laid down. If the aspirant has football sense he can reach conclusions for himself and in a short time marked improvement in his efforts will be noted. Drop-kicking and place-kicking are seldom done equally well by the same kicker. Each requires an entirely different form of kicking and I would advise the beginner to take up one or the other, rather than both. Place-kicking ability can be acquired by con- sistent practice with both kicker and holder using thought and foresight. Apparently it is a difficult matter to place-kick and most of us are inclined to feel discouraged at repeated fail- ures. The first and most important phase of place-kicking is the time available to accom- plish it. A fraction of a second must be thor- oughly appreciated in order that the ball may be kicked clear of scrimmage before the defense can get within blocking distance. The kicker must cultivate confidence in his snapper-back and holder to such an extent that he should have his swing under way to meet the ball be- fore it reaches the holder's hands. Carrying the BaU A fullback must be able, and know how, to carry the ball both in end running and through 110 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the line. End running requires that the player carrying the ball be quick to pick his openings, ward off pending tackles, and primarily he must have ability to run and to know how to use his speed. In the majority of cases the fullback is not called upon to carry the ball on end plays. This has arisen from the fact that in the old style of games the fullback was used for plun- ging especially, and no dependence was placed upon his end-running possibilities. With the new game, however, the fullback must perform all the duties of a halfback. In fact, there is little to distinguish these two positions now. It is difficult to lay down any ironclad rule as to how a fullback should carry the ball in line plays. In off-tackle plays, the ball may be safely carried in the ordinary side forearm position. Inside of tackle it is apparent that the danger of losing the ball increases. I be- lieve that the safest way is to carry the ball with both arms across the front of the body, holding the ball by its ends and against the upper part of the abdomen. In running I sug- gest that the knees be carried up as far as pos- sible, giving a sort of reciprocating motion, chest well forward and head erect. The greater momentum the fullback has on hitting the line the greater are the chances of success for the play. Again I state that it is a difficult matter to lay down any set of rules which the beginner is HOW TO PLAY FULLBACK 111 to follow. Football simply amounts to apply- ing a little common sense to physical ability. If you don't use your brains in football you never will succeed at it or derive the pleasures which participation in the game holds in store. It is a strenuous game and some of the les- sons it teaches are dearly learned, but it is worth the while. Play '' cleanly/' no matter what the irritation is that may tempt you to play otherwise. Play to win, but, in defeat, ac- cept your lot in the true spirit of sportsman- ship. THE PLAY OF THE BACKS BY PERCY L. WENDELL Peopeely speaking, the term, backs, refers to the quarter-back, the two halfbacks, and the fullback. This article, however, will deal only with the three latter positions. These three backs, as we shall learn, are closely associated in everything that they do. On the offense they alternate in carrying the ball and in making in- terference for one another, while on the de- fense, at least two of them, and sometimes all three, are called upon to help the rush-line and at the same time cover forward passes. First of all, a back should enter into his work with the proper spirit. Unless he is willing to subordinate his personal wishes to the general welfare of the team, and what is more, to do so heartily and enthusiastically, he cannot hope ever to be a great player, even though he have marked individual ability along every line of play. Team-play is the essence of successful football, and he who is looking first of all to his own interests will never make a ** team " player. 112 CAPTAIN WE>'DELL OF HARVARD :UAKIXO A GOOD GAIX I2s- HARYARD- DARTJIOUTH GAItfE, 1912. WE^'DELI. IS BOWLING OVER A AVOCLD-BE TACKLER IX CHARACTERISTIC STYLE. "WILSON OF YALE RUNNING BACK A KICK FOR 35 YARDS IN HARVAKD- TALE GAME, 1913. WILSON HAS JUST REVERSED HIS FIELD AND THROWN HARVARD TACKLERS OFF THEIR BALANCE. PLAY OF THE BACKS THE PLAY OF THE BACKS 113 A back who can run, kick, and pass is an ideal back, and although a back may not be able to learn to run well with the ball, the average back can learn to kick and pass. Backs should have enough practice in passing the ball to feel at home with it. They should learn to throw it w;th accuracy and speed. Every year sees an improvement in throwing the ball, which shows that it is practice that makes a player better able to throw it. To kick is difficult and takes much time and hard work, but a good kicker is a very valuable man, and time spent on learning to kick is time well spent. Carrying the ball is the main function of the backs, of course, hence the need of knowing the way to hold the ball. For end runs, one end of the ball should be tucked under the arm — not too far under so that it can be knocked out — while the other end should be firmly grasped and covered with the hand. In bucking, the ball should be held against the stomach with a hand on each end. After the line has been pierced either hand may be taken off to ward away the tackier. The grip on the ball should always be firm, yet it is often well to shift it from one side to the other so that the arm toward the oppo- nent may be free. Use both hands to shift the ball, always holding it firmly. To interfere is, in the new game, a big factor. To tell a back how to do this is very difficult. It is well to throw yourself at the opponent's 114 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS knees with all the power you can muster. This method is effective if the opponent is advancing or standing still. If he is retreating, as an end should do at times, the back is in a difficult posi- tion, and the only thing to do is to keep him going and not let him pass by on either side. The essentials of good interfering are to keep low, go hard, and be fierce. No back can be effective who does not start quickly. An offense which is so slow in reach- ing its objective as to allow a concentration of opponents at that spot before the play hits is worthless. The attack must be quick and hard. For this reason backs should constantly prac- tise getting off quickly. The ^' sprint start " position with only one hand on the ground — and that only sufficiently to steady the runner — is a very good way to start. In general, backs should exercise extreme care to prevent unevenness in starting. A slow man may spoil the entire backfield. The work of a back is very tiring under the new rules, and therefore he must be in good condition — full of life and vigor and light on his feet. The offensive position of the backs will depend upon the style of game that is adopted. The possibilities of forma- tions are never ending. Whatever the system, the backs should always assume the same rela- tive position to each other, precision being ab- solutely necessary to well-developed team work. THE PLAY OF THE BACKS 115 Furthermore, this position should be assumed as soon as possible after the ball is down. When in position just previous to starting, the backs should take every precaution to prevent giving away the direction of the play by uncon- scious glances, movements, or '' leanings." A back should, however, key himself up internally just before starting and go off with a plu:nge and keep '' digging,'' never letting up an in- stant for anything. The Offense In end running, a back should be careful not to run too close to his interference when, in case the interference is upset, he is likely to fall over his protectors. Instead, he should run with an interval of not less than two yards between him- self and his interference, thus giving himself a chance to see where they are going, and to take instant advantage of any upset. In plunging, one of the very important points to be kept in mind is that of keeping the eyes open. A back who closes his eyes as he makes his plunge is likely to fall flat on his face when an opening in the line presents itself suddenly where he had expected to find the passage choked. A back should never allow himself to slow up on reaching the line. Strike it at max- imum speed. It is well for a back to crouch in bucking, or, perhaps better to double up, ma- 116 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS king himself a plough with head and shoulders as the point. Worm yourself along, turning the body from the waist up, but keeping the rest of the body aiming straight ahead or the power of your attack will be lost. Lift the knees well up and try to prevent the tackier from getting his arm into your waist by blocking it with your knees. The minute a back is through the line he should open up a little, if an opponent is not right on him, and look for an open place, in the meantime warding off players with his shoul- der or straight arm. On approaching the line keep the back stiff so that the opponents will be driven back; thus they cannot straighten the back up. Just because a player has his hands on a back, the back should not slow up, but should keep on digging, and if caught should force himself forward when falling. In case a back feels any doubt about the sig- nal for a play he should at once call out ' * Sig- nal! " Otherwise, collisions, fumbles, and con- fusion will result. No matter what a back thinks, he should invariably carry out the sig- nal, appearing to have absolute confidence in the quarter-back. Another rule which should invariably be fol- lowed is that of never running back — a back should never lose ground. If a back fumbles he should fall on the ball at once, never attempt- ing to pick it up unless it bounces high. A back is responsible for a ball if it comes to him well, THE PLAY OF THE BACKS 117 and he should always remember that the pos- session of it is of the first importance. It is the halfback's duty to afford proper protection to his kicker. He should always be reliable in getting any particular opponent who may be assigned to him out of the play. In the midst of play, whether on the defense or offense, the backs should seek to encourage each other by a word, a touch or a look. Such simple though effective aids to thorough har- mony between them should never be overlooked. A hearty word of confidence spoken immedi- ately after a bad fumble or other blunder will always cause the unfortunate player to put new life and determination into his work, while a bit of cutting sarcasm will drive him to anger or else dishearten him. Under the new rules the backs on the defense hold an important and difficult position. They have to be in two places at once. They are re- sponsible for men who break through the line and must stop them before they make a sub- stantial gain, and they are responsible for all forward passes. The defensive back must be awake. He should keep his eye on the ball and advance as he sees the opposing back charge into the line. He must be careful not to commit himself too soon. When the opposing back has practically hit the line, the defensive back should immediately advance with more speed, but not so fast that the back with the ball will 118 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS be able to dodge bim if be breaks tbrougb tbe defensive line. The Defense In general, tbe position of tbe defensive back sbonld be between bis tackle and end, and about seven or eigbt yards back of tbe line of scrim- mage. He sbould vary bis position so tbe op- posing quarter will not know wbere to find Mm or wbere be is going to be. Tbe fullback as a rule plays two yards or so in back of tbe line of scrimmage, but tbe formations on tbe de- fense, like tbe formations on tbe offense, vary and are unlimited in number. In tbe backfield, tbe main duty of tbe back is tbe bandling of kicks, and it is one of tbe most trying functions of all in football. Under tbe new rules, bowever, a back can let tbe ball fall to tbe ground and tben pick it up or call it down as be cbooses. In tbis tbe new rules take away a big and difficult factor of tbe game. It means also tbat only one back need be kept back wbat- ever tbe conditions may be. Wben tbe ball is picked up or caugbt tbe back must pay attention to tbe opposing ends tbe moment be bas tbe ball. He sbould not, bow- ever, take bis eyes off tbe ball until be bas it in bis bands, and in watcbing tbe ball as it comes down, tbe back can tell to some extent how it will bounce, especially if it is a spiral. THE PLAY OF THE BACKS 119 In dodging, a back should dodge as little and as quickly as possible. It is no game to stop and then start again, or to run zigzag down the field. The back must run as straight as possible and make his dodges at as high a speed as pos- sible. It is not wise to run slowly so that a dodge is easier ; always run at top speed what- ever the situation and slow down here and there to side-step or fool the tackier. It is often well to slow down and then sprint away again, but this is only good when one tackier is attempting to tackle the back. Good dodging is not com- plete unless there is added to it the power to use the arms well. A back should never run back. HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK BY JAMES THORPE In order to fill the position of halfback satis- factorily the player must be heavy-set, and of medium weight. The large player is, of course, In demand, but activity, strength, and speed are prime requisites for success as a halfback. The backfield candidate must be closely knit so that he can stand the knocks, should be quick to think and act, and above all, fearless. The back, more than any other player, must be thoroughly drilled in the rudiments of the game. He must be especially adept at handling and falling on the ball, interfering, tackling, punting, and catching punts. To be a successful ground- gainer requires cleverness in dodging opposing tacklers and skill in the use of the stitf-arm. The halfback's position, when his team is in possession of the ball, will vary according to the formation used. Ordinarily his place is from four to five yards back of the scrimmage line, and a good arm's length from the fullback, who stands behind the center. A back on the offensive should stand with his feet about two feet apart, and with one, or better still with 120 HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK 121 both hands on the ground, with his head up and with no part of his body higher than his head and shoulders. The feet should be about even with each other. While playing halfback the foot nearest the fullback may be a little back of the outside foot, bringing the player into the position of a runner upon his mark, except that his legs are farther apart. The halfback's weight should be borne equally by his feet and hands. If the player places himself upon a two- foot square, his feet planted upon the rear cor- ners and his hands resting upon the forward comers, with his shoulders almost directly over his hands and his knees almost touching his el- bows, he will find himself in the proper position. Thus he may start quickly forward, or to the right or left. This position or style of the of- fensive backs, was first introduced by the In- dians when they defeated Columbia University 45 to on Thanksgiving Day, 1899, and has since been adopted by every team of promi- nence in the country. When in position the back should watch the ball, and start the instant it is snapped or the starting signal given. If he is to take it outside of tackle, he should receive it upon the run, and quickly place it under the arm which is farthest away from the greatest number of his oppo- nents, so that he can use the other arm to ward off tacklers. One end of the ball should be placed between the arm and body with the hand 122 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS grasping the other end. On plays through the line the back should, as a rule, hold the ball against his body or under one arm with both hands, otherwise there is danger of his arm being jerked away from the ball. Thus there is less possibility of the back losing the ball while forcing his way through a mass of play- ers. Now that the rules permit the first man receiving the ball to run with it without cross- ing the line five yards from the center, there is much more direct passing from center to backs, and therefore the backs need much practice in receiving the ball on the run in order to avoid disastrous fumbles. On end runs or plays outside of tackle, the back carrying the ball should follow his inter- ference closely as long as it affords him pro- tection and not depend upon his individual ef- forts. He should turn towards the opponents' goal whenever he sees an opening and not try to circle the end unless he is reasonably sure of being successful. A wide run of this kind usually results in no gain or a big loss, whereas a quick turn straight down the field will usually gain something, and at least not result in a loss. In trying to avoid tacklers I find from my ex- perience that the man carrying the ball should use his free arm to push the would-be tacklers out of his way. Meet them on the head, shoul- ders, or neck with the heel of the open hand and the arm rigidly straight. At the same time HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK 123 swing the legs and body as far from the tackier as possible. When tackled, the runner should, if possible, fall toward the opponents' goal and work his way forward until held or the whistle is blown. A back must remember that his part in nearly every play when another carries the ball is just as important as when he himself carries it. Some backs are inclined to run hard when they carry the ball, and rest up or make a feeble eifort when some one else is trying to advance it. Such a player should not be tolerated on any team. Blocking and interfering are fully as much of a back's duties, and as valuable a part, as carrying the ball. The Defensive Ralfhack On defense the positions and duties of backs vary under different systems of play. In one system of defense quite generally used the half- backs are stationed about three yards back of the scrimmage line, and just outside the tackles. Another style of defense places the halfbacks about five yards outside of the tackles and about two or three yards back from the line. In both systems the backs move to the right or left if the opponents use a side formation. In the first system the halfbacks are supposed to back up the line and guard against all running plays of the opponents, while the fullback 124 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS watches for forward passes. The halfback in the other style of play looks out for kicks and passes as well as other plays, being in an espe- cially good position to stop end runs or plays outside of tackle. The defensive backs should all stand with their feet about two feet apart and their hands upon their knees so as to be able to start quickly in any direction. They should watch the oppo- sing backs closely, and if they form on one side of the line notify the rest of their team as the linemen are watching the ball and may not notice the formation of the opposing backs. The defensive backs shift with the opposite of- fensive formation so as always to be in the same relative position to the center of the offensive strength of their opponents, no matter where the ball may be. The backs should watch the heads of the opposing backs because their heads will be the first part to move and indicate the direction of the play. If the play is aimed at the line, it should be met hard and low. If there is a hole opened for the runners, do not wait for the play to come through but dive into the open- ing and nail the runner, or spill the man in front of him before he has reached the line. Every play should be quickly headed off whether go- ing forward, back or around the opposite end. Hard-tackling defensive backs, who get into every play, are a most powerful factor in any team's defense. On the best teams the backs HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK 125 are clioseii as much for their defensive ability as for their skill in carrying the ball and inter- fering*. Kicking is naturally part of the duties of a finished back. Almost any player can acquire accuracy and fairly good distance in punting by practice and study. Care should be taken not to practise too much early in the season, as the leg is liable to become sore and lame for the rest of the season. This occurs for the same reason that a ball-player's arm goes wrong, and it is no easy matter to get the leg in shape again when straining or overdoing has once injured it. The spiral punt, which is now universally used because a ball kicked in this way goes farther, can with practice be punted just as accurately, and is much harder to catch. In order to get the necessary distance, and pnnt the spiral with accuracy, some practice should be devoted to it every day and great attention should be paid to form. It is correct form to hold the ball as far away from the body as pos- sible, directly in front of the kicking foot, with one hand on each side of it and the outer point of the ball slightly lower than the end nearest the body, at the same time taking a short step forward with the kicking foot. Then take a regular step with the other foot, drop the ball so that it falls without turning, and meet it with the instep of the kicking foot about two and one-half feet from the ground. The foot should 126 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS be extended, and the leg should swing mostly from the hip and but little at the knee. The punt should be followed through with the leg as far as possible with the body bent backward so as to get the full weight into the kick. Kicking Goals The place-kick is used in several different ways: for goal-kicking after fair catches, for kicking goals from the field from scrinomage formation, and in kicking off. The place-kick from scrimmage formation is easier to develop than the drop-kick, can be gotten off quicker and, in my opinion, is more accurate and better suited to kicking field goals. The player who is to receive the ball should kneel on his left knee about seven or eight yards from the center, and facing to the left, that is if the holder is right-handed and the kicker uses his right foot. The holder should mark the spot on the ground where he intends to place the ball to enable the kicker to get his aim and position. , Upon receiving the ball he should quickly place it upon the spot he has marked. Receiving and placing the ball is an important part in place- kicking from scrimmage and must be practiced fully as much as the kick itself. The kicker should not kick any harder than is necessary to get the ball over the bar. When placed the ball should be in a perpendicular position. HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK 127 In judging pnnts the catcher should always have in mind the direction and velocity of the wind and the effect it will have upon the ball. He should regulate his position and distance from the kicker with this and the ability of the opposing punter in mind. Any player of good common sense would remember this, but there is another thing to consider which few players remember in judging punts. This is the effect of the air upon the course of the ball, and espe- cially its effect upon spiral punts. There are two kinds of spirals commonly punted: one where the long axis upon which the ball re- volves maintains the same relative position with regard to the ground throughout its course; the other where the axis gradually varies its position and follows the course of the ball, keeping its front end always pointed in the direction in which it is going, like the head of an arrow. The two kinds of punts or spirals travel through the first half of their course practically alike, and it is only in the last half, or after the ball begins to descend, when the difference in their position with reference to their course be- comes apparent, and causes the air resistance to affect them differently. The ball which keeps the front end pointed in the direction of its flight will carry farther, because of less resist- ance to the air. But this is not the only reason. The ball in descending will tend to fall in the 128 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS direction toward which its lower end points, since that is the direction or line of least re- sistance. Consequently the ball which main- tains the same position with reference to the ground throughout its course will, in descend- ing, not only meet more air resistance but will tend to slide down on the air in the direction pointed to by its rear end. On the other hand, the ball which keeps its end pointed in the di- rection of its course, exposes the smallest pos- sible surface to the air throughout its course and consequently the air resistance is less, and it will travel faster and farther than will a round ball following a normal course. Catching Punts The catcher should, therefore, watch the ball in its course and be governed in getting under it by the direction towards which its lower end is pointing while descending. When the spiral descends with its forward end nearest the ground, the catcher will understand that the ball will carry much farther than it will when it descends with its rear end inclined down- ward. When the punt is judged correctly the catching of it is simply and easily accomplished, providing the player practises faithfully, and has obtained a correct knowledge of how it is done. I have observed a great many coaches teach- HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK 129 ing their backs to catch punts by forming a sort of a pocket with their arms, body, and the thigh of one leg, into which the ball is supposed to fall and be held by the arms. I believe this method is not the best form, and that very few players catch punts that way, even when coached to do so. My observation and experi- ence have convinced me that the best, simplest, and surest method of catching punts, is simply to pin the ball to the body with the hands the instant it lands there. The hands should be extended towards the ball as it is descending, so as to come down to the body with the ball, and no attempt should be made to catch the ball with the hands alone, except in cases where the ball has to be caught very close to the ground, or above the head. An important fact to remember in catching punts is that the eyes should not leave the ball an instant until it is caught. Many punts are fumbled because players take their eyes off the ball an instant to see where the opposing ends are and in what direction to run, and this habit usually proves disastrous. While watching the ball descend the catcher can usually see out of the corner of his eye where his opponents are, and in what direction to run or have a better start. Whether he can or not, the catching of the ball is the all-important matter to attend to first, the running of it back being an after con- sideration. The punt having been caught, un- 130 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS less it is a fair catch, the ball should be quickly placed under the arm, and the player should start quickly and at top speed towards the op- ponents' goal. Let no time be lost in looking for an opening or in dodging back and forth across the field. Usually the best plan is to shoot straight ahead. Dodging back and forth looks pretty, and eluding several tacklers may create some enthusiasm among the spectators who know little about the game, but the opposing forces are gathering all the time, and such tactics usually result in no gain or a loss. The player is not raised any in the estimation of the coach, or of those who understand and appreciate good football. Tackling No player should hope to be placed upon a team unless he is a good tackier. This is one of the most important rudiments of the game which every player should thoroughly master. It tests a player's nerve more than anything else he has to do, and a sure, fearless tackier is valuable to any team, no matter what his other qualifications may be. Innumerable games have been saved by a well-executed desperate leap at an opponent speeding for the coveted goal. Practice, head-work, and nerve are necessary in acquiring ability in this im- HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK 131 portant feature of football. Different metliods of tackling should be used for different situa- tions, and these should be practised and thor- oughly mastered. A man coming straight at a tackier should be met squarely with the shoul- ders just above the knees. The tackier should drive his body forward by straightening his legs, keeping his feet on the ground. His straight body and legs present a solid brace which the momentum of the oncoming player cannot topple over. If correctly met, the mo- mentum of the man tackled, thu^ meeting a solid brace, will lift him off his feet, and the tackier can carry him back to the ground with his shoulders in the pit of his stomach. While this is the ideal way to meet an on- coming man with the ball, it more often hap- pens that the runner will try to pass to the right or left, and therefore a player should be able to take with equal ease a runner passing either to the right or left of him. The correct method of tackling in such cases is not to depend upon the shoulder, but more upon the body. The player, with all the power and speed possible, should shoot his body across the path of the runner, grasping both legs and pinning them tightly to his breast. It is well to go farther than it seems necessary, because the runner may partly hold the tackier back by his free arm and at the same time try to get his legs farther away from him. If he tackles from the side bv 132 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the shoulder, unless he knocks the runner over, the tackier will only have his arms to stop him with, and often the runner can free himself and continue his course. Some players have the fault of grasping one leg in each arm, while the correct method is to pin both legs firmly to- gether with the arms locked. A tackier should remember that, as a rule, a hard tackle hurts the opponent more than it does the tackier, and when met fiercely a few times a runner is in- clined to slow up and try to save himself. On the other hand, if the tackier shows signs of fear, or weakens, the runner will come at him more fiercely each time. In practising tackling, it is well to keep the hands closed so as to learn to depend upon the body and arms. It is too often the case that tacklers depend upon securing a grasp upon the runner 's clothes or legs with their hands. It is better to reach too far, in intercepting a runner, than not far enough, because some part of the body will then bring the runner down. Nine times out of ten a tackier who runs up to the runner and attempts to grab him without using the low, crouching attack will be warded off by the stiff arm. The low crouch and the hard leg drive are necessary to enable the tackier to get under and break down the runner's guard. Tackling is a Imack easily acquired by some players and difficult to learn for others, but when once learned it is never forgotten. No HOW TO PLAY HALFBACK 133 team can make many long rnns or run up a large score against a team whose men are all good tacklers, and nervy, no matter how much they may be outclassed. KICKING BY EDWAED W. MAHAN" Every punter will have liis oTrn peculiar way of going through the motions of kicking. Some depend upon power to send the ball away on a long flight, while others rely upon skill. Great strength is not a requisite for first-class punt- ing, although when combined with other quali- ties it is a valuable asset. Most of the best punters have been tall men of the rangy type. In the days of medieval football such men as Haughton, Dewitt, and Brooke were all over six feet tall. In late vears the best kickers have been tall with long slender legs. Foremost among the men of this class were Burr, Coy, Felton, Flynn, and the younger Dewitt. There are several reasons why a tall, rangy man should make the best sort of punter. In the first place he makes a good target for the center to pass the ball to. Such men usually have long arms and are able to reach passes that smaller men could not touch. Then, their legs are longer and they can get a long sweeping swing at the ball. Again, their feet are larger and 134 E. ^V. .MAHAX OF HARVARD PUTTING. KICKING 135 offer a larger surface on the instep for striking the ball. Finally, the tall man meets the ball with his foot a matter of a few inches higher from the ground than does the short man, and these few inches count immensely when ag- gressive linemen are continually pressing the kicker. The distance which the punter should retreat from the line of scrimmage when he is about to kick should be determined by the circumstances. At the beginning of a game he should stand fully ten yards behind the ball. It is danger- ous to go back farther than ten yards since this gives the opposing ends a straight course towards the punter's foot. After the first few punts the kicker should know if he is being pressed by his opponents and if his kicks are in danger of being blocked. If the opposing linemen are not aggressiye and do not threaten to block a, kick, the punter need not retreat so far back of the line of scrimmage. Eight or nine yards will suffice in this case, but it is not advisable to approach nearer than eight yards. If he is kicking from behind a balanced line, when there are three men on each side of the center, he should stand directly behind the cen- ter. But if the line is unbalanced he should take up a position behind the man in the center of the line. If there are four men on the right side of the center and two on the left he should stand behind the player on the right-hand side 136 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS of the center, who under ordinary conditions would be the right guard. Three of the members of the backfield form protection for the kicker, two on the side of his kicking foot and one on the other side. The two backs on the side of the punter's foot stand in line directly behind the guard on that side. When the play is about to start, the first back should be at arm's length from the guard and the second at arm's length from the first. From these positions they may run the ball through any part of the line or around the ends. The formation is especially strong for line plays. When the ball is snapped back for a kick these men immediately break back about three yards each so that one is back about seven yards and the other directly in front of him. It is essen- tial for these men to stand one behind the other and close together, shoulder to shoulder. Their feet should be on a straight line and their bod- ies turned towards the side-line. If the punter kicks with his right foot the line of scrimmage should be on their left. They should be in a crouching position ready to spring. From this position they can get the use of the full length of their bodies in blocking. Usually the tackle and end on the side of the kicker's foot are the dangerous men. It is always well to force them to go on the outside of the kicker. The protect- ors should be careful not to let either of these men get between them. They must keep close KICKING 137 together until they believe that the kicker is on the point of kicking the ball, then they may break, if necessary, and each ward off an oppo- nent. They must use their own judgment as to which are the most dangerous men. The quarter-back alone forms protection on the side away from the kicker ^s foot. When the ball is snapped he is either behind the snap- per-back or four yards back of the guard. If he is in position behind the center he can receive the ball from that player and feed it to one of the backs or run with it himself. When the ball is snapped for a kick he must wheel and run back to meet any opponent who might sift through the line. He also must not let the tackle or end get inside him. His method of blocking is similar to that used by the other two backs. The kicker should stand with his weight evenly distributed on both feet so as to be ready to jump in front of the ball if he should get a poor pass. He should tell his center just "how and where he likes to receive the ball and insist upon getting the ball just as he likes. Never reach for a wide pass, always jump out in front of it. Some kickers stand with their kicking foot forward and other foot back, others take this step back just as the ball is about to reach them. The object of this is to get a good drive when stepping forward to kick. The next thing to be 138 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS considered is the catching of the ball from the center. It should be caught as near the height from which it is to be kicked as possible. The ball may be caught at arm's length with the arms stiff. This is commonly called '' fighting the ball.'' The surest way is to meet the ball at arm's length and to give with it until it strikes the body. Next the ball is shoved out in front. All this time it is being revolved so that it will be in the proper position to drop to the foot. Most kickers have a habit of placing the ball so that the lacing is on the top or a little to the outside. A good football will go just as well if kicked on the lacing, and twist- ing the ball about in the hands takes time. Little time should be spent in catching the ball on the pass from the center and in placing it in position to be kicked, as every fraction of a second counts. The ideal way to punt is to kick the ball out of the hands, but very few are able to do this. At least the ball should be al- lowed to drop the shortest distance possible from the hands to the foot, since this is where most of the kicks go wrong. The slightest twist of the ball in its passage from the hands to the foot may be just enough to spoil the kick. Some kickers like to meet the ball high up on the instep, while others prefer to meet it on the instep nearer to the toes. The ball should be struck with the instep just a trifle on the out- side of the foot. There are two ways of drop- KICKING 139 ping the ball on the instep. One is to drop it so it falls diagonally across the foot, and the other is to drop it so that its long axis points straight ahead. When the ball is dropped diag- onally across the foot the kicker must kick straight ahead. Meeting the ball in this way gives it a peculiar spiral twist. When the ball is held so that its axis points straight ahead the kicker must swing his foot across the ball to give it the spiral twist. The foot hits the ball on the bottom and cuts it, causing it to revolve. After the kicker has learned to place the ball on the foot properly and to kick it accurately there is a snap of the leg which he should learn. This snap permits the kicker to kick without much exertion and send the ball a good dis- tance. When the kicking leg is started forward to kick the ball it should not be held stiff, but just a trifle bent. Just as the ball meets the foot the leg should be snapped so as to straighten it out. This snap sends the ball farther than the power of the leg would be able to do. High kicks are harder to catch than low ones and the punter should bear this in mind. He should learn just how far his ends can run down the field to cover kicks and he should kick ac- cordingly. If they are slow he should kick high. If they are fast he should still kick high, but he may get more distance into it. He should learn to place the ball down the field 140 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS accurately. This can be accomplished by trying to place the ball out of bounds at a certain point. Keep the spot at which you are aiming in mind, but keep the eye on the ball. The passing and catching of the ball as ex- plained above also apply in drop-kicldug. The first difference comes in placing the ball in the hands. It is best to get a low pass from the center so that no time is lost in pulling the ball down. The center should aim at a spot just above the right knee, provided the kicker is to kick with his right foot. The long axis of the ball must be held so that it is perpendicular to the ground. The right hand should be held on the back of tlie ball and the left hand on the side so as to guide it. Better results can prob- ably be obtained by tilting the ball slightly back in dropping it. The kick may be described as a quick shove. The toe is slightly pointed up and held rigid. Such a shove will send the ball over the bar from the thirty-five-yard mark. The kicker should practise kicking inside the twenty-five- yard line and should practise from all angles. He should above all things keep the goal-posts in mind and his eye on the ball. The place-kick also is more or less of a shove. The foot is held much the same as in drop-kick- ing. Here again the main rule to be remem- bered is to keep the goal-posts in mind and the eye on the ball. FOLLOWING THE BALL BY sa:n'fokd b. white Each year, early in September, the candi- dates for the various elevens report, the coaches gather from various parts of the country, and everything is put in readiness for the coming season's work. The first few *^ work-outs " are of a very light order, for the summer 's rest and vacation have left the men in poor condi- tion, but during these first practices the men are taught the rudiments of the game, prepara- tory to their harder work later in the season. The rules are carefully gone over and dis- cussed, a few simple plays are rehearsed, and some of the fundamental principles hammered into the minds of the men. Of these elements none is more important, to my mind, than the one I have chosen for my subject, ** Following the Ball." Suppose we happen down some day early in October to see the men in one of their regular afternoon work-outs. We will choose any of the larger colleges, for it matters little which one we pick, as the practices are nearly all the same. The men report rather late in the day 141 142 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS in order to escape the noon heat, so about four o'clock we see players come straggling on the field. Usually there has been a preliminary meeting held in the club-house, where the rules and various plays have been discussed, but we need not bother any more about that side of the work, but go, instead, right out on the field with the men themselves where we can hear and see everything. In one part of the field the can- didates are practising falling on the ball, per- haps at the other end the men are tackling the dummy, while the linemen can be seen working on the pushing-machine. All sorts of kicking will be tried, the punters are perfecting their long, high spirals, seeking to gain speed and direction in each kick; the place-kickers and drop-kickers, upon whose ability so much rests in the modern game of football, are peppering the goal-posts, striving in their work to gain the finish and perfection which late in the season may mean so much towards a victory or per- haps even a championship. In all this elementary work the coaches have been giving advice and supervision, but now, after an hour's practice of this sort of work, the men are called together and various teams picked out for signal drill. In this later prac- tice the individual playing is developed with the one aim of welding all eleven parts into a machine, and as we follow the men up and down the field oftentimes we'll hear some coach call FOLLOWING THE BALL 143 out, '' Follow the ball." Can any better ad- vice be given to any man who is trying to make good on a college team, or on any football team in fact ! I surely know of none. Just think for a minute what those three words mean. If you follow the ball you follow the man who is carry- ^ ing the ball, that is, when you are on the de- fensive. So you are always '' Johnny on the Spot, " so to speak, and in a position where you can do the most good. Let us look into the thing a little closer and see the possibilities a man may have who plays with that one idea of keeping his eye glued on the ball. As we all know, there are two kinds of football, the offensive and the defensive game, and while this advice applies to both games it is more applicable to the defensive game. The linemen in the attacking game are not in the position to follow the ball as well as some of the other men, for they are usually making holes for the play to be run through, pushing aside the opposing men, or boxing them in. But in every play they should know where the play is going and, when their work is done, '' cut through " and get around the ball, forming in- terference for the runner. The backfield men, however, can, and should follow the ball unless they are sent in some direction different from that of the attacking point in hopes of deceiving their opponents. In this modern game where 144 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS pushing and pulling is forbidden they should constantly be on the watch for fumbles. There are bound to be fumbles in football, that is one small part of the sport which makes it the in- teresting game it is, and sometimes with these fumbles goes a victory. If every man is on the watch for just such an occurrence, is following it, and ready to fall on that ball, how much better chance there is for a recovery by one of the players on whose side the fumble was made ! Then there are kicks, kicks of all sorts, from which any circumstance may arise offering a chance to the man who is following the ball. A kick may be blocked and an alert man may re- cover it or tackle his opponent who has picked it up and is on his way to a touchdown. This very sort of play occurred in one of the big games in 1911 when Huntington of Harvard had broken through, blocked a kick, and was on his way to a score when tackled by Pendleton, captain of the Princeton team the next year. This one player's vigilance and watchfulness saved the game, for had Pendleton not followed the ball Huntington would in all probability have scored. On punts is a place where a man can prove his worth in following the ball. Perhaps the ball is dropped or fumbled by the man playing back, and it's anybody's ball. If the ends and the tackles are down the field and under that baU, why haven't they an even chance to fall on FOLLOWING THE BALL 145 it and gain tliat much ground for their team? A play of this sort may change the whole game, it forces the fighting so much nearer the ene- mies' goal line, sometimes puts the team in a position to score a drop-kick or placement kick, and then again in some cases there is the pos- sibility that the ball may be picked up and the man make the score himself. In any of these cases one thing is necessary, the man must be on hand and he must follow the ball. We are not so apt to think of this recovered fumble as a gain of forty yards, assuming that the punt has gone that distance, but how does it differ so much from the gain of the dashing half- back who has skirted an end for a run of that length! It is not as spectacular from a spectator's point of view but it really makes no difference how the gain is made so long as it is made. They both amount to the same thing, both are an advance of forty yards towards the touchdown and the score, and that's precisely what those eleven men are striving and working for. In turning to the defensive play we see even greater chances offered to the team, all of whose eleven men follow the ball. In this style of play every man on the defense is in a posi- tion to watch the ball and to follow it. It is where the ball goes that the play goes; of course there are forward passes which must be guarded against, but by following the ball a 146 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS team will win out in the end. There are all sorts of attack, and one very common is to shoot the first man in the tandem in a cross- buck, fake the pass to him to draw the defense towards him, but in reality run the second or third man straight through the line. Now if each man is awake and follows that ball, how can he be *' sucked in,^' as they call it in foot- ball terms ! Plays of this nature are constantly met and it's the man who keeps his eyes open, and tracks after that ball, who nine times out of ten stops the play, and prevents the gain. Then there are fumbl-es to be gotten, as in the offensive game, only in this case a fumbled ball gained means more than the recovered ball. It puts a team on the offense at once and some- times may result in a score. Big games have been won indirectly by the watchfulness of one man, whose getting a fumbled ball, insignificant in itself, was the real cause of the victory. It all resulted from his following the ball. Then there are ^' series plays," where a man may be caught sound asleep by watching his opponent, but had he been alert and watching the ball in- stead of the man he would have been ready for the play in place of being caught off his guard. There are all the chances in the kicking game which I have mentioned in the outline of offen- sive playing, only in this case the chances are even greater to those who are playing with the idea of following the ball. There are wrong FOLLOWING THE BALL 147 signals, crossed signals, bad passes, and many other plays constantly offering chances to the wide-awake man so that by his own work and by his ever readiness to grab that ball he may not only stave off a score and defeat but score a victory by his own watchfulness. It matters very little whether your team is playing on the offense or the defense. You should know every second just exactly where the ball is, and at the same time should be try- ing to figure out where it will go. It is the team that plans or the player who plans that achieves success in playing the game. If your own team has the ball, of course the signal will tell you where it is going. But the signal does not tell you whether the ball is to be fumbled. Be ready for that. Let us suppose the ball is not in play. It lies on the ground between the two opposing teams; your center's hands are on its cover. From the moment the signal is called, do not let your eyes wander from that ball if you can help it. See it when the center passes it to the quarter; see it till the play starts ; see it as long as you can, and if it hap- pens the play is going around the end of the line opposite to that you are playing on, you can keep it in view until it is downed. If you are watching, if you are ready, and the quarter fumbles the ball, you have the best chance of anybody to recover it, because you have been thinking about that very thing and 148 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS are prepared to dive for it the minute it escapes your team-mate's grasp. It is this readiness that counts. But do not let your eyes do all the work. There is some left for your hands and legs and for all your body. Follow the ball with your eyes, but follow it with the rest of you as well. If a ball is fumbled a hundred feet from you, the fact that you see it roll on the grass will do little good. But if you are right there, watch- ful, ready to dive for it, that fact may mean just the difference between defeat and victory in an important game. If you are on the defensive, it is equally im- portant to follow the ball with eye and body. The end or half or tackle who knows every play is more valuable to his team than the best tackier in the world who loses track of the play, if only for an instant. Do not let that ball elude you for the tenth part of a second, for that in- finitesimal bit of time may give your opponents' play just the start it needs to make a big gain. If you know just who has the ball and which way he is running, no trick play can deceive you. Of course, every player and every team is eager for victory. It would be a very poor player and a very poor sportsman who went into a game not caring whether his team lost or won. If you really want to win, you must be willing to work and develop your skill, and the FOLLOWING THE BALL 149 collective skill of your team. There is physical hard work about football, and there is mental hard work; not the least of which is watching the ball and trying to figure out what your op- ponents are going to do with it. It demands close attention; it demands that your thoughts do not wander to the crowds, or to the man you are playing against, or to anything but just that pigskin ball and where it is going to go. As soon as it starts get near it. Stay near it until it is downed. Maybe you cannot make the tackle, maybe you cannot seize the ball if it is dropped, but you may be able to make it possi- ble for a team-mate to tackle by breaking the interference, or you may be the means of al- lowing one of your own men to seize the ball by tumbling over an opponent who is headed for it. A great many games are won and lost on so- called ** flukes." But there are a great many of these startling, unexpected plays that are not accidents at all. One team wins because of them, and the other team loses, and for no other reason than that the lucky team had its men trained to follow the ball. I have very lightly touched upon a few of the possibilities offered by following the ball. I purposely have neglected the forward pass, but in this as in every other phase of the game a man must know where that ball is, and I think we will all agree that if you are with the ball you are ^' in it,'' and that's where a man does 150 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the most good in this game of football — right *^ in it," and in the middle of it. If I were asked to give briefly the best advice I could give for playing football, I would quickly answer: Keep your wits about you, your eyes wide open, and follow that ball. TRACK ATHLETICS TRACK ATHLETICS "With the resumption of the Olympic games and their establishment as the meeting-place of the athletes of all nations in competitive games, track and field athletics increased tremendously in popular favor, assuming a place unique in the world of sport. The rapid development in this country of such games as tennis, golf, and basket-ball had at one time threatened the popularity of track athletics. The Olympic games, afforded the stimulus needed to bring into track athletics the mass of latent mate- rial which the country possessed. As a result America stands to-day supreme in this branch of sport. Her athletes are admired the world over and her coaches sought as teachers in foreign lands. At home the ever increasing number of boys and men entering meets has had a splendid effect upon the youth of the country. Our big track meets, attended as they are by thousands of spectators and run otf in an orderly, sportsmanlike way, are a tremen- dous factor in disseminating a healthy spirit of rivalry, fairness, and square play. No sport is more democratic or more easily freed from objectionable features. They offer opportunity 153 154 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS to thousands of boys in running, jumping, vaulting, and deeds of strength with weights, all of which are so much a part of the life of the average boy. Their interest is but natural. Track athletics organized as they are in this country, with important meets held in every section, afford boys the opportunity of seeing good athletes in action and good coaches at work to an extent which is equalled in no other branch of sport, with the possible exception of baseball. There is, however, in this very width of opportunity the danger of overdoing compe- tition, and it becomes the duty of all interested in the welfare of the boys to see that they are carefully watched if they attempt strenuous competition during their developmental stage. HOW TO BECOME A SPRINTER BY MICHAEL C. MUBPHY One often hears it said nowadays that ^' sprinters, like poets, are born, not made.'' In a measure this is a true statement, because it is just as natural for some men to outstrip their fellows in a foot-race, as it is for others to pass their mates in any mental or physical task. It would be a hopeless undertaking to try to develop a cart-horse into a trotter, for they are built for totally different purposes. So it is almost as hard to make sprinters out of some athletes. At the same time any man, no matter how slow he is, can improve his speed wonder- fully by constant practice and without any harm to himself. It requires a peculiar combination of strength, agility, and nervous energy to make a successful sprinter. But sprinting is some- thing that every man ought to learn, because in learning how to run one acquires the faculty of quick thinking and physical control. Before taking up the technical requirements of the sprinter, I want to correct a popular fal- lacy that, to be a successful sprinter, some par- ticular build is necessary. This is a big mis- take, for in the twenty-five years that I have 155 156 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS been training athletes I have seen and trained champions of nearly every conceivable build. Some were short of stature and inclined to be too heavy ; some very tall and thin, while others had what is generally considered an ideal phys- ical build. Consequently a man's shortness of stature is not proof that he cannot sprint, nor should he be dismayed if his physical dimen- sions run to the other extreme. If there is any advantage to either type of man, I should say that it lies with the one who is tall and strong. But what he should consider above all other things is whether he has the nervous energy that will enable him to leave his mark and get under way without the loss of a fraction of a second, and the strength to carry him through to the tape without a falter. In sprinting, as in no other athletic event, suc- cess depends upon the ability to get the maxi- mum return from every ounce of energy with- out the loss of any of it. To do this is an art that requires intelligent, determined and con- scientious training. There are three points of which the sprinter must make a scientific study if he expects to be a champion. These are: 1, The Start. 2, Get- ting into your stride. 3, Learning to finish. 7. The Start Every successful sprinter nowadays uses the ** crouching '' start. The standing start used HOW TO BECOME A SPRINTER 157 for long-distance races is impracticable for the sprinter who needs to get away from the mark at top speed. The importance of a good start cannot be overestimated, for conditions being equal, a poor or slow start means certain de- feat. The athlete who has mastered the start can usually gain from a yard to two yards at the very beginning of his race on the man who has not mastered it. The crouching start was first used by me in professional work in 1880, and introduced in 1887 when C. H. Sherrill, of Yale, the intercollegiate champion, demon- strated it. Needless to say, he was laughed at when he got down on all fours, but to-day no good sprinter ever thinks of trying any other start. The object of a good start is to get o:ff the mark and into your natural stride without the waste of strength or time. The first thing the runner should do is to dig the holes for start- ing. As no portion of the body can touch the ground in front of the starting line, the holes should be so dug that the runner can get as close to the starting-line as possible and yet be in a position to get away as naturally and as quickly as possible. To determine where to dig the holes the runner should first assume the cor- rect crouching position. First, get down on one knee. The knee of the back leg should be about even with the inner ankle of the forward foot. This is the position you should have, the back 158 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS knee only being on the ground when the starter gives the first of his three signals, ^^ Get on yonr marks.'* With the next signal, which is ^ ^ Get set, ' ' you rise on the hands and feet, lean- ing forward as far as possible. In this position you wait for the report of the pistol with which you spring forward. The runner should be most careful to keep his mind concentrated on the gun. If he thinks of anything else he is sure to lose an instant before he realizes that the race is on. As soon as you have found an easy, natural position for your crouch, you should dig small holes, which you can easily do with your spiked shoes, one hole for each foot. Be sure that these holes are deep enough and strong enough to give you a firm grip as you get your position. In preparing the holes they should be so located that the hands, which are on the starting-line, are not more than six inches in front of the for- ward foot. As the hands cannot be ahead of the starting-line, you will give away distance by having your feet farther back than I have indi- cated. Some runners with very long legs and arms give away more distance than this, but the positions I have indicated are best for the nor- mal man. Above all, see that you are well bal- anced and can get off your mark without a tend- ency to wabble. The most important part of the start is that of holding your body in perfect control after HOW TO BECOME A SPRINTER 159 you have been told to get set, and while waiting for the pistol. Let the w^eight of the body rest on the front leg, a little forward, so that the first drive of the legs will send you forward and up- ward. It will be found that the fingers will be of great aid in keeping the body properly bal- anced and directing the first forward spring when the pistol is fired. At the same time be sure that you have enough weight on the back foot to keep it firmly in the hole, and remember that the spring should be off both feet. It will take some time to acquire the perfect control of the body that will enable you to wait for the pistol. Do not get into the habit of swinging back and forth. This will either make you go off the mark too soon and subject you to a pen- alty, or you will find yourself left at the mark. Also avoid the trick of some runners who aim gradually to move the body forward after get- ting set, on the assumption that they can time themselves to reach the farthest point forward just as the pistol sounds. This practice loses more races than it wins. II, Getting Into Your Stride The same careful attention to details must be observed after the start, for getting into your stride without loss of energy and without wab- bling is just as important as the correct start. As you rise from the mark you should spring 160 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS forward with the impetus which your crouch gives you. Make it a point to run straight and true, alwa^^s remembering that the straightest course is also the shortest. Many runners make the mistake of taking too long or too short strides at the first spring. Make it a point to take these first strides naturally and easily. You will be rising gradually and will have cov- ered twenty or twenty-five yards before you are running erect. Be careful not to try to get erect too quickly, or you will lose speed in conse- quence. In order to take your strides and pre- serve your equilibrium as you are rising, you should take these first few strides as easily and quickly as possible. Careful observation of these points will enable you to be running eas- ily when you get erect and you will be able to put every ounce of strength into your work. For the first few weeks of your training you will find that you will have plenty to do in mas- tering the start and getting into your stride. The third portion of your training, the final burst over the last quarter of your course, must be delayed until you have gotten sufficient strength and mastered the two essentials al- ready mentioned. No sprinter, whether his distance be one hundred yards or two hundred and twenty yards, should attempt to run through the full distance at anything like his best speed during the first three weeks of his training. This time should be devoted to prac- HOW TO BECOME A SPRINTER 161 tising starts, learning to get into your stride quickly and naturally, with one or two jogs a day through, your full distance, but not at your best speed nor a speed that will tire you too much. Sprinters should be careful to get as much out of their arms as possible. Make them help the legs by ripping them forward and upward or by a good, hard cross motion. Never let your hands get behind your hips. It will require a great deal of careful prac- tice to master the start. You should try it half a dozen or more times a day, working at good speed for about twenty yards, then slowing down gradually. After a rest, conclude your day's work with a jog of one hundred and twenty or one hundred and fifty yards, though at about four-fifths speed. With a few weeks of this kind of training you will find that you are gradually mastering the start and that you are having no trouble to maintain your speed and equilibrium as you run into an erect posi- tion from twenty to twenty-five yards from the start. 777. The Final Burst The candidate is now ready for some real speed work, which brings me to the third por- tion of his training. First of all, young sprint- ers, I would caution you not to overstride, even 162 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS after you have gotten into your running. To do so will certainly cause you to overbalance and lose some of your speed. After you have learned the art of being natural in your stride, its length will adjust itself. Let your aim be to run naturally and use every ounce of your strength. Above all, keep your mind strictly on your own work, and do not allow yourself to be pulled out of your stride by your opponents. It is assumed that by this time the sprinter has been training for at least three weeks, and is ready for some speed work. During the third week the sprinter who is training for the one hundred yards dash should try himself out for one hundred yards against the watch. This will give him an idea of what he is doing, and at the same time show him whether or not he has enough strength to go the full distance. Probably he will experience a tightening of the muscles, or what athletes term a ^^ tie-up '* in the last twenty-five or more yards of the run. Under such conditions the runner wabbles over the last quarter of his course and has difficulty in finishing. To correct this and enable him to go through the entire distance without slacken- ing his speed, and, above all, to have a final burst as he approaches the tape is the climax of his training. Nothing but conscientious work will enable him to overcome this weaken- ing. But practice will bring about the desired result, and soon his legs will be strong enough HOW TO BECOME A SPRINTER 163 to carry him through the full distance without a let-up in his speed. After you have been training for three weeks and started to run trials at the end of three or four weeks, care should be exercised in keeping them down to no more than two a week. If it is possible to run them in a set of games, sa much the better. I usually advise sprinters ttf limit their trials to about four-fifths the dis- tance of the race they expect to run. Thus if a man is training for one hundred yards he should confine most of his trials to eighty yards, going the full distance about once a week. By working out at his best speed for eighty yards he will depend upon the excitement of the con- test to carry him the remaining distance with- out a let-up in his speed, a theory that seldom fails. Sprinters should not underestimate the amount of training and hard work it requires to enable one to run one hundred yards in ten or even ten and one-fifth seconds. It takes long and faithful practice to enable one to get every ounce of strength into his running. The Two Hundred and Twenty Yards Dash The technical part of training for the two hundred and twenty yards dash is much the same as for the one hundred yards, but the longer race requires far greater endurance and more judgment. The start for the two hundred 164 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS and twenty is much the same as for the one hundred yards, the same crouching start being necessary. The runner should jump into his stride as quickly as he can, and then let his legs do all the work without too much urging, and then if he has anything left for the finish he can put in his whole strength for the last twenty- five or thirty yards. Good judgment counts for everything in this race. No man can ^' try '' all the way without tying up at the finish. Therefore the runner must learn by experience just how much power he can put on at the start. At the same time he must remember that he cannot loaf at any part of this distance. Most of the champions at this distance have been able to go a little further than the full two hun- dred and twenty yards. Sherrill, Wefers, Owen, Jewett, Schick, Lee, Tewkesbury, and Cartmell were all able to go three hundred yards. Therefore, after the runner has gotten into pretty fair shape, he should run a little over the distance, possibly twice a week. This will insure him with more strength for the finish. Without going too much into detail for this event, the runner can utilize the instructions given for the one hundred yards dash, altering the distance proportionately for the longer event. In conclusion, let me say that I know of no better exercise for boys and young men than HOW TO BECOME A SPRINTER 165 sprinting. If indulged in moderately, it can't injure any one. On the contrary, it will strengthen the heart and build up the whole body. And there is nothing finer for teaching a youngster to think quickly and to give him the physical poise which every boy ought to seek. HOW TO RUN THE HUNDRED AND TWO HUNDRED TWENTY YARD DASHES BY RALPH C. CRAIG Training for the '^ hundred " and '' two- twenty '' dashes is one of the most interesting forms of work that a boy can do on the track team. There is a snap and a dash about it which appeals to every boy, and whether he is proficient in the dashes or not, he is instinc- tively interested. The dashes, and I use the plural because of the fact that an athlete usually runs both the *' hundred '' and '^ two-twenty,'^ in any meet, are among the most strenuous events of the day, and as such the work in preparation for these races is most important. Of course, any one '* hundred '* or ** two- twenty " cannot be compared to the quarter, half, or mile runs, but when he considers the fact that a sprinter has to run from two to four or five races in one afternoon, and that in each race he is straining every muscle and every nerve to their utmost throughout the entire race, and the fact that in less than a fifth of a second his physical and nervous machinery — 166 EAI.PH CRAIG "SVI^'^■"I^'LT the lOfi-YARDS I^- EECOKD TI3IE OF 9 4r-5 SEC02CDS. I>'TJEKCOLLEGIATE GAMES^ 1911. LECONET WIKNIKG 100- YARDS IN 9.7 SECONDS IN THE INTEE- COLLEGIATES IN 1922. OTHERS ARE, LEFT TO RIGHT, LOVE- JOY, CORNELL; SUDDEN, STANFORD; RUSNAK, YALE; WOODRING, SYRACUSE ; McKTM, PRINCETON. PATTERSON OF PENN. WINNING THE 100- YARDS IN 9 4-5 SECONDS IN THE INTERCOLLEGIATES IN 1913. LIPPINCOTT, THINNER OF THE 220- YARDS, SECOND MAN FROM LEFT. RELLER OF CORNELL WAS SECOND IN THIS RACE. THE SPRINTS HOW TO RUN THE DASHES 167 if I may use the word — lias passed from a state of being normal to tlie state of maximum strain, I think that every boy will see my point, and will agree that the sprints are one of the hard- est events of the day. Hence the sprinter must be like a finely tem- pered steel spring, so that allowing a short period for rest after each race or heat, he will still be able to do his best. In order to do this, a boy who wishes to be proficient in sprinting must not pay his atten- tion wholly to running, but must pay careful attention to the general condition of his health. He must take exercises which have no direct bearing on running, but which will build him up and keep him in the best possible general condition. Another point that most boys do not realize the importance of, is that the legs are not the all-important part of a good runner. They are the most important part to be sure, but the muscles of the hips, the back, the shoulders, and the arms all play their part, and it is an impor- tant part. A sprinter need not have the heav- ily developed arms of a weight man, but he must have arms which will, by their swing and drive, help him through the end of a hard race. His hips must have highly developed muscles, and the muscles of the back and shoulders are all very important. Those muscles need not be heavily developed, and in fact that should not 168 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS be the aim; but they should be of fine quality and capable of quick movements and of with- standing sudden great strains. One of the chief troubles with the boy athlete is that he does not realize these things and their importance to him. He may hear of them, and practise exercises for a couple of weeks, which develop these other muscles and tone up his system generally, but then he cannot see that it makes any difference to him and he gradually neglects them for the more interesting work on the track itself. This general development is of great impor- tance to a sprinter, and in order that his whole system may be in the best of health, thereby giving him the reserve force which is so neces- sary to him, and in order that his arms, shoul- ders, back and hips be developed, as well as his legs, the boy athlete should take regular daily exercise, mth the chest weights, dumb-bells or Indian clubs. He should not overdo it one day and neglect it the next, but take a regular amount, as will be prescribed to him by his coach, or if he is not fortunate enough to have a good coach, by his own common sense and feeling. And right here is the core of the whole mat- ter: a certain regularity about the daily work is essential to success in any kind of athletics, and by that I do not mean the same work day after day — but I do mean that the boy should HOW TO RUN THE DASHES 169 not go out and overdo one day and because of that, underdo for three or four days. The best judge of this is the boy himself. He can tell by the way he feels, the amount of work which is best for him, and now I want to give an impor- tant warning ! Always stop when you feel that you can do more, and never go on with the exer- cise, either on the track or with the apparatus, until you become exhausted. The object of all training is to build up the system. This object is necessarily defeated if the boy athlete, in his own enthusiasm and high feelings does more than he should, and so drains the supply of re- serve force which is so necessary in all compe- tition. This is especially true in the case of boys between the ages of twelve and eighteen or twenty. A great deal of their strength is used in maturing their growth, and consequently they do not have the reserve force which a man of twenty-two years or older has. This is very important, and I want to warn every boy of the evils of too violent exertions and of overdoing his training. A great many promising boys have spoiled their chances by trying to do too much in high school. But in connection with this warning I want to give another warning which seems to exactly con- tradict the first, and that is, that success in sprinting — and by success I mean becoming as good as is possible for the individual athlete — can be attained only by hard, consistent work. 170 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Those two statements do not seem to jibe at all, do they? But if you will substitute stick- to-itiveness for hard, consistent work you will see what I mean: I mean that a boy should work hard every day, doing as much as he can without overdoing; that his work should be regular and persistent and that he should keep at it every day, even though he does not seem to be improving; but that, on the other hand, in his daily work he should be very careful not to overdo, for any one day. When a boy decides to get out for any form of athletics he should first of all be examined by a physician or a man who has made physical culture his profession. For if he has a weak heart or lungs or his physical machinery is weak in any way, he cannot go into hard work with any hope of success, and what is worse, he works a positive injury to himself. The aver- age boy, however, is sound in body and mind; and any who are not may console themselves by the sure knowledge that they can build up their bodies by gradual work. After the boy has been examined and knows that his physical machinery has no flaws, he should begin in the gymnasium and work out three times a week during the cold weather. The exercise that he takes should be with the idea of developing the lighter faster muscles and no heavy lifting or heavy work should be done. In this way the whole system is built up. HOW TO RUN THE DASHES 171 and when the outdoor season opens the boy has a good beginning for his sprinting. The first week of outdoor work should be long, slow work. Never try any speed, and above all never break off your marks. Right here I might give an important warning good for any time in the season, — never break off your marks until you are thoroughly '• ' warmed up, ' ' and if it is a cold, raw day, do not attempt it at all. But returning to the first week : dur- ing the first few days the boy will feel so good over getting out of doors that there will be a strong tendency to do too much. This must be guarded against, for if you do too much one day, an almost inevitable result will be that you will do too little for a day or so after that. After the first week of outdoor work, the starts should be practised every day — remem- bering, of course, to never ^ ^ take your marks ' ^ without being well warmed up. The start of the sprints is very important, and especially is this true in the ^' hundred." The boy who can get away with the gun and into his running in fifteen yards has a great advantage over his competitors. Personally, this has been the weakest point in my own sprinting and it has been something which I have tried for seven years to improve, and while I am still a very poor starter there has been improvement and I am still working away on it. In general, the holes should be dug deep — a 172 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS few notches in the track are not sufficient — and they should be placed so that the knee resting on the ground is on a line with the instep of the front foot. The holes should be far enough apart so that the back foot drives straight ahead on the first step. That is, do not dig the rear hole directly behind the front one, nor, on the other hand, dig it too far to one side of the front hole, but choose a happy medium and dig the holes so that when walking off your marks the rear foot moves directly ahead. The front hole should be dug, as a rule, about ten inches behind the starting line, although the individual cases vary. In coming to the position *' on your marks," the athlete's eyes should be straight ahead and every faculty and every nerve intent upon the fact that the instant the pistol is fired he must make every effort to reach the goal as soon as possible. At the com- mand ** get set '^ the athlete raises the knee which has been on the ground and leans for- ward, his eyes still fixed straight ahead on the goal and every muscle tense and ready to drive. A proper balance is essential in good start- ing, for on the amount of drive depends largely the merit of the start. If a boy is not well bal- anced when he is * * set, " he is not going to get a good drive — and the legs alone do not give all the drive, but the arms and entire body enter in. With the report of the pistol, make every ef- HOW TO RUN THE DASHES 173 fort to get into your running. This is most important. Do not jump up in the air, and do not try to see how long you can make your first stride, but make every effort to get into your running. By that I mean that you should as soon as possible get into the position you as- sume after you are running at full speed. Many boys get a good drive and for the first stride seem to have an advantage, but in the next four or ^ve they lose it all and their com- petitors who have gotten into their running sooner are leading them at the thirty-yard mark. The start having been made and the speed attained, attention should be paid to the posi- tion of the body, arms, head, etc. This is, of course, only in practice. In a race the one idea is intense concentration upon the thought of ^' getting there." But in practice you must keep your mind upon how you are running, until your faults are eliminated, and until your form is second nature to you. Every boy can attain the best results by run- ning naturally and eliminating his faults. No general rules can be made which will suit every case and every boy will run differently. But there are certain general principles which can be modified for every case. In general, the arms should be held rather high, the elbows bent and the hands clenched. It is advisable to use a pair of grips of cork or any other light 174 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS material, that wall fit the hand and give the runner something to clench down upon. The arms are a great aid in sprinting and their movement should be sharp and forceful, and the greatest force should be used in the forward stroke. That is, strike forward with your arms harder than you draw them back. A large number of athletes do not do this, and, of course, the idea of swinging the arms is to bal- ance the body and to utilize the force of inertia in aiding its forward movement. Another common fault is in running too straight up in the air. The best results gen- erally are obtained from holding the body in- clined slightly forward. The reason for this is simple. Stand with your feet together and lean forward. As you lean forward you find that one foot instinctively comes forward to keep your balance. If the leaning is continued, your other foot comes forward and soon you are running in spite of yourself. In this way the force of gravity is used to help your running. When the body is held straight it is muscular effort alone which moves it, and surely muscu- lar effort plus gravity is better than muscular effort alone. Another common fault in boys who are work- ing out for the sprints, is that they do not keep their minds upon the goal. They are thinking of the ^^ other fellow " and are looking over their shoulders to see where he is. More dashes HOW TO RUN THE DASHES 175 have been lost in this way than any other way that I know of. It is absolutely essential, in order to do your best, to keep your eyes on the tape or string throughout the entire race. Now, as to a weekly program: as I have said before, no one rule can be set down for every boy who is working out for the sprints as every one has to do a little different sort of work in order to get the best results. But a good general program would read something like this, except that the first week or two should be devoted to long, slower work : Monday — Practise starts, about fifteen yards from four to six starts; fifty yards at full speed. Swing through one hundred and fifty yards faster than a jog, but not at top speed. Tuesday — Starts, four to six ; two forty- yard dashes ; swing through two hundred and twenty. Wednesday — Starts, four to six ; one hun- dred yards. Then after a good rest jog slowly around for three hundred yards. Thursday — Starts, four to six ; a fairly fast one hundred and ten yards, but not at top speed. Then, after a rest, swing through one hundred and fifty yards. Friday — If there is a meet on Saturday jog through one hundred and fifty yards; if not work same as Tuesday. Saturday — If there is a meet, keep off the 176 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS feet as much as possible and rest; if not, do whatever work you feel like doing. That is, of course, a very general pro- gram, and every boy will have to vary it to meet his own individual requirements. If his starting is slow the greater part of his work will have to be on the starts. If he cannot finish well, he must work up the stamina and endur- ance necessary for a hard finish. Now, as to dieting. This is not necessary in the case of a high school boy, and the ordinary table diet is satisfactory except that the boy should avoid pastries, candy, etc., and, of course, every boy knows the evil effects of to- bacco and liquors of any sort, and so a warning against them is not necessary. Another thing to remember is that a sprinter is not made in a day, or a year, or two years. It is only by steady, consistent plugging away that you mil be able to accomplish anything, and remember that the object of athletic con- tests is to find out which is the best man or the best team, as the case may be, and that if you cannot beat the other man fairly you do not want to beat him; that if you are beaten it is simply an incentive to you to work harder so that in the next race you can win. HOW TO TRAIN FOE THE DISTANCE RUN BY KEENE FITZPATKTCK We can lay down rnles for the training of football players; we can make ont a general plan of training for a baseball squad; jump- ers, vaulters, and weight men can be developed along the same general lines. But when it comes to developing men for the distance runs, no one can lay down rules. Everything de- pends on the man himself. True, he can be told what to eat and what not to eat; he can be given some general orders that will apply to all men. But his case must be studied and studied carefully before actual development of the runner begins. A trainer might have a squad of a dozen milers. Should he give them but one set of rules, it is likely that not more than one of the twelve would derive any great benefit from following them. The distances given out for the daily run might be too long for some and not long enough for others ; one man might need work in the sprints, while another might need long walks across country to develop his endurance. 177 178 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS And so, the first thing to do in training for the longer runs is to study the candidate. This should not rest entirely with the trainer. The runner himself should try to locate his weak points. He should know what work he needs. Then, after this knowledge is accumulated, earnest training may follow. It is difficult to say when a man should begin running. Some boys develop with surprising rapidity, while others are men in years before they are physically able to undergo the re- quired training. However, I should say that no boy should begin running distances until he is sixteen years old. The normal boy at that age can stand a reasonable amount of exertion without injuring his heart or lungs. Of course there are many exceptions to the rule. Some boys may be able to stand hard work before they are sixteen years old, but to say that it is safe for them to begin training is a mistake. Many high school boys ruin any chance they might have had by beginning track work before they are developed to the necessary degree. I have had numbers of cases of men at Michigan who came up for examination, to be told that their heart had developed a ** murmur." This, in many instances, was undoubtedly due to overwork in athletics before they were suffi- ciently mature. When a man's heart is af- fected, his chances of ever becoming an athlete are gone. A good heart is the very foundation HOW TO TRAIN FOR DISTANCE 179 of prowess on the track or field. No trainer will allow a man who has a weak heart to do even the lightest work. When the young athlete is considered suffi- ciently strong to commence running, he should not start work on his own assurance or that of his trainer. He should be carefully examined by a physician. There may be a defect that will wear off in a year or so, and there may be a defect that would endanger the boy's life should he exert himself to the degree required in run- ning. And then the first step in training is to stop smoking. The boys who use tobacco in any form before their athletic careers end are heav- ily handicapped. '' Oh, pshaw,'' they will say, ' ^ I only smoke a pipe, and I cut that out when I begin work." Perhaps they do. Perhaps they let tobacco entirely alone for weeks before their training season opens and never touch it again until the last meet has been fought out. But nicotine will leave its mark. This mark may be ever so slight and the smoker may never realize that he has been injured by the habit. But his efficiency has been impaired to a greater or less degree. Boys, as a rule, do not realize this. Their parents and teachers warn them against the use of tobacco. Still they give no heed. If they could only know great athletes and know their habits it would be a lesson to them. Many are the men who have been ren- 180 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS dered unfit for track, baseball and football, all on account of tobacco. And they need not be- come inveterate smokers to ruin themselves, either. The men who have been the strongest assets to the big university teams have let to- bacco entirely alone until their college days were things of the past. Dieting is an important part of preparation for track work. Here again, it is difficult to lay down rules. Some food stuffs that may be nutritious when cooked in one form, may be injurious when prepared in another way. Pas- try should be let alone entirely ; so should fried dishes. Well-cooked meats, eggs, fresh vege- tables and milk make a substantial diet. Don't gorge. It is just as bad to overeat even prop- erly cooked food as it is to fill up on pies and cake. After the candidate for long distance run- ning honors has been thoroughly examined and his habits of living fixed, he should begin active work as soon as possible. Training for track work generally begins in the spring, when the weather is still unsettled. Weather plays an important part in the train- ing of a distance man, because his work neces- sarily takes more time than that required to fit men to enter other events. He must be out in the open many hours a week. There is, of course, no danger as long as the days are warm, but when a cold spell sets in it is likely to have HOW TO TRAIN FOR DISTANCE 181 a bad effect unless the runner takes due pre- cautions. Never work out on a cold day with your legs and arms exposed. Many high school boys insist on running across country on cold days in nothing but an ordinary track suit. This is likely to cause lameness, stiffness, and bring on colds. Don't begin things with a rush. It will not pay in the long run and most certainly will do you no immediate good. Cross-country walks and runs are the best things to fit a man for hard competition on the track. Here again, everything depends on the individual. Some men can travel several miles without tiring, while others will be worn out with only a short jaunt. Do not begin running at once. Start out and walk. Walk long distances and run a little now and then. Do not allow yourself to tire. For the first week confine yourself to work every other day and walk most of the time. Breathe deeply and walk briskly, taking every bit as much care of yourself as if you were working to the limit of your endurance. After this preliminary preparation, begin run- ning a little more, always keeping well within the limits of your strength. Leave your train- ing quarters slowly. When you begin to breathe heavily or your legs tire — be it even a trifle — drop back to a walk and rest your- self. Then run again. Keep this up day after day and you will find that vour endurance is 182 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS rapidly increasing. Now and then a man will have an " off " day. Don't think because you tire in a quarter of a mile where you could rim a full half the day before that you must do that half-mile. Always remember that to tire yourself is only to hamper your progress. The distance you should cover in these walks and runs depends, once more, on the individual. For the average boy of sixteen years from one to three miles should be sufficient. After a few weeks you will find that you can run almost the entire distance where it tired you to walk it before. Don't, above all things, increase your work before you feel that you can do it without tiring out. When you finish your work-out it is well to bathe. Take a good warm shower and rub yourself down well. Many high school boys as well as college students seem to believe that they cannot properly train without a rubber to go over their bodies after they have taken their daily exercise. Of course, a rub-down is advan- tageous, but it is not at all necessary. It will loosen stiff muscles and take out the soreness, but, as I have said before, it is not essential. However, a man can rub himself down when necessary. It may be a trifle irksome after taking a hard work-out, but will prove to be a benefit in the long run. And then, after you have rested, eat. Do not exercise immediately after a meal, or eat at HOW TO TRAIN FOR DISTANCE 183 once after exercising. One is equally as bad as the other. It hurts your digestive organs, and without a stomach in good working order no man can become strong in athletics. Get plenty of sleep. Remember that you are working hard every day. You are eating care- fully selected food to keep up your body. But sleep is an essential. Sleep eight hours at least out of every twenty-four. Sleep in a well-ven- tilated room. The air need not be cold, but it must be fresh. To sleep in a tightly closed room is harmful. You are using up much muscle tissue and the waste is being largely carried away through your lungs. This re- quires plenty of fresh air, and to inhale stale air for hours at a time is just like taking so much poison. Have your room well ventilated and you will awaken in the morning with a clear head and a desire for more work. Gradually, as you follow this course of prep- aration, you will be able to go the full distance. And this brings up the question of how far a boy should run. No growing boy should at- tempt to run more than a mile. He can do the sprints and the four hundred and forty-yard dash and the half-mile and the full mile. But there he should stop. The longer races are a tremendous drain on a man's strength and are meant to be run only by those who have a full development. You should have commenced training early 184 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS enough so that you will feel able to run your distance, or over, at least four weeks before your first serious competition. If you are try- ing out for the half-mile, run three-quarters of a mile for a time. If you desire to run the mile, go a little over that distance. Do not run at your best speed. Accustom yourself to the dis- tance and learn to know your pace. Know how fast you are going and how long you can hold the pace without tiring. If you are exceeding your limit, slow up. When you can finish your distance or a little over at a reasonably good rate of speed without feeling tired and weak, begin to increase your speed. The time for do- ing this all depends on the man. He knows best. While you are getting your pace and going the distances that you are to go in competition, vary the running vdth short sprints. Start from the mark and run thirty or forty yards at top speed. Do this half a dozen times every day. Then move about to avoid taking cold, but rest yourself before starting out to run the daily distance. When you can run more than the distance which is to be raced at good speed and finish in good condition, cut off the extra yards and begin working faster. Don't run at top speed every day. If you feel listless and are without energy it is a sign that you are doing too much or not living properly. Cut doAvn on the work for a few days and take things easier. Even o "A Q Q HOW TO TRAIN FOR DISTANCE 185 when you are feeling in the best of condition do not exert yourself day after day. Run your distance two or three times each week, then take things easier for a day or two. At least two weeks before the first race, the runner should know what he can do. It is well to have timers take your time by quarters. In this way, and only in this way, will you learn your pace. You will know that if you go the first quarter too fast you are bound to be too tired for the final burst of speed, and if you are lagging you will be forced to overdo in the final stages of the run. Every truly great runner can judge his speed. He knows when the pace is too fast and he knows when he should be moving faster to avoid the danger of a hard race in the final few yards. Of course, it is almost useless to give instruc- tions for a race. You know — or should know — how much you can do, and there are count- less things that may arise during the running of a half or a mile that will upset the most care- fully laid plans. But if a man can judge his time and knows his limit, he can rely upon this knowledge, and it is the greatest asset he has when he steps on a track to compete with strangers. If a runner is strong and knows the men against whom he is running, it may be well to set the pace. But this again depends entirely on conditions. If some one else sets the pace 186 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS and you feel it is more than yon can do, don't worry. Yon are out there to run the distance in the fastest possible time and, if you have trained properly, you know of how much speed you are capable. Go the fastest you can in the early stages and still retain strength for the finish. If the others draw away from you when you are doing your best, don't worry. To fol- low them would only be to wear yourself out, and they may tire and give you your opportun- ity at the finish. Keep going at the best speed you can maintain. Should the others lag, don't congratulate yourself. They may be reserving much strength for the last fraction of the dis- tance. Eun your own race, regardless of what the others may do. Many distance races are won in the last few yards. Be ready for the final burst of speed. If you feel that you have the race safe and are strong enough to beat any one who might sprint to the finish, be satisfied. Hold yourself for this possible struggle. At the same time do not take chances. Should some of the others begin to sprint in the last few yards, follow them. Run your best. Pay attention to your stride. Keep it up as well as possible. Glue your eyes on the tape and determine that you will reach it first. Think of nothing but keeping yourself well together and bringing every ounce of energy to bear. During the track season you will probably be JOHN PAFL JONES OF CORNELIj MAKING A NEW WORLD'S ONE-MILE RECORD OF 4 MINUTES, 14 2-5 SECONDS. INTERCOLLEGIATES, 1913. HIGGINS, COLUMBIA, WINNING BY INCHES FROM BXJKER OF BATES IN THE INTERCOLLEGIATE TWO-MILE RUN, HARVARD STADIUM. 1922. THE DISTANCE HUNS HOW TO TRAIN FOR DISTANCE 187 called on to run in several races. Take the best possible care of yourself during this pe- riod. Watch your food and watch your body. After a race and before another, rest for an entire day. This does not mean stay in bed or remain in the house. Get plenty of fresh air, but do not exert yourself in the slightest. Run your distance once or twice during the days that come between competitions. And then, after the season is over, let down gradually on your training. Remember that you have been under a severe strain, and do not let go at once. Get plenty of exercise and plenty of sleep. Cut down your daily work gradually. Remember that there are other races before you in the years to come and the sudden breaking off of training may do you a great harm. I have dealt with food, sleep, and tobacco. I have taken it for granted that none of the boys who are in high school athletics use intoxicating liquors. If they do drink beer or any other al- coholic drink it is a question whether they will ever amount to much on the running track. Always keep in mind that it is the high school boy of to-day who is to be the great athlete of the future. You cannot grow into a Jones, a Meredith, a Taylor, or a Rose in a year. You must keep steadily at it. Do not overdo. Keep your habits regular. Year by year you will become stronger, and when the time comes for 188 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS you to enter college, you will be ready to take up the more severe work that is there required, and possess a splendid foundation upon which to build. THE SCIENCE OF HURDLING BY EARL J. THOMSON Hurdling is an artistic science. There is probably no prettier nor more thrilling spec- tacle for the average spectator at the modern field and track games than a hurdle race. Every one likes to see the runner step the barriers, but few people know or realize the amount of time and effort that is spent in grooming and training the modern hurdler to do that '^stepping." ^ ^Stepping'' over the barriers is the whole secret of present-day speed hurdling. The stepping idea brings into play all the other things that are so essential to fast hurdling, such as the thrust with both arms, the quick snap over of the back leg, and the quick get- away so necessary to the expert of this game. But you say, ^^It isn't every hurdler that can step over a hurdle as it should be done." Right you are, and he should not be a hurdler, that is, a high hurdler, if he cannot step over the barriers. A high hurdler must have speed and long legs in order to come near the top in the hurdling game. A man must be able to do 189 190 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the hundred in lOVo seconds or better, and have legs that are strong and possess a long split. After such a man has been found, the next move is to get him so that he can handle his long legs and use that split of his to advan- tage. Remember I am talking about the high hurdler now, not a low hurdler. The latter does not have to meet such exact requirements. The chances are that this man, when found, has been plodding away at the sprint game, but has been just a little too slow to win any- thing better than a third or fourth once in a while. In that case he vdYL be able to find himself well enough to try topping the ob- stacle. He will probably find that he has to jump it in order not to strike his knee on the hurdle as he goes over. That is where he makes his first mistake. Do not jump the hurdle. He must insist on making himself ^^step'' over, even at the risk of skinning his knee. In time he T^iU be able to step over the obstacle and hardly ever touch his knee on it. A good exercise to practise before daily work- outs is to sit on the ground in the position of going over a hurdle. For a right-legged man, this position would be with the right leg stretched out in front and the left leg drawn up at the side, as if just on top of the hurdle. From that position, lean forward, stretching the left arm forward and parallel with the right leg. Force the upper part of the body THE SCIENCE OF HURDLING 191 forward and backward a number of times, keeping the upper part of the body from leaning to the right side. This stretches the muscles in both legs to a good advantage. Writers have said that there are as many forms of hurdling as there are coaches. Well, that may be so, but there are not that number of forms which will get one over the hurdle in the proper time. Let us first consider the take-off. A hurdler should be very careful of this part of the performance, as this is where he starts to do right or wrong. If he takes off too far away from the barrier, he is going to be forced to jump it, and that is going to spoil the whole thing. Do not take off more than six or seven feet from the hurdle. This will cause one to lift the knee up as in stepping over a curb, or some such thing; then as the front leg swings up, shove the opposite arm forward as far as possible and the other arm out about half- way. When the leg swings up, it swdngs the whole body toward the opposite side and the arm must get in there to counteract that. By getting the '^other arm^^ half-way out, one has a chance to work that in on getting down from the hurdle. Otherwise, one would be carrying it uselessly by the side. Now we have started off the ground. As the top of the hurdle is neared, the chest and the front leg, from the thigh to the knee, form a sharp 192 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS ^'V", both arms still being extended. Now on top of the hurdle, the front leg has started reaching for the ground and the back leg is snapping up from the ground. Right here is where the work of the^^other arm" comes in. As the back leg nears the top of the hurdle, this arm gives a quick, short snap back, and then immediately forward again, then, as the ground is neared, it snaps back, and then with a jerk forward as the back leg swings out for the next hurdle. This comes in the finer points of the game and is rather indistinct double action, but I mention it because there are so few^ that use it and I believe they all should try it. Of course, one can never do it if he permits his arms to fly out to the side in the old flying fashion. The arms must be kept by the sides as near the running position as possible. Now, I have gotten as far as almost to the ground. Here is another place that counts to a great extent, but if the man has taken-off for the hurdle as he should, the chances are good that he wiU land on the ground close to the hurdle. The entire distance covered in taking a hurdle should not be more than ten feet at the most. As a matter of fact, it should be about six feet to the hurdle and three feet beyond the hurdle. If the barrier can be taken in this manner, very little time will be lost in doing so and the hurdler will land in a EARL J. THOMSON Showing front knee lift and arm action on taking off for hurdles. -^^.,^..*«jM».l..^ EARL J. THOMSON Showing landing-position for unimpaired continuance of speed. THE SCIENCE OF HURDLING 193 position which wiU enable him to continue his speed to the next hurdle. Many hurdlers straighten up as they pass the top of the stick, but that is sure death to a man's speed. One's head should never rise above the level of its running position when taking a hurdle. t The low hurdles are somewhat different from the '^high". Many men make the mistake that they should be run in the same manner. The low hurdle should be taken in a big step. The same arm movement here applies as in the highs, but the body does not come so close to the top of the barrier as it does in the highs. The same rule applies as to the elevation of the body. Keep in the regular running position, and do not let the head bob up and down as the hurdle is stepped. In the low hurdles there is one thing that counts more than anything else and that is the drive which comes just as one takes off for the hurdle. A new man will use that drive in jumping the sticks, but it is used in shooting oneseK forward instead of up. Just as the hurdler is about to leave the ground, a strong push directly forward and not upward is given off his rear leg. That throws one forward and also helps him to keep close to the ground thereby maintaining his running speed. Remember, the back-leg action is the same as in the ^^highs." Seven strides is the orthodox number for 194 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the low hurdles. These may come easy for a long-legged man, or they may come too close. In case of the latter, one must get over the hurdle more quickly and shorten the strides a little. Very seldom are the hurdles too close together for the hurdler. A low hurdler should be able to nm the 220 yards in 23 seconds, or thereabouts, and he should be a man with a quick start, as many a low hurdle race has been won in the first hundred yards. One thing that I should like to warn low hurdlers about is the back-leg action. Re- member the lows are not run like the highs as regards to closeness of topping the sticks. If one tries to cut the low hurdle too close, he will have to crouch, and that throws him in a crouching position when he lands. This position is not the proper nmning angle and it will slow one up perceptibly. Another thing, do not snap the back leg over too soon ; that makes both feet land together too closely and shortens the stride too much. It also has a tendency to make one jump the hurdle. Take the hurdle in a regular stride as nearly as possible. That is the whole secret It is* very important to get the same arm action as one does in the ^^highs^', too. One little thing I might say in regard to nmning the low hurdles on a curve. You see, the curve has a tendency to throw one to the outside of his lane and one may possibly get THE SCIENCE OF HURDLING 195 into the lane next to him. At any rate, it many times raises much trouble with one's stride. To avoid aU this, run on the inside of the lane all the way. The lanes are gener- ally marked with a line on either side. Take the left-hand line and f oUow it all the way and you wiU have no trouble. Invariably the man over the last hurdle first, wins the race if he runs through and does not loaf on the job. Remember, too, that a third place this year is good for a second place next year if you keep at it, for the hurdle game is a thing you can always learn more about, no matter how long you have hurdled. It will always keep you thinking, and it is the man who thinks out his faults and the faults of the other fellow and improves his style to counter- act other faults who eventually becomes the top-notcher, and everybody wants to try for the top-notch if only for the fun of trying. You have got to have brains and learn to use your head, to hurdle properly, and you have to learn to stick, which are qualities that will always be useful in any walk of life, where there are always obstacles of one kind or another to be overcome. FIELD ATHLETICS Throwing the Weights HOW TO THEOW THE WEIGHTS BY JOSEPH HOENEE, JE. A BOY wlio rises to fame and glory in the ath- letic events of our schools and colleges is gen- erally recognized as one whose skill in the performance of athletic feats has enabled him to distinguish himself above his schoolmates. To be an athlete is one thing — this requires skill. To achieve fame is another thing, and this has for its foundation the ability to show athletic shill. Whether the boy athlete is a sprinter, high-jumper, pole-vaulter, distance- runner or weight-thrower, he is credited with having perfected himself to a certain degree in the art of athletics. The ability he has to show his skill in competition with others, and the reputation which comes to him as a result of his competitive performances go hand in hand. In other words, a boy may be able to jump high and sprint with great speed, but there is a big difference between jumping and sprinting, and jumping and sprinting in competition. Skill is therefore the first essential in the successful performance of an athletic feat. To show skill 199 200 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS in competition with others is ahnost another phase of athletics. If any one should tell you that there is more skiU in weight-throwing than in any other track or field event it would sound unreasonable, hut this is the truth. Putting the shot, throwing the hammer, and throwing the discus have al- ways been grouped together in a set of three as though they were " three of a kind." To say that a boy is a weight-thrower seems to imi^ly that he must be built like Hercules, and that if he throws one of the three weights he must be able to throw them all. It is true that weight-throwers as a rule are big men, but many times men with comparatively small frames have defeated others whose massive bulk towered above them. It is also true that a boy athlete often becomes quite proficient in throwing all three weights, but by practising and perfonning all three on all occasions he is actually working against great odds and hin- dering himself in an effort to make his per- formance represent the best that is in him. People make a great mistake in thinking that a twelve or sixteen pound shot or hammer is so heavy that it requires a two hundred and twenty-five pound man to hft it and toss it into the air. The average man carries ten pounds of clothing with him all the time. He could lug a twenty-pound suit-case for a block and never notice it, to say nothing of throwing it into the HOW TO THROW THE WEIGHTS 201 air if he wanted to. Just because the weight of a shot or hammer is confined to a small sphere a few inches in diameter he thinks it is so heavy that it would be absurd for him to attempt to perform any athletic feat with it, — or if it happened that he was not possessed of colossal strength he might even shirk from touching it. But it is a common saying among athletic authorities that '' any kind of a build is suited for any kind of an event. ' ' This is as true of the weights as it is of any other of the track or field events. Brute strength is not essential in weight-throwing. Skill is abso- lutely necessary. Thus any boy who understands the impor- tance of skill in weight-throwing can feel sure that he does not need to be the least bit stronger than any of his companions in order to excel in putting the shot, throwing the hammer, or throwing the discus. If he tries to perform all three weight events he must know what odds he is working against. If he wants to reach the point of highest efficiency in any one of them, he must know what constitutes skill in the per- formance of that event. He must know where to look for it and how to attain it. The three weight events differ from each other far more than what may be classed as the three jumps, — the high-jump, broad- jump, and pole-vault. The ^* spring '' in the muscles of the calf is essential in all of these events, 202 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS whereas different muscles are used and exer- cised in each of the three weight events. The shot-put is a one-arm push with all the body behind it. The discus-throw is a one-arm side pull, and the hammer-throw is a straight, back pull with both arms. A push and a pull are two absolutely different things from the point of view of muscular exertion and development, and although the side pull of the discus ap- proaches the straight, back pull of the hammer, the exertion of the body as a whole depends upon an entirely different set of muscles. The muscles developed in putting the shot and those developed in throwing the hammer or discus absolutely conflict. That is the reason why the three weight events are not ^ * three of a kind, ' ' and why a boy who tries to become highly pro- ficient in one of them can do so much more easily by leaving the other two alone. Putting the Shot In all of the weight events, skill is exemplified by the quick action, or *' snap." In putting the shot, quick action is the most important factor. There is no time for reflection after the put has once been started. The right foot should be placed just inside the ring of the seven-foot circle directly opposite the toe- board, or the front of the ring. The whole weight of the body should be balanced upon the O y K 2 M ►J fo -- H ^ hi . U ^S gs3 "^ 5 ^ W E- a O C 7 a: O 5 >^ S H fl O ti ^5 i^ S o S «»J ^ H H '^ !^ P5 -Sj ►t< (^ 5 3: >^'^ ^ ^ s Wc5 ° K ft* o j.'2 w fa g S s i o H 1-1 a c5 o ^ M H • !:^ o ^ 5^ '^ r .-H ^ "^S 2 '^ o S S a: Saw ^ H X H W J 03 ?0 o .^■* Z 63 p M 2 s^ O H w Q I H O cz: SI S HOW TO THROW THE WEIGHTS 203 right leg momentarily, and the knee bent slightly just before the spring forward is be- gun. The left leg should be extended with the toe of the left foot touching the ground so that a perfect balance can be maintained. The shot should be poised in the right hand in front of the shoulder so that the weight of the sphere rests upon the cushions of flesh covering the knuckle joints of the first and second fingers. The thumb and the fingers should clasp the shot with just enough pressure to hold the weight in position. Unless the fingers are very strong the weight should not be placed too high up on the cushions of the hand. The left arm should be extended straight out from the shoulder to further aid the balance. As soon as this position is assumed the weight of the body should be brought into a nice even up and down swing by a slight movement of the left leg. Instantly the body should be lurched forward without a single change by springing from the right foot. The right foot should then strike the ground somewhere near the center of the circle, and the left foot should come down, too, a few inches from the front of the ring on the left of the center. Both knees should be bent when the feet strike the ground, but the right slightly more than the left. From this crouching position the body should spring upward with just enough of a spiral to throw the whole weight of the body behind the right 204 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS shoulder, moving in an upward and outward direction. During this spiral spring the right arm should be thrust up and out and the left arm should be brought down with force to aid the spiral. When the feet strike the ground again the right foot will be flat up against the toe-board, and the left foot back. Important above all else is the way in which the shot leaves the right hand. The weight has been borne by the cushions over the knuckle joints of the first and second fingers from the start, but toward the end of the upward and outward thrust of the right arm the ball should roll up on the fingers and leave them at the tip. Virtually, there are four speeds in the entire act of putting the shot, — each one piled on top of the other so that the result of them all is the final velocity which gives the shot its momen- tum. The spring across the circle is speed number one. The spiral spring shoving the right shoulder upward and outward is speed number two. The thrust of the right arm is speed number three, and the ^^ slap " of the fingers as the ball rolls up and leaves the hand at the finger-tips is speed number four. Each one of these four speeds is of vital importance. To make use of them all and in perfect har- mony, getting the greatest value out of each one without depreciating the value of any other, constitutes the elements of skill in put- ting the shot. HOW TO THROW THE WEIGHTS 205 The problem of developing these speeds and of getting them to work together is a difficult one. They ought to be learned just as they are to be performed, but matters can be simplified somewhat by cutting out the first spring for- ward into the circle and by practising the last three speeds from the position near the front of the circle. In other words, by standing in the starting position with the left foot a few inches from the front of the ring, the body can be brought into a slight up and down swing by a slight movement of the left leg, and immedi- ately lurched into the spiral spring without the jump across the circle. This is properly called '* putting the shot from a stand,'' and it may be practised over and over again with ease until the spiral spring itself, the thrust of the arm, and the ** slap '' of the hand is perfected. Throwing the Hammer In throwing the hammer the question of quick action, or ^* snap," is again foremost, but unlike the act of putting the shot, quick action is not called for until the motion of the weight is well under way. The position for starting should be taken by placing the feet an easy dis- tance apart with the toes just inside the ring at the rear of the circle. The body should face the direction opposite that in which the ham- mer is to be thrown. The ball of the hammer 206 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS should be allowed to rest on the ground at the right and behind the person holding it, and it should be placed just far enough away so that it is necessary to bend the body around to the right. The handle should be gripped firmly by crooking the fingers over the straight wire bars. When this position is assumed the weight should be lifted from its resting-place with just enough speed to carry it in front and away from the body, a few inches from the ground. At the instant it reaches a point di- rectly in front of the body both arms should be straight, and the ball should then be swung upward on the left so that the handle can pass over the head. As the ball completes the first circle by passing in front of the body at the low point, both arms should again be straight. On the second swing the speed of the weight should be accelerated a trifle, and on the third swing, a trifle more. The knees will bend but the shoulders must be held back as the speed in- creases. Then comes the quick action. As the ball comes to the low point directly in front of the body, at the end of the third swing, the feet should leave their position and the whole body should whirl about with enough force to in- crease the speed of the hammer tremendously. The force of this quick movement must come from the body and not from the arms, for the arms must be held straight in line with the hammer handle all the time. When the ball HOW TO THROW THE WEIGHTS 207 approaches the low point for the last time the feet should strike a position and hold it. Then one hard pull with the legs and back will give the weight its final momentum as it rises to the point over the left shoulder where it must be released. Applying Centrifugal Force It is easy to see that centrifugal force plays a great part in throwing the hammer, but it is quite as easy to make a grave mistake in think- ing that lifting, pure and simple, has something to do with it. Centrifugal force, or the tend- ency of a revolving body to fly in a straight line from central point, is the whole thing. If a lift is resorted to when the centrifugal force cannot be controlled the throw will be a failure. The position of the body on the first three swings, as the ball passes the low point directly in front of the person holding it, will serve to show how the centrifugal force in the weight of the hammer acts, and how the body reacts against it. The ball is low to the ground, the knees bent, the arms straight, and the shoulders back. The weight of the hammer is pulling straight against the weight of the body and, if it were not for the feet pushing against the earth, a line drawn through the wire handle of the hammer would pass directly through the center of the mass of the body. Because the 208 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS feet do push against the earth this line passes a little above that point. But to size up the situation, here are two weights, — one whirling, and the other turning on a pivot. When the body leaves its pivot it must whirl also. The only difference between the two whirling weights lies in the fact that the lighter body describes the greater circle. Now if it were possible for the ball of the ham- mer to suddenly be held at one point in space the momentum of this little sphere would be immediately transmitted to the person on the other end of the wire, who, in turn, would either have to hang on and whirl around or fly off at a tangent. This is often the case when the heavy ball strikes into the soft earth. Exactly the same thing takes place when the body of the thrower suddenly comes to a stop by the feet taking a position at the end of the last whirl. It is obvious that at that time all the momentum of the body being transmitted to the ball would increase the speed of the ball to something terrific. A final pull is absolutely necessary in an effort to keep the body from being dragged from the point where it is anchored. The action in throwing the hammer has been described as consisting of three swings and two whirls, but this is not the only action or ** form " used. A double whirl is most com- mon among hammer-throwers although a sin- HOW TO THROW THE WEIGHTS 209 gle whirl is sometimes used by beginners and a triple whirl by experts. The part that the feet play in the whirl has not been mentioned for the simple reason that the action of the feet depends entirely npon the weight and height of the man. Some ex- pert hammer-throwers barely touch their feet to the ground except when the ball passes the low point. In this case there seems to be a sort of double action of the body like that of a cat when it is held by the feet and dropped, — the fore feet come down first, and the hind feet afterwards. With the hammer-thrower the trunk of the body seems to turn first. The feet follow quickly, but are clear around and on the ground again before the swing of the hammer has completed a circle. There is still another type of hammer-thrower who pivots his weight on the toe of the left foot all through the whirl, the right foot striking the ground only at the low point. Such methods, however, are un- coromon and are made of practical value only by years of experience. Skill in throwing the hammer is the outcome of careful study in practice with regard to the relation between the weight of the sphere and the weight of the body during the time that both are whirling at a high speed. The first three swings of the hammer may be practised by releasing the handle over the left shoulder at the end of the third swing. A throw of any 210 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS distance cannot be hoped for without at least one whirl, for high speed is impossible unless the whole body is brought into action. Throwing the Discus The discus-throw is the most graceful and the most difficult to master of the three weight events. The discus only weighs about four and one-half pounds, — so here is an event success in the performance of which is surely based upon a preponderance of skill — hence the dif- ficulty. The average man of strength could put the twelve-pound shot from thirty to thirty-five feet without practice while an expert could hurl it only half again as far. It is well to say that the average man of strength could throw the discus about sixty feet, while an expert could sail it out one hundred and twenty-five feet, or more. The ' ' form ' ' of throwing the discus is much simpler than that of either the shot or the ham- mer — that is, an idea of how the act should be performed can be grasped very readily — but to perform the act is another thing. The right foot should be placed just inside the ring at the rear of the circle and the left foot an easy stride toward the center. The discus should be placed against the palm of the right hand, just allowing the tips of the first three fingers to turn on the rim. The fingers should be quite HOW TO THROW THE WEIGHTS 211 close together. The edge of the discus should never be gripped, for it is held in place by fric- tion against the palm with the finger ends act- ing as a stop. The position of the discns can be made more secure by pressure against the left hand held near the left shoulder, or by a semicircular swing of the arm at the right. The body should twist with the motion of the right arm, and the left arm should be extended to preserve the balance. Such a swing is the very first movement to be made when the throw is commenced. When the right arm is in the rearmost position on the back half of the swing, the feet should leave their position and one quick snappy whirl should be made. All through this whirl and at the finish the back of the hand should be up. The discus will be held in place largely by centrifugal force, and when released should spin on its flat surface, sliding forward from the tips of the fingers and rising always with its plane parallel to the face of the earth. This is the trick, to get it to sail out without wabbling, and to give it great velocity by performing the feat with lots of *^ snap." When the sail is perfected, the velocity may be increased by a quick movement of the wrist, causing an increased pressure of the finger-tips against the rim of the discus after it has slipped from the palm of the hand. Skill in throwing the discus lies in getting the greatest value out of each of three com- 212 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS bined speeds, namely : the whirl of the body, the swing of the arm, and the snap of the wrist at the finish. The last two may be practised from a standing position, and even in throwing the whirl may be omitted by jumping forward in the circle when the arm swings back on the start. Centrifugal force is important through- out the act of throwing the discus although it is more of an incident to the act than a main factor in it. It serves to keep the discus from falling out of the hand, and it allows for the accumulation of greater resultant speed than is possible in a straight throw by jumping across the circle and omitting the whirl. When a boy has learned how to throw the weights and has developed a certain amount of skill in executing the act, he ought to be made to realize that what he has thus far attained is means to an end, and not an end in itself. The underlying motive that we all have when we work diligently at any one thing is the desire to excel. Matching the results of our efforts against the efforts of others and seeing and recognizing the progress that we have made is the compensation which we derive from our labor. There is no athlete alive who does not know what it is to be defeated. There is not an athlete in the world who does not know what it means to win. To fight one's way through the hazards of competition in any kind of an athletic event is difficult enough, but a competi- HOW TO THROW THE WEIGHTS 213 tive performance in the weight events, strange to say, is peculiar to itself in this respect. The rules of competition allow only three throws with a weight. An athlete watches his progress from day to day by comparing his best marks in practice, and he is sure to have taken from twenty-five to fifty tries before he concludes that he has reached his limit for that day. When he finds himself limited to three throws in competition he wants to equal the best mark that he has made in practice and, what is more, he fully expects to. The question is, how is he going to do it? In higher circles of athletics an athlete watches the progress of his competitors by the reports given out in the newspapers. It often happens that a mere misprint in regard to the distance of a certain throw will lead to the de- feat of a formerly victorious athlete. He knows his own limit even though he continually hopes for a record throw to be credited to him as the result of some superhuman effort. If the newspaper states the distance ^^ 48 feet " when it should have been ' ' 43 feet, ' ' that little fact is quite likely to unnerve him and cause his downfall. This serves to show that weight- throwing is not entirely a game of skill against skill, but a game of man against man. Bitter experience is the only teacher when it comes to be a game of human nature, but a few * * point- ers ' ' will help any boy who wants to do his best 214 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS when be matches his efforts against others of his class. An effort to exert the greatest amount of strength when the weights are being thrown accomplishes the least. All of the strength that one can sum up is necessary, but the machinery of the human body is so constructed that all acquired skill will vanish when an extreme ef- fort is made to exert strength. Skill being the first essential, the mind must forever nourish the thought of skill, and must forever be con- scious of the part which skill plays in the act. Too much practice and too little serious study will turn the mind from the right direction quicker than anything else. When such a cir- cumstance exists there is just one simple rule to follow — lay the weights on the shelf and leave them alone. A week of abstinence from practice will not hurt any weight-thrower. GOTTRDI^?" MAKING WORLD'S RECORD BROAD JUMP OF 25 FT. 3 IN. AUGUST, 1921, AT HARVARD STADIUM. :MEil(_i:iJ OP PENN., l>riEK< uELEtxIATE CHAMPION IN 1912 AJSTD 1913. NOTE THE HEIGHT ATTAINED, AND THE POSITION OF THE BODY. PLATT ADAMS OF THE NEW YORK THROWING EYEKY MUSCLE INTO A ATHLETIC CLUB JUST BEFORE FINAL EFFORT TO GAIN DISTAXCK LANDING. BEFORE LANDING. THE BROAD JUMP FIELD ATHLETICS The Jumps THE EUNNING BROAD -JUMP, THE HIGH -JUMP, AND THE POLE- VAULT BY JAY B. CAMP Geokge Conitoks, who has developed so many athletes at Phillips-Exeter Academy, among them J. P. Jones, always insisted that anybody with two good legs could make good at track. In jumping and vaulting there is no sustained effort to tax the heart or other internal organ, and two normal legs remain the only require- ment. Probably many track-men have become acquainted with their specialty when very young, perhaps as early as at ten years of age. There is an advantage in starting at such an age when the proper muscles may be stimu- lated and natural and correct movements ac- quired unconsciously. But before college age there are few, I believe, who profit by pro- longed concentration, in successive years, on any one of the field-events. As a steady diet, real games like football, baseball, tennis, or golf are preferable preparation for college track. In fact it is only rarely that any boy who has trained seriously in high school reaches more 217 218 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS than mediocrity in college. On the other hand, men with an all-round muscular development often start green in college and make a phe- nomenal success. The lack of natural ability may be offset by a few years of training, since any type of physique is adaptable to the three field events considered here. Let every one, then, who is not already occupied in some spring training, consider the possibilities of track athletics with the view of giving them a trial. Broad-jumping, high-jumping, and pole- vaulting are based on the same rhythms and movements, and for that reason are best stud- ied and practised together. The two elements of the broad- jump are spring and speed, i. e. height and carry. Forward momentum at the take-off is to be suddenly transformed into up- ward motion, and what is not so used up carries the body on out into the pit. The more speed one has at the take-off the harder it is to spring against it high enough to take advantage ; and if with less speed it is easier to spring high there may not be enough momentum left to get the benefit of the height. It is the speed that must be subordinated to the spring, however, as in both the other events. In working at the broad-jump it is well to insure a uniform run by having three marks, which one starts from or touches with the jumping foot. The first one must be ninety THE RUNNING JUMPS 219 feet or more, and tlie last between forty and fifty-five feet from the take-off. The one indis- pensable feature is a steady stride which al- ways lands the foot squarely on the board, a connection which must be made so automatic- ally that no uncertainty can slow up the ap- proach. Accelerate your pace evenly over every mark, gathering speed up to the last four strides, when you begin to coast a little as you gather all your forces for the last supreme ef- fort. From the shortest mark should be done the regular practising for height and spring, with a hurdle in the pit about six feet or less from the board. In taking-off, one springs up the short side of a right-angled triangle whose hypothenuse is the ground, and slides down the long side into the pit. The rise should be at an angle of about sixty degrees with the ground, and the hurdle is a help in working up to so abrupt a change of direction. The spring is largely controlled in the last long crouching stride, from which you straighten up with a lift of the back, arm-swing, and sudden kick. This kick nearly splits the non-jumping leg from its mate ; but the latter chases along behind as best it can until the man behind the legs lifts them both to his chest to add the last inches to the distance. The mechanical basis of the art of high- jumping is the so-called hitch-kick. In the fol- lowing directions a left-footed jumper only will 220 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS be considered, for briefness, and right-footed jumpers must reverse all the lefts and rights. Whichever foot one puts over a hurdle first, or punts a football with, is sure to be the best for the non-jumping foot. Both these exercises, especially the latter, are splendid for high- jumpers. To learn the hitch-kick, stand on the jumping foot, with the other, the right, balanced eighteen inches off the ground. Spring up and down on the toes of the right foot imtil you can do it energetically without thinking. Now add a kick up to the spring of the right foot, and get it back to ground before the left foot can come down from its perch. When you can put lots of style into this performance try it on a little jump into the pit, without a cross-bar, and without a turn. In this way one lands facing forward, and on the jumping foot. Practise this also with the cross-bar from one to three feet high and don't be afraid to hit the ground tail first. Even when you can kick the jumping foot higher than your head, from a stand, and bring it down on the same spot, while the other leg is left shoulder high in full flight, don't fool yourself into thinking that you have practised this enough. Mike Sweeney, whose jump of six feet six, made with a simple hitch-kick form, was the world's record for twenty years, was equally supreme at high-kicking. In this figure the jumping foot strikes the bar or target and gets back to earth before the ocher, although THE RUNNING JUMPS 221 generally an instant later than the back of one's neck. The jig movements which the other leg does in the air, in the meantime, are rather amusing after one has succeeded in understand- ing them. Besides high-kicking, both standing high and broad jumping are excellent practice for the running high-jump. For a standing high-jump one crouches with the side toward the bar and jumps otf both feet, at the same time swinging the arms up hard and lifting the back. The scissor-kick over the bar is to be extended into a hitch-kick as much as possible. If you hit the ground flat on your back it will help you to realize how you cleared the bar, i. e. with the back down and horizontal. This is called a lay-out. Every ordinarily good jumper clears the bar with this lay-out, the body show- ing a straight line from knees to shoulder which is parallel to the ground. Generally, though not always, the back is parallel to the cross-bar and flat to the ground, at the moment of clear- ance. Whatever form you may use now is sure to be different before you jump very much higher, so that you will do well to start practising right on the correct basic form described here. Start with a wide side wise run and the old- fashioned scissor-kick. Snapping the left or last leg over and down before the other gets to ground will shift the scissor over into a hitch-kick. Make sure of that lay-out at the 222 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS cost of a hundred falls if necessary, as the in- jury to your back is less permanent than the damage to your form if you clear the bar sit- ting up or doubled forward. Keep trying a more direct approach of the bar, until you run at it at right angles. In the last two strides you may cut across to your left, but it is better to take only one swerving step, that is on the very last stride. This toeing-out to the left allows the non- jumping or kicking leg a longer swing so that more power is available for the hitch- kick. In punting a football the kicker does this same thing to increase the reach and speed of the kicking foot. With the aid of the hitch-kick this shift of direction on the last stride will wheel the body enough in the air to bring it parallel to the bar, so that one comes down side- wise to the bar or facing it. Don't try con- sciously for a turn, as the less you get the better. Face the bar squarely as you spring, with no twist in the waist or hips. It is per- missible after the body has fully cleared to twist down on to the feet and avoid sprawling backwards into the pit. Even then it helps the jump not at all. The test of a high- jumper is his run. Only one style of stride will fit, and this must be acquired by those who, unfortunately, do not have it naturally. It is made up of a succession of bounds, which do not take the runner up into the air but nearer the ground, and very J. B. CAMP OF HARVARD. CAMP TIED FOR FIRST PLACE IN THE INTER- COLIiEGIATES OF 1914. WAGOXEK OF yALE, FORMER. IKTER- COLEEGIATE RECORD-HOLDER, POISING HIS POLE BEFORE STARTING HIS RTTN. J. B. CAMP CLEARING 12 FEET AT THE OLYMPIC TRY-OUTS, JUNE, 1912, FOR THIRD PLACE. WAGONER OVER 12 FEET, 6 INCHES. THE POLE-VAULT THE RUNNING JUMPS 223 smoothly forward. You strike on the heels first, but not flat-footed, since you roll across the foot from heel to toe and off, allowing the knee to bend decidedly as the weight passes directly over the foot. Approach the bar with eyes on the ground under it, as though you were sneak- ing to a position for a shot at a deer. This rolling character of the run is closely dupli- cated in the vaulting and broad- jumping run, though the sneaking into each crouched stride and rising elastically out of it, is much less noticeable than here described, and has little up and down motion and more forward im- petus. The marks for the approach are best ad- justed so that the first mark is about twenty feet back of the main mark, which is itself ex- actly four good long running strides from the spot where the last foot leaves the ground. As you run easily over the main mark take from it a high-step which is twelve to eighteen inches longer than the normal stride. The recovery from this hop is the most difficult detail of the run. This high-step is long rather than high, but not so long that you cannot alight from it with the weight well over the forward leg, and slide into the next stride with no perceptible loss of speed. The second and third strides from the main mark gather speed. In the fourth and last stride you plant your left foot so far ahead of you, and well toed out, that you 224 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS are pretty well down near the ground, as if do- ing the split. The right leg shoves off as strongly as it can to start its kick, and the back, leg and opposite arm swing up together. The whole leg from the w^aist down, but most espe- cially the knee, bears the burden of such a jump, which has been described as running against and bouncing off one's leg. As in the broad- jump the speed must be reduced so that it does not kill the spring. However, most fellows fail to realize the full strength of their leg, as they lack the confidence and fight to run in hard and still get away with a good jump. A powerful man is really not able to run fast enough to develop the full recoil resistance of his jumping leg, provided his form is natural enough so that it will not break down under pressure. There are many different styles of jumping and the most conspicuous jumpers often have the most specialized form. None but a spe- cially gifted man can hope to succeed without the continual aid of a really expert coach. No finished form exists which can have a better beginning than the simple and physically cor- rect jump outlined above. This very outline will fit approximately the special details of the form practised by practically every man who has jumped six feet. A beginner must avoid freak specialties and acquire those good habits which will in the end adapt themselves advan- tageously to what eccentricities he may develop. THE RUNNING JUMPS 225 Pole-VauUing Pole-vaulting is an art most readily mas- tered by a good hurdler, broad-jumper, or high- jumper, in the same way that a good vaulter has also an aptitude for the last-named events. Brute strength is not worth its weight, although many powerful fellows weighing over one hun- dred and sixty pounds must be conceded to be of championship caliber. In any case agility is indispensable, and it is a general rule that suc- cessful vault ers have previously shown class at some other sport. E. A. Gardner, of Yale, was U. S. Amateur Golf Champion before he won the Intercollegiate pole-vault. Babcock, of Columbia, was a high-jumper and broad- jumper on the N. Y. A. C. team before he competed as a vaulter and won the Intercollegiate and Olym- pic championships. None who cannot perform creditably at some other field event or sport are likely to meet with success at pole-vaulting. Of the two distinct styles of vaulting the most elementary is the easiest beginning for a novice. This consists in not shifting the hands from the position they hold when running down to the take-off. Bill Quinn, late field-events coach at Harvard, said of this that it would teach a man more than most coaches could. Al- though many coaches as well as candidates neg- lect it, the exercise of vaulting without shifting the lower hand is the most valuable of all 226 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS practice stunts. Both novice and expert should practice this way regularly, as here described. It is taken for granted that every one vaults off his left foot, holding the pole on the right side when running. It is best to be content with a six-foot height at first, and have a reg- ular practice mark of 35 to 40 feet from the hole. Hold the pole low, at arm's length on the right side, gripping tightly with the hands about thirty inches apart and thumbs toward the upper end of pole. In the last two strides swing the pole out ahead from the side and let it slide along the ground into the socket, and quickly swing the arms over the head in a wide upward curve. Very little energy or speed need go into the run, as the whole thing is the spring up under the pole. On springing, shove down into and against the pole as if to bend it double. While the lower arm shoves desper- ately and the upper or right is braced for a pull, the body lifts itself against this fulcrum so that the chest grazes the pole, and the thighs, closely doubled up, slide along it. The muscles connecting the shoulders and torso are the ones which do the work, and they alone have license to tire soon. A full lift without any twist what- soever will turn the back up and the belly down over the bar, when the handstand on the pole is completed. In the last minute lift with back and arms into a close jack-knife, vdih the knees near the chin and the cross-bar in between, and THE RUNNING JUMPS 227 shove off clear. In this exercise, as in all other practice work and vaulting at low heights, the standards should be set a foot or more back from the hole in order to give distance as well as height and to encourage a very long swing and a delayed but sharp pull-up. This is in the nature of advance preparation for the greater heights. Elaborate coaching is confusing to a begin- ner, who starts worrying when he is on top of the cross-bar about what he has been told to do, and forgets what he is then about and makes some new blunder. Of course those rare can- didates who stop to think before they vault, and having everything settled in their heads then give their whole souls to the deed, are material for future champions. However, vaulting itself is of little use to most men for unvaried practice, and the simplest way to court improvement is in the repetition of fool- ish isolated exercises until the separate ele- ments are introduced as habits into the general vaulting. Of these, the first and last is vault- ing without a shift, which is, indeed, of little help to many because they are so weak in the body and shoulders that it seems hard and they give it up before they can do it well. The sec- ond is vaulting with a shift, but without a turn and not using a cross-bar. Use the regular practice mark of 35 to 40 feet and, at first, a hold of only as high as you can reach on the 228 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS pole, when it is standing npright in the hole. Run down slowly, and as you are planting the pole in the hole, slide the lower or left hand up close to the right, and extend the pole high above the head before the jumping foot springs off the ground. Swing out at arm's length until nearing the ground and then pull your head up as far as you can along the pole, at the same time clamping this to the stomach and the knees to the chest. Strike the dirt in this position, where you will hit first on your feet, but over- balanced forward. Later with a higher hold and an acute pull after the pole has swung past ver- tical you may land out beyond the pit, dragging the pole with you and sprawling forward on hands and knees. This exercise may be used with the bar at low heights, but no more than seven feet. It should teach a long free swing and help eliminate the body twist mth which so many sloppy vaulters imitate the turn. The impetus of a pull-up that is delayed until the pole has swung through to an inclination of seventy-five degrees angle to the ground, or more, will turn the body instantly through a half revolution, so that the breast faces the bar and one lands facing it. The twin of this may be practised without pit or run, when holding about seven feet up the pole. Plant the pole ahead of you, take a step, and pull up on it until head, knees, and hands are together and the pole is passing by the hips, and stay there THE RUNNING JUMPS 229 until it lias swung on and dropped you, still hunclied up, on your feet. The same thing can be done on a climbing pole in a gymnasium, where the German horse and tumbling are also recommended for vaulters. For a good illus- tration of the movements which follow the pull-up and give the turn, proceed as follows : Grasp the pole with the hands together and the lower end in the hole or against a wall; then squat with back to said hole or wall, and the pole at a ten degree angle with the ground. With head, knees and hands in the same line pull the pole through, past the hips. Pull hard enough to bring yourself to a position facing the hole or wall, and in a direction so that the pole has passed close by your right ear all the while. Exactly this should happen when you vault with the difference of ninety degrees in the plane of the experiment. After a long swing, a delayed pull-up and a handstand on the pole with jack-knife have been learned, there remains only the detail of handling the pole and getting off the ground smoothly. Indeed in a couple of good years of experience most men master these matters, naturally, and the so-called detail gets to be the whole art of exceeding the present height limit of thirteen feet two and one-quarter inches. When holding high on the pole one enters the vault with the pole only a few de- grees away from horizontal or dead-center. 230 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Against the speed of a spirited run it requires quickness and precision to swing the pole up and out of dead center, before the weight of the vaulter crashes head-on against the upward rise of the pole. A strong spring, i. e. the recoil of the body into the air from a braced leg, will assist the pole into its swing. If in addition to this one is dangling at full arm's length, the jar of the change of direction is felt less. A perfect tangent curve from the ground gives the least possible jar, and such a fast swing as will aid the pull-up. The marks for the run are the same as for the broad-jump, and measured from the hole where the pole lodges. The jumping foot should take-off from a spot exactly under the hands when they are held at the proper point on the pole for the following vault, the pole being in the hole and the arms extended above the head. On every vault watch the mark your foot makes in the dust and test it to see if it is just under your hands as they hold the pole up high. The manner of holding the bamboo for the run is rather important. The hands grasp it loosely, about three feet apart, so that the forward end is pointing up at an angle of thirty degrees. The body must face squarely down the path ; the shoulders alone are twisted toward the line of the pole. The right arm is twisted so that the elbow is directly above the pole. This rests against the heel of the palm. THE RUNNING JUMPS 231 fingers loose. The left shoulder reaches as far forward and to the left as it can go, in order that this elbow may be directly under the pole, which rests between the bent-back first finger and thumb on the palm of the hand. In this fashion one runs practically free of the pole, which balances itself between the palms of the hands. Only the shoulders are askew and the body faces directly forward with no sidewise strain. About three strides from the take-off the pole must be cast ahead spear-fashion, with one hand, and wait in the hole, where it is al- ready swinging up as you take the last stride. As you spring the pole should already be at arm's length, overhead. Failing in this perfec- tion of detail, be sure to shove it up above you as far and as quickly as possible. Don't forget that the whole weight of your body must come against and be sustained by the jumping leg as much as in the broad- jump, or your dead weight against the pole will slow its swing quite hope- lessly. To this end the run is down in a crouch, in the last few strides, and one has turned off some of the speed and is coasting while gather- ing strength for the extra effort of the spring. A beginner need not worry much with the complicated descriptions here, but with the aid of the exercises go ahead and vault. Improve- ment inevitably comes very slowly and it is a four or five years' course for a degree of ex- pert. Ten feet or so is all that it is worth while 232 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS doing in high school, as without good coaching the higher a fellow goes the worse the faults he develops. The college stars are largely men who have not done eleven feet before they went to college and have started to vault only in the last years or year of preparatory-school. Training for Jumps For high school boys, training is a different matter than for college fellows, especially in the common lack of a really reliable coach. At this age exercise and not training is to be sought. Three days a week is the maximum limit for practice, of which only one may be used for competition of any kind. For college men, four days is the most to be desired. No broad- jumper should jump more than twice a week, although at this event as at the others there should be a liberal mixture of various exercise for its own sake. Sprinting, hurdling, and long jogs after practice should be a regular part of the early season work, but as the meets come along, absolutely all exercise beyond the limited practice of one's special event should gradually be abandoned for absolute rest. Be- fore and after a meet as well there ought to be a rest of two days at least. This is because the field events exhaust little muscular energy but a great deal of nervous force, which can be re- placed and accumulated only by inaction. For THE RUNNING JUMPS 233 the same reason strict training beyond enough sleep and decent care of the diet is inadvisable. One has to take particular pains with the way he performs in a meet. Many capable men fail to show when they get where there is a little excitement. It is best to look forward to meets as little as possible, and, even when on the point of jumping, to think as little as may be of the crowd of spectators and how badly you want to beat your opponent. This is the crucial time for concentration of every faculty on the jump itself. As you stand ready to leave the mark, take a full minute to visualize your whole ac- tion. Imagine it all so keenly that you can feel in your muscles what each one is doing as you seem to feel yourself clearing the bar. Don't start until every muscle has repeated satisfac- torily the message you sent it. Entertain no doubts or fears at this time, but only the sensa- tions of jumping or vaulting. In this way one leaves the mark with the whole body intent on its duty, and the mind a blank except for a feel- ing of tension. Watch against checking or forcing the run because of excitement. This system may make your head tired but it avoids perplexity of head or muscles. One must elimi- nate all personal emotion to concentrate on his performance as on a mathematical problem. Worrying as to how high the opponent will go, wishing him a failure on his attempt, thinking of the reward of victory or defeat: all these 234 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS lessen one's own efficiency. To be cheerful and care-free between jumps, to be indifferent to the triumphs and the failures, is to really enjoy the sport as such. It leaves pleasanter memories and, win, lose, or draw, makes the sport worth the candle. THE HIGH JUMP BY LEROY T. BROWN At least six men in this country to-day are jumping as high as six feet, four inches. This is the first time in the history of track athletics that so many men at one time have been jimiping so well. No two of these use exactly the same style. Each seems to have found the one best suited tolhim and developed it. However, there are some things which I shall speak of that they allihave in common. No man who has not some natural ability can be a successful jumper. It is true that the various points can be learned, but after the bar gets above six feet, the real test comes. At this height more than simply a knowledge of ^^how it is done^' is necessary. The majority of the jumpers — especially those in the East — use what is known as the double-kick, or ^ ^hitch-kick' ^ . In the following directions, a left-footed jumper only will be considered because of the briefness of this article, and right-footed jumpers must reverse all the directions from right to left. 235 236 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS The best way to learn the hitch-kick is to run a few steps and jump from the left foot, kicking the right as high as possible. The tendency will be to land on the right foot, but instead, just before it reaches the ground, kick it up once more and come down on the left, the foot you jumped with. This will come hard at first, as you get the impression that you will fall, but after a little practice it is easily mastered. Now try the jumping, over a low bar — say a at three feet — until you are used to the feeling of kicking twice while clearing the bar. The proper time to kick the right foot the second time is.when the left is just going over the bar. After this:has been learned so that it is done more or less mechanically, it is time to learn the turn. This, no doubt, you will find more difficult to apply after having learned it, but is one of the most essential points, as in turning you raise your tail up over the bar, adding two or three inches to the height of the jump. Once more, as in learning the kick, try it first without the bar. This time, at the second kick of the right leg, swing the right arm up also and turn towards the left which would be towards the bar. When you can do this, try it at a low height. You will probably not be very successful until after considerable prac- tice, but after mastering these two or three movements you have the most important '-3 M THE HIGH JUMP 237 things in this style of jumping and can now go on into the minor details. We^ll now consider the approach to the bar. It is just as important that a jumper know the proper way to run as it is for a sprinter, so do not run at the bar slovenly, but use a good springy step, one that will not tighten up your muscles but wiU leave you ready to gather yourseK together for the spring when you reach the take-off. It is better to keep your eyes fixed on the point w^here you are planning to jump from than to watch the bar. Person- ally, I favor a straight run without any hops or skips, as nothing is gained by either of these methods, and considerable speed is lost. Each time the bar is raised, more speed is required to lift one over, and when jumping around six feet it is necessary to sprint. The length of the run will vary with the individual, as some men like a long run, while others prefer a short one. The distance from the starting-place to the bar should be measured, and the start always made from the same place, so the jumper will not have to think about it, once he has started his run. The take-off should be as close to the bar as one can possibly make it — the closer the better — for when you take off near the bar you can direct all your energy into going straight up into the air. Remember that you are high-jumping, notbroad-jumping. 238 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Either run directly at the bar and swerve a Uttle on the last stride, or start a short distance to the right of the center of the bar, so that the line of approach makes an angle of about sixty degrees with it. This allows you to get up close to the bar and still get in the turn. You should be able to kick at least as high as your head, as it is the first kick that helps to get you up in the air. Much benefit can be derived from practising kicking at objects over your head. Bending over so you can touch the floor with your hands while keeping the legs stiff is a good way to loosen the legs for high-kicking. Every good high-jumper has a lay-out. By that I mean, his body is parallel to the bar as he goes over it. It is impossible to get this before you have learned the turn and hitch- kick, but when you know these so you can jump five feet, six, tr}" yourself out flat as you clear the bar. The best way to get this is to throw the head back and arch the back up. It is impossible to obtain any height sitting up or doubled forward, so learn this at the cost of a hundred falls, if necessary. If you do land flat on your back, youll have the satis- faction of knowing that that is the way you went over the bar. It will take considerable practice to master these things. One can not learn to be a jumper in a day nor a week, but you'll find THE HIGH JUMP 239 yourself improving steadily if you devote yourself faithfully to mastering these funda- mentals. You will probably notice things I haven't mentioned, such as where to hold your arms while in the air, or the proper way to land, but, as I said, no two men use exactly the same form and these minor points are what make them differ from each other. For that reason I think it is a mistake for a man to copy another jumper's style exactly. THE OLYMPIC GAME OF 1920 THE OLYMPIC OF 1920 BY EARL J. THOMSON I suppose that in other countries as well as in this one, many hearts were made glad and many were made sorrowful by the '^try-outs'' which were held in every country that sent a team to the Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920, but those who remained behind furnished spiritual and financial aid and were '^pulling" for their athletic representatives from the time they left home until they were safely back again. As is usual, during the trip to the scene of the games, everything was made as comfort- able as possible for the athletes. Those who had to make long voyages by boat had all manner of contrivances fixed for them to work out on. The swimmers had their improvised tank, pole-vaulters had a rope to swing on, marksmen had their targets to shoot at, and so it went. Systematic training was indulged in by every one in order to keep in as good condition as possible under the circumstances. Antwerp was reached in safety by every- body, and then began a period of intensive training for the Games, which were only a week away. British, Swedes, French, Bel- 243 244 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS gians, and all the rest turned lap after lap together and took practice, start after start, together. All this tended to promote good- fellowship and sportsmanship among the com- peting nations, many of which a few months before were almost bitter enemies. This general rubbing of elbows at the Stadium and in tov^ii at the various ^^open houses", held by the different countries at their head- quarters, probably did more for the furthering of better relations among the younger gener- ation of the competing countries than all the Four Power Treaties and International Peace Conferences put together. A word or two might be said in passing about the hospitality of the Belgians during our stay in their country. All visiting teams were met at the dock or station and guided to their respective quarters. The larger teams were put up in the large Belgian schools and the smaller teams stayed in hotels, as did also the officials of the countries. The schools were not quite as sanitary as they might have been, but on the whole the}^ furnished plenty of room for the comfort of aU the men. All except the track men had plenty of room to practise their respective sports. Most countries had their own cooks, and all meals were served at the schools. Strict training rules were observed, and ^^lights out'^ came at ten-thirty every night. Each school was THE OLYMPIC OF 1920 245 decorated with the flags and colors of the country inhabiting it and visits between the different schools were an every-day occurrence. On ^^open house'' nights amusement was furnished by the country entertaining. Danc- ing, speeches, and singing w^ould be in order the entire evening. The opening day of the games was something that will live in the minds of the participants in those games for many years to come. The day dawned clear and warm, and shortly after lunch every competitor went out to the Stadium. They were lined up four-abreast in the alphabetical order of the countries and marched past the reviewing stand in which sat Their Majesties the King and Queen of Belgium. As each country marched past the royal box, the command was given and the group saluted with ^^eyes left'' on the way in and ^^eyes right" on the way out. The athletes were then grouped according to country, and then followed the address to the King, the Sovereign's reply, pronouncing the Games officially to be opened, which was received with the sounding of trumpets, salutes of cannon, and the flying away of pigeons which bore about their necks the colors of the nations represented. At this set of Games there were two innovations; first, the pledges taken by the athletes, spoken aloud by one of them (a Belgian holding the 246 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS flag of his country) in the name of all, as follows: ^^We swear that we are taking part in the Olympic Games as loyal competitors, observing the rules governing the Games, and anxious to show a spirit of chivalry, for the honor of our countries and for the glory of the sport '\ The second innovation was the appearance of the Olympic flag, with its five entwined circles, multicolors on a white background, evoking the five parts of the world united by Olympism, and at the same time reproducing the colors of every nation. On the following day the track athletics began in earnest with the heats of the 400- metre hurdles, running high jump, and the javelin. Intense competition was had in every heat, semi-final, and final, and best of friendly feelings were at all times shown among the competitors from the opening race to the last. There were many examples of en- durance and prowess such as the ancient Greek himself might have been proud of, and much enthusiasm was shown in the final of of every race, the victor always being given a big hand by the crowd of spectators. One handicap for the English-speaking people at the games was the fact that aU the announcements were made in French, the distances being in metres. However, on the second day a gentleman from America came THE OLYMPIC OF 1920 247 to the rescue and translated the results and announced them to the crowd in English. I have not time to go into details here about the different races of the Games, but I do want to mention some of the outstanding features of the meet. The greatest feat performed at the 1920 Games was the winning of the classic Olympic marathon in the time of 2 hours 32 minutes, 35>i seconds (this time was fast, considering the course and the weather) by Hannes Kolehmainen, the sturdy Finnish- American runner, who came in seventy yards ahead of the second runner and was cheered long and loud by the crowd when he circled the track wearing the victor's crown and wreath. His running was all the more spec- tacular as Kolehmainen won both the five and ten thousand metre races at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. Other great feats performed at the Games were the winning of the 800-metres and the 1500-metres by A. G. Hill of England, the 3,000 and 10,000-metres walk by U. Fregerio of Italy, the breaking of the 400-metres hurdle by Frank Loomis of the United States, and the high-jump record by Dick Landon of the United States. Despite the conditions of the track, due to the newness of it and the frequent rains, an astonishing number of records were broken and equaled. World and Olympic records alike fell by the wayside. 248 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Aside from the track and field Games in connection with the Olympic Games there were a number of other attractions going on in Antwerp at the same time. The swim- ming meet, the tennis championships, the boxing tournament, and bicycle races drew their quota of followers, to say nothing of the various cafes and other offerings of Antwerp. After the Games in Antwerp, there was held in Paris a triangle meet between France, Sweden, and the United States. A picked team from the three countries competed and many closely contested races were staged. The funny part of the closely contested races was the fact that they were all between Frenchmen and Americans. In no less than four races that afternoon a French runner would lead up to within a few feet of the tape, only to be nosed out by an American. Some of the Frenchmen became a trifle riled at the last one or two of these finishes, but on the whole, the spirit shown was of the highest order of sportmanship. The boys were aU treated wonderfully in Paris and a big ban- quet was held in their honor just before they left. The time was short in Paris, in fact too short, as there was a big track meet scheduled in London between the British Empire and the United States. This meet was held at the famous Queens Club track and was really a big society event. THE OLYMPIC OF 1920 249 As is customary in the English meets, only the firsts counted, and those for only one point. There were ten events on the pro- gram and each country won five, so there were no hard feelings at the end of the day's sport. A great crowd attended and, as is characteristic of the English people, every winner received a great ovation. It certainly made one feel good just to be at that meet, whether he won or not. After this meet various groups were formed and some went to Sweden, some to Scotland to participate in track meets, while others went to visit relatives or sight-seeing or to be entertained by their English friends as only the British people know how to entertain. For those who stayed in London, there were various dinners, theatre parties, and the like, which were furnished by the Englishmen in charge of athletics in London and thereabouts. After about three weeks of London and travelling around, the last of the visiting athletes had returned to these shores and were back in college, or at their jobs. So the Olympic Games ended, and it was an experience which many of us shall never forget. We shall always be able to look back on the friends we made from all over the country, who were our comrades on the team, and the friends we made who did not have the good fortune to have been born in this country. BASEBALL SCIENCE VS. SKILL IN BASEBALL by ikviitg e. sanborn Tricks That Are Fair and Unfair Ever since baseball began to be governed by rules there has been constant v^arfare among the players, or active participants in the sport, and its rule-makers, or passive guardians. The playing rules of to-day are studded with regu- lations and clauses designed to correct abuses or to prohibit tricks which were unfair. No sooner is a new rule added to the list than the players begin to sit up nights trying to de- vise ways and means to beat it. All summer long shrewd brains of managers and their as- sistants are figuring methods to gain advan- tages over an opponent without transgressing the letter of the law. All vdnter long the club owners scheme to frame new rules or new wordings of old ones to frustrate attempts at unfairness. Therein lies one element of the game's continued success. The brainy players keep baseball progressing toward greater per- fection, while the governing board of rule- makers prevents fastening on the sport any 253 254 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS shrewd trick which would mar it in the eyes of the public, all the while permitting the science of the inside game to develop along legitimate lines. Not to go too far back into history, the rules used to forbid a substitute taking the place of a man in the game except in case of accident. That may sound odd to the younger generation, accustomed to see managers change pitchers at will and send in relays of substitute batsmen. In those days if a pitcher was batted hard his team had to take its medicine, but as few teams were well supplied with pitchers it did not matter much. Before long, as pitchers became more plentiful, the plan was devised of having a pitcher feign injury when a change was de- sired, and many a twirler used to wrench his ankle so severely sliding into a base that he had to be carried off the field. But once out of sight of the umpire the cripple (?) would start on the run for the clubhouse. After a few of these injured pitchers showed up in the box again for the following game the patrons mis- trusted the ruse and resented it. That was the cause of the rule permitting a manager to sub- stitute a player at any time. No sooner was that rule made than bright minds tried to beat it, and thereby hangs a story which, although often told, no amount of repetition can spoil. '' Mike " Kelly, one of the famous '' $10,000 beauties " sold by Chicago to Boston, was the SCIENCE vs. SKILL IN BASEBALL 255 hero of the tale. He accepted the new rule about substitutes literally. One day when Flint was behind the bat an opposing batsman hit a foul fly which was coming down near the Chicago bench. Flint could not get near it. Kelly, who was captain of the team, was sitting on the bench, so he yelled to Flint : ^ ^ You are out of the game, and I am in it," then jumped up and caught the foul. The umpire would not allow the play, the game was protested and the um- pire's decision was upheld. The balk rules are another and more prolific cause of trouble and trickery. Down at the rock-bottom of things a balk is any act of the pitcher which deceives the baserunner into thinking the ball is going to be delivered to the plate when it is not. In actual practice, how- ever, it has been found that, if a pitcher is not permitted to deceive the runner to some ex- tent, it is almost impossible to keep a fast man from stealing bases. If the rules were rigidly enforced a man who reached first base would immediately proceed to third too frequently for good sport. It is a popular misapprehension that all bases are stolen off the catchers, but they are powerless to prevent a fast runner stealing second base unless the pitchers help by '* hold- ing up '' the runners. The difference between a successful steal and being thrown out at second is all in getting the lead. Of course, the 256 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS catcher sometimes makes bad throws or drops the ball, but in general the average catcher has better than an even chance to throw out the average runner unless the pitcher allows him too long a lead off first base. When a runner steals third it almost always is the fault of the pitcher. It is to prevent stealing that the pitcher throws to bases to drive the runner back, not so much with the idea of catching a runner napping (as occasionally happens) as of ma- king him more cautious. For the same purpose the pitcher practises and tries to perfect a ^* motion, '^ as it is called. By this is really meant a balk, because its purpose is to deceive the runner and keep him in doubt as long as possible as to whether the ball is going to be delivered to the plate or thrown to the base. And it is necessary that this ^* motion '' pass muster with the umpires by observing the letter of the rules. Left-handed pitchers have the advantage in this respect, because they can watch the run- ner more closely while facing first base, and because of their peculiar delivery compared to that of the right-hander. But an old-time right- hander, named Vickery, had perfected the trick of stepping toward the plate or toward first base at will when he started his '' motion," and by this means he had the runners seriously worried. After several vears of constant SCIENCE vs, SKILL IN BASEBALL 257 watching one of his opponents discovered that when Vickery intended to throw to first base he kept his heels close together on the slab, but when he intended to pitch he stood with his heels apart. After the knowledge of this habit became general in the league he seldom caught a runner, and they stole many bases on him. When Frank Smith came to the "White Sox from Birmingham he had everything to make a winner except that he could not keep the run- ners from taking long leads. Base-stealing was easy for his opponents, and one day, after holding a team to a few hits and being defeated by baserunning, he blamed his catcher for los- ing the game. Owner Comiskey heard of this, summoned the pitcher to his private office and asked him if it was true. Smith admitted it, whereupon the magnate said: ** I have already given your catcher a call- down, but not for losing the game. He dis- obeyed my orders. I told him the next time he caught when you were pitching, if a runner on first started to steal second he must throw to third to head him oif. But he disobeyed me and kept throwing to second without a chance to get any one there." The pitcher sulked for a while but spent all the next winter and spring learning to pitch without tipping the runner off where the ball was going, and when the next championship season began he caught a dozen runners nap- 258 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS ping before they would believe he had acquired a '' motion." Some tricks have been attempted which were so manifestly unfair that they have been sup- pressed on the spot without resorting to special rules to forbid them. Not all of these were as barefaced, however, as a scheme which the Bloomington team worked some years ago on its old grounds. Left field was short and sloped off sharply to a lower level in which was located a pond which was out of sight of the rest of the playing field. It was not unusual for a ball which was hit over or past the left fielder to go into the water, in which case the batter made a home run. Edward Goeckel, later an umpire in the Chicago league, was arbitrating a series in Bloomington in those days, and noticed that the visiting team never seemed to hit any- thing into that pond, but every time the ball went over the slope it would be rescued in time to hold the batter on second or third, while the home team hit the pond several times. But he attributed that to the luck of baseball. In the final game of the series, near its end, the score was tied when one of the visiting players hit a long, high fly over left field. The fielder ran down out of sight after it, and as the ball came down it landed on the fly in the pond with such force that the splash of the water could be seen plainly from the home plate. Before the run- ner reached third base, however, the ball came SCIENCE vs. SKILL IN BASEBALL 259 back up over the hill, and the shortstop relayed it to the plate in time to cut off the run. In surprise Goeckel took the ball from the catcher and found it was absolutely dry. The home team had a cache of balls hidden down there in the grass where the fielder could find them and throw in a substitute every time a visitor made a hit into the water. Eeturning to the more legitimate schemes of players to outwit the rule-makers the history of the ^^ trapped ball '' or '' infield fly " rule is interesting. A long time ago it was discovered that, if there were runners on first and second bases with no one out, or only one out, and the batsman hit a pop fly to an infielder, that in- fielder had the baserunners at his mercy. He could muff the fly, forcing both runners off their bases, and make a double play on them by quick work. Or, if the runners expected the trick and started to run, the infielder could catch the fly, thereby retiring the batsman, and then double up one of the runners before he could get back to his base. So many infielders became proficient in this trick that a double play was practically certain every time an in- field fly was hit under those circumstances. To prevent this the club owners framed a rule that the batsman was out on an infield fly whenever first base was occupied with less than two out, but after a brief trial it was found that no double play could be made on 260 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS such a fly if there was a runner on first base only, provided the batsman ran to first as he should. Consequently the rule was modified, making it necessary, as is the case now, to have runners on both first and second bases before the batsman was automatically out on an infield fly. When first framed this rule did not define an infield fly, and that famous pair of ^' heavenly twins,'' as they were called, — Hugh Duffy, later manager of the White Sox, and ^' Tom *' McCarthy, now in business in Boston, — evolved a plan to beat the new rule. They were playing together in the outfield of the Boston team which won so many National league champion- ships. Any time an opposing batsman hit an infield fly with less than two out and runners on first and second, if either Duffy or McCarthy could run in far enough to get under the fly they would do so, even if the ball came down near the diamond. Then they would muff it and double up both of the baserunners on the claim that it was not an infield fly, because handled by an outfielder. But before another season came around the rule-makers got busy and changed the rule so as to define an infield fly as one that ^' can be handled by an infielder," and made the umpire the judge. This prevented Duify and McCarthy from coming in to '' trap " flies near the diamond, but that Boston pair used to work the trick occasionally on short outfield SCIENCE vs. SKILL IN BASEBALL 261 jflies which could not *•* be handled by an in- fielder,'' and by fast work they could pull off double plays on unwary baserunners. That play can be made to-day, just as they did it, but is seldom attempted. There is a pretty general misapprehension among patrons concerning some of the rules, and frequently umpires are ^ ^ roasted ' ' for not allowing tricks which are forbidden by the rules, while other plays are branded as tricks, although they are perfectly legitimate accord- ing to the spirit as well as the letter of the law. Probably a great majority of baseball readers believe the famous Merkle play, by which the Cubs escaped defeat in New York, getting a drawn game instead, and then won the pennant by winning the play off of that draw, was a trick play worked on Merkle by John Evers. It was nothing more or less than the applica- tion of a rule which is seen in operation in every game, sometimes a dozen times a day. It is section 11 of rule 56, and I will quote the part of it which applies: ** If, when the batsman becomes a base- runner, the first base, or the first and second bases, or the first, second and third bases be occupied, any baserunner so occupying a base shall cease to be entitled to hold it, and may be put out at the next base in the same manner as in running to first base, or by being touched with the ball in the hands of a fielder at any 262 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS time before any baserunner following him in the batting order be put out." Probably every one remembers the play which decided a pennant. In the last half of the ninth inning, with two men out, McCormick was on third, Merkle on first, and the score tied. Bridwell made a safe hit over second base. McCormick ran home with the winning run and Bridwell touched first base, but Merkle started for the clubhouse back of right field as soon as he saw the hit go safe, forgetting that he could be forced at second base ^' at any time " before Bridwell was put out, according to that sec- tion 11. Evers realized Merkle 's blunder instantly and called for the ball. Several Giants saw the danger and tried to keep Evers from getting the ball and touching second, but he finally suc- ceeded. That made the third out a force-out and wiped out McCormick 's run, since none can score on a play in which the third out in an inning is forced. That left the game tied and it was so declared by Umpire O'Day and later by the league's directors, with the result well remembered. If any one still fails to grasp the idea, sup- pose that, with McCormick on third, Merkle on first, and two out, Evers had been able to cut off Bridwell 's hit over second and to toss the ball to Tinker in time to force Merkle out. No one familiar with baseball would expect Mc- SCIENCE vs. SKILL IN BASEBALL 263 Cormick's run to count on that play. Suppose, again, that with the same men on the same bases Bridwell had hit an easy fly to center- field but that the fly had been muffed. That slip would have let McCormick score from third, but if the centerfielder could recover the muffed ball and throw to second before Merkle could get there the side would be retired on a force-out and the run could not count. The rule which applies in these two hypo- thetical cases was the one by which Evers saved a pennant for Chicago. Three inconspic- uous words in that rule decided a champion- ^ip. Evers knew the rule by heart, but Mer- kle 's failure to grasp the significance of those three words — ^^ at any time '' — cost the New York club, his fellow-players, and Merkle him- self thousands of dollars. THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING The future of baseball, the one professional sport in wliich all Americans can take pride, depends in great measure upon the boys of to- day. It Trill be only a few years before some of them will be the star players of the major leagues. The world's champions of a no distant future are now being hatched in baseball's in- cubators, the school playgrounds, the village commons, the open lots ; in fact wherever young America gathers to lay the foundations of ster- ling manhood in clean, healthful, outdoor sport. Present indications are that the baseball of the next generation will become a somewhat different game unless the attitude of the boy of to-day and the trend of his aspirations, if they lead to the diamond, are changed. It seems to be the desire of the boy and the young man to earn laurels and nation-wide fame as a great pitcher if he yearns to become a player at all. That is not peculiar to the boy of to-day, how- ever. It always has been true of boys, although not to as great an extent as now. To that fact, more than to the increased cun- ning of pitchers, is the steady decrease in bat- ting attributed by the thinking men of the base- THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING 265 ball world. Nine out of every ten youngsters, who start playing ball with each other, want to shine as pitchers. The day on which he thinks he has mastered the art of curving a ball is one of the happiest in the average ath- letic boy's life; the day when he can prove it to his playmates or elders is one of the proud- est. Nine out of every ten want to become Christy Mathewsons or Ed Walshs. The tenth boy aspires to be a Ty Cobb or a Lajoie. The result has been a steadily increasing crop of ^' near '' Mathewsons and ^^ near " Walshs, and a decreased supply of batsmen anywhere nearly in the same class with Lajoie or Wagner. This is not altogether the fault of the boys of to-day. Almost as soon as they begin to read baseball they read praises of this or that great pitcher in nearly every paper. Before they can read they hear about pitchers and unusual pitching feats. The newspapers exalt the pitching end of the game. The pitcher is hailed as victor and often is blamed for de- feat. In the official records of baseball he is given credit for so many games ^^ won '' dur- ing a season and is charged with so many games ^^ losf Start an argument over the best pitcher in the world and it will wind up with the statement that * * so and so must be because he won the most games," or the highest per- centage of games in a season. No more false standard of comparison could 266 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS be devised. Mathewson might have pitched for years with the present Boston National League team without achieving one-third the reputation he now enjoys. He would have been just as good a pitcher, although he would have won less than half as many games in a year and never would have been the hero of a world's series. The same is true of Walsh. Only in comparatively limited fields would either have achieved greatness without teams and mana- gers to win games for them. A pitcher might shut out an opposing team for forty-six innings yet be denied victory unless his own team scored a run. And to make runs, by which vic- tories are won, requires batsmen. There are no records kept of the number of games won in a season by Lajoie's bat or by Ty Cobb's. These stars, and men like them, have won many a game for which the pitcher has been given credit by the spectators and in the permanent records. At the end of the season all the bats- man has to show for the games he has won is his batting average. If that is not the best or one of the best in the league it creates no loud talk outside of a limited field. The boy is not to blame, therefore, if when he gets his first chance at a baseball he tries to learn to pitch first of all. But it is all wrong in its results. A young player can be taught almost any part of baseball except batting. He who specializes on pitching at the expense of THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING 267 batting must become a good pitcher if be plays in the big leagues. Pitchers who have failed as such have made names in the game because they could bat. Mature players have been taught and developed in other positions than those to which they first devoted their atten- tion. The great Walsh was a ^^ made " pitcher to the extent that he had to be made over again, after winning success in a minor league, before he could become a major luminary. Scores of pitchers have been turned into stars of the in- field or outfield. It would seem from this that it ought to be possible to teach a ball player how to bat after he has reached the majors, but no one has been able to do that. Batting is something that must be bom in a player, it is claimed. That is not altogether true, but it is an instinct that can- not be taught by any tutor or learned from any books. It can be acquired by a great many more young players than now have it if they will begin early enough. The boy who will buy himself a bat and proceed to hunt up all the other boys of his acquaintance, who want to be pitchers, and let them pitch to him to their hearts' content will instill into himself a lot of batting instinct, even if none of it is born in him. By that early and steady practice he will train his young eyes and brain to the marks- manship which is absolutely necessary to the good batsman. While instincts still are being 268 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS formed he will learn in this way to judge the speed of every ball pitched to him by his young friends and to guess from their actions or the appearance of the ball itself what sort of things the ball is going to do before or when it gets to him. And he will form the habit of hitting naturally but in different w^ays at different speeds and different curves. This is the great factor in batting. When a player reaches the major leagues his habits have become too firmly fixed to be changed without making him start all over again and spend years practising what he might have learned as a boy. Besides, he has not the time to spare because the active life of a ball player is limited. The development of the game on the town lots is all against the batsman. When two proud possessors of a pair of gloves and a base- ball between them meet in the backyard or on an open lot, they immediately begin practising pitching to each other. When half a dozen or more get together they start a ** game,'* one or two of them being batters while the rest spread over the lot trying to get them out. When there are enough boys on hand they ** choose up sides " and start a real game. In these ways they do not get much practice in batting. The greater part of the time is spent in waiting in the field or *^ on the bench '' for their turns to go to bat. When they do come they usually try to hit the ball as far as possi- THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING 269 ble, out of every one's reach, so as to stay *^ in " as long as possible. That in itself is one of the worst habits a boy who wants to be a good ball player can form. If he goes into a strong league with that habit of hitting as hard as he can at the ball, and unable to hit any other way, he will be the easiest kind of a mark for a good pitcher with a head. He may be a wonder as a boy or in the smaller leagues, where experienced pitchers are not encoun- tered every day. But when he comes to face them in every game his average will shrink astonishingly. Unless he gives remarkable promise in other ways the manager will not even try to teach him a different '^ form " in batting because of the time required and the doubtfulness of the result. The lad who wants to make his name in base-, ball stands the best chance of success if he will begin at once to practise batting. Instead of dividing their time between pitching and catch- ing, when two boys get together, they can make more of themselves by dividing it between bat- ting and pitching to each other. And if one of them is ambitious to pitch all the time, while the other boy bats, watch the boy who keeps the bat all the time. He will go farther and higher and stay longer than the one who insists on pitching. This presupposes, of course, that they are fairly matched in athletic ability. Instead of trying to hit the ball hard, which 270 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS is likely to make trouble for the boys if there are people or windows near by, besides wasting a lot of time chasing the ball, let the embryonic batsman practise merely meeting the ball with his bat so as to send it back to the pitcher. Let him try to hit every ball pitched to him in that way. He won't be able to hit all of them at first and they won't all go back to the pitcher, but by standing up near the wall of a building or against a fence it won't delay matters much if he does not hit all of them. The ^* back- stop " will act as catcher. Before long it will surprise him, if he is an observing lad, how many more pitched balls he can hit right back to the pitcher than when he started practising. In that way the boy will learn a lot about placing hits, since his object will be to hit them to the other boy, no matter how they come to him. Later on he will be better able to hit them '^ where they ain't," as the players say. He will learn to hit at the ball and meet it in the same way at almost any angle and from any position. He will become versatile and that will give him greater resource and confidence at bat if he ever becomes a professional or col- lege player. The easiest thing in the world is to hit a ball hard, provided one can meet it squarely with the bat. No great strength is required. To meet it squarely is the real secret of batting and the boy who learns only to take a full, hard swing at the ball will not hit it THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING 271 squarely very often when lie faces a versatile pitcher. As for the glory and the fame the advantages are with the star batsman in the long run. The player who bats above '' three hundred " can shine on a tail-end team almost as well as if sur- rounded by champions. There may be less am- bition and incentive, but it -all depends upon himself. He can command nearly as large a salary on a second-division team as on a win- ner. But the pitcher, if it is his misfortune to become part of a tail-end team, will have his real worth recognized only by those who make a study of baseball and often his salary will be much less than that of a pitcher who has less ability but better luck in having his lot cast with a strong team. The rise of the good batsman will be much faster than that of the good pitcher, because there are now so few who bat well and so many who look like promising pitchers. Once at the top the player who can bat steadily at a three hundred, or even a two hundred and seventy- five gait, will not only earn more money than the pitcher of average ability, but will earn it longer. A player can retain his batting ^ * eye ' ' much longer as a rule than he can keep his pitching ^* arm " in winning shape. And if lasting fame is the end sought, is it not true that the great batsmen of the past generation are more widely known to-day than are the 272 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS great masters of the pitching art of the same period! Anson and Goldsmith and McCormick were contemporaries, but you hear Anson's name mentioned a dozen times for every time you hear either of those pitchers mentioned. None of Detroit's ^^ Big Four '' — Brouthers, Rowe, Richardson, and White — was a pitcher. They won their title with their bats. The ex- amples could be multiplied indefinitely. From past experience it is probable, therefore, that Lajoie and Wagner will be known to the next generation of fans much more widely than will Mathewson or any other pitcher of to-day, ex- cept possibly the inimitable '' Cy '' Young, who broke all records by his splendid and extended pitching career. '' Hans " Wagner owes his fame to the fact that he was a batsman and could not help it. All his boyhood ambitions were to become a pitcher. He began trying to pitch for independent teams in Pennsylvania. His brother, Al Wagner, ad- vanced faster and made an earlier name in the game. One year the Steubenville team was sadly in need of players and its manager asked Al Wagner if he knew of any young players who were not signed. '* Why don't you send for my brother Hans? He thinks he can pitch," was the answer. Hans was sent for and, so the story goes, rode all the way on a freight train to join the team. On his arrival there were no baseball THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING 273 shoes in the town large enough for Hans. That did not deter him and he tried pitching in his ordinary shoes. They were too slippery, so he finished the game in his stocking feet. Hans was not a success as a pitcher, and his awk- wardness was held against him, but he could hit the ball '' on the nose.'' That fact kept him in the game and he has since become famous both in the outfield and on the infield because he kept right on hitting. It was soon discov- ered that the awkwardness, which still is a feature of his playing, did not interfere in the least with its brilliance. But without that in- stinct which enabled him to bat, the baseball world probably never would have known Hans Wagner. It was not long before he made his way into the National League with the Louis- ville team and remained there from 1897 until that team was consolidated with Pittsburgh in 1900. Napoleon Lajoie was one of the few young- sters whose first ambition was to become a batsman. He started in professional baseball as a first baseman and never hoped to star as a pitcher. He was playing first base with a New England league team when the Philadel- phia National league club found him in 1896. Lajoie always has been a great fielder and wonderfully graceful in his work, but it is his batting record that has made a hero of him, not his fine fielding. 274 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Beginning their major league careers only a year apart, these two men have made great records and earned permanent names for them- selves. Wagner's batting average has not yet fallen below three hundred, according to the official record. Lajoie has failed to bat over three hundred in only two years. In both of them he was manager of the Cleveland team and the fact that he came back to his old form on surrendering the leadership proves that the worries of management caused his drop in bat- ting. Edward Walsh, the great pitcher of Chi- cago's White Sox, owed his success to the spit- ball which he acquired after joining that team. When Owner Comiskey obtained Walsh from the Newark club of the Eastern league he pos- sessed terrific speed and had made his reputa- tion with that. He was taken to Marlin, Tex., in the spring of 1904, and at first, when he warmed up, it was necessary to reinforce the backstop. The first game in which he pitched was for the substitutes against the regular team and for five or six innings the veteran Sox could not hit him at all. About the seventh inning they began to gauge that speed accu- rately and in a few minutes the fences behind the outfield needed reinforcement. Those vet- erans hit so hard it seemed as if they never would stop. The same thing happened nearly every time Walsh pitched. THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING 275 Manager Callahan and the other pitchers tried to teach Walsh to throw a slow ball with the same motions as he nsed in pitching a fast one, but he did not progress well. That was the year in which Elmer Stricklett came to the White Sox from California and brought along with him the spitball. Walsh watched Strick- lett and, after being shown how to throw the ball, said he believed he could do it. The man- ager set him at work learning it, feeling cer- tain that, with his great speed, Walsh would be almost unbeatable if he acquired the spitball. Fielder Jones, who succeeded Callahan as man- ager early in that season, was of the same opin- ion and, although it required two years for Walsh to master that delivery, Jones had faith in him and advised Owner Comiskey to keep him. At the end of those two years came the season of 1906 and within a month Walsh was famous. When the season ended he had been the big factor in winning an American league pennant and a world's championship. But he had to be made over as a pitcher and, without the insight and patience of his employers and his own great perseverance, few ever would have heard of Ed Walsh. Would-be pitchers who have shown in other departments of the game can be named by the dozen, if necessary. ^' Bobby " Wallace of the St. Louis Browns aspired to pitch and for a time was successful, but he has been kept in the 276 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS game by his batting combined with his ability as an infielder. If he had brought only his pitching arm into the major leagues he would not have been promoted to the position of leader which was given him later. Frank Isbell, a former world's champion, tried to pitch for Chicago in the National League under '^ Cap " Anson. Twice Isbell was saved from oblivion by his batting. When Anson found he was not a big league pitcher he tried to make an infielder out of the Minnesotan. In the first game Isbell played at short this situation came up: There was a runner on third, no one out and the score tied. The ball was hit sharply to Isbell, who threw it with all his might to the grandstand half way between first base and home. When the inning ended Anson de- manded to know why in the name of everything Isbell had not thrown the ball home instead of playing for the man going to first. '' I tried to and never took my eyes off the catcher in throwing the ball," replied Isbell. ** If I had known you were cross-eyed you never would have had the chance to toss off this game," growled Anson, and sent Isbell back to the minors. He went to St. Paul, where Com- iskey kept him playing until he learned how to throw more nearly where he aimed. But with- out his ability to hit the ball, Isbell would not to-day be owner of a good baseball team of his own. THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTING 277 Charles A. Comiskey himself, one of the most prominent figures in baseball to-day, would not have attained the success which has crowned his career if he had stuck to pitching. In his case it was brains rather than batting that kept him in the game, but if he had been able to bat no better than the average pitcher his brains would have had to find some other employment. He turned his attention to first base and it is a question whether he made the greater reputation as a first baseman or as a manager of the only team that has succeeded in winning four consecutive championships. The career of the great pitcher looks the more tempting, but that of the mighty batsman is the more substantial and permanent in its rewards. AMATEUR VEESUS PROFESSIONAL Perhaps you have seen some standard drama produced on tlie stage by a well balanced com- pany of actors and afterward, a month, a year, or a decade later, have watched a cast com- posed of amateurs perform the same parts, mayhap on the very same stage. If so, have you ever tried to define or convert into specific terms your ideas of the difference between the two performances, and the reasons therefor? Such an effort would be much like the writer's experience on the many occasions when he has been asked to point out wherein lies the secret of the wide difference between professional and amateur baseball games. That there is a difference and a vast one between the two kinds of theatrical perform- ance is admitted. It can be seen and appreci- ated by any one at all conversant with dramatic work. The same is true in baseball in the case of the average patron of the national pastime. The difficulty is to reduce it to concrete form, and that doubtless is because the difference is abstract. There is a sureness of touch and certainty of effect in the work of the professional actor that 278 AMATEUR vs, PROFESSIONAL 279 is lacking in the efforts of the amateur. The former probably has played many similar parts and faced similar situations before. He may have played the same role many times. The amateur is perhaps making his first appearance of importance. He is uncertain of himself and of the effect he is trying to produce. There is a parallel in the spectacle of a veteran outfielder chasing back to capture a long, difficult fly com- pared to the way a schoolboy or college player performs the same feat. The veteran senses instinctively from the sound of bat against ball the general direction of the fly. Often the knowledge whether or not the pitcher was de- livering a curve or a straight ball helps him. He runs back confidently, sometimes without even taking a second look over his shoulder, until he wheels and stops within a step or two of where the ball comes down. The amateur on the same play loses a fraction of a second before he gauges the length or direction of the fly. He tries to keep his eyes on the ball as he runs back. He is plainly a bit at sea; slows up, then puts on a new burst of speed and prob- ably barely reaches the ball in time to make a spectacular catch for which he is duly ap- plauded. This is intended only as a type of course. There are amateurs whose work is more finished than that of many professionals. We are dealing with generalities. Coming nearer to the grandstand for illus- 280 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS tration, a play arises with one or more runners on bases. The ball is hit to an infielder and there is a choice of plays to be made by him if there are less than two men out. The profes- sional, and by that term is meant the profes- sional of class, wastes no valuable time in ma- king the choice. It is done as if by instinct. The amateur often hesitates and loses an op- portunity simply by looking around him after getting the ball. The difference lies in the fact that the veteran thinks out in advance just what he will do if the ball is hit to him in a given situation. Before it comes to him he has decided that he can make one play if the ball is hit fast enough, but must make another play if it is hit slowly. The speed of the different baserunners, a known quantity to him, enters into the problem. The youngster perhaps is too nervous to do all this planning in advance, so he must think what to do after he has the ball, making up his mind by the way things look then, instead of before the ball was hit. As in the case of the play actor, experience and practice explain much of the difference, but there is a pronounced gap which is indefinable. Perhaps the secret is to be found in the realm of psychology. Perhaps that is too dignified a way to look at it. But it is certain that the mental attitude of the player has much to do with it. Eeverting to the stage, the profes- sional actor, equipped with a wide experience, AMATEUR vs, PROFESSIONAL 281 is thrown a great deal upon his own resources. Often he has to create a part with nothing but the manuscript and the stage directions to guide him. The amateur, on the other hand, usually imitates either the work of some skilled actor whom he has seen in the part, or follows blindly the directions of the elocutionist or dramatic coach employed to drill the amateur players in that particular bit of work. So the ball player who reaches the higher leagues is expected to do much of his own thinking. He is expected to solve new prob- lems and meet new emergencies as they arise. He is taught to be self-reliant. The school or college player, possessing in many cases as much natural skill and talent as the profes- sional, is more inclined to imitate some great player whom he has watched. If not that he feels bound to follow the instructions of some professional coach paid to teach him and his teammates how to play baseball. The profes- sional ball player of brains usually knows what to do without being told. The amateur has to remember what he is told to do. His is the more trying and difficult task oftentimes. In baseball there are so many variations of the same play and one small variation may make so great a difference that it is next to impossible for a Varsity captain or coach to give instructions that will fit all situations alike, or to lay out a plan of attack or defense 282 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS that can be followed blindly. Individuality of players cuts almost as much figure as shifting situations. ^Miat one player can do success- fully another may fail dismally to perform under exactly the same conditions. What one player can accomplish in a given situation in one inning may be impossible or inadvisable for him to do in the same situation involving dif- ferent players or different conditions. ** Hal '' Chase, ex-manager of the New York American league team, has been the cause of a lot of misdirected effort among first basemen. This acknowledged star brought a style dis- tinctly his own from the Pacific Coast. Because of the brilliant reputation he earned he has had many imitators both professional and amateur. He has been the ideal toward which ambitious young first basemen aspired. But there are not many men who can play first base the way Chase plays it. They may be equally good first basemen and just as strong factors in the de- fensive tactics of their teams, if they play the base according to their ovm lights. They may weaken the defense if they try to follow Chase. One play will illustrate the point. With an opposing runner on first and nobody out, or with runners on first and second and none out, if the game is close, the natural play expected from the batsman is a sacrifice hit. Chase meets this situation by leaving his base before the pitcher starts to deliver the ball, and run- AMATEUR vs. PROFESSIONAL 283 ning in to intercept any bunt toward first base. By doing that he cuts down the chances of a successful sacrifice because he gains enough of a start to enable him to field the bunt to second or third, as the case may be, in time to force out any except the fleetest runner. That is an ex- tremely desirable thing to do and Chase makes the play equally well to second or third base. I have seen other professional and amateur first basemen try that play repeatedly and fail. For a time it was a set-piece in the college game, to be attempted every time the situation arose. The first baseman was expected to do what Chase did. No allowance was made for physical differences. Chase being a left- handed thrower gets a ground ball in position to fire it either to second or third base a frac- tion of a second quicker than a right-handed thrower can make the same play. He can make the throw to second base two fractions of a second quicker than a right-handed man can. That slight interval of time is all the difference between success and failure in making the play. With a runner on first base only and nobody out the first baseman, if he runs in before the pitch, gives the baserunner that much more start toward second, because the runner can always play a little farther away from the bag than the baseman and get back safely. If the baseman gets twelve feet nearer the plate be- fore the batsman bunts, the wary baserunner 284 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS will be twelve feet nearer second base than he would be if the first baseman remained on or close to the bag nntil the ball was hit. Because Chase is left-handed and does not have to turn to make a throw to second, he can give the aver- age runner that additional twelve or fifteen feet start and throw him out at second. Every first baseman produced on the Pacific Coast in recent years has imitated Chase to some extent. Two illustrations of failures are Arnold Gandil, who was given a tryout by the Chicago White Sox, and Joseph Nealon,who was with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Coroiskey tried to preach reason to Gandil and break him of the habit of tearing in after bunts and giving the baserunner a long lead, but after a few months gave it up and released the Californian to Mon- treal in the Eastern league. It is only fair to add that he ** came back " and filled the position satisfactorily for the Washington Nationals. When a hit is made to the outfield, if there are men on bases, there is another marked dif- ference between the college and the profes- sional way of playing. The collegian seems to be possessed of an irresistible temptation to throw out every runner who tries to score from second base on a single, no matter what the circumstances, the size of the score, or the chances of his success may be. The professional outfielder will seldom waste AMATEUR vs. PROFESSIONAL 285 a throw to the plate to stop a run, either on a hit or a sacrifice fly, nnless there is an even chance to beat the runner home, and sometimes not then. If his team has a safe lead and the game is past the middle, it is the policy of the professional to play safe by *^ playing for the batter. ' ' This is on the principle that a victory by one run counts as much as a game won by a dozen runs. A throw to the plate after a base hit almost always means that the man who made the hit will advance another base on the throw. It is not good policy unless the condi- tions demand it. The run which is going to the plate will do the opposing side no good unless the score is close. If the runner is not cut off at the plate the throAv has been wasted and the man who hit the ball is within scoring distance of the plate if another hit follows. If he had been held on first by throwing to second instead of home, it would take two more hits to score him. When one run will tie the game, however, the outfielder is bound to take a greater risk to prevent it than when that run does not matter much. When it is a case of stopping a winning run, if possible, the fielder will take even longer chances. If a team is behind it is necessary for an outfielder to cut off any run that he can, or to stop the leading runner at any base he can, no matter if it does give the succeeding runners an extra base. But he must use judgment and 286 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS discretion. He generally knows the speed of each one of his opponents on bases. He knows pretty accurately how far or fast his own arm can make a ball travel. The amateur outfielder seldom has all this knowledge at his command. He does not know to a certainty what he can do himself and what he can't do, because he has not acquired the ability to throw consistently. Sometimes he can put more speed and carrying power into a ball with the snap of his arm, than at other times. Consequently he is more prone to make futile efforts to catch impossible runners, thereby wasting his own energy, besides letting more runs get within striking distance of the place of registration. "When all is said, however, the amateur or college ball player has far greater attraction for the general public than the amateur play actor can have. Many people would rather see an amateur ball game than one between profes- sionals. Those who prefer an amateur stage performance to the real thing are few. College ball players give a zest and earnestness to their games and their individual efforts that is lack- ing as a rule in the work of professionals. The veteran leaguer may be just as earnest and take just as much interest in his work as the collegian but without giving that impression to the average spectator. The very ease and fin- ish with which he accomplishes the tasks which AMATEUR vs. PROFESSIONAL 287 fall to Ms lot sometimes detract from their spectacular value. He makes chances which really are difficult appear easy oftentimes. Frank Schulte, the Cub outfielder, is a per- sonification of this idea. When he began play- ing in Chicago many spectators gained the im- pression that he was indifferent and not try- ing his hardest all the time. The reason was that he attained his greatest speed in motion without apparent effort, therefore did not seem to be running hard when he was at top speed, and Schulte is very fast. Being of modest, re- tiring disposition Schulte always avoided over- doing anything. He never was guilty of making a chance look difficult for the mere sake of win- ning applause, as some fielders I could name have a habit of doing. It was more than two years before Schulte entirely lived down the reputation of being a phlegmatic, indifferent player. But the public finally learned that this product of New York state loved to win better than to eat and always was working his hard- est in a game. To-day there is no player on the team better liked than Schulte. There is no department of baseball in which the difference between the amateur and pro- fessional is more marked than that included in the vague world of superstition. Mighty few professional players will admit they are the least bit superstitious about anything. The exceptions prove the rule. The school boy or 288 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS collegian usually is free from this eccentricity, although often he will affect superstition as a pose. Perhaps it is because baseball with him is not a means of livelihood and the glory and honor he wins belongs largely to his alma mater instead of being of appreciable cash value to himself, as is the case with the professional. There are only a few league players who will ride in ^' lower 13 " in a sleeping-car without protest and a sleepless night. Lee Tannehill, formerly of the White Sox, claimed that he had been injured in the next game he played after every trip he ever made in a berth numbered 13. On the other hand Manager Chance of the Highlanders always demands ** lower 13 '' on a trip, and if assigned to a sleeper in which there were only twelve sections he has been known to purchase the stateroom and paste the number '' 13 " on its door. Club owners laugh at superstition among their players and deny that they possess any such ** ridiculous " ideas themselves. But look back through the pages of baseball history and see how many championship schedules ever started on the 13th of the month. That date always is avoided for an inaugural although it sometimes has entailed considerable inconve- nience to do so. Fielder Jones, former manager of the White Sox, held it to be almost criminal folly for a team to pack up its bats before the last man AMATEUR vs. PROFESSIONAL 289 was put out in a game. One time in his career, when his team had a long lead, that was done in the ninth inning and brought unexpected de- feat. He never forgot it. One day on the old White Sox park the White Sox were half a dozen runs ahead and two opponents had been retired in the last half -inning to be played. The bat boys started packing the White Sox sticks in the bag, so as to get home to dinner earlier. Jones saw them and yelled from center-field to stop them but nobody heard. Then he delib- erately stopped the game until he could run in to the bench and order every bat taken out of the bag and replaced on the ground in its proper position. President Comiskey of the White Sox once came near discharging a ground-keeper of whom he was very fond. One afternoon it was threatening to rain before the game could be finished. The teams were hurrying through the ninth, as the White Sox had the victory cinched. Before the side was retired it was noticed that the big American flag was being lowered from the tall mast back of the center-field bleachers. The Sox did not lose that game, but Comiskey sent for his ground-keeper peremptorily. Then it developed that an assistant had been sent to take in the flag when the game ended but had been cautioned not to lower it before it was over. Comiskey fired the assistant. The old Boston National league team under 290 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the late Frank Selee was very superstitious about the location of the broom with which the plate was swept when said broom was not in use. Visiting players found that out and used to move the broom to the other side of the plate to tease the Bostonians. One of Selects men always would run out from the bench and re- place the broom in its original position. Now National league umpires carry small whisk brooms in their pockets for the purpose of cleaning off the plate and the old broom fetish did not spread. ** Joe " Tinker always remembers how he walks to the plate the first time up in a game ; that is, whether he steps in front of the umpire and catcher or goes around behind them. If he makes a safe hit that time he will be careful to walk to the plate in exactly the same way next time even if he has to wait until the umpire and catcher are in position to let him repeat his previous act. Sheckard once borrowed a stick of gum from Overall while on the bench during a game, when both were with the Cubs. He made three hits. Every day thereafter Sheckard would borrow gum from Overall and refuse to accept it from any one else, hoping to get at least one hit each day. He did, too, until Overall finally asked the left-fielder if he was afraid of clerks who sold chewing gum. Sheckard had to explain and that put the ** jinx '' on the gum. AMATEUR vs. PROFESSIONAL 291 When the White Sox celebrated the winning of the 1906 world's championship in the spring of 1907, the halyard clogged in a pulley as they were hoisting their world's pennant and broke the flagstaff off in the middle. With one ac- cord the players whispered to each other *^ Seven years of hard Inck." The White Sox never have won a pennant since, but the period of seven years has now expired. In a game where luck is such an ever-present factor, is it any wonder that superstition grows on the players year by year! THE INSIDE GAME AS PLAYED BY CATCHER AND PITCHER NowHEKE in tlie realm of baseball do brains count more than in the so-called battery posi- tions. Nowhere in the game do science and experience possess greater advantage over mere mechanical skill and physical prowess than on the pitcher's slab and behind the catcher's mask. Nowhere else has inside base- ball been brought to a higher state of perfec- tion, partly because a more perfect understand- ing can be established between two persons than when anywhere from three to nine play- ers are involved in the more complex forms of team work. Every ball thrown or delivered by the pitcher to any part of the infield is a form of inside baseball. The great majority of baseball followers rate the pitcher as the most important part of a baseball machine. They believe the only thing necessary to mn a pennant is for a club owner to secure a string of pitchers whom the players on the other teams cannot hit. They forget the need of getting players who can hit the other pitchers, They oveiiook the fact that much of 292 THE INSIDE GAME 293 a pitcher's success in winning games depends on the support given him in the field and the number of runs made by his own team. They ignore the fact that a great pitcher may be a loser because of inferior partners behind the bat, while a mediocre pitcher may become world-famous with the help of a brainy catcher and fast support. President Dreyfuss of the Pittsburghs main- tains that the manager who has a great catcher, a shortstop who can go to his right or his left equally well after ground balls, and a center- fielder who can do likewise after flies, can build a championship team around those three men much more easily than if he has great players in all other positions but is weak in those three. There always has been a tendency to over- look the catcher, possibly because so much of him is covered up during the game, but more because the greatest part of his work is inside baseball and of the kind which the general pub- lic can neither see nor appreciate. If any one doubts the importance of the catcher to a base- ball machine, let him recall the clubs which have won world's pennants under modern con- ditions. Going back to 1903 the Boston Amer- ican's, with Criger behind the bat, beat Pitts- burgh, which had no Criger. In the next year there was no world's series, but in 1905 the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Ath- letics decisively, not so much because of Christy 294 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Mathewson as because they had a Koger Bres- nahan and the Athletics did not. In 1906 the White Sox defeated the Cubs in the famous Chicago world's series because they had in ' ' Billy ' ' Sullivan a greater catcher than even the great John Kling, who himself was responsible for much of the ease with which the Cubs triumphed over the almost catcherless Detroit Tigers in 1907 and 1908. And Pitts- burgh 's victory in the closest of world 's series was accomplished, so every expert believes, because Gibson turned the scale in favor of the Pirates. In six world's series, therefore, the premier honors have gone to the teams which had in their ranks Criger, Bresnahan, Sullivan, Kling, and Gibson. Of these five the greatest gener- ally are conceded to have been Sullivan, Kling and Gibson, in the order of their development. However strong a team may be, its ultimate success, when put to the supreme test, will de- pend upon its catchers. This is the opinion of the managers who have achieved the most suc- cess and is the reason why veteran catchers are retained so long. The supply is so far below the demand and young catchers have so much to learn that the man of brains and experience whose arm is weakening will hold his place against a younger catcher who can throw the ball twice as hard and far. When the White Sox were winning the fifth THE INSIDE GAME 295 game of their series with the Cubs, putting them within one game of the world's pennant, John Kling asked Manager Jones of the Sox, as the latter came to bat near the end of the game, why the Sox were beating the Cubs, who were acknowledged to be made up of better individual players. To this Jones replied very promptly : ^' I'll tell you why. We've got the best catcher that ever stood in shoe-leather." That may not have been a very polite thing to say right to Kling 's face, but it was the answer Jones always made to the same ques- tion and the incident illustrates one of the ways in which the catcher plays inside baseball. The secret of successful pitching does not lie in the possession of great speed or baffling curves, or both, so much as in outguessing the batsman. If the batsman knew what a Brown or a Mathewson was going to deliver every time, neither would win many games. What makes a pitcher most effective is his ability to make a batter think a curve is going to be a straight ball, that a straight ball is going to curve, that a slow pitched ball is a fast one, that a ball is coming over the plate when it is not, or that it will not come over the plate when it does. And since the catcher must signal for each ball pitched he always helps the pitcher decide what to pitch and often makes the choice himself. Even the best of pitchers depend a 296 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS great deal on the judgment of an experienced catcher. One of the many ways in which the catcher helps the pitcher outguess the batsman is by talking to the man at the plate, the object being to take his mind off the game, to give him less time to think what is likely to be pitched to him, and to divert his attention as much as possible from studying the pitcher's actions. It re- quires a veteran to do this, for the catcher him- self must be doing a lot of hard thinking at the same time, and his conversation has to be largely a matter of habit. It is necessary to use some shrewdness to draw an experienced batsman into an argument for he knows its pur- pose too well. Few backstops could tempt Jones, for instance, into paying any attention to a remark, as Kling did in the incident men- tioned. New players and nervous ones are more readily engaged in this by-play. One catcher always starts it by asking a new man where he played last season, what luck he had, etc. Even religion has been resorted to some- times as a subject to trap the unwary. The spectator seldom is aware of this running fire of talk between the batsman and the men who are trying to fool him, but would be highly en- tertained at times if he could hear it. Most of these verbal exchanges are friendly and in the nature of '' jollies " although sometimes they are bitter and objectionable. THE INSIDE GAME 297 "When Clark Griffith was managing the New York Americans he went in one day to pitch out a game in which Detroit was batting the previous pitcher and threatening to wipe out a small lead which New York had gained. It was after Griffith's pitching days were over and when he had little except his brains left to work with. In the last inning the Tigers cut the lead down to one run and had men on sec- ond and third with two out. Another hit meant a probable Detroit victory and Schaefer was at bat. Griffith worked him into fouling off two strikes without pitching him a good ball, but in so doing had three balls called. What to pitch next bothered the veteran. He had about de- cided to give , Schaefer his base on balls and try for the next man, but while he was studying on it, he called out to Schaefer: '' I'll bet you five dollars I strike you out." ** Germany " jumped to the plate and said to the umpire, '' Stop this game while I make a book! " Then he yelled to Griffith, '^ What was that crack you made? " Griffith repeated his offer and Schaefer called back: ** I'll take that and bet you an- other five dollars I make a base hit. ' ' To which the pitcher replied, '^ You're on." Then Griffith pitched a perfectly straight ball over the plate at moderate speed. If Schaefer had known that in time, he could have hit it safely almost to a certainty, but quite naturally 298 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS he thought that would be the last thing in the world with which any pitcher would try to strike out a man. Remembering the bets, Schaefer supposed Griffith was attempting to fool him into swinging at a curve which was aimed to break outside of the plate and out of his reach. ** Nay, nay,'' thought Schaefer, and not un- til the ball was rigjit on top of him did he real- ize that Griffith, anticipating the German's thoughts, had pitched the ball straight over the plate. Then he swung wildly at it, but too late, striking out and losing both bets simply by being outguessed. The size, length, and weight of the bat used by a player mean much to both pitcher and catcher. It is comparatively easy of course to judge the diameter and length, but the weight differs greatly in bats of the same size. The catcher resorts to many tricks to find out if a batsman is using a heavy or light stick. Some- times you have seen him ask the man at bat to lend him the bat while he knocked the dirt out of the spikes in his shoes. Oftener still you have seen the catcher pick up the bat thrown down by a man who had made a foul and started for first base, holding it out to the bats- man as he returned to the plate. Probably you thought that a pretty bit of courtesy on the catcher's part. Sometimes it was, but more often the catcher was testing the weight of that THE INSIDE GAME 299 bat and transmitting his deductions to the pitcher. What is the use of this information! The batsman who uses a long or heavy bat gener- ally must take a good swing at the ball and cannot chop at it as quickly as can a man with a short or light bat. The man with a long or heavy stick will punish balls pitched over the side of the plate farthest from him but will not as a rule hit hard if the ball is pitched inside or on his side of the plate. The man who uses a short bat and pulls away from the plate a little is helpless usually if the ball is kept over the farther side of the plate, but is liable to smash the ball if pitched inside the plate. This knowledge of what kind of bat the batsman uses is of particular advantage to both pitcher and catcher when they know a batter is going to try to hit and run with a man on first base. By pitching the ball on the inside or outside of the plate it can be made difficult for the batsman to hit the ball toward the infielder who, the catcher knows, is going to cover second base, and the chances can be greatly increased that he will hit toward the fielder who is going to remain in his position. In most cases it is of greater importance where the ball comes over the plate than what there is ** on it," as can be seen from the above. That makes a pitcher's control more valuable to him than almost anything else at his com- 300 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS mand, and by control is meant the ability to pitch high or low, wide or close in at will, more than to be able to pitch the ball somewhere over the plate when desired. When it is the bats- man's palpable intention to bunt for a sacrifice hit with a runner on first, the pitcher's best method is to keep the ball high as that is the most difficult kind to bunt well. The pitcher can help himself a lot in the matter of fielding bunts in such cases. A right-handed batsman naturally will bunt a ball pitched close to him toward third base and a ball which is kept away from him toward first base. By starting the right way as soon as the ball leaves his hand the pitcher can cover much more ground on bunts than if he waits to see where the ball is going, and if his control is good it will be im- possible for any except the most expert and tricky hunters to '' cross '' him by bunting to the other side of the diamond. Often the battery tries to catch the runner off first base when a sacrifice is the expected play. It is done by pitching the ball just far enough away so that the batter cannot hit it but near enough so that he will try to. As he makes the attempt, the runner instinctively starts away from first but the baseman, who has seen the sigTial, stays there. Then a snap throw from the catcher finds the baseman ready for it but the runner often is unable to get back ahead of the ball. This play can be worked THE INSIDE GAME 301 best when there are runners on first and second bases and the man on first is not expecting any play on him. Every batsman is being studied and watched closely by both pitcher and catcher at all times, but never more closely than when there are runners on bases. Then the man at bat and the runner or runners are working together as a rule. In the major leagues the signals may be given by the batsman, by the runner, or by the coacher. The most frequent way is for the batsman to select the time to make a hit and run play, for instance, and his every motion will be noted by his opponents. What partic- ular movement of hand, body, or foot is a signal to a runner is difficult to detect, but a brainy catcher will discover many signals in a season. It is comparatively easy to find out who is giving the signals. If it is the batsman, the runner will watch him more closely than other- wise would be natural. Sometimes the bats- man will give the play away by looking in the direction of the runner, as he gives a signal, to see if the latter is v^atching for it. If the runner gives the signals, the batter will glance in his direction pretty often between pitched balls. That is the time when most of the signs are worked. If the coacher gives the signals, both the batsman and runner will have to watch him. To avoid this, most coachers, if they give the signs, do so by spoken word, which of 302 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS course is not possible for either batsman or baserunner to do. There ^as one team which used the word ^ ^ it " for the hit and run play. ' * Hit it a mile ; make him put it over ' ' or any other familiar sentence, in which '' it '* was used, constituted the signal. Another team used the word " little '' for almost an entire season without being discovered. Still another team used the inconsiDicuous word ^^ and " for one signal. Only common words in frequent use can be employed, for an unusual word would be spotted in a few plays by a shrewd battery with disastrous results. These are only a few of the tricks of the trade but they are enough to show that the art of pitching is not all in curves and speed ; that the greatness of a catcher is not measured by his ability to stop wild pitches and throw hard and fast to the bases. HOW INSIDE BASEBALL HAS DE- CREASED THE BATTING, BY PER- FECTING DEFENSIVE FIELDING Nothing makes a really good baseball player more angry than to be called a stationary infielder, or outfielder. If yon are a friend of Ms you may call him names that sound worse, but if you value his friendship do not intimate, even jokingly, that he is anchored to any par- ticular spot while his team is on the defensive. That is one failing a man may not have and become famous in baseball. The science of the defense in the modern game is founded on a constant shifting of the barriers against base hits in perfect, machine- like harmony with one another and with the pitcher. The outfielder who insists on wear- ing the grass off one certain spot and the in- fielder who plays for all batsmen alike are cogs sure to tangle up the whole works. The major league scout on the hunt for promising talent labels such a youngster as nearly hopeless. The steady decrease in batting in the last twenty years generally has been charged to a growing supremacy of the pitcher. All efforts to increase the batting have aimed to handicap 303 304 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the pitchers, which shows how little the cluh owners, to w^hom is intrusted the making of the rules that govern baseball, know about the in- side game. Greater pitching skill has had something to do with it, but the decrease in batting is due more to the development of scien- tific defense than to better pitchers or poorer eyesight in the new generation of batsmen. If Anson, or Brouthers, or Ed. Delehanty had been compelled to pit their unquestionably magnificent prowess with the stick against the system which present day batsmen face in the major leagues, their batting averages would have shrunk some, through no fault of theirs, no decrease in their own strength, no astigma- tism in their world-famous batting eyes. Years of close watching and constant study disclosed the fact that certain batters usually hit certain kinds of balls in certain directions. Shining exceptions to the rule only proved its existence. Anson, Brouthers, and Delehanty probably would have continued to be great batsmen even if some Ponce de Leon foun- tain had been discovered to enable them to remain young and play ball forever. Just like Lajoie, Cobb, and Wagner, they were able not only to hit almost any kind of pitched ball but to hit it somewhere nearly where they wanted to. The average player's ability is much more limited. There are only a few right-handed batsmen, for instance, who INSIDE BASEBALL 305 can hit a fast-pitched ball down the third-base line and there are equally few left-handed bats- men who can hit speed to right field. The tend- ency of the former is to hit a slow or curve ball into left field and of the latter to '^ pull '' the slow ball into right field. In addition the gen- eral direction in which the average batter will hit can be governed by pitching the ball away from or close to him. Out of this knowledge, of which only the out- line has been indicated here, has been built up the inside system of defense which has robbed many batsmen of many base hits. Probably no team has yet brought this style of defense to a higher degree of perfection than Chicago's Cubs under Chance, although every successful team has used more or less of it in one way or another. Consequently no better illustration of how scientific defense is worked out can be given than the one with which I am naturally most familiar. To be sure the Cubs' system already has been described in great detail by more famous writers and in more ambitious form, but it has been represented to be much more mystifying than it really was. Of the out- line given here the reader may feel perfectly sure, for it was obtained first hand. The groundwork is simply this : When the Cubs were in the field Tinker at short watched for the catcher's signal to the pitcher then re- peated that signal in such a way that the out- 306 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS fielders and other infielders could understand it but the opposing batsman could not. In that way every defending player knew what was go- ing to be pitched every time and could *^ lay for '' the batsman with greater certainty be- cause of that knowledge. Of course, there are different forms of defense for different situa- tions and the system of signals has been added to by years of experience, but its foundation is as simple as indicated. Here are some of the results: If the bases are empty and an average right-handed bats- man up, the infield and outfield will be looking for him to hit to the right of center if a fast ball or one on the outside of the plate is pitched to him. They will expect him to hit to the left of center if a curve or a ball inside the plate is delivered. If an average left-handed batter is up, the probabilities are exactly reversed. Consequently the entire team, being aware through Tinker's signal what the pitcher was going to deliver, could be on its toes to start in the direction in which the ball would be hit three out of ^Ye times. There are many batters who almost invariably will hit either to the right or left of center field no matter what is pitched. For such batsmen you will notice both infield and outfield play far out of their natural posi- tions. But even these peculiar batters will hit a fast ball to a different spot than they will hit a slow one. It can be seen already how much INSIDE BASEBALL 307 this wireless communication between the pitcher and the men behind him v/ill help to gnard fair ground against base hits. When there is a runner on base the system becomes of still greater value and a little more complex. With a runner on first and nobody out in a close game, the natural expectation is a sacrifice hit and for this the commonest de- fense is for the second-baseman to edge over so as to be ready to cover first if necessary, while the shortstop covers second, leaving the first and third-basemen free to help the pitcher field any bunt as fast as possible with the ob- ject of forcing the runner out at second if it can be done. But an up-to-date batsman is likely to break up this system by switching to a hit-and-run play and the infielders must be on their guard against this. The hit-and-run is frequently tried with no one out, always with one man out, unless the pitcher gets the bats- man *^ in the hole " before it can be tried, and usually with two out. See how the Cub system of defense works out here. Suppose a right-handed batter was up and the catcher's signal called for a fast ball or one on the outside of the plate. Wlien Evers saw Tinker repeat it he understood that Tinker would cover second if the runner on first started to advance and that he (Evers) could remain in his position. Then if the batter hit the ball it was likely to come to the right of second base 308 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS because only a very versatile batter would be able to pull a hit through the spot left vacant by Tinker. If nothing happened on that pitch, the catcher might call for a curve or slow ball. Tinker flashed that to the others, including Evers, who knew that he must cover second this time and allow Tinker to remain in posi- tion because the ball was likely to be hit toward left field. If the batsman hit left-handed all this had to be reversed. On a fast ball or one on the outside, Evers would cover second and on a curve or a ball pitched close in. Tinker would be ready to take the throw. Knowing who will cover the base is of great aid to the catcher in making his throw to sec- ond and the constant shifting of plans makes it difficult for the batsman to guess which fielder will leave his position on a hit-and-run play. He can foretell which hole will be left open on the infield only by guessing what the pitcher is going to deliver and that is a hard task. But think of the strain this system puts on the player. He must be eagle-eyed, for he never knows when a signal is to be flashed to him and to miss it may defeat his team. No manager will accept any excuse for missing a signal. Then the same sign has two entirely different meanings according to the style of the batsman, and if this fact is forgotten for a moment it may prove fatal in a crucial situation. INSIDE BASEBALL 309 Perhaps it can be better understood from the foregoing what it means to a team nsing inside baseball to have one of its regulars laid up by accident. The substitute may be almost as good a player in every way, but he will weaken a team very much if he is not thoroughly famil- iar with every signal and every move which each signal calls for. Often the presence of a new man upsets a team through mere lack of confidence in his having interpreted a signal aright in a critical spot. That is one reason why the wise manager never ^ ^ breaks up a win- ning combination " if he can help it. Many a regular has sat on the bench after having re- covered from an injury because his team was winning without him and a substitute of lesser ability has kept his place for fear of destroy- ing the perfection with which the machine was working. No attempt can be made even to outline all the varied workings of this system of defense, but enough has been told, perhaps, to convey an idea of its value. Whatever the system used, if successful it is based on the first prin- ciple of constant shifting in accord with the pitcher and batsman. Some teams carry the system into greater detail than others and there are many different ways of transmitting the signals. Sometimes they are given by the catcher, or by the pitcher himself, in such a way that the whole team can get them first 310 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS hand. This is a more hazardous way, however, and cannot be used long at a time without great danger of detection by the opponents. Turning to the individual, there are many tricks as old as the game itself, which have been discarded as the development of inside base- ball called for more and more team-play, thereby subordinating the individual. You will occasionally see an attempt by an infielder to hide the ball under his arm until a baserunner, thinking the pitcher has the ball, strays off his base to meet sudden disgrace. But it is seldom tried except in moments of great excitement, when the opponents are likely to lose their heads and relax their vigilance. One old method of deceiving baserunners still is common and probably always will be. When a runner starts from first and the batter hits a fly ball you will often see second-baseman or shortstop run after an imaginary grounder and make a pretense of fielding it to some base. The purpose is to make the runner believe the ball was hit on the ground and to fool him into running so far from his base that he can be doubled up after the fly is caught. Clever base- runners are fooled in this way, for they are so intent on getting their own start that they can- not guess where the ball goes except by the crack of the bat. I once saw Lajoie go through this pantomime of fielding a grounder so natu- rally that, when he tossed a handful of dirt INSIDE BASEBALL 311 along with an imaginary ball to tlie shortstop at second base, the runner going down from first kept right on toward the bench under the impression he was forced out. He was out all right, but not at second, for the batter hit a fly to right and Lajoie's trick gave the right-fielder plenty of time to double the runner off first base. Zeider, once second-baseman of the White Sox, actually worked this trick on a base- runner, when the batsman hit a pop fly to short right-field, then went back and caught the fly himself. It requires a strong-lunged coacher to prevent these tricks, for the crowd usually yells whenever the ball is hit, drowning all shouts of warning. Another old-time trick still is used with suc- cess when the ball is thrown to intercept a runner advancing on a hit. In the case of a man going from first to third on a single you may have seen the third-baseman standing carelessly near his base as if watching a play being made elsewhere and giving not the slight- est indication that the ball was coming to him. Often the runner is fooled into slowing up or coming to third base standing up instead of sliding. Suddenly the baseman will come to life, grab the throw and touch the unsuspect- ing runner out. With a runner trying to score from second on a hit I have seen a catcher pick up the bat to toss it back toward the bench or slip off his 312 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS mitt as if the play was over so far as lie was concerned, and all the time the ball would be coming in as fast as an outfielder could throw it. In plenty of time the trickster would be ready to take the throw, and the runner, who allowed himself to be deceived into taking his time, would find himself very unexpectedly nailed at the plate. The first time I ever saw the '' sacrifice- killer '' worked by an infield was against the White Sox in Detroit. That is the name ap- plied to the trick of forcing a runner at third on a bunt when there are runners on first and second with nobody out. Hahn was on second and Manager Jones on first. Just as the ball was pitched, O'Leary, then shortstop, started to cover second. Isbell laid down a nice bunt which ought to have advanced both men easily. But, deceived by O'Leary 's move, Hahn was breaking his neck to get back to second, and before he could recover he was forced out at third. On the very next day the Sox broke up that trick. The same situation came up with a Sox pitcher on second, Hahn on first and Jones at bat. It is not easy to advance the average pitcher on a bunt, anyway. O'Leary made it doubly difficult by running this pitcher back toward second just before the ball was deliv- ered. But Jones did not bunt. He hit a bounder over the spot O'Leary had left vacant and this shift so surprised even the outfield INSIDE BASEBALL 313 that the pitcher, who was on second, not only reached third but kept on to the plate. There is no trick that will work always and few that can be worked successfully against the same opponent at short intervals unless that opponent is stupid. Some tricks are dangerous for the team that tries them, as in the case of the *' sacrifice-killer." The secret of success in baseball is not to excel all opponents in skill, but to outwit them at every possible point. That is why the bril- liant mechanical player never becomes of as great value to his team as the lesser light who has mastered inside baseball, sometimes jo- cosely called ** the apotheosis of the double cross." SCOEING THE GAME Down in '' little old New York,'^ as its deni- zens love to call it, there is a vender of baseball score-cards who probably will be remembered by every one that has attended games at either major league park there in recent years. So far as known his claims to distinction are two in number. One of these is a deep, melodious bass voice, which would earn recognition in any choir or chorus. The other is a spark of originality which may be his and may not. I never asked. Every baseball ^' fan '' has heard the stereo- typed, raucous barking: '^ Get your cards here — you can't tell a player without a score-card." Half-way up the long incline which leads to the New York grandstand you begin to hear a deep bass voice chanting with great distinctness : — ^ ^ Know the game — know the runs — know the hits — know the errors." As you near his stand at the top of the incline you see in large print on his cap: '* Score-cards." That is the only explanation of his monologue, which con- tinues slowly : ' * Know the inning — know the out — know the pitcher — know the batter — know the game," and so on. 314 SCORING THE GAME 315 Splendid advice, but how many patrons who pause to drop a coin in this vender's pahn and receive a score-card, without interrupting the seemingly automatic monologue, really ** know '^ how to get the best value out of that score-card? Frequently ^' you can't tell a player " with a score-card, unless you know him, because of carelessness in printing or changes in the teams. But the electric score-boards are rem- edying that defect in great measure, wherever they are in use. It is possible with this me- chanical assistance for almost any one to *' know '' the batter, the pitcher, the inning, the out, and the runs made. A great many patrons are quite content with that knowledge and think they *^ know the game '' thoroughly. If one does not care to know how to make a score-card teach one more baseball than that, it will be useless for one to read farther. A majority of the spectators ^' score '' a game in some fashion, if only by the simplest possi- ble system — an ^ ' " for an out and a straight mark for a run. That enables one to keep fair tab on the progress of the game and is not to be scoffed at. A smaller class record the hits and errors after a fashion. But only occasion- ally, outside of the press boxes of the ball parks, will you find a spectator who actually scores a game in detail. One says it is too much bother or takes too much attention away from 316 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the game. Another gets rattled and skips a play or two, then fails to see a grand catch or a splendid hit while trying to straighten out his score card. He throws it away in disgust, for spectators go to ball games to see them, not to record and write about them. The great, army of baseball devotees over- estimate the difficulty and perplexity of scor- ing, and underestimate the zest it adds to the game. It will surprise any one, who tries it, to find how quickly a system can be learned which will take little more time than is re- quired to mark down just the outs and the runs. It is all a matter of habit and of learning a simple system of '^ baseball shorthand." Num- ber the fielding positions of the players from 1 to 9, then choose a dozen or so symbols, which will be easy to remember, to indicate as many different kinds of plays. Practise using these until familiar with them and it will astonish you to see how quickly you can record each play. There are almost as many different systems of scoring as there are baseball scorers. The systems used by experienced scorers usually are based on a few common principles but differ in variety of detail and in the symbols used. All scorers number the fielding positions but not all in the same way. Not because it is in any way better than dozens of other systems, but because I am more familiar with it, I will SCORING THE GAME 317 confine the article to describing one system. In passing it may be added that my shorthand record of a game, if sent to another city and to a person using an entirely different system, could be translated into a correct account of that game by that person after a few minutes' study. Starting with the pitcher's position as No. 1, the catcher is No. 2 ; first base, 3 ; second base, 4; third base, 5; shortstop, 6; left field, 7; center, 8; and right field, 9. Always it should be kept in mind that these numbers mean posi- tions, not individual players, because the posi- tions are the same in every game, everywhere. The players are not. Merely to emphasize this point, there is a baseball classic which has been told so often people are beginning to believe it. When base- ball was very new in the new northwest, John McCloskey was trying out a lot of green mate- rial one spring for one of the many minor league teams he installed in his earlier days. One day a young man from a neighboring town applied for a job. The manager told the youngster to go out in right field and see what he could do. The youth turned, hesitated and came back: '* Say, boss, which is right field! I never was here before." McCloskey didn't keep the young man long enough to ask his name. Now when a player wants to indicate an absolute lack of ** baseball sense," he says: 318 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS ^* You make me think of McCloskey's out- fielder. ' ' With the figures 1 to 9 and the letter E it is possible to score every defensive play made in a game. That is not complex, is it ? Here are a few samples: The batsman hits to the short- stop and is thrown out at first base. It is just as easy to write 6-3 as it is to put down '* 0.'* The next man hits a fly to center field and it can be recorded by the figure 8. The next bats- man hits to the third-baseman, who fumbles and loses the out. Two characters, E5, indicate the error and who made it. This lucky batsman tries to steal second and is thrown out, catcher to second baseman. That is scored 2-4. With a runner on first the ball is hit to the second- baseman, who starts a double play, by way of the shortstop to first base. Put down 4-6 oppo- site the name of the man retired at second and 6-3 opposite the batsman. Then join the two plays with a line and you have that double play recorded so that any scorer from Maine to Cal- ifornia can understand it. Suppose a runner on third tries to score on a grounder to the second-baseman but the ball is thrown home in time to turn back the runner. The catcher chases him and tosses the ball to the third-baseman. The runner starts home again with the third-baseman in pursuit, but the ball has to be tossed to the pitcher who now covers the plate. Once more the runner turns SCORING THE GAME 319 back, chased by the pitcher this time, until he runs into the ball in the hands of the shortstop, who has covered third and taken a short throw from the pitcher. It would take a long time to write all that in a score-book, but the story is told just as plainly by the figures 4-2-5-1-6. The first figure should show the fielder who started the play; the last figure the one who completed it. For the offense (the plays made by a team while at bat) few symbols are required in a simple system. There are six ways for a bats- man to reach first base. If he gets there on an opponent's error, the way to score it already has been indicated (E and the number of the position erring.) If he makes a base hit indi- cate it by the plus sign (-f-) . For an extra base hit repeat the sign (-| — [-, for a two-base hit; -| — I — I — \-, for a home run). A base on balls is shown by four dots ( : : ) . The sign for a bats- man hit by pitched ball is HPB. Once in a great while a batter is given first base for in- terference. This can be indicated by a mar- ginal note. The only other way to reach first base is on a play made to retire a teammate at some other base — a ^' fielder's choice," as it is called. Use the multiplication sign (X) to show that fact. When the batter makes a sacrifice hit put an asterisk (*) in front of the figure, or figures, used to score the play. After reaching first base the runner may 320 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS advance by stealing. Indicate it by the letter S. If he advances on a balk, use BK; if on a wild pitch, WP ; if on a passed ball, P. If he is left on a base when the side is retired show that by the letter L, but if he completes the cir- cuit indicate the run by a magnified period ( • ). There are many different kinds of blank forms in score-cards and score-books, but that need not bother any one. The principle is the same in all. Whenever obtainable I use the form known as the '^ Harry Wright system '' and distinguished by the fact each blank is made up of rows of squares, each square con- taining a diamond and divided into four sec- tions. The lower right-hand corner of each square is the place to set down how a batsman reaches or does not reach first base. In the upper right-hand corner put down how a player goes from first to second or is put out there. The upper left-hand corner is for telling what happened between second and third, and the lower left-hand corner is for the journey from third home. If the runner scores, place a dot in the diamond inclosed by that square to indi- cate the run. In any other form of score blank the same method can be followed, using one corner of each square for a base in the order in which the runner goes around. The professional scorer uses more symbols than these, as will be explained, but with the foregoing characters at one's finger-tips any SCORING THE GAME 321 one can score every play made in a game. What is more useful, such a score card, if pre- served, can be consulted ten days or ten years afterward and the game can be played over in memory simply by reading the plays. And if any one tries to tell you that game was not won or lost ^' that way " you can win your argu- ment with that score card. Many baseball reporters and official scorers use systems containing no more detail than already described. No more is needed to re- cord everything that goes to make up a player's batting or fielding average. Those reporters who need more detail for their descriptions of games can trust to memory for a few hours regarding the direction of important hits or the nature of the errors made. This isn't a safe way, however, particularly when writing up important battles, like those of a world's series, when a paper and its readers often de- mand accurate description of practically every play. For that purpose it is necessary only to amplify the system already outlined and it can be done gradually. Often it is necessary to know the order in which players were put out. When men on bases are retired this will not always be clear unless the outs are numbered in their turn. For that purpose write the number of the out (1, 2 or 3) beneath the characters telling how the out was made, giving it the form of a frac- 322 THE BOOK OF. ATHLETICS tion. Then in the matter of fly balls, not all of them are alike and you cannot always re- member whether Jones hit an easy curving fly or a line drive to Smith in right field. To dis- tinguish them I use the letter F for an ordinary fly, D for a line drive and P for a pop-up or ^' Texas league '' fly that is caught. Some- times a foul fly is captured, and that is shown by using FF. Not all errors are of the same kind. For instance, E5 indicates the batsman reached first on the third baseman's error. But it does not tell whether it was a fumbled grounder, a wild throw or a muffed fly. If, instead of the vague E, you had used M to indicate a fumbled grounder, or W to indicate a wild throw, or O to indicate a muffed fly, you would not have to trust to memory to know what misdeed 5 committed. There is another complication. The third baseman may do his part by making a perfect throw, but the first baseman muffs the ball and the runner is safe. That is shown by 5 — 03, meaning that Mr. 3 muffed Mr. 5's throw. In recording strikeouts the figure 2 is not sufficiently specific, so the letter K is used with it. The direction of a safe hit is told by a small figure under the base hit sign, showing the number of the fielder to whom or near whom the hit went. The figure 8 under a base hit means a hit to center. If it is desired to be SCORING THE GAME 323 more exact, a hit to right center can be indi- cated by putting the 8 at the right of the plus sign. A system of scoring which insures a permanent record of all the plays in a game will show how every baserunner reached each base made by him. If he completes the circuit the four squares will contain the record of how he reached each base. Except when a base is stolen or gained on a battery error, the scoring of which already has been explained, the run- ner generally is advanced by a succeeding bats- man or while a successful or unsuccessful at- tempt is being made to put out a succeeding batsman. To indicate the advancing of a run- ner in these cases use the letters A, B, C, D. When a runner advances on something done by or to the batsman immediately following him, use A to show it. Use B to indicate an advance on something that happened to the second suc- ceeding batsman, and so on. By this time perhaps the reader is of the opinion that baseball scoring is pretty complex, after all, but a great deal of the system here set forth may be omitted. Beginning with the sim- ple system outlined at the start one may am- plify it, by adopting more detail, as far as de- sired. The advantage of the complete, de- tailed system lies in its permanence. For illustration I have taken the score of the final game of the world's series between Ath- lectics and Cubs in 1910. It is reproduced 324 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS in two sections, diagram 1 representing the plays while the Athletics were at bat and dia- gram 2 those while the Cubs were at bat. With- out consulting newspaper files or any source of information, except this shorthand score of that game, any desired amount of details can be written, not only now, months after the game, but twenty years from now, when even the names of the players may be forgotten. Following is a partial translation of the dia- grams : First inning — Athletics: Hartsel hit a sin- gle past the shortstop, stole second and went the rest of the way home on what happened in the square opposite Collins' name. Lord struck out. Collins hit safely to center field, and that, of course, was what let Hartsel score from second base. Collins stole second and was left there. Baker fouled to the catcher. Davis struck out. For the Cubs we find on the other diagram that Sheckard hit a grounder to the first-baseman and the pitcher covered first, making the putout. Schulte and Hofman both hit grounders to the second-baseman and were thrown out at first. Second inning — Athletics: Murphy was thrown out from third base to first. Barry popped a fly to the shortstop. Lapp struck out. For the Cubs : Chance made a two-base hit to left and went to third when Zimmerman sacri- ficed, the pitcher fielding the bunt and throwing SCORING THE GAME 325 to the second-baseman who covered first. Stein- feldt singled and Chance scored. Steinfeldt was left on first as Tinker fonled out to the first-baseman and Archer flied to center. Third inning — Athletics: Coombs struck out. Hartsel was thrown out from second to first and Lord from the pitcher to first base. For the Cubs : Brown was out from pitcher to first base, Sheckard out, second to first. Schulte made a hit to center, tried to steal and was thrown out, catcher to second-baseman. Fourth inning — Athletics: Collins hit a grounder to the first-baseman, who touched the bag himself. Baker struck out. Davis went out, second to first. For the Cubs: Hofman drew a base on balls and was forced out at sec- ond base, pitcher to shortstop, when Chance tried to advance him. Chance reached first on this fielder's choice play and went to second when Zimmerman made a single to left. Stein- feldt hit a grounder to the third-baseman, who fumbled it. Chance reached third, Zimmerman second and Steinfeldt first on the error. In that hole, with the bases full, one out and the score tied. Tinker and Archer struck out. Fifth inning — Athletics : Murphy hit safely past third, went to second on Barry's sacrifice, pitcher to first, and scored when Lapp singled to center. Coombs was out, pitcher to first, and Hartsel struck out. For the Cubs : Brown was out, second to first. Sheckard singled but was . Ui o o -^ o o o o o « o o :t o ^ o ^i- (^ fO :f- ^ a. rt Vrt i- o o* o r? :i- *^ s ir> eo "^ - fO o o t»> — ■** O r* oc c» -- O ^» -. w o o o r^ ao vo :^ t/a Vp CO :i- Ci "i- i- -« f^ V / A X A A, /\ A k k X VO ^^J »" < y < V V V V V V V Y V -V V V V -/ V ■< > \«- '" Y Y Y Y V 1 Y Y Y V 1 Y^\ o A A- -/V A A A A A ■■■(■ \ C Y Y Y Y Y Y Y V 1 Y \ k[ 9Ui 4^ k t^A-^ A \^ GO S'h \* /" \ A ■^•>- ^•>z 7\ * >t -< > \ ^ ^. >- \/ Y y5^ mYfli •^Y^ xYj: Y Y V Y ^M ^A^ A, A, _Ai: +A1= A .A*? A A. V '^ Y Y Y Y i^ Y Y Y Y ^\ A ^ A"^ k A A A A A, A \o ^ CD r/ Y Y Y Y Y Y fY Y ^ V At A, A. i 1a|2 A A= A, V ^ U) yi T Y Y 0QY 1 ^ jy Y T Y 1 C^ «5=3 k^ At^ A A A A, A K ^ A \o in CO Y Y Y Y Y V 1 Y Y Y <> X ^^ CM cr> c- ^s c? "eS ^ C x* ^ "S^ o O V a > T -0- -J- 2 : 2 o H- ^ pa Q ^ pq -^ O < Pi o CQ UJ o -. o o ^ « o o o o Vr> -^ "^ .0 o A^ A^ A A A k h zh AJ A. V 1 0) Y" Y Y Y <> Y Y Y <> <( °\ 00 ^ -<^ A A A jk kt ..'''^ A \o V s» Y <> y- ■<> Y <> Y T Y \> o\ A. A Ae --^ ^/£ A 1 A A A V (0 V Y T Y x Y Y 1 Y Y A 10 ^ ^ <> ^ A- <^ A 1 Y ^ Ij ^ <> 1 * S? X Y yfe J^ ll A- oV -*- CO ^ fcU ^ A ■^ ^ A A ^ A .A, A >A w At vv- ^y ,/5!p A 1 V 1 CM <> <> Y f <^ Y Y Y Y Y A -5 h A ja- A A A A A iA >A \o -li V- Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y o\^ ^^ ^1 t^ cs- oo CO •i- 'J? -^ C< >. ^3i » -^ <, ^ ^ d CO 3 i c of V •a? J i o •a? ^ ^ < > o < I (4 o 328 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS forced out, shortstop to second-baseman, when Schulte hit a grounder to short. Schulte beat the double play to first but tried to steal and was thrown out by the catcher. Try your hand at the sixth and seventh in- nings. All plays on both sides were simple. Eighth inning — Athletics: Coombs singled but was forced out at second when Hartsel hit to the shortstop. Hartsel reached first on the play and stole second. Lord doubled, scoring Hartsel. Collins hit a two-bagger past first base, scoring Lord. Collins stole third but was put out, second-baseman to catcher, when he tried to score on Baker's grounder. Da\ds drew a base on balls, which sent Baker to sec- ond. Murphy hit one too hot for the second- baseman to handle. Baker scored on it. Davis went all the way from first base home on the same play but ought to have been out at the plate if the second-baseman had not made a wild throw after getting the ball again. Murphy, who made the hit, ran to second on the play made to stop Davis at the plate, and kept right on to third before the wild throw was recovered. He scored from third on a wild pitch. Barry was given a base on balls. Lapp was out, pitcher to first base. For the Cubs: Sheckard made a two-base hit and advanced to third while Schulte was being put out, short to first. Hofman struck out. Chance singled to right, scoring Sheckard. Zimmerman flied out. SCORING THE GAME 329 Ninth inning — Athletics: Coombs and Hartsel went out, pitcher to first. Lord took a base on balls and went to third on Collins' two base hit. Both runners were left when the first-baseman caught Baker's foul. For the Cubs: Steinfeldt popped a fly to center. Tinker hit a longer fly to the same fielder. Archer singled to right. Kling batted for Brown and hit to the shortstop, who stepped on second base, forcing Archer out and ending the world's series. If one wants to know who '* second-base- man," ^* shortstop," ^' pitcher," and so forth, are in the above translation it is necessary only to look at the opposite team to find out, if by any possibility one has forgotten who played in that game. In the totals beneath the innings the top row of figures shows the runs made in each inning; the lower row shows the hits in each inning. The columns of figures at the right of each dia- gram are the so-called *^ box-scores " which appear in the newspapers. Therein are shown the times at bat, runs, safe hits, putouts, assists and errors made by each player in the game. The fielding record of each player, it must be remembered, is made up from the opposite side of the book or card. For example, the ^^ Mr. 8 " who put out Archer in the second inning was Lord, not Hofman. ROWING EOWINa Of all sports common among school and col- lege students, none is greater as a muscle and strength builder than rowing. But the very factors which make it an excellent developer of bra^^Ti also make it a dangerous sport unless carefully supervised. Rowing demands great muscular exertion and the heart and lungs are put under heavy strain. For this reason it should not be indulged in, in its more strenuous forms, except by boys and men who are phys- ically fitted for its requirements, and it is there- fore not an ideal sport for inter scholastic com- petition except when under the direction of competent persons. These remarks, however, are directed towards organized rowing with active competition. In its less strenuous forms, rowing can be tried by almost any soundly built boy with both pleasurable and healthful re- sults. Crew rowing, because of its team-work, of- fers the most enjoyment and the best training. At the same time, whenever competition en- ters, this form becomes the most strenuous, and the younger boys who wish to become oarsmen should confine their efforts to becom- 333 334 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS ing familiar with boats and oars, learning to scull, to row in the pair-oar or in the barge, but leave the contesting of races to their older and more developed comrades. At most, younger boys ought not to put themselves to greater strains than races of a quarter or half a mile. This does not preclude the boy who is fond of the water from having the very best fun in rowing or gaining the very best kind of healthful exercise. This is the same precau- tion which the boy who runs should take in not attempting much competition on the track or in the field. Although the majority of the men who are members of crews which win distinction are of good weight and stature, no boy who has a sound body and a fair amount of strength need feel that he cannot enjoy rowing and even be- come proficient in some of its many forms. I have known many instances of men who weighed not more than one hundred and thirty- five pounds becoming skilled and fast scullers. As in nearly all other branches of sport, skill will often more than make up for size when a fair amount of strength is at hand. In the large English schools at least half of the boys learn to handle the sweep as well as the sculls and big and little enjoy many afternoons on the rivers. A boy who is learning to row should be able to swim. The light craft in which most rowing ROWING 335 is done are very ticklish macliines wlien in the hands of the unskilled, and a spill into the water is not an uncommon event with the novice. One should never begin his rowing in the lighter and more speedy shell, for not only is there danger of breaking one of these fragile boats, but the beginner is more likely to form bad habits when his attention is engrossed in keep- ing his boat right side up rather than with his rowing. He should start in a sliding-seat barge or on a rowing-machine. There are many types of barges, varying from the pair-oared to the eight-oared barge and there are an equal number of satisfactory rowing-machines. At many of the larger universities, the men are taught to row in tanks where a stationary boat is rigged with all the equipment necessary for rowing and with oars which have blades with large holes. These holes and the fact that the water is pumped through the tank at a rapid rate gives the oarsman very much the same conditions that he would meet in a moving boat, while at the same time he has artificial steadi- ness which allows him to put all his attention on his rowing. Another excellent way to learn to row is to enter a boat with an experienced partner, who will steady and teach at the same time. In sweep-oar rowing, that is, rowing where each member of the crew pulls but one oar, there are many different styles and many dif- 336 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS ferent strokes, but all the best aim at certain fundamentals whicli are necessary to get the greatest amount of speed out of the energy applied. I sball briefly run over some of these points. The thing which bothers the novice most of all and which he is longest in mastering is the sliding seat. It runs very easily and to the beginner it is often more of a handicap than an advantage. Therefore it is well to start at once to learn its control. To this end, one rule can be laid down, the slide should always fol- low and never precede the shoulders and back in the backward and forward swing. At the beginning of the stroke the seat should be al- most if not quite at the end of the slide nearest the stern of the boat. The body is bent for- ward along the keel, and the arms swing out with the oar. The body should not follow the arms and the oar. It is very important that this full reach, which is the term applied to this part of the stroke, should not be carried to ex- cess. If the oarsman leans forward as far as he can, he will assume a position from which it is almost impossible to make a quick, power- ful catch. On the other hand, if he is leaning comfortably well forward with his arms ex- tended but not over extended, he will find him- self in a strong position from which he can move very quickly and exert his full strength on the oar. THE CATCH. NOTICE THE EASY, STKOI>fG POSITION OF THE BODY AT THE FULL REACH. EVERY- THING IS WELL-POISED FOR THE CATCH. IX THE MIDDLE OF THE PULL. XOTE THE STRAIGHT ARMS, THE DRIYE OF THE LEGS, AND THE SWING OF THE SHOULDERS. THE FINISH. THE LEGS ARE DOWN TIGHT ON THE STRETCHER. THE BODY HAS SWUNG SLIGHTLY PAST THE PERPENDICULAR, THE ARMS HAVE BEEN DRAWN SHARPLY' INTO THE BODY FOR A. HARD FINISH. THE RECOVER. THE HANDS HAVE BEEN SENT RAPIDLY AWAY FROM THE BODY, THE BODY IS SWING- ING FORWARD. THE SEAT IS STILL HELD BACK AS THE LEGS ARE LOCKED DOWN ON THE STRETCHER. PRACTICE ON THE MACHINE ROWING 337 So far we have said nothing about the feet and legs, which play such an important part in rowing. The feet should rest sqnarely npon the foot-rest or ** stretcher/' which is placed close or far away from the end of the slide accord- ing to the size of the oarsman. This stretcher should never be so close as to prevent the seat from coming to the end of the slide when at full reach. At the same time it should be close enough to act as a brake to the slide as the seat approaches the end, so that the oarsman will be conscious of a tightening of the muscles of his legs and an ability to push on the stretcher with all his strength. The instant the body comes to the full reach, the oar should enter the water and full power be applied so that the stroke of the oar will be begun immediately. To do this the hands must be raised sharply, while at the same moment the shoulders swing their weight on to the oar and the legs are driven down hard. By the time the body assumes the perpendicular and while the arms are still straight, the legs are down being completely straightened in one motion. This shove will send the seat spinning back along the runners. If the leg drive is made before the shoulders are started the slide will run away ahead of the shoulders and in all probability the powerful drive of the legs will be wasted. The body will have assumed a weak position similar to that seen when an oarsman 338 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS overreaches, in wMcli event the whole burden of the stroke falls on the shoulders and back and the greater part of the power is lost. By start- ing the shoulders, back, and legs together and from a position which is easy and comfortable, it will be seen that the leg drive comes at a time when it can add most to the speed and power of the stroke. Furthermore, as the shoulders and back are moving at full speed when the slide starts, they will have passed the perpendicular when the end of the slide is reached and thus shoulders and slide will finish their excursion together. Still further to add to the unity of the stroke, the arms should be sharply brought into the body at approximately the same time that the slide is finished. If these points are all observed, the stroke will come to a sharp, clean end with the handle of the oar drawn against the body and the arms at the sides, the back being a few degrees be- yond the perpendicular and the legs locked tightly down on the slide with the feet braced against the stretcher. With the expert, this point coincides with the quick leaving of the water by the oar, which marks good rowing by its clean, hard finish. For the beginner an- other step is necessary before he is ready to start on the forward swing of the recov- ery. This step is the slight dropping of the wrists and hands so that the oar clears itself of the water as it turns on the feather. This ROWING 339 is one of the hardest things which the novice has to struggle with, but gradually, as he be- comes more skilled, he finds that the ending of his stroke, dropping of his wrists, and feather- ing become one continuous and instantaneous motion. In starting the recovery, which is fully as important in good rowing as the stroke itself, the hands should be quickly shot away from the body until the arms are extended. This point is reached just about the time the hands are over the knees and at that instant the shoul- ders follow mechanically after the arms. When the knees have been cleared by the hands, the legs, which have remained straight and tight against the slide, bend at the knee and release the seat, which starts easily but rapidly to follow the body forward. Here again the slide must never be allowed to get ahead of the shoulders and the beginner will find it nec- essary to make a conscious effort to slow his slide. During the last six or eight inches of the slide the seat should creep towards its for- ward destination. All this time the body has been assuming its position between the knees for the full reach so that the instant the seat comes to the end of the slide the next stroke can be begun. The knees can be made a point of support for the body and thus keep it from swinging from one side to the other. For this purpose they should not be held close together, 340 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS but separated just enough to come almost di- rectly under the armpits when the full reach is gained. So much for the stroke from its inboard aspect; now for the points important to the outboard work. In starting the stroke, the oar should be buried in the water so that the top edge of the blade is covered by about two inches of water. This depth should be maintained throughout the entire stroke. The oar should rest squarely against the flattened pin in the lock. On the recovery, the feather, which is put on the instant the blade leaves the water, is held until just before the full reach, when it is turned slowly off. In rough weather and against a head wind the feather is held longer than under more favorable conditions. On the recovery the blade should always clear the water and never be dragged along the surface, as this materially checks the boat's progress. In rough weather one feathers high, but the lower one feathers on a smooth bit of water the easier it is to keep the boat on an even keel. To keep the boat from rolling is a task which always seems hard to the beginner and he is tempted to swing to one side or the other in his efforts to maintain his balance. This is wrong, and the expert never finds it necessary. In the first place, if one has his stretcher prop- erly placed and his feet well and tightly fast- ened against it, one finds his control over the ROWING 341 boat much increased. Then it will be found that by raising or lowering the toes of one foot or the other the boat can be thrown to one side or the other. By this little trick alone one can change the balance of an eight-oared shell* The knees, if they are opened somewhat, are also a valuable means of keeping the boat steady on the recovery. Still another means is to balance her with the oars. Thus if one side is down, the men on that side raise their hands while the men on the opposite side help by lowering theirs. An important thing to learn in all manner of rowing is how tight the grip upon the oar should be. If one holds too firmly and too tightly the forearms will soon become very tired and cramped so that it becomes almost impossible for the oarsman to put any power into his stroke. On the other hand, too loose a grip may prove disastrous and result in a ** crab." The oar should be held firmly but lightly. On the pull through, the grasp with the fingers will be strong and hard but the thumb will do little more than to steady the handle. On the recovery, the thumb and palm of the hand should do most of the work while the fingers rest lightly and even loosely on the oar and thus rest for the work of the next stroke. If there is this relaxation on each stroke, one's arms will never become '' tied up," as the saying is, no matter how far one 342 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS rows. The more expert one becomes the less one grijis his oar. The hand which does the feathering should bear the brunt on the recov- ery, while the outside hand, i. e., that farthest from the blade, should be the hand wliich does most of the pulling, as it is best situated to apply the leverage. Feathering and beveling (which is the opposite of feathering) are done by dropping or raising the wrist, as the case may be. In sculling, which is the term given to row- ing when each oarsman uses two oars or sculls instead of a single sweep, the fundamental prin- ciples are identical with those of sweep-oar rowing. The slide, the feather, the hard, clean catch and finish, offer the same problems, but there comes in the added element of using an oar in each hand rather than one large sweep, and the nicety with which the work must be done is even more essential with the sculls. This is especially true in single and double sculling, when bull strength counts much less than cleverness and sldll in the use of the oars. A man may be a first-class sweep oar and yet be unable to make any headway as a sculler, and while there are scullers of note who for one reason or another would not rank among the best with the sweeps, it is rare to see a sculler who cannot perform fairly well with the bigger oar. In learning to scull, the beginner has first to ROWING 343 master his boat, for a single shell is a ticklish toy except in trained hands. The first rule he must learn is to hold on to his sculls no matter what happens. If he does this he will be sur- prised to see how soon he masters the situ- ation, whereas the moment he lets a scull slip from his hand he is sure to get a ducking. Then as he learns to balance his boat without thought and to take his strokes with ease and freedom, he gradually becomes at home in his frail craft. But not until he can say that rough and smooth water are all the same to him, has he become a first-class sculler. In learning to scull, the man who takes his chances is the man who goes ahead the fastest. One should endeavor to take a hard catch at the full reach and put the whole weight on the instant the oar enters the water. This sounds very simple, but when one realizes that at the full reach the oars are not in a favorable position to maintain the boat^s balance and the body is less easily controlled because of its forward bending, it will be seen that to take a full, hard stroke means perfect confidence and freedom. In sculling, to overreach is even more detri- mental to good results than in sweep-oar row- ing. At the same time, it is not necessary for the sculler to swing so far back, as his hands can be carried farther in to the sides with the sculls than with a sweep. But he should not overdo this, and the hands should never be 344 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS carried past the body as often beginners attempt to do. Finish with the hands not farther back than the hips. The catch, or begin- ning of the stroke, should be made with the arms straight so that the motion comes straight from the shoulder. This is advisable in sweep- oar rowing but even more essential to good sculling. The catch should be smart and clean. The oars should be brought through to the fin- ish with ever-increasing velocity so that there will be no break in the stroke. If this is done and the sculler makes certain that the blades leave the water absolutely together, the finish is sure to be hard and clean. After the hands have been sent away quickly on the recovery and the slide started, the whole body should relax, so that a little rest between strokes is gained. As the catch is approached, the whole body is free — there should be no constriction whatsoever — and as the seat comes up to the end of the slide the sculler without tightening a muscle sets himself for the next stroke. Rhythm is very necessary to successful row- ing, and whether it be in single sculling or in the eight an effort should be made to maintain a definite rhythm to the stroke so that each stroke, no matter what the rate of striking may be, will have its proportions always the same. Thus if the stroke is quickened, instead of rushing backwards and forwards haphaz- ardly, the stroke will still preserve its definite ROWING 345 full rhythm, the only difference being that every motion is accomplished more rapidly. The in- tervals are shortened but the relationship is kept the same. As a sculler or a crew becomes more and more proficient, an attempt should be made to master various rates of striking. Starting at a moderately low stroke, which is the easiest to learn, it should be gradually raised until a rapid rate is reached. At first this will not be very high, as if it is high it will be poorly executed. If no attempt is made to rush the process and the increase in striking is advanced gradually, it will be surprising how quickly a change can be accomplished and a high rate mastered. Then at the same time it is wise to learn to drop the stroke very low, for in this way as in no other are errors in style most easily detected and corrected. A good sculler or a good stroke-oar in a crew learns to vary his stroke without any great effort. One should never attempt to change the rate in one or two strokes but to increase or lower it gradually. This gives the boat a chance to respond. One should always study his boat or his crew to see at what rate the best results can be obtained, and that rate should be the one at which most of the rowing is done, but no sculler or crew is really good without being able to sprint at a high rate of striking and paddle at a low one. Beginners should 346 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS bear in mind that to row with a fast stroke does not mean that the pull must be harder, but rather that all the movements are quickened. In England there is one universal style of rowing and all schools teach the same stroke. There, the long body-swing and the short slide, are accepted features in good rowing, and all oarsmen are brought up with the same ideas of rowing. In America there are many schools of rowing and almost as many different styles of stroking as there are teachers, and yet a close analvsis of each shows that certain funda- mentals are common to all successful strokes. The shorter body-swing and the longer slide are characteristic of American rowing, but like many of the other points of difference between strokes this is only superficial, as the length of the stroke in the water varies little in the two countries. At Cornell, where Coach Courtney has had such uniform success, the indi^ddual is the all-important factor. Each man rows in the way easiest to him. His rigging is fitted carefully to his needs. With long rows at a low stroke, Courtney welds the men into a crew, getting them accustomed to one another's little idiosyncrasies. At Columbia and Syracuse, where the material is generally less powerful and less plentiful, Coaches Eice and Ten Eyck have fitted their stroke to the material at hand and an easy, graceful stroke results. At Har- vard, more attention is paid to form and more ROWING 347 effort made to fit the men to a standard stroke which seems most efficient to the coach. But to all certain salient points are common. These are in brief : a hard, clean catch, a continuous and increasing pull through, and a hard, clean finish followed by a quick shooting of the hands away from the body and a slow, easy recovery. Variations are found and minor differences are many, but on these points all are practically agreed. In training for rowing events, perhaps the best piece of advice which can be given is this : Do your hard rowing early in your preparation so that the last week or so may be of a lighter order. Do not overdo in the amount of rowing. Many a good crew has been found sadly lacking when it came to the final test of endurance be- cause, as one great coach said, '' They had left all their rowing on the water by too much prac- tice." ** If you are unprepared a week before your race, ' ' said a wise trainer, ' ' it will do you little good to try to make up for lost time in the days that remain." Another good point to remember is that morning and evening are the best times to row, for then the sun is not too hot and the wind is apt to be less. HOW TO TRAIN A CREW: BY W. A. BANCKOFT Befoke training comes the selection of men. Too great care cannot be taken that the mem- bers of a crew are, first, physically sound ; and, second, anatomically fitted for rowing. Men whose organs are unsound, not only are likely to suffer themselves, but, when they break down, new men are taken in their places, and there is lost the unison of a crew — the result of weeks of preparation. The work must be done over, if there is time. If not, the crew is weakened to that extent. Men should have a suitable stature and suitable proportions. Men too tall or too short, men with extremely long or short arms or legs, conform only with great difficulty, if at all, to the movements of the rest of the crew. Men from five feet eight inches to six feet in height, and weighing, without cloth- ing, from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and eighty-five pounds when in racing condi- tion, are generally the best. There is, of course, great choice in fiber. Some considera- tion also should be given to temperament and 348 HOW TO TRAIN A CREW 349 disposition. A man should have resolution, spirit, good judgment, amiability, and equanim- ity. A gV^od crew must be essentially harmoni- ous, and this involves adaptability on the part of all of its members to each other. Boat- racing should not be undertaken, as a rule, by those under seventeen years of age; and it would be safer to begin at eighteen or even nineteen. The sport is a violent one, and is likely to be too exacting for persons in mid- youth. The organs are not then sufficiently powerful; and an arrested development, even if nothing more serious, may result. Training involves the amounts and kinds of exercise, food and drink, sleep, and bathing for the body, besides the occupation of the mind and its discipline. And first of exercise: If the persons selected have the time at their disposal, it is always better, before beginning to row, to practise for a week or two several forms of exercise, for the purpose of strength- ening certain muscles of the back and legs, as well as the wrist muscles, and to get the heart and lungs accustomed to greater activity. As the crew, which at this time should contain at least two more men than the number of oars to be pulled, must conform to the powers of its weakest member, and as it is not prudent to begin by taking a large amount of exercise, at first not over twenty minutes ought to be spent 350 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS on gymnasium apparatus and in calisthenic exercises, and not over a mile ought to be cov- ered in walking and running, three-quarters of which should be walking. This exercise ought to be gradually increased until thirty-five or forty minutes are spent in the gymnasium, and a run of a mile and a half at a pace of seven or eight miles an hour is taken. The gymnasium exercises should consist of work on vertical bars, on wrist weights, to some extent on arm and chest weights, and in doing the military ^* setting up '' exercises, such as are now prescribed for the army of the United States, especially the exercise which consists in lowering and raising the body by bending the legs at the knees, or ** squatting.'* The gym- nasium exercises ought to be done by all to- gether at the word of command, both for the sake of acquiring uniformity of movement, and also of acquiring a habit of obedience. A crew is a machine. Its parts must fit each other, and the whole must start and move and stop at directed. These gymnasium exercises for the first two or three years of rowing should be kept up daily, until within about six weeks of a race, usually from ten to fifteen minutes being given to them, even after the actual rowing has be- gun; and the runs should be kept up until nearly as late a date. During the six weeks or thereabouts immediately preceding a race, a HOW TO TRAIN A CREW 351 smart walk of a mile or more, according to the time available, ought to be substituted for the exercises and the running. For students and those whose vocations are sedentary, it is a good plan to take the walk immediately upon rising, and, while perspiring, follow it with a quick shower or plunge bath, and a rub-down before breakfast. If there is time, instead of this, a longer walk at a less rapid pace may be taken during the day. Overdoing, however, is to be avoided. What a given crew can do must be learned by experience; and individuals should be relieved, if it is found that they are doing too much. Especially as the day of the race approaches, care should be taken that no one is overtrained. If there is doubt, a given exercise had best be omitted. The food should consist of meat and fish, vegetables, light puddings, and fruit ; the drink of pure water, and good milk if wanted. Pa- stry, confections, alcoholic drinks, and tobacco should be prohibited. The food should be abundant and wholesome. Steaks, chops, or broiled chicken, with fish for breakfast; soup, fish, and a roast for dinner in the middle of the day; and a cold roast or breakfast dishes for supper. The roasts should not be overdone, but should be suitably cooked so as to retain the juices. The best of vegetables should be selected, and fruit in its season. The bread should be neither too fresh nor too stale. In 352 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS short, all these articles of food should be pre- pared as they are at a first-class hotel. The best of good, wholesome food, and that in abun- dance, is needed. There ought to be no regret if weight is not lost, provided each man does his share of the work in the boat. Good food and plenty of exercise strengthen the muscles; and if this process is going on, an increase in weight is of little moment. The oarsman should have all the sleep he wants; and between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five he will need about nine hours in bed, if he does honest work in the boat. He should sleep in a well-ventilated room, and on a hair mattress and pillow, with no more cov- ering than is necessary for warmth, and this will not be much. His sleep should be taken at regular hours. Besides the morning bath, one other cold bath daily may be taken after the row, or after the harder row if there are two ; but the bath must be taken while perspi- ration is going on, that is, at once after the row is done. The bath should not be prolonged, and should be followed by a vigorous rubbing down with a dry towel. This rubbing may ad- vantageously be followed by another rubbing of the limbs by the hands of an attendant, whose hands are moistened with spirits for the purpose. Care, however, should be taken to do the rubbing in a room sufficiently warm and free from draughts to avoid taking cold. If, HOW TO TRAIN A CREW 353 for any reason, the oarsman has stopped per- spiring before taking a bath, the bath should be in warm water. The mind should have a rational occupation. Freedom from extraordinary care or unusual excitement should be insured. RegTdarity of both bodily and mental habits should be ob- served. While in the boat the closest attention should be given by each man to his perform- ance, and time enough should be taken when out of the boat to understand and to master what is required of him. If there is time, and the sole object in view is to win a race, much time may profitably be spent by every member of the crew in perfecting, by discussion or otherwise, the details of the stroke, or of the work of individuals, or of the crew as a whole. At all events, the mind should be kept healthy by the contemplation and the consideration of none but wholesome subjects. WTiile there should be a regularity in matters of food, sleep, and habits, and, in general, in exercise, the latter should not be allowed to become irksome through its monotony. It is better to give up rowing occasionally for a day, and substitute some other exercise of a recre- ative character, or rest altogether; and, if the preparation for a race lasts for six months, a vacation of a week ought to be taken when the time is half gone. But even then exercise ought not wholly to be abandoned; and the rest of 354 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the requirements, those relating to food, drink, sleep, etc., should be observed. Few races ought to be undertaken, and none by new men, without at least three months of preparation. By this is not meant that, after a race is over, a man's habits may be radically changed. The true oarsman never essentially changes his habits. Unless his concerns pre- vent, he will always get plenty of sleep at reg- ular hours, will eat nothing but the kinds of food described above, will not become a slave to any appetite, and will not give up athletic exercise. Such a man will be, in a sense, al- ways in condition; without inconvenience, he will readily assume the more exacting obliga- tions necessary to prepare for a race. A crew of such men may, of course, prepare for a con- test in less than three months' time; but even they will do well to give as long a period as three months, if the race is to be anv but a very short one. The stroke to be rowed will depend some- what upon circumstances. If it should happen that there be available for the stroke oarsman of the crew, a man who has already acquired a smooth, symmetrical, regular, and effective movement, it may be expedient to teach the rest of the crew his stroke, no matter what the style. Good results have been obtained from such a course. Good crew shell-rowing, no mat- ter what the style of stroke, has certain require- HOW TO TRAIN A CREW 355 ments. The shell must be rowed so that it will not roll from side to side ; so that it will not sink minecessarily either at bow or stern, when the weight of the crew shifts as it is moved with the seats. The oar-blades must take the water on the '* full reach " at the very farthest point to which they are carried, without ' ' clipping ' ' or rowing the first part of the stroke in the air. They must take the water also without ' ' back- ing ' ' it, or throwing it towards the bow. They must leave the water at the end of the stroke without " slivering," or pulling water up as they are taken out; that is, the blades must take and leave the water so that the least pos- sible retardation shall be given to the onward movement of the boat, or, as it is sometimes said, they must be put in and taken out ^^ clean " and '^ smooth." After the blades are taken out of the water at the end of the stroke, they must be returned to the *^ full reach " again without touching the water; for the friction of dragging them along the surface tends to hold the boat back. The blades, of course, ought to be dipped to- gether, taken out together, feathered together at a unifoiTQ height, and turned again together for another stroke. Again, there should be uni- formity of movement inside the boat; indeed, unless there is such uniformity, there is little likelihood of uniformity of movement outside. The backs, therefore, of a crew that rows well 356 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Avill always be parallel, the legs will move sim- ultaneously, and so will the seats, and the arms will be drawn in at the same time, the wrists dropped together at the finish of the stroke, the arms extended again at the same time, and the hands will be turned simultane- ously on the full reach to begin the stroke. All these requirements are common to good crew shell-rowing, and, when lacking, are indications of a faulty stroke. But none of these faults, however, may belong to any one of several crews, no two of which are rowing the same stroke. There may be good rowing, therefore, under various styles of stroke. Still, some one must be adopted. When no other stroke has been adopted, the following may be used: Assuming the boat to be stationary and the oarsman to be at a ** full reach," arms extended, back straightened from its lowest extremity and inclined, seat as far aft as it is intended to be moved, blade in the water turned for the stroke and just covered, the shoulders squared and held down and back, the neck and head in prolongation of the back, the wrist of the hand next to the rowlock slightly convexed, and that hand resting diag- onally upon the oar handle, the legs opened slightly, but symmetrically, enough to receive between the thighs the lower front part of the trunk, and the boat resting evenly upon the water, the stroke is begun by swaying the HOW TO TRAIN A CREW 357 trunk back as though pivoted at the seat until it has reached the vertical position, then the legs are straightened out with vigor, the seat moving back with the shoulders, the hands be- ing kept at such a height that the blade will remain just covered, until the seat has been moved toward the bow to its limit, and the trunk has swung just a trifle beyond the verti- cal. The stroke is finished by drawing in the arms until the hands touch the body, when, by dropping them a bit, and, at the same time slightly turning the wrist, the blade is taken out of the water. Care should be taken to keep the blade just covered in making this finish. To return to the ' ' full reach ' ' again the hands continue moving, and are shot out parallel with the surface of the water until the arms are straightened, the trunk is swung forward, and almost at the same time the seat is started aft, while the trunk continues to swing until every- thing gets to the *^ full reach " simultaneously and is ready to begin another stroke. Nothing but practice, of course, and the assistance of an experienced ** coach,'' will enable a crew to row smoothly, gracefully, and effectively the stroke here attempted to be described. The separate parts of the stroke are given as though they were independent movements, instead of forming, as they do, one continuous but com- plicated movement. At the beginning of the stroke, or at the " catch " as it is called, the 358 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS shoulders should be driven back vigorously and rapidly, care being taken not to make the mo- tion a jerky one by burying the oar-blade too deeply, and thus stopping the movement of the shoulders. At the finish the most difficult part of the movement to be acquired is a rapid ** shoot '' of the arms away from the body, without a jarring motion by which the hands are either sent down into the lap with a violent thump, or else the shoulders are brought for- ward with a jerk. The ^^ catch " and the * * shoot ' ' give no little trouble to beginners ; but, when once mastered by a crew, it is be- lieved that, other things being equal, no stroke without them is so effective. Every motion must be such as to waste no energy. After the arms are shot out, the trunk, which scarcely stops in changing direction, should not be rushed towards the ^' full reach,'' but should follow at a relatively moderate pace the ** shoot " of the arms. Especially, care should be taken not to let the trunk drop down on the *^ full reach " with a jar or thump, and pains should be taken to have the hands high enough as they approach the ** full reach " to bring the blade as close to the water as it can be brought, without ^' backing water," to begin the stroke. The tricks of watermanship, or of rowing the boat ** on an even keel " as it is called, that is, without its inclining either to port or star- o o o I W I— t w o HOW TO TRAIN A GREW 359 board, can most of tliem be learned only by experience. It is a general rule, when the boat inclines to port during the feather, for the star- board men to lower their hands and for the port men to raise theirs, and vice versa. If the boat rolls to port during the stroke, the port men must pry her over, done by lifting, as it were, their oar-handles, and vice versa. Every muscle should, of course, be trained to be under absolute control, so as to adjust itself to the various conditions of wind, wave, and current as they appear, to anticipate, and, by the neces- sary motions, to counteract their effect upon the ** trim " of the boat. Power must be ap- plied vigorously at one instant ; at the next, it must be taken off so as to maintain the ^^ beat '* or rhythm of the stroke. It is best to teach a novice the motions of the trunk, legs, and arms upon a rowing-machine. The muscles are then accustomed to many of y the requirements of the stroke, so that when, later, the beginner is seated in a boat, there is not so much to be learned at once. Before he is allowed to row with a crew, he should be taught first, in a pair-oared boat of sufficient steadiness not to roll, the proper method of handling an oar. From the pair-oar, the mem- bers of the crew should next be seated in a steady barge, and there be taught to row *' to- gether." Lastly, the shell should be entered. In the meantime, the way to lift boats, to carry 360 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS them, to put them into the water and to take them out should be taught ; also the way to get in and to get out of a boat; the way to turn a boat without straining it, as well as how to '' hold '' it and to ^' back "it. A shell must be used with the greatest of care, in order that its lines may be kept. In placing the crew in a boat, care should be taken to select for the stroke oarsman a man of quick motions, clear head, and self-posses- sion, plucky, and of endurance. He should be able to set a long stroke, the pace of which he can regulate without throwing the crew out of time, and he should have power enough to ^* drive '^ the rest of the crew in a spurt. The next man behind the stroke oarsman should be a stronger man than he, and one who rows a stroke quite as long, and who can keep in per- fect time with him. The weight of the crew should be so arranged that the boat will never '* trim down by the head," that is, sink lower in the bow than in the stern ; and, as nearly as possible, the strength of the men on one side should equal the strength of those on the other. There are two objects in training a crew — one to enable it to acquire an effective stroke, the other to enable its members to be in the very best physical condition at the hour of the race. The first consideration should always yield to the second. HOCKEY HOCKEY BY FEED D. HUNTINGTON" For many years tlie game of hockey, like baseball in the United States, has been the characteristic game of Canada, foremost in popularity in leagues and colleges. Probably because of the fact that prior to the widespread erection of artificial ice rinks, the locations in the United States naturally adapted to hockey were limited and confined to the northern por- tions alone, the introduction of the game dates from a comparatively recent period. In 1897, Dr. Frederick Goodridge of Cambridge, at that time a student at Harvard, was impressed with the merits of Canadian hockey, and in spite of the less favorable conditions was ardent in es- tablishing the game as a college sport. The experiment was successful. Wherever hockey was introduced enthusiastic supporters were found. Other colleges and schools followed suit, and since that first year hockey has been recognized as one of our finest winter sports. The popularity of hockey has steadily increased until last year it received final and absolute 363 364 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS recognition at one of our leading and most con- servative colleges. The Harvard Athletic Committee endorsed a vote of the Student Council making hockey a fifth major sport and awarding its players the straight letter insignia. The object of this article is to give those in- terested in this game, which possesses such at- tractions for lovers of winter sport some idea of its fundamentals. It is hoped that the be- ginner may here find instruction that will make his progress more rapid and development more certain, and that even to those already ac- quainted with the game some suggestions will prove of value. Although there are no standard dimensions for a hockey rink, ninety feet by two hundred feet is generally considered the most satisfac- tory size. For convenience and fast play, some sort of side-boards are essential. The goals, six feet wdde by four feet high, are placed at least ten feet from the ends. The speed of the game requires careful selec- tion of equipment ; heavy or clumsy shoes and guards are enough to ruin any player. Jersey, tights, and running trunks make an ideal play- ing costume even for cold weather. Strips of felt about one inch thick, that may be conve- niently slipped inside the tights make excellent guards for shin and knee. Shoes should be tight-fitting and light, mth thin soles ; skates, also light, of thin steel, with well-rockered HOCKEY 365 blade, should be riveted on to the shoe. This equipment applies for defense men as well as forwards, though the former may require slightly thicker guards . The goal-keeper needs all the protection consistent with the agility required of him. There are many models of sticks adapted to individual taste. Certain general requirements are common to all, however. A good stick must be light, with a firm, stiff shaft. When held out on the ice at arm's length the heel of the blade should rest flat, with the toe raised but slightly. The prime requisite of a hockey player is ability to skate. Perfect familiarity with straight skating, starting, stopping, and turn- ing, etc. are invaluable and can be secured only by practice. A distance or fancy skater is not necessarily a good hockey skater, for hockey requires expertness along certain lines ; starting, stopping, and balance for dodging are the qualities to be developed. A game of hockey is a series of starts and stops and one who excels in this will pass as a fast hockey player. To start and stop you must have sharp skates, ground on a small- radius stone, which gives sharp edges to grip the ice and a slightly concave center. To make a quick stop the skater turns his body sideways, throws his weight back, while his skates, at right angles to the direction of his progress, bring him to a stop. If one faces to 366 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the left in stopping, the right leg is straight out, rigid at the knee; it is the inside edge of this skate that does the actual stopping. The left knee is slightly bent. This leg serves to balance and guide. In this manner, not only does the skater come most rapidly to a stop, but he is also in the best possible position for a quick start. In the position I have described, facing left, body inclined, right leg rigid, left knee bent, the first drive is with the left foot, the right is brought forward slightly in front of the left for the second drive, the skates still nearly at right angles with the forward mo- tion. After three or four short powerful thrusts from the front side of the skate, the skater faces forward and strikes out in the ordinary skating stride, taking short steps and short glides, until well under way, getting the full thrust from the front inner edge of each skate. Each skate as it comes off the ice should be at an angle of at least forty-five degrees with the line of forward progress. Avoid pounding, that is, bringing the skate flat down on the ice. With each stroke the toe of the skate touches the ice first, with the knee bent to give spring and suppleness. At the half-stroke the heel touches, as the leg drives out, the full finish is off the very toe edge again. The art of raising or shooting the puck is very difficult to explain, and proficiency in this HOCKEY 367 department requires more conscientious effort than almost any other. Let me remind you that ice is not necessary to practise shooting; concrete or wood surfaces do very well. Take the stick naturally mth either right or left hand sUghtly less than one-haK the way down the shaft. With the right hand down, the heel of the left face of the blade would be placed against the puck, and as the puck is shoved for- ward the blade is drawn in. This combination of motions makes the puck rotate in a horizon- tal plane as it shoots through the air. The most effective shots are knee-high, driven with all the power possible. From these general considerations we turn to the details of the game. One great beauty of hockey is the lack of comphcated rules, as there are really but two. The first is against offside play. Every player must endeavor to keep onside, that is, between the puck and his own goal, and no man shall be eligible to receive a pass unless he is even wdth, or behind the man carrying the puck at the time of the pass. The second rule is against rough play. In the rule-books at- tempts are made to classify and describe such offenses, but it all comes down to this: there shall be no unnecessary roughness, i.e., trip- ping, cross-checking, pushing from behind, slugging and slashing with the stick. A multi- tude of other so-called tricks are not hockey; 368 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS they should be strictly penalized in games and discountenanced in practice . There is only one thing that can prevent hockey from being widely recognized as one of our very finest sports, and that is rough, unsportsmanlike play. There is great temptation, but wher- ever rough play has been tolerated hockey has lost prestige and popularity. As to the detail of position play, I can men- tion only a few general principles. The six men that compose a hockey team may be clas- sified in two groups, three forward and three defense men. The forwards form a line across the rink. Each man has his territory and the success of the United States style of hockey depends on his confining his efforts to that territory. The right and left wings are responsible along the sides, near the boards ; the rover or center takes his position in the territory between. These three forwards theoretically should follow the puck up and down the rink, keeping always just on-side, each man constantly ready to receive a pass. The forwards are primarily offensive, but they play a very vital part on the defense, in breaking up the opponents' attack, intercepting passes, checking attempts to dodge or jump through, and, most impor- tant of all, covering up their respective op- ponents in a scrimmage around the goal. There are three methods available to get by HOCKEY 369 an opponent. The first is to dodge. This tends to the individual style of play that so often destroys team-work; but within limits, dodging, coupled with clever stickwork, is ex- tremely effective. The second, is to jump the puck through. That is, if you see an opening, a quick flip of the puck will often enable you to slip past the opponents' forwards, and be- fore they can turn you are clear. The third method is the surest and when perfectly exe- cuted is unbeatable. This is to pass by your opponent. The player with the puck ad- vances, and pretends to dodge in the opposite direction from that in which he intends to pass. By that feint the opponent is drawn off his balance, the pass is made, and the player re- ceiving the pass skates by unhindered. The play of the wings is hard work and re- quires good condition, for, aside from the bumps and bruises against the boards, the wing has more actual skating than any other player. He must be back in the very corners when the puck is behind his own goal, to assist his defense men in starting an attack. He must follow the puck well behind the op- ponents' goal, and yet be always ready to chase back if the opponents get away and start down the ice. If a team has wings that will keep out on the boards and up in line, it should have no difficulty in starting an attack, for without even looking one can slam the 370 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS puck over to the boards knowing that the wing that is on the job can pick it up with a flying start. A wing carrying the puck down the boards can often pass an opponent by carom- ing the puck off the boards and jumping around. A good wing, even if a football player, will never attempt to jump between an opponent and the boards, for he is sure to be boxed. The wing should be a good shot and should be placed right or left according to whether he shoots with his right or his left hand down. Wing shots are dangerous, but a pass in to an uncovered center is a more effec- tive means of scoring than taking a wild chance unassisted. Wings should converge on the goal with an attack, and if the puck goes be- hind the opponents' goal it is their duty to check and turn in attempts to carry it out. If they get the puck they should at once snap it back to the center for a shot. The play of the rover requires more skill and stick-work. Until recently the American colleges played what is known as seven-man hockey. Now the six-man game has completely replaced the older game. Under the old game there were two center forwards, left center and right center. Today there is only one center forr^^ard who is known as the ^^rover.'^ Needless to say the play of the rover requires the utmost skating skill and HOCKEY 371 stick work and the rover must be fast and untiring. On the offensive he is the chief sharpshooter. He must be able to engage in scrimmages, dodge, jump through defensive men and pass as well as to shoot hard and accurately. Generally the fastest skater on the team is placed at the rover position pro- vided he has endurance or can be relieved by a capable substitute at suitable times. A good rover is continually on the move because he must follow back the opponent's rushes in order to pick up a loose puck and dash back in a new attack upon the opponents' goal. Many teams make it a practice to develop two rovers who are interchanged throughout the game in order to keep the attack going at full speed One man, no matter how good is bound to tire and become less effective before the end of the three periods of play. To meet the dangers of a passing game the defense, point, and cover-point play what is known as a parallel defense, as in this way the man with the puck and the man who is to re- ceive the pass are both covered at the same time. In an ordinary attack by two or three men, the cover-point takes his side in front of the man with the puck. If he happens to be playing far up the ice, he retreats, keeping free from the attack until he is in line with his point, that is, parallel with him. He then stops and takes the man with the puck. The 372 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS point has singled out the man who is to receive the pass. As the player with the puck ap- proaches the cover-point, he passes; it is then an easy matter for the point either to intercept the pass or check the opponent as he reaches for it. The parallel defense should meet the attack about forty feet in front of the goal. At this distance a shot from in front of the defense is not dangerous and a player attempt- ing to circle will find himself out of angle for a shot. Although primarily designed to meet a passing game, this defense works equally well against a dodging attack. If the opponent with the puck attempts to dodge, it should be easy either to force him so far outside that his shot would not be dangerous, or if he attempts to slip between, a well timed convergence on the part of the defense men will stop his chances. If well executed, this defense is almost impregnable. The opponents are forced either to shoot before reaching the defense or circle and flip the puck out from behind. Point and cover-point readily alternate positions. In case of a scrimmage it is the point's primary duty to protect the territory immediately in front of the goal, as it is the duty of the cover- point to follow into the corners and, with the help of the wings, get the puck out of the danger zone away down the ice. If it is more convenient at any time, the point may follow the puck, and that should be a signal for the HOCKEY 373 cover-point to protect in front of the goal. At no time should both defense men be on the same side of the goal. Their play is con- stantly parallel, for the possibility of a pass makes each side equally dangerous. A goal-tender is depended on to stop all rea- sonably long shots and should be chose i for that ability. To stop short shots from a scrim- mage in front of the goal, or from an opponent skating in free, requires too much luck to be a fair test, and such occasions arise only from an error on the part of the forwards or defense. A goal-tender is in a position to see and appre- ciate the danger from uncovered opponents and should insist that his team-mates do their duty in covering up and at the same time that they stand out of line of his view of the puck. To judge a shot he must see the puck as it leaves the ice ; so it should never be out of his sight for an instant. Shots below the knee must be blocked off by the legs. The goal tender should get squarely in front of the shot and not lose a second in clearing the rebound to one side. Higher shots are best stopped with the hand. In this brief description of position and as- signment, I have followed out the style of play that has proved most practical for the players in the States. In Canada, where hockey and skating are second nature to the average boy, individual stars are developed whose remark- 374 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS able stick-work and skating appear to warrant a sacrifice of team-play. Under these circum- stances, the player with the puck is allowed to roam all over the ice attempting to weave and dodge into position for a shot, only passing as a last resort. This style is very spectacular and gives those not engaged in the attack op- portunity to rest ; but it has been proved again and again that our teams, composed of com- paratively inferior players, by keeping their positions and sacrificing individuality to team- play, are a match for the best amateur teams across the border. The rapid development and present stand- ing of hockey warrant the highest expectations for its future. Few games combine so many of the requirements of a perfect sport; few games combine mental and physical alertness in more nearly perfect proportions. To the spectator, hockey is full of fascination ; but to the player, the pure joy of the game exceeds that of any other sport. HOCKEY BY GEORGE OWEN, JR. The introduction of hockey into the United States dates from a comparatively recent time. In 1879, Dr. Frederick Goodridge, at that time a student at Harvard, was greatly ina- pressed with the merits of Canadian hockey and, despite unfavorable conditions, played an important role in establishing the game as a college sport. Since its introduction, the popularity of hockey has increased by leaps and bounds, and wherever introduced, it has met with great success. It is now the lead- ing winter sport in localities where weather conditions are favorable, with colleges, schools, and clubs showing ever-increasing interest. The Rink There are no standard dimensions for a hockey rink, the size depending on the loca- tion and the amount of money to be expended. If possible, the most satisfactory rink is about ninety feet by two hundred feet. There are three kinds of rinks: the plain outdoor rink; 375 376 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the indoor rink with natural ice (used in cold Canadian localities) ; and the indoor rink with artificial ice. The side-boards of a rink should be about five feet high and of some hard wood. Implements of the Game The puck used in hockey is a rubber disc, three inches in diameter and one inch thick, and should be fairly hard. The goals or cages are six feet w4de by four feet high, and should be placed at least fifteen feet from the ends. The sticks are made in many styles to suit the individual player, but a good stick must be light and stiff. Many beginners make the mistake of getting a heavy stick, with the result that they can not handle it quickly or skilfully. The length of the stick should be about the height of a man's chest, when standing erect, although many forwards prefer a shorter stick and many defense men, a longer one. The goal-tender's stick is shorter, and of extra width around the blade and part way up the shaft, to help him guard the goal. Player^ s Equipment The equipment most in use in the United States consists of jersey, tights, running pants, skates and shoes. In Canada they use long HOCKEY 377 stockings rather than the tights. For the sake of speed and agihty, light skates and shoes are essential. The shoes should be tight-fitting, light, with stiff soles. The skates should be as light as possible. For a man with a wide foot, a high skate is best, whereas a man with a narrow foot can use lower skates. There is a certain amount of equipment neces- sary for protection. This includes gloves, shin-guards (preferably of papier mache) with knee-pads, and an aluminum ^^jock strap." Other protection, though not strictly neces- sary in a game where there is good officiating, includes hip-pads, shoulder-pads of felt, and thigh-pads. The goal-keeper's equipment con- sists of the above, only with shin-guards of extra size. Requisites of a First-Class Player There are two important requisites which a man must have in order to be a first class hockey player, and these are : ability to skate, and ability to handle a stick well. AbiUty to skate includes perfect familiarity with straightaway skating, turning, starting and stopping, speed, pick-up, jump, and keeping one's balance in order to dodge. These qualities are gained only through long hours of practice, and should be cultivated when a boy. Of these various items, speed, pick-up. 378 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS and jump are perhaps the most important. A man must be fast to keep ahead of the rest ; he must have a good pick-up, that is, be able to get his speed in a short space ; and he must have a jump that will give him a little extra burst of speed to carry him by or away from an opponent. Balance is also important, as it will often save nasty tumbles, and is neces- sary, too, in the use of the body when dodging. The faking to go in one direction by the move- ment of the head and shoulders and then going the other way is very effective in getting by an opponent. Under the head of stick-handling, I include ability to shoot, and the use of the stick while carrying the puck and when on the defense. The art of shooting is very difficult and re- quires a great amount of practice. Indeed, players in the United States are inclined to neglect shooting in order to spend more time perfecting something else, and so we find many men who are excellent skaters and skilful at carrying the puck, yet woefully weak in their shooting. And we know that the man or boy who can put the puck in the cage is the one who scores the goals. The most effective shots are those driven knee-high. Ability to handle a stick skilfuUy while on the offense or defense is very important, ^lien carrying the puck, the player should have his hands very close together in order to be able to HOCKEY 379 manipulate the stick more rapidly, and should always hold them this way, except just before he shoots, when he should slip the lower hand down the handle so as to get more force and drive in his shot. On the defense, the stick must be held firmly, and wherever possible both hands should be kept on it. Of course, when a long stretch is required only one hand is used. From these general considerations we turn to the game itself. A hockey team is com- posed of six men: three forwards, two de- fense men, and a goal-tender. .Goa/ Left W/ng # y Left Defense ^ ^ • X Center mX X] • X P/gfht Defense ^ ^ fi/ff/it Wing At the present day there are two quite distinct styles of playing hockey : the so-called American or ^ Winsor'^ style, and the Canadian or so-called ^ ^Roving" game. Of these two the '^Winsor'^ style, which takes its name from Mr. Ralph Winsor, of Boston, who was responsible for its development, bases its principles largely upon team-play; whereas in the Canadian ^'Roving'' game, team-play 380 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS is in a great measure subordinated to the skill of individual players. As usually played in the United States, the three forwards are picked primarily for their ability to skate and handle their sticks. The defense men should possess sufficient weight to enable them to use their bodies in check- ing the attacks of opponents, and should also combine, so far as possible, the skating and stick-handling qualities of the forwards, as they are often called upon to advance the puck. The goal-tender should be a man of very alert senses, as he must move with cat- like quickness despite the handicap of his heavily padded protection. On a well-balanced team about seventy per cent, of the scoring is done by the forwards. This is because they constitute the main attacking force and find themselves more often in scoring positions. There are three methods for getting past an opponent. The first is to dodge; this tends to the individual style of play that so often destroys team- work, and which is essentially the Canadian '^Roving'' game, but within limits, dodging, coupled with clever stick work, is extremely effective. The second is to jump the puck through; that is, if you see an opening, a quick flip of the puck will often enable you to slip past your opponent and before he can turn you are clear. This method is very HOCKEY 381 effective in enabling defense men to jump through the opposing forwards. The third method consists in passing to a team-mate. This, when perfectly executed, is unbeatable; the player with the puck advances and pre- tends to dodge in the opposite direction from that in which he intends to pass. By this feint, the opponent is drawn off his balance, the pass is made, and the player receiving the pass skates by unhindered. In general, the forwards try to maintain an approximately even line across the rink, both when carrying the puck and w^hen checking back. Offen- sively, this is to facilitate their passing game ; and defensively, it is to make the most effective means for preventing opponents from passing through. On the offense, how- ever, it is rare that all three forwards are in line. The great majority of times only two can get together. In this case the third for- ward should not attempt to get up in line, but should trail behind the other two, ready to pick up the puck if it is dropped, or ready to check back if the opponents succeed in taking the puck away. When approaching the defense, the man in the center of the ice should have the puck. The most effective way for two or three forwards to get past a parallel defense is of course to pass. The receiver then has four alternatives, depending on where he is when getting the puck or what 382 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the defense men have done. If the defense men have been fooled by the feint, the carrier should skate right up to the cage and either shoot or pass to his center man after drawing the goal-tender out. If the receiver is out too far to be able to skate in after getting the pass, he has his choice of shooting as soon as he gets the puck, with the passer jumping in for a rebound, or he can take two or three strides and pass back to the center man, or he can carry the puck around behind the cage and pass out in front of the cage. When the puck is around the opponents goal with one of the forwards scrapping for it, the other two should range in front of the cage, ready to bang the puck into the goal if it comes to them, or ready to start checking back if an opponent gets the puck. In their own haK of the rink, the forwards must of course jump at an opponent who has the puck, but when in the other half of the rink, they should immediately form their line and start checking back, and only close in with their opponent when he gets just beyond mid-ice. Then, having picked the puck away, the forwards jump the other way and have clear ice ahead of them. A forward should never go behind his oppo- nents' cage to check a man, because if he misses him, then he is completely out of the play and of no use on the defense. Around his own goal, a forward must cover his man. HOCKEY 383 The forward should know the man playing opposite him and should cover him carefully, watching the man and not the puck. So much for a general summary of the duties of a forward. There are two styles of play for defense men. One is where the two men start about the middle of the rink and, as the opponents approach, skate backwards, so that they check the attack about forty feet in front of the goal. The reason for skating backwards is so that the defense men will be moving in the same direction and nearer the speed of the oncoming forwards. The other style of defense is for the two defense men to stand about forty feet in front of the cage, and try to anticipate what the attack is going to do and jump for it. This style is not so tiring as the first, but is not nearly so effective, for in the latter style, if the defense man guesses wrong he is out of the play, whereas in the former, the defense men are constantly in the play. In either style it is fairly easy for two defense men to check a single attacker. With two forwards approaching, the defense men arrange themselves so that one defense man is almost opposite the man with the puck, watching against a dodge and attempt- ing to make him pass, and the other defense man is nearer the man skating with the car- rier, on the lookout for a pass. With three 384 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS forwards coming down, the defense men have the center man between them and are on the lookout for a pass to either wing or an attempt to carry the puck through. The defense men should be about ten feet apart when meeting attacks. The right defense man is respon- sible for the right side, and should go in be- hind his goal with the puck on that side, and the left defense man is responsible for his side. The goal-tender is expected to stop all reasonably long shots and must be able to stop a large percentage of close-ups. There is a large element of luck in these close-ups, but a good goal-tender by his quickness, agility, and ability to outguess the shooter, can manage to stop most of them. The goal- tender must keep his eye on the puck at all times, for unless he sees it leave the ice, it is lost and he cannot follow it. He should get squarely in front of every shot if possible, and not lose a second in clearing the rebound. Shots below the knee should be blocked by the legs, whereas higher shots are best stopped with the hand. The goal tender is in a posi- tion to see and appreciate the danger from uncovered opponents and should call atten- tion to his team-mates. In the foregoing the WTiter has attempted to call attention to the essential features of the game of ice hockey, a sport which has already become one of the leading athletic HOCKEY 385 events of the northern United States. Under proper supervision and management of hockey clubs and associations, the future success of this game is assured. LAWN TENNIS A SEEMON ON LAWN TENNIS BY JAMES DWIGHT Lawit tennis is a curious game. It simply consists in hitting a ball over a net and back again. Nothing else, except tbat you try to bit it as bard as you safely can, and to put it out of your opponent's reacb. It sounds easy enougb, and yet tbink bow few can play well. You see people play for years, and play very little better at tbe end. Tbis would be rigbt and natural enougb if tbey took no real interest in tbe game, but many of tbem do take real interest in it. In otber games and sports it is not so. Tbere seems to be no game tbat so many play and so few play well. Any ordinary man can learn to row, respectably at least, if be gives several years to it. Almost any boy can learn to play baseball. Most men with practice can learn to sboot pretty straight. And so on; but witb lawn tennis it is differ- ent. Tbere tbe multitude are ^ ^ duffers ; ' ' and '' duffers " tbey remain all tbeir lives. It is a few only wbo come forward out of tbe ranks. Wby should this be sol For many reasons; 389 390 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the game is not as easy as it looks. It is easy enough to hit the ball gently out of your hand over the net into some part of the opposite court, but it is not so easy to hit it hard and keep it in court. It has to go very close to the net to do that. Then again, it is not enough to hit it into any part of the court; it must be placed in some particular spot to gain any ad- vantage. It may be necessary to place it within a few inches of the side line. On top of all this, you may have to run at the top of your speed to reach the ball at all. All this does not sound so easy. Yet there is something more, the faculty of playing the right stroke every time. It comes to a very few men as an instinct. It comes to a larger number as the result of years of thought and practice. To the immense majority it never comes at all ; in fact, they do not know that such a faculty ex- ists. Even now we have not got through with the difficulties of the game. Kunning about the court is not easy work. The distance of each man is not great, nor need the speed always be high ; but you must start very quickly, almost, in fact, before you are sure where the ball is coming. It is really a succession of jumps, rather than a steady run. For this you need great quickness and agility, and, beyond all, great endurance. In other words, the game needs young men in good condition to play it well. On the other hand, it requires judgment A SERMON ON LAWN TENNIS 391 and experience that usually come only later in life. Such are some of the difficulties of the game ; and one does not wonder, as he thinks of them, that the game is not better played. Why, then, some one will ask, is the game so popular! Why do so many play it, if they know that they can never play it well? Because the *' duf- fers '' have just as good a time as the *' cracks.'' Sometimes I think that they have a better time, even, for with them it is all play ; with the better players it is serious work. I remember well the first time I ever played the game. It was at Nahant, in the summer of 74. A set of lawn tennis had been brought over from England early in the summer; but we had taken no interest in it — too little, in- deed, to try it. At length one day we put up the net, marked out a rude court, and started, more in jest than earnest. In a few moments we were playing in earnest indeed. There was all the feeling of personal antagonism which is to me one of the great attractions of the game. My first opponent was Mr. F. E. Sears, an elder brother of the ex-champion. I remember that each won a game, and that in the afternoon we played in the rain in rubber coats and boots. How odd it would look now ! Of course we could not play much, but the in- terest was just as great. I fancy that one reason for the great popularity of the game lies 392 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS in the fact that you do not need to play well to have a good time. You need only an opponent of about your own strength, so that there may be a continual struggle for the mastery. For this very reason, two players are apt to get into the habit of always playing together, and they naturally improve very slowly. Often they see no good play, they have the same ideas about the game as when they started, they have the same faults, because they know no better. I look to see much better lawn tennis in the future than exists at present. The game has been generally known in this country for about thirty years ; and it was first taken up largely by grown men, who had played rackets, or base- ball, or cricket. They learned all they could with no one to teach them, comparatively soon, and before this time have dropped out of active play because the exertion is beyond them. I am an example of the class myself; though I lasted longer than most, as I cared more for the game. Of course, all this time boys were learning to play, but very few of them turned out well. They learned as they chose; few of them wished for any teaching; fewer got it. So for a long time the older men were in front. There has now come another change, and in the right direction. The interest in games of all kinds has increased so much, and so much attention is devoted to training boys in the pre- A SERMON ON LAWN TENNIS 393 paratory schools and afterward in college, that we have not only a very large class of trained athletes, but boys have learned how important good ^' coaching " is. They go into the game more earnestly than they nsed. Owing to the large number of tournaments, they see the best players, and they copy their styles. Each has some one whom he looks up to as a model of what good play should be. Now, too, they play in tournaments them- selves; and playing in public, they are more careful as to their faults and peculiarities than they used to be in private, for fear of seeming ridiculous. In this way they learn to play well at an earlier age than any class before them. Thus they have their agility and their knowl- edge of the game at the same time. Heretofore I used to say that the trouble with the game was, that few had brains enough to play it properly until they got too old to play it at all. This, I think, is no longer true; and the change is due to the improvement of the boys. For instance, I do not see any great improve- ment in the best players in the past few years, but among the middle-class players the im- provement is enormous. They are largely young players, and are still improving. The number, too, of good players has increased very much; and in the first class itself there are twice as many players as there were a few years ago. 394 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS The practical part of all this discussion is, ** Can we do anything to help the advancement of young players! '^ Something we can do: we can encourage tournaments between the dif- ferent schools, etc. The interscholastic tourna- ments held at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are good examples. If any one doubts the value of this system, let him look at the success of the football competition between the different pre- paratory schools in training players for the colleges. By giving tournaments, we help the boys in several ways. They get used to matches, a very necessary thing. They get interested in the game, and their ambition is aroused. They see good play and good players; and they meet every variety of style, instead of having their practice confined to playing against one or two players only. This is surely good. Can we now add any preaching that can be of use? I hardly know; I look on preaching with great disrespect. Few listen, few believe you, and fewer still take the trouble to try to put the teaching into practice. There are, however, some general instructions so simple that it would seem folly to write them, if it were not that they are constantly lost sight of. Take a boy at the beginning. Probably he cannot get one of the most expensive rackets. It really does not matter. Some of the cheaper A. SERMON ON LAWN TENNIS 395 ones are practically as good, but it matters a great deal what sort of a cheap one he gets. Let him get one of fourteen or fourteen and a quarter ounces, a little lighter in the head than most rackets are made. Have nothing fancy about it, no gold braid, no curious stringing, no fluted handle. It needs to be well balanced and well strung, and that is enough. As to flannels and shoes, there is nothing to be said, except that the shoe should be comfortable and solid enough to hold the foot together, else there is a good deal of danger of straining the foot. As to balls, I do not know what to say. Balls are very expensive, and last a very short time. A boy cannot expect to have new balls every day ; and if he is in earnest, and does not mind taking trouble m order to learn, the best thing that he can do is to practise with two or three balls only. They will need a good deal of chasing, but he will always have them in good condition. If he brings out a boxful, they will all suffer more or less the first day, and he will have to use poor balls till he can get another box. It is a great mistake to use uncovered balls or last yearns balls. Neither are of the slightest use. No advice can be given about courts. One must play on the best available. To begin with, the player may make up his mind that it vnll take a long time to play even tolerably well. The first thing to do is to learn 396 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS to hit the ball straight — that is, with no side twist. The ball should go directly down the court. If the player stands on the central line, the ball should drop on the central line on the other side of the net. This is the very essence of a good stroke. If you can play straight, you can tell where the ball is going. If you have a curve on it, you will be constantly hitting out of court on the side, or else bringing the ball into the middle of the court when you intended it to go down the side line. Next in importance is the length of the court. You must learn to hit from one base line to the other; that is, to hit from the back of your own court and make the ball drop about a yard from the other base line. A moment's thought will show that if the ball goes only as far as the service line, your opponent can easily come for- ward to volley. These two points are the foundation of the game. As to the service, don't bother about it. A very fast service is terrible to bad players ; but good ones return it easily. Wait till you play fairly well before you try for a very fast serv- ice. Next comes the volley. Wait till you have brought the ground strokes under control be- fore you begin to practise much volleying. When you do begin, keep one point clearly in mind : you must always hit the ball. You must not let it hit your racket. The only exception A SERMON ON LAWN TENNIS 397 is when you are close to the net ; then you may block the ball, if your opponent is far back. Don't try any wild '' smashing.'' Hit quietly, but always hard. As a principle, never hit a ball easy; always make a real stroke. One word more. Don't play very long at a time. Three or four sets are enough. Always play with a better player if you can, and take odds enough to make him work as hard as he can. Win quietly; lose quietly; don't get angry. LAWN TENNIS BY KICHAED NORKIS WILLIAMS, 2D But a very few years ago tennis was practi- cally unknown; the game naturally existed but interest in it was at its lowest ebb. Why and for what reason it has grown so rapidly since is impossible to say, but one of the great factors was the Davis Cup, presented to the U. S. N. L. T. A. by D. F. Davis for interna- tional competition. No history or article of any length can be written without mentioning this famous trophy; it is now the nucleus around which everything centers. The trophy was given in 1900 but at the time few paid much attention to it and certainly no one could predict the future which it has now attained. It was really not until 1902 that the public became interested in it. The previous year the Cup had been successfully defended against England, but in 1902 it is said that ten thousand people watched Whitman, Lamed, Davis and Ward defend against the attack of Pim, E. F. and H. L. Doherty. The Americans were again successful that year, and aided by the great crowds that watched the matches, the 398 LAWN TENNIS 399 game naturally was looked at with more favor. People started talking about it, and with the in- ternational flavor which it had received and the talk in the papers people began taking the game up with more earnestness. In 1903 the Davis Cup was lifted by the Eng- lishmen and was destined not to return for ten long years. The matches were played in Bos- ton on the famous grounds of the Longwood Cricket Club. England won by four matches to one, and the only match that we won was by de- fault, R. F. Doherty having injured his shoulder was unable to play. On paper it seems an overwhelming defeat, but all the matches were terribly close and, as one writer expresses it, ** First it wavered one way, then another, and at times was exactly even (the two singles were going on at the same time), until not only the players but the gallery itself was worn to a frayed and jagged edge." In one way, however, our losing the Cup was a good thing. The next year's matches were played in England, and it naturally interested the Continental nations having the Cup played for in Europe. From that year the list of na- tions challenging increased every year. In 1905 Australia challenged for the first time. Her team was composed of Brooks, Wilding, and Dunlop. She did not win that year, being de- feated by America's team, composed of Larned, Wright, and Ward, in the final. It is curious 400 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS to note that the Australian team of 1905 was the very one that she sent to America in 1914 to challenge us for the Cup. In 1907 Australasia was at last successful and took the trophy from England. Her representatives defeated America. (B. C. Wright and K. Behr) in the preliminary tie, and then defeated England, whose team was composed of A. W. Gore and H. Roper-Barrett. During the time the Cup was in far-off Aus- tralia international tennis was very much handi- capped. It was too far away for onany nations to send teams, the expense and time were considerable; only England and America re- mained true to the cause. They challenged every year, played each other in the preliminary tie, and America (generally winning the tie) sent a team to Australia. Every year it re- turned, but without the Cup. At length in 1912 America defaulted no players being able to make the trip, and England, after having easily disposed of France, took the long voyage and a long chance at the Cup. Luck was with them, though, and on the 1st of December, 1912, the news w^as flashed over the wires that England had won the Cup. I do not mean to say that England won just because the luck was with them. J. C. Parke, the great Irishman, was the luck, for he it was who beat Brooks and made the 3-2 victory possible. TheEnglish may well be proud of their team, they did a big thing and LAWN TENNIS 401 they deserved a great deal of credit. Their team was made up of Capt. C. P. Dixon, J. C. Parke, A. E. Beamish, and F. G. Lowe. Eng- land was not to hold the Cup, however, very long. In 1913 seven nations challenged, viz., South Africa, Canada, Belgium, Germany, France, Australasia and America. Out of this long list of entries America came through suc- cessfully and challenged England. This time America regained the Cup. For ten years she had put teams in the field and every time her team had been defeated, but the Cup was at last to return to its native shores. The Eng- lish team was composed of Capt. McNair, C. P. Dixon, J. C. Parke, H. Roper-Barrett, and A. W. Gore; and the American team of Capt. H. H. Hackett, M. E. McLoughlin, R. N. Williams, 2d, and W. F. Johnson. In 1914 the Australian team composed of A. F. Wilding and Norman E. Brooks again took the cup to Australia, defeating the Amer- ican team at New York three matches to two. Following this victory there were no matches until 1919 due to the intervention of the War. In 1919 England endeavored unsuccessfully to wrest the cup from Australia after defeating South Africa and France in the challenge rounds. G. L. Patterson and J. 0. Anderson successfully defended for Australia in the singles; G. L. Patterson and N. E. Brooks representing Australia in the doubles. A. H. 402 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Lowe and A. R. F. Kingscote were the entries for the British Isles in the singles and A. R. F. Kingscote teamed with A. E. Beamish in the doubles. In 1920 the United States, after defeating France, and the British Isles in the challenge round, journeyed to Aukland, New Zealand where they were successful in again bringing the Cup to the United States, winning all five matches. W. T. Tilden 2nd, and William M. Johnston competed for the first time for the United States, playing in both the singles and the doubles. N. E. Brooks and G. L. Patter- son represented Australia. Incidentally W. T. Tilden 2nd, while in Europe for the challenge rounds, won the singles championship at Wimbledon and his team-mates Charles Gar- land and R. N. Williams 2nd, won the doubles in the same tournament. In 1921 twelve nations, more than ever before in the history of the event, challenged for the Davis Cup. The challenge roimd finally simmered down to Australia and Japan. Japan having defeated India at Chicago and Australia having defeated Denmark at Cleve- land. Japan won the play-off at Newport, winning the four singles matches although losing the doubles. The match between Japan and the United States was held at Forest Hills, New York. W. T. Tilden 2nd, and WiUiam M. Johnston LAWN TENNIS 403 again represented the United States in the singles matches and Watson Washburn and R. N. WiUiams, 2nd, defended in the doubles. All of the five events were won by the Ameri- can teams so that the Cup continues to stay in the United States. This short story of the Davis Cup is a good illustration of the growth of the game. At first it was but a match between England and America, but gradually it developed into a championship of the world, with practically all the nations entering at one time or another. Among other circumstances which have con- tributed so much to the development of the game is the great interest shown by the younger men and the boys. There was a feel- ing prevalent, and unfortunately it still pre- vails in some quarters, that tennis was but a ^'girl's game." In one way this is very nat- ural; to the onlooker who has never endeav- ored to play the game it seems a perfectly easy thing to just bat a ball over and over again. Until that feeling had vanished tennis stood at a standstill; but fortunately it was soon found out that athletic qualities were needed to be a tennis player. Men were then no longer ^^ashamed" to play tennis and its success was assured. I have heard many discussions as to whether tennis is '^born in a man'' or not. I am sure I do not know, but whether is is born in a man 4(M THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS or not, it must be developed and made to grow. I take it for granted that the reader has played the game for some time and knows the fimdamental points, for my object here is not to teach the beginner but to tr^^ to help the man or woman who has taken interest in the game and is anxious to go ahead. A thing that I have foimd of great help is to watch good pla3^ers; but try and watch a Uttle with your head, too ; I mean b}' this, don't just watch the stroke and the ball, but try and see if you can fathom what the plaj'er is tr\'ing to do, that is, what his tactics are. See for your- self whether the}^ are successful or not and why they are or are not! There is one gi^eat dan- ger, though, in watching, and that is that 3^ou will tiy to cop3^ — never do that — copy the idea if you think it is a good one, but don't copy the execution of the stroke. A man who copies a style will never get ver\' high. Tennis is an individual ^ ^something'' — that is the only way I can exi^lain it. You must play your way and not the wa}^ some other person does it. I have seen man}' pla3'ers who had the natural ability to play but who copied some favorite's style and remained in a rut. If he really has the desire to become a first- class pla3'er and has the backbone to do so, I really think that any person -^ith a reasonable amoimt of ability can succeed. Even if he can- not make the ''first ten" he can come very LAWN TENNIS 405 close to it. The only way to do this, however, is to map out a course for yourself and stick to it. It will be very long, but you must ex- pect that. You cannot possibly learn how to play well in a few weeks. The first thing you must do is to give up all idea of winning, or even trying to win ; for about two long years you must give up entirely to practice — prac- tising shots and that is all. I am, of course, still talking to the man who has had some experience and who can play fairly well but wishes to get much farther. When you are practising, however, don't lose your head, but always thinh. Don't practise your favorite shot — that won't help you much — but practise those shots which you try to ^^cover up" when you're playing a match — the shots you feel you are weakest in. Of course you can't always practise — sometimes you must have a good time — do that occasion- ally ; it will relieve your mind. Now when you are working at these shots don't try to play them hard, but place the baU. Do it quietly, and by and by when you are sure you can put the ball any place you wish, you can gradually augment the speed. But don't worry about speed; that will come of its own accord when you are able to put the ball with accuracy wherever you wish it. Be sure that your game does not get one-sided, that is, alway playing from the back of the court or always at 406 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the net. You must learn to play both about the same. You will of course have a natural inclination to play one better than the other — that will be your strong point — but don't neglect the other part. You must be able to fall back on that in case something goes wrong with your favorite game. There are many small points on which it is impossible for me to give you any advice. These are, for example, how to hold your racket, how far from the face, how heavy it should be, how high you should throw the ball to serve; all these details you must find out for yourself; there is no rule, the individual must suit himself. If you are in trouble, how- ever, ask a friend who knows something about the game to watch you, and he wiU perhaps be able to detect some errors. There is one thing, though, I might say, and that is, do not get too heavy a racket; there is a tendency to get a fourteen and one-half ounce racket just because fourteen and one-haK ounce racket just be- cause so-and-so uses one. Don't be misled by that ; a heavy racket makes your motions slow and you hit the ball too late. I should like now to say a few words con- cerning the service. Some 3^ears ago (about 1901) everybody was literally taken off his feet by the new service just then invented by D. F. Davis and H. Ward; it was what we now call the American twist service. I remember LAWN TENNIS 407 when, in 1905, H. Ward played H. L. Doherty in the Davis Cup match (London). Ward hterally walked through Doherty for the first two sets. The score was perhaps close, but Ward always held the upper hand. As A. Wallis Myers, the well known English player and writer, puts it, ^Tt was like nothing ever seen in the center court before or since I'^ I happened to have a seat near the umpire^s chair, and as ^^H. L.^^ changed sides I heard him say, "1 can't play against this man!'' and then Ward went absolutely to pieces and '^H. L." ran out 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 — a cruel ending to such a match. What was the cause .^^ The service is too nerve-racking and exhausting. Ward could not keep it up and he lost out in the long run. I do not mean to advise against a twist serve, for now it is slightly moderated and not so exhausting, but it is much more so than the ordinary fast, well-placed serve, and then it is a very hard serve to play well. That is one of its great disadvantages, and if not well played it is a very easy service to return. To sum up, I might say that the twist serve is a very fine implement of war, but a very hard one to acquire, and very disastrous for the owner if it is not well used. A very extraordinary service is really not an essential ; by this I mean, you don't need a very fast or a very twisted serv- ice. The object of a serve is not so much to win a clean ace, as so many people think, but 408 THE BOOKJOF ATHLETICS to place your opponent in an unfavorable posi- tion so that you can win on his return. You must not look at the service as one terrific first serve in the hopes of making an ace, and then a second serve, ^^just get it over any old wayP' Your object in serving is to get into position, in a position to command the rest of the play, and a slow but well-placed serve can do this for you. If you have speed, all the better, but often even the best players get so engrossed in speed that they forget about plac- ing the ball, and speed without placing is prac- tically useless against a first-class player. We may now take up for a few moments the '^base line" and "volleying" game. Years ago, when the game first started, everybody without exception played from the back of the court, but gradually men began going to the net, and when Davis and Ward invented the twist service, there was a great tendency to "rush" the net all the time. The tendency now is to combine both and this is what we might caU the modem game. The question will probably be asked : When should you go to the net and when stay back.'^ Of course the old school of base-liners like S. H. Smith and A. W. Gore would say go to the net only when forced, and the great net-players, like B. C. Wright, and N. E. Brooks, would say, "Stay back only when forced." It is really i pos- sible to answer that question on paper — con- LAWN TENNIS 409 ditions must dictate the process. The ideal would be to manoeuver from the base-line; pre- pare your shot, then go up to the net and finish the point. The practical process, however, is first think and find out what kind of a player your opponent is. If he is a great volley er, take the net away from him; if a great base- line player, try to beat him from the base-line and the net. In the latter case it is much harder than in the former, for in the first place when you take the net and stay there, your opponent is unable to go to the net and he will find himseK in deep water. In the second place, however, you cannot take possession of the back court of your opponent. This is the time to show head-work. You must change your game all the time — keep your man guess- ing — first play short shots — then long ones — stay in the back court, then storm the net. This back court game has played havoc with many an American player — just look back on S. H. Smithes record in the Davis Cup matches against our men, it is far better than either of the Dohertys. I don^t think that his game would be so disastrous to-day, for we have learned the lesson, but in those days we never thought of playing the base-line, and the net was the only game we knew, and when that went back on us we had no drives to faU back on. I believe the way to beat this base-line game is to put as much variation in your game 410 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS as possible, being at the net about three-fourths of the time. In this way your opponent won^t get time to get into his machine-like passing shots. The object is of course to ^'cup up'' his game, for a driving game is a clock-like game, which if broken up will go all to pieces. Be careful, however, not to be beaten just by a reputation. To illustrate, let us suppose your opponent is known for his net game. Just don't start rushing the net without finding out if he is not perhaps playing that very day a better base-line game than a volleying game. This often happens; a man can very well lose his regular style for a day and play an entirely different game. There is still one other thing I should like to mention, and that is effective volleying. I have seen many good players go to the net and have opportunity after opportunity to finish the point and yet not be able to do it. In a single, when at the net you should hardly ever volley more than twice. I mean that you must finish the point at least on the second re- turn made by your opponent. When at the net, you should coromand the situation. Your volleys must be either very short or very long. Never volley into the middle of the court, your opponent can get it too easily! Do not let your opponent outplay you when you com- mand the situation, it is demoralizing. When LAWN TENNIS 411 you have the chance take the risk, but finish the point whatever you do! Before I close, there are a few facts that I should like to mention concerning tennis in general. When smashing, try jumping off the ground a little. M. E. McLoughlin, the best smasher in the country and probably in the world, always leaves the ground some four or five inches, and sometimes more. If you have acquired a good smash, of course, stick to it, but if you are not satisfied, try this ''stunt'', it might help you ; I personally believe it to be a very good idea. In general when you take shots off the ground, try standing in close — that is, take the ball when it is still rising or anyv\'ay at the top of its bounce. It is a very hard thing to "get on to'' but if once acquired wiU help you more than anything. If you wait too long and take the ball when it is dropping you give your opponent enough time to take coromand of the situation, and you will be standing far back of the base-line, which leaves all the serv- ice court open and gives your opponent the op- portunity to play a short shot and ''get" you. You will probably find that you will have a tendency not to stand in close enough — but remember that you must stand in near or not at all, there is no haff way in this sort of play. If you observe, you will gradually find that the best players are gradually adopting this style ; 412 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS but it is new and many people will probably advise you not to do it. Stick to it, however, you will win out at the end and you will prob- ably find that it is much easier to take a swift or a twist service from this position than from the old one when you are forced way out of the court. I also advise practising against a wall; it is good training for the eye and makes you quick on your feet, which is of course a great advan- tage. I am also very much in favor of training — train hard when you are in matches ; that is, keep regular hours for meals and go to bed regularly. Sleep at least ten hours. But get to bed early, say at ten-thirty, and get up at eight-thirty. You must do it to play your best. Just think ; to play well, your eye must be true, your arms sure, you must be quick on your feet practically every muscle of your body is in use and all this must work together to play well; if one is out of order everything goes wrong. SWIMMING SWIMMING The introduction of the crawl stroke has revolutionized swimming as a competitive sport. The principle of this stroke is so simple in its application and lends itself so readily to adoption by boys of almost any physique that there are to-day hundreds of boys swimming the crawl with speed who would have found the old trudgeon and side-arm strokes hard to master. A thorough understanding of the the- ory of this stroke is such material aid in learn- ing it that I am going briefly to run over the history of the crawl, and show why it is better as a racing stroke than any other. There is a story of its origin which, whether true or not, illustrates so well the principle on which the stroke is based that it will bear re- peating here. One of the Cavill brothers, all of whom were great swimmers, agreed to win an important race with his feet tied tightly at the ankles. To his great surprise and to that of the spectators, he not only won the event but made faster time than he had ever accomplished before. With his feet tied as they were, he naturally could not make the scissors kick of the trudgeon, and so he had allowed them to drag 415 416 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS aimlessly behind. The result of this race set Cavill thinking. He gave up the trudgeon stroke for short distances and swam without using his feet at all. Now he noticed that his feet had a tendency to sink a little below the surface of the water and retard him, but that by rapidly paddling his feet up and down with the motion confined to the leg below the knees, his feet floated near the surface and his whole body sank less in the water and at the same time the paddling gave him a steady forward drive. This was a brilliant athletic discovery, and the crawl stroke soon began to work its way into important swimming contests. At first it was supposed to be very tiring and so only adapted to short races, but as swimmers learned its possibilities, they modified its ac- tion to suit any distance, until to-day no one speaks of the crawl as exhausting. The theory on which the success of the crawl stroke depends lies in the lessened resistance which the water offers to the body when the body is extended at full length on the surface. The propelling power comes chiefly from the hands and arms, which are used exactly as in the double overhand or trudgeon stroke. Some speed is gained by the rapid paddle of the feet, but the purpose of this paddling is primarily to keep the legs and feet near the surface and out of the water as much as possi- ble. As the whole success of this stroke de- SWIMMING 417 pends upon the lessened resistance, it is evident that anything which presents more than the minimum surface to the water decreases the effectiveness of the stroke. So in swimming the crawl, we guard against drawing the legs up at the hip or lifting the head out of the water in a way which will increase the surface resistance. If the boy in learning the crawl will bear this principle in mind, he will find it an easy stroke to master. It lends itself readily to individual modifications. In fact there are as many ways of " crawling " as there are swimmers using it, just as there are strides and styles of run- ning, and coaches have learned that it is not necessary or wise to make their pupils conform to a set style. A few points only must not be forgotten. The body should lie easily and loosely in the water; the paddle of the feet, while it may be adjusted to individual condi- tions, should not become so wide as to form an angle of resistance; and most important, the pull with the arms should be straight from the shoulder, a free, clean drive, not a wavering zig-zagging stroke. The manner of breathing is important. In the early days it was usual to swim with the head under water and hold the breath as long as possible. It is now cus- tomary to breathe as frequently as the swimmer desires. He does this by merely turning the head to one side and breathing out under the 418 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS arm which has just finished its stroke. This trick, although it is hard to learn at first, is desirable because it does not stop the progress of the body as does taking the head entirely out of the water. The boy who wishes to be good in racing should learn to start fast and to take the turns well. Both can be learned only by practice. The start should be a hard spring and a long shallow dive. Many beginners make the mis- take of diving too deep and then, in their rush, starting their stroke before the surface of the water is reached. Both are equally disastrous to a good start. The swimmer should plan to get as far as he can on his spring, just to cleave the water's surface and start swimming the instant the hands reach the surface and not an instant sooner. In racing in a tank, the turn is very impor- tant. It takes hours and hours of practice to learn to turn well. The principal things to bear in mind are to judge the distance of the turn correctly, and not turn before the end can be touched; to place the hand squarely against the end of the tank; to draw the feet as high up as possible so that the turn is made as nearly as can be in the plane of the surface; and to make a hard shove by placing both feet squarely against the end. In turning, as in the starting dive, swimming should not be com- menced until the hands are at the surface. SWIMMING 419 Learning to swim should be a part of every boy's education. It adds so much to his health, happiness, and safety that it cannot well be neg- lected. With the building of large numbers of municipal, Y. M. C. A., school, club, and college swimming pools, it is a rare boy who has not the opportunity to learn to swim. During the past year or two the Y. M. C. A.'s through many new swimming pools have been teaching thousands of boys to swim. In Boston, seven thousand boys were taught the crawl in only a few weeks' time. By the use of *^ water- wings " boys who had never swum a stroke learned the crawl in three or four lessons. This stroke is so similar to the ^^ dog paddle '* in the ease with which it can be mastered, and so striking in its results that boys pick it up in an amazingly short time. With swimming so easily learned and opening such vistas of sport and recreation, to say nothing of the protec- tion of life, can any boy afford not to know how to swim? THE ART OF SWIMMING BY HAKKY EOSE SwiMMiiTG is an art so manly, so graceful, and so useful, that no one ever regrets the trouble of learning. And every one can learn, unless he be physically infirm or naturally a coward. Dr. Franklin truthfully said: '' The only ob- stacle to the acquirement and improvement in this necessary and life-preserving art is fear." The coward had better stay out of the water. He is safer on land. But he is not necessarily a coward who is afraid to plunge boldly into unknown water. Such a reluctance is natural; the best swimmer, unless he be foolhardy, would not do that. Some of the best swimmers have learned in shallow creeks, have practised alone until skilled, and then polished their self- education in deep water. The first lesson should be taken in a tideless river or quiet stream, the depth of which you have previously studied. On entering the water, wet your head and neck thoroughly, and before submerging the body stand for a few minutes knee-deep. Having fixed your eye on a favorable spot, 420 THE ART OF SWIMMING 421 advance into the stream until breast-high. Now face the shore, and prepare for striking out. Lie gently on your breast, keeping head and neck upright, breast distended, and back bent inward. Withdraw the legs from the bottom, and immediately strike them out, not down- ward, but horizontally ; strike forward with the arms simultaneously with the feet, holding the hands like the blade of an oar when in action, fingers closed, the thumb placed by the side of the first finger, a little below the surface ; draw them back again while gathering up the legs for a second attempt; and thus push forward, making use of the hands and feet alternately. The farther forward you reach, the faster you will swim. The secret of a good stroke is to kick out with the legs wide apart. The propell- ing power is secured by the legs being brought from a position in which they are placed wide apart to one in which they are close together, like the blades of a pair of scissors. In this position the heels should touch each other ; and in drawing up the legs, the toes should be pointed backward to avoid the resistance of the water against the insteps. It may happen that you will swallow water in your first efforts; but this should not dis- courage you, neither should the fancy that be- cause you make but little advance you are not capable of learning to swim. Every beginner has his mishaps, no matter what the art. 422 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Some lads will learn to swim ' ^ dog-fashion ' ' quicker than any other style; and while it is not at all graceful, it gradually leads into the smooth, even, scientific breast-stroke, and therefore should hardly be discouraged. Every boy, of course, knows that ^^ dog-fashion " is that frantic motion of the hands and legs like a large paddle-wheel, in which more bluster and foam than headway are made; and every boy likes to swim '' dog-fashion " occasionally, often just to ^' show off,'' or to imitate some friend not so far advanced as himself. But, '^ dog- fashion '' swimmer, don't let such mim- ics dishearten you ; keep right on, and soon you will master the breast-stroke as we have de- scribed it, and by studying some of the tricks in this article, you may soon have the laugh on your mockers. Having mastered the breast-stroke, which is adapted to long-distance leisurely swimming, the next movement is the side-stroke; it may be the left or right. You can accomplish it by shooting the right arm forward, while the left, like an oar, is forcing the water back, and the legs are propelling the body onward. This stroke, which is a powerful one, will move you on like clock-work, and for long-distance, mod- erately fast swimming is excellent. Then follows the alternate right-hand, left- hand movement, or the overhand-stroke. This is perhaps the most graceful and convenient of THE ART OF SWIMMING 423 all. In reaching forward, the arms are alter- nately brought out of the water, and then curved so that the tips of the fingers enter again directly in front of the head. This move- ment can be made very graceful by daintily skimming the palm along the surface, and merely dipping the water before it disappears. Advancing the right and left sides of the body alternately, secures greater continuity of mo- tion and materially reduces the friction; in conjunction with the powerful propulsion of the legs, it sends you along with the speed of a fish. As it is very swift, so it is very exhaust- ing; it is, therefore, best adapted to racing, say fifty or one hundred yards. I once saw Dennis F. Butler, the ex-cham- pion of America, finish a seven-mile race against the tide with this overhand-stroke ; and he did it in a peculiar manner. With every dip of the arm his head would go under water; and thus he lolled, yet fairly plunged for the goal, taking breath every time he turned on his sides. The boy aspirants to racing honors will do well to practise this movement diligently. Back performances are more easily learned than those on the breast, and floating is quite simple. Turn yourself over on your back, as gently as possible, elevate your breast above the sur- face, put your head back, so that your eyes, 424 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS nose, and chin only are above water. Keep in this position with the arms and legs extended, the latter perfectly rigid. Now, move the hands from right to left horizontally, fast or slow as you choose, and you will find yourself buoyed up and gradually moving along. If you wish to make greater speed or swim on your back, begin to work your legs, precisely as in breast swimming, taking care not to lift the knees too high nor to sink your hips and sides too low. Keep yourself as straight as possible. You are now progressing finely — getting along easily and speedily. If your arms grow tired, lay them on your breast, but keep the legs going; thus you can rest your arms ; if your legs tire, let them remain quiet, and renew work with your hands. Thus alternating, you will find yourself able to cover a long distance without fatigue. Just at this stage of progress you will be anx- ious to dive. There is great sport in this ; but it requires practice to dive ** cleanly." Diving may be performed from the surface of the water, when swimming, by merely turn- ing the head downward, and striking upward with the legs. It is, however, much better to leap in, with the hands closed above the head, and the head foremost, from a pier, boat, or raised bank. The proper attitude for a *' clean " dive — which means without splash- ing more than the sharp cut of the hands — is THE ART OF SWIMMING 425 to place the hands over the head, close together, give a sudden spring, and descend through the air, heels together and body perfectly stiff. Your hands will cleave the way for your body, protecting your head, and you will pass be- neath the surface just like the inimitable bull- frog, the master-diver. By striking with the feet, the same as in swimming, and keeping the head toward the bottom, you can drive yourself to a consider- able depth. If you wish to reach the surface, turn your head upward and work your hands, up and down; you will ascend like a flash. To turn under water, merely swim in which- ever direction you wish. Some swimmers prefer to keep their eyes open while beneath the surface; I do not con- sider it wise, as the strain is great, and often foreign substances in the water are liable to injure the eyeball. Of course, if you dive for an object at the bottom, you will need to open your eyes to find it ; at other times I advise you to keep them closed. Swimming under water is accomplished by the ordinary stroke, but take care to keep your head a little downward and strike a little higher with your feet than when swimming on the surface. Perhaps as easy a way as any of learning to swim under water is by beginning, in shallow 426 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS water, simply to sink below the surface of the water. This can be done by letting the air es- cape from the lungs, so that they lose their power of buoyancy. The beginner, having no fear of being unable to reach terra fir ma, will learn far quicker in this way to be at home beneath the surface than if he attempts to swim at the outset. When once confidence is gained, all that remains is to learn the trick of staying below the surface when the lungs are inflated. If you have successfully practised these les- sons, you are familiar with the three essential elements of swimming, and in prime condition to study a few tricks. *^ Treading water " is a fine feat. To tread without the use of the hands, work your feet up and down, precisely as though ascending a flight of stairs, only with more speed and stead- iness. You will find this very simple, and often- times you can stand where the water is a fathom deep and by treading hold the hands high over the head, and make the uninitiated suppose you to be on the bottom. In this posi- tion, also, you can walk a considerable distance, when you are expert. If you want to ease your legs, put your arms under, and work them hori- zontally right and left, as in floating. The feat of breast-swimming without the use of hands requires strength in the legs and back. At best, but a short distance can be made in this way. The same may be said of swimming THE ART OF SWIMMING 427 without the use of the legs. But it is well to practise both of these movements — they may save your life in the event of cramp or accident. To show the feet while floating, bend the small of the back downward, support yourself by moving your hands to and fro just above your breast, and stretch your feet above the water. Now, if you wish to swim on your back, feet-foremost, make precisely the same stroke as in breast- swimming. To swim with one hand out of the water, say the right, turn on the left side, and vigorously use that arm, and the legs. If you wish to turn while on your back, keep one leg still, and embrace the water beside you with the other; you will thus find yourself turning to that side on which your leg by its motion embraces the water, and you will turn to the right or left according to which leg you use in this manner. There are a variety of feats performed by expert swimmers; such as floating on the back with the arms above the surface; taking the left leg in the right hand out of the water when swimming on the back; pulling the right heel by the right hand toward the back, when swim- ming in the common way; throwing somer- saults in the water, backward and forward, etc., for which no particular directions are neces- sary, as you will be able to do them and any tricks which your fancy may suggest. 428 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS A few hygienic hints for swimmers will surely not be out of place here. Do not bathe too soon after eating; an inter- val of an hour and a half at least, should be allowed. Do not bathe when tired out, either mentally or physically — always wait till you feel rested. The best time is in the forenoon, between breakfast and luncheon. If overheated on arriving at the water, do not remove your clothes until the excessive feeling of heat has passed, and your breathing and circulation have become regular; never expose the skin to the direct action of the air when overheated. Keep in motion after you have gone into the water; do not stand around chatting and lounging. As soon as you have swum suffi- ciently, dry yourself thoroughly, put on your clothes, and keep the blood in circulation by exercise. Do not stay in the water too long — half an hour is long enough for the strongest man. More delicate persons will find that too much; for some, ten minutes should be the limit. Fif- teen minutes is a good average for all. If seized with cramp, endeavor not to be alarmed, but strike out vigorously with the af- fected limb, or, turning on the back, extend it forcibly into the air. By paddling with the hands you can easily reach shore, or keep afloat until assistance is rendered. THE ART OF SWIMMING 429 And, never, never ^^ duck " your weaker brother. The poor fellow might take fright, and never again essay to learn ; besides, you might accidentally drown him. In conclusion: if you have followed these suggestions, not merely mentally, but in the *^ aqueous element," as the student would say, you will have become dexterous swimmers, and soon shall be able to join Byron in this stanza : " How many a time have I Cloven with an arm still lustier, breast more daring, The wave all roughened; with a swimmer's stroke Flinging the billows back from my drench'd hair, And, laughing, from my lip the audacious brine, Which kiss*d it, like a wine-cup, rising o'er The waves as they arose, and prouder still The. loftier they uplifted me." THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE SWIMMING BY C. DUDLEY PRATT The strides made by swimming in the United States in recent years have been re- markable. The value of swimming as an exercise for all-around development calling into action all parts of the muscular system, is being realized to a much greater degree. In many schools and colleges, every one is required to be able to swim, and the great increase in the number of indoor and outdoor pools affords excellent facilities for learning and mastering the art, which often enables one to save not only his own life but also the lives of others. Swinaming may now be had allTthe year long in most places and the de- velopment of the sport has been inevitable. Thus speed-swimming has been greatly accelerated by the opportunities for daily practice throughout the year, but the develop- ment of the stroke has cut many seconds from former records. Competitive swimming has existed for centuries; Cassius even challenged Caesar to swim the turbulent Tiber. But the 430 INTERCOLLEGIATE SWIMMING 431 old side, over-arm, and breast strokes are no longer the methods of swiftest propulsion. The trudgeon, as originated by the English- man, whose name it bears, in 1873, was very- different from the present trudgeon stroke, the kicking having been much on the style used in the breast stroke ; whereas now the scissors kick is found to be more effective. At first the legs were thought to be of little value, in fact to be a hindrance, and this point really led to the discovery of the crawl stroke in Australia. ^Tums" Cavill tied his feet together and made good his boast that he would defeat another swimmer for the length of the pool. His brother Richard later put into effect the results of the experiments and the straight leg drive became popular. Since then the crawl has been so developed that there are many varieties. The regular crawl, which is the stroke used by the Hawaiians entirely, is the name for a leg-thrash of even scope; the single-trudgeon crawl for a leg- thrash with one major and one minor kick; the double-trudgeon crawl for a leg-thrash with two major kicks and a number of minor ones; and then add two, four, or six beats to indicate the number of movements per full stroke. The arm movements in all these strokes are the same: working alternately, one propelling while the other recovers. The elbow should 432 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS be slightly raised, the hand and forearm straight, with fingers and thumb close to- gether, palm down, as the arm enters for the pull. Just before the arm is straightened out beyond the head, the hand should enter the water, followed by a slight bend do\Miward for the catch, and then a direct pull with strong pressure on the water, until the hand nears the thigh, when the muscles are relaxed and the arm withdrawn, the elbow being lifted first. In order not to retard the pro- gress, the hand is bent backward slightly at the wrist with the palm up and thumb away from the body, and then as the hand ap- proaches the head it is gradually returned to the propelling position. The leg-drive is from the hips chiefly, but also from the knees and ankles, the last two being bent but slightly. In the regular crawl, the leg-thrash is even throughout and with a scope of not over fourteen inches. The rhy- thm is maintained by keeping an even number of movements for each complete stroke of the two arms. The eight-beat crawl seems to be the coming stroke, though many are skeptical as to its possibilities, as they were when the six-beat double-trudgeon crawl, our present standard stroke, was first outlined by theo- rists. The trudgeon crawl came into being when it was found that the fluttering motion of the INTERCOLLEGIATE SWIMMING .433 feet, added to the trudgeon between the scissor kicks, served to maintain the acquired momentum and prevented the legs from dragging. In the single-trudgeon crawl a pronounced roll is necessary for the major kick made as the top arm (the one on the breathing side) is pulling through must be wide, and the roll prevents the under leg from coming out of the water and thus wasting energy. The fluttering motion of the leg, in about an eight-inch scope from heel to heel is at right angles to the surface of the water. In the double-trudgeon crawl the roll does not have to be so pronounced, the major kicks being not over fifteen inches in width, as compared to nearly twenty inches in the single. The major kicks then come at the end of each arm pull and are followed by as many minors as one desires. In the six-beat, then, the major kicks would come ^^one^' and '^four,'' three counts to each arm pull. This double-trudgeon crawl gives a much better- balanced power than the single, in that each leg is going through the same movements, and the roll, not being so pronounced, does not retard as much. The correct method of respiration is one of the most essential elements in speed swim- ming, as the lungs must be weU oxygenated in order that the swimmer may not become exhausted. The air is inhaled through the 434 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS mouth as the top arm is completing its pull through, and then exhaled slowly through the rest of the stroke. The head is not raised for the intake but twisted to the side and then swayed back with the roll of the body. Descriptions of the crawl stroke came from Australia in 1904, and soon the trudgeon crawl was developed in this country. By means of intelligent coaching in methods of speed swimming the times for various dis- tances have been lowered considerably. This has been very true in the college and prepara- tory-school swimming circles. When the first annual meet of the Intercollegiate Swimming Association was held in 1907, the fifty swim was won in 27% seconds, the hundred in 1 minute 4% seconds, the two-twenty in 2:59%. During the next seven years these were cut again — the fifty by two seconds, the hundred by nearly five seconds, and the two-twenty by twenty-two seconds. That same year the two-twenty record was set at 2:31, and that stood for another seven years. In the last two years the strides have been remarkable. The intercollegiate records have been set at 24 seconds for the fifty, 55% for hundred, and 2:253^ for the two-twenty. Not only in coUege swimming but in the interscholastic meets, the records have been cut. Bringing the swimmer up on the new strokes is producing results, and the schoolboy INTERCOLLEGIATE SWIMMING 435 swimmers have made records equalling or better than the intercollegiate marks; with 24>^ for the fifty, 56 seconds flat for the hundred, and 2:24>^ in the two-twenty. There is no telling what they will do when they reach intercollegiate circles. The old interscholastic 200-yard relay record has been lowered to 1:44% in the last few years; the in- tercollegiate and world'srecord being 1:38m . In the Eastern Intercollegiate League, started in 1909, Yale has held the champion- ship for the last ten years, having lost no meets at aU since 1916, and so may therefore be taken as a team to show the development of intercollegiate swinmiing. The Carnegie Pool, one of the best in the country, was built in the same year that the league started. The squads in recent years have been large, and each man doing consistent work has had a chance to take part. This has resulted in well-balanced teams with a wealth of material from which to draw. The season of 1920 was significant in that only three meets passed without the breaking of some intercollegiate or world's record and two of these meets were in strange pools. The last two years have been followed by similar performances. The marks for the 200-yard and 800-foot relays were lowered in 1920 and the fifty-yard inter- collegiate record was twice broken, finally being set at 24% seconds. There were 436 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS nine men who could do under 26 seconds for the fifty; six who could do under a minute in the hundred, and a like number who could make under 2:45 in the two-twenty. The plunge was no longer to consist of merely flopping into the water, but theory was ap- plied to that, too, so that the plunger dove to a greater depth and then planed gradually to the surface. Prior to that year, it was rare that a plunger made the end of a 75-foot pool in the minute allowed, but the world's record for that distance was then set at forty seconds. This past year this record has dropped another six seconds, due to improved methods and proper coaching. Some of the most striking evidence of the strides made in college swimming are the numerous world's records hung up in the last two years. The Yale relay team holds the world's records for the 200, 250, and 300-yard and mile relays — the last showing marked improvement in a large number of swimmers, in that 18 men performed and took some thirty-nine seconds off the record formerly held by the New York Athletic Club. Dur- ing the past season of 1922, the world's records for the 250, 300, 400, 500, 600-yard and mile relays have been broken. The second last are only considered as noteworthy performances in that they are performed by so many men, but it is also worthy of notice that INTERCOLLEGIATE SWIMMING 437 all these records were made by a college team. The progress of intercollegiate swimming was well shown when fifteen Yale men took a transcontinental swimming tour of over 13,000 miles to Hawaii and return to compete against some of the fastest swimming organ- izations in the world. Out of a total of twelve meets and four exhibitions there were only two defeats ; one by the Chicago Athletic Club and the other in the open-water meet against the Hawaiian clubs, in which Yale placed third. Some of the features of the trip were when Binney of Yale equaled the world ^s record in the fifty-yard swim, when the Chicago Athletic Club broke the world's record for the 160-yard relay, when Pua Kealoha of Hawaii equaled the world's record in the hundred, and when the Outrigger Canoe Club broke the world's record for the six- hundred-yard relay in Honolulu. The team had a nine-day period of inten- sive training at Sound Beach, Connecticut, before starting for Hawaii. A relay team sent to Brighton Beach defeated an all-star team from New York in a 200-yard relay, and an exhibition meet was given at Stamford, Conn., before the team left for the west. Meets were then held in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Los Angeles, Venice Beach, Santa Barbara, at the Olympic Club 438 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS in San Francisco, and at Del Monte, Cal. The week^s journey across the water to Hawaii, during which the team kept in shape by daily exercises, was followed by a victory over three of the fastest combinations of swimmers in the world, in a tank meet at the University of Hawaii. The relay team was barely touched out for first place when Duke Kahanamoku, swimming anchor man on the Outrigger Canoe Club team, traveled his fifty yards in the sensational time of 22^ seconds. I This was one of the longest^trips ever taken by a college team. The showing made in the face of such difficulties as constant railway travel, competition against more mature and experienced men of the athletic clubs, a rapid succession of meets and differences in the pools and spring-boards, illustrates quite clearly that college swimming has gone through a period of tremendous development in recent years. The increase in swimming facilities in the preparatory schools and colleges and the application of new strokes in systematic coaching have accelerated the advancement of the sport to a leading position among the minor sports in intercollegiate athletics. INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER BY H. G. FKANCKE Inteecollegiate soccer has recently passed the vital stage of early development and lias passed it in such a manner as to clearly demon- strate that it has come to stay and that it is capable of providing a healthy source of ath- letic activity for any sound man and inciting keen competition among good sportsmen. Pre- viously to the year 1907, there was no real or- ganization between the colleges, but in that year Dr. Babbitt, of Haverford College, summoned representatives from various colleges that were playing the game to a certain extent, to a meet- ing where was formed what is known as the In- tercollegiate Association Football League. This league now includes Harvard, Yale, Pennsyl- vania, Haverford, Columbia and Cornell. It has seen a very prosperous and continuous ex- istence, with other colleges such as State Col- lege (Penn.), Princeton, and Brown consider- ing the proposition of joining. In the South, soccer has been recently taken up by Lehigh, Franklin and Marshall, Stevens, and Delaware ; in the East, besides those already mentioned, 441 442 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Dartmouth, Williams, Amherst, and the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology are playing the game; while in the West it has reached a stage of development probably superior to the East. Thus such a universal appreciation of the game speaks for itself and proves the real value of the game. With this brief statement of the situation in American colleges at the present time, let us turn to the requirements of the game and how it is played by college a4:hletes. Of course one must first recall that intercollegiate soccer does not approach the professional game of England and therefore my remarks will apply more es- pecially to the game as played in this country. As regards the type of man required to make a clever player, an active man of any stature can be developed into an efficient player. It has been maintained that large, powerful play- ers, who can resist the hard knocks of the de- fense, are preferable for the forward line, but the small lithe man can easily elude a heavy halfback with what appears to be graceful ease. Thus to my mind a small fast forward line is the ideal condition, with possibly a heavier man in the center, because he is bound to be closely watched when near the goal and he must be able to withstand rough handling. It is the duty of the outside men especially to carry the ball by dribbling far into the oppo- nents' territory and then unselfishly center it INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER 443 to a position where the inside men can shoot advantageously. With this formation, there- fore, we find at once three requirements. In the first place, the outside men must have thorough mastery of the ball, being able to pass the halfback line by dribbling and to center the ball at the crucial moment when hard pressed by the fullback. This ability of drib- bling must not by any means be limited to the outside men, although it is more essential for them, but the greater efficiency the inside men have in this difficult art, the greater will be the variety and power of the offense. Next, the inside men must learn to shoot with accuracy and speed. It does not do for them to attempt to stop the ball and manoeuver it into a more advantageous position, but they must be able to judge the bounces and shoot unexpectedly, before the fullbacks have the opportunity to charge or the halfbacks to come to the defense of the goal. Finally, every man must play an absolutely unselfish part by remaining con- stantly in his position, so that the man carrying the ball can rely implicitly on the whereabouts of his teammates and instinctively pass to the spot where he knows a man will be to receive it. In addition it is advisable for the forwards to be able to head the ball with accuracy, be- cause many times it would give the opposing defense an opportunity to clear the ball if it were allowed to bounce, and on a corner kick 444 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS it is very difficult for a goal-tender to save a well-headed ball, because such a play does not reveal itself until the last moment when the forward leaps into the air. Thus a well play- ing forward line advances the ball by dribbling until attacked, then passes either for a short distance or across the field to draw the defense out of position, and finally centers, to the inside when near the opponents' goal and shoots. The halfbacks have a double duty thrust upon their shoulders. When the forwards are press- ing the attack, the halfbacks must follow up behind them to render assistance if they lose the ball and to be prepared to receive a back- ward pass if the man with the ball finds him- self unable to pass advantageously to another forward. When the opponents gain posses- sion, the duties of the halfbacks become defen- sive. They must charge quickly before the forward line has an opportunity to get work- ing smoothly and make the man with the ball pass. To be able to check an attack, the half- back line must be exceptionally fast and able to start and change direction suddenly. There can be no hesitation, because a fearless charge will tend to disconcert the man with the ball, thus enabling the halfback to gain possession himself or cause a poor pass to be made. If the halfbacks seek to cover the attack of each other, the defense becomes so much the more effective. By covering the attack I mean play- INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER 445 ing together in such a manner that when one tackles the other two are prepared to intercept the pass. Let us assume that the center for- ward has the ball. As the center half charges the others drop back slightly, at the same time moving towards the center of the field. Thus when the center man compels a pass, the other two are in a favorable position to regain pos- session of the ball, whether it be a long or short pass. When the situation becomes offensive, the halfbacks must quickly sum up the condi- tions and determine what is the best course to follow. If the halfback is clear, he can carry the ball himself as far as he sees fit, but he must bear in mind that his forwards are the real scoring implement and not try to do too much himself. When attacked he must pass to his forwards and instinctively seek out that one who is uncovered, at the same time attempting to vary the play by short passes or by swing- ing the ball across the field. It is a very diffi- cult question to answer, to what degree the half- backs shall assume offensive duties, but it is safe to say that the best defense is a powerful attack, leaving much to the discretion of the player. From this we see that the halfback line must be composed of powerful men with good stamina and speed. For the forward line and fullbacks there is an occasional period of rest, but the halfbacks, especially is this true of the center halfback, who must bear the brunt 446 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS of the attack, must be continually on the alert, never trying to shirk the arduous duties im- posed upon them. In addition to being able to kick with both feet with equal facility and ac- curacy, it is essential that the halfbacks be proficient in the art of heading the baU. If oftentimes the ball is allowed to touch the ground, an opposing forward can come in on the run and be down the field before the half- back can turn, but heading the ball prevents this absolutely if it is properly done. It is a good plan, when doing this, to judge exactly where the ball will come down to the height suitable for heading and lay off for a few sec- onds while permitting the opponent to get set as he waits for it to descend. Then, by jump- ing into the air on the run, one at the same time regains the ball away and gets a good start down the field. If one tries to head the ball by waiting so that one comes down where the ball naturally would have dropped, it is an easy matter for an opponent to throw one aside by a very light charge. This art is very useful, in fact one might even say necessary, when the opposing goal-tender is kicking out, because the ball takes a long flight with sufficient height to make heading the natural course to pursue. We now come to the fullbacks, whose duties are purely defensive and therefore of great importance, because when they fail to stop the onrush, it is practically certain that a score o o o 02 INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER 447 will follow, since an unprotected goal-tender is almost helpless when one considers the size of the goal that he is expected to cover. Here again the tackling must be hard and fearless, but at the same time it cannot be aimless and still yield good results. It is extremely disas- trous for a fullback to charge without consider- ing what his opponent is going to attempt, be- cause then he is off his balance and a little side- step will circumvent his best efforts, thus leaving a free course to the goal. If the full- back merely pretends to hesitate, he can trick his opponent into a movement that will disclose his intentions and give him the opportunity to charge effectively. Thus I have seen a full- back make a motion as if he were going to charge in such a position as to prevent a pass to a certain wing, whereupon the forward tried to go down the center or make a short pass in that direction, and then the fullback charged and spoiled the play. Thus a fullback must carefully study every movement of an ap- proaching forward and try to fathom his inten- tions. As was the case with the rest of the team, the fullbacks must play in close touch with each other; when one charges, the other drops back and towards the center to intercept a pass or delay the line until the other back can return to his position in case he is eluded without causing a pass to be made. Here at Harvard we have tried a scheme which proved 448 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS of great service to us in our spring season of 1913. Perhaps it succeeded on account of the great speed of one of our fullbacks and perhaps it could be used in any combination, but it serves to illustrate how two fullbacks should play together with a mutual understanding. Instead of playing them side by side, we had a line formation whereby our captain, who was extremely fast, charged first. If he was suc- cessful in stopping the attack, well and good; if not, the other fullback crossed over at full speed and charged, thereby either gaining pos- session of the ball or causing sufficient delay for the other to regain his position. This sys- tem had the great advantage that it kept the play farther down the field than when the full- backs played side by side, waiting for the at- tack to reach them, creating more opportunities for the successful interception of the ball. It is very difficult to say anything of use or interest concerning the goal-tender. Of course it is advantageous although not essential for a goal-tender to have good height, but many small men have made up for this deficiency by their extreme agility and have developed into goal-tenders with what appear to be supernat- ural powers. It would be a physical impossi- bility to reach the ball in many cases where stops have been made, but a goal-tender seems to be able by intuition to intercept well placed shots. There are a few rules of position that INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER 449 can be laid down, sucli as shifting towards a wing man carrying the ball, but on the whole, it is impossible to say what the goal-tender should do. It must be left to his discretion when the emergency presents itself. To develop a team capable of taking part in a big series, one must first develop stamina and good wind by strict training and long runs. It is obvious that a team will be greatly weakened by the failure to get into good condition if one realizes that a regular game consists of two ferty-five minute halves with a brief intermis- sion and that no substitutions are allowed, al- though in the intercollegiate league a provision has been made to permit the use of one substi- tute per game. After the preliminary training of long dis- tance running the team should be made to de- velop speed and the power of quick starting, by devoting a considerable time to sudden, short sprints. Often the only way to prevent a score is by overtaking a man who has passed the rest of the team, and speed is the only re- quirement that can meet fhis contingency. The forward line must next learn individually to control the ball by running up and down the field at top speed, keeping it always not more than a yard in front. When shooting practice commences, it is our custom to draw up the for- ward line at a reasonable distance from the goal, vdih the halfback line supporting them 450 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS from behind. Thus the forwards learn to re- ceive passes from each other and to shoot with- out delay, and the halfbacks learn how to feed the ball to the forwards in such a manner that it is not necessary to stop the ball before shoot- ing. It is also desirable for the halfbacks to attempt occasionally long shots from their posi- tions, because such a play may take a goal- tender unawares and result in a score. Finally, a course of development would consist in steady practice in heading the ball, whereby the men would not only learn to leave their feet, but also would acquire accuracy in direction. Merely hitting the ball is of no avail, in fact it can be disastrous if the ball glides off to an opponent. As great accuracy in hitting as in kicking is essential. In conclusion let me say a few words concern- ing the great enjoyment of the game. So far I have had the pleasure of playing on the Har- vard team for two years, when we finished at the head of the intercollegiate league after a very difficult series, most of the games being decided by the scant margin of one point. Of course the thrill of victory may have been re- sponsible for a large part of the satisfaction obtained, but I firmly believe that the game affords a wonderful opportunity for healthy yet vigorous exercise, without the utter ex- haustion and danger of injury found in other games. When one recalls how the game is INTERCOLLEGIATE SOCCER 451 growing in our American colleges and that the preparatory schools are taking it up, one can- not fail to realize that it has come to stay and to develop into a game of widespread interest. WRESTLING WEESTLING Weestling is an ancient and time-honored sport. It was practised by the Greeks in the time of Homer and its arts were known to the Hebrews in Old Testament times. To-day in its many forms it is quite universal. The Jap- anese are exponents of a style of wrestling known as jiu-jitsu. The European wrestlers meet usually under the GraBCO-Eoman rules, while here in America we have our catch-as- catch-can variety. It is not surprising that wrestling should have continued as a popular sport through all the centuries and in all climes. It offers better than can anything else that opportunity, which youth so constantly seeks, for testing its strength in combat with comrade or rival. And while bodily strength is paramount, roughness and brutality may be entirely absent. Further- more, as a sport it requires little or no para- phernalia or equipment, no large number of players and no elaborate field for practice. The wrestler strips to the waist and meets his op- ponent on a mat which need measure no more than twenty feet square. Two strong bodies and two stout hearts, each with the love of con- 455 456 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS test, are all that are needed to make the bout a success. I believe every boy should know something about wrestling just as he should of boxing and swimming. They all add to his manhood and to his strength and to his ability for self-de- fense and preservation. He may learn these things from his brothers at home, or at school, or from instructors, it matters little which, but when he has mastered them he assumes a place of no mean respect among his comrades. In this article it is impossible to go into more than a few of the commoner holds. I shall at- tempt to describe how these are applied and how they are defended against. First and most important is to assume a strong standing position, thus giving your op- ponent the least possible chance to gain the advantage while at the same time you are ready to move rapidly and seize whatever opening may present. To this end stand in a crouching position with the body bent slightly forward, the arms somewhat extended, the leading hand being more so than its mate. The feet should be rather well apart, one foot slightly ahead of the other. Do not have your arms so far ex- tended that your opponent may use them as a lever in securing a hold, nor stand with the legs much bent at the knees, as they then offer an excellent mark for a diving hold. If both contestants assume strong positions THE REFEREE'S HOLD. THIS IS THE HOLD rSUALLY ASST^IED AT THE BEGIXXIXG OF A BOUT. rn;> L - 1 axdi>'G hold, the wrest- ler TRYING FOR THE HOLD HAS THROWN HIS 0PP0XE>'T'S LEFT ARM UP AN'D FORWARD, AND NOW HAS A>' OPPORTUNITY TO SLIP BEHIND HIM. THE SECOND STANDING HOLD. THE AGRESSOR HAS SECURED A GOOD HOLD ON HIS OPPONENT'S LEFT LEG AND IS SEEN TRIPPING THE RIGHT LEG. ■\TRESTLING I WRESTLING 457 they will fall naturally into so-called referee's hold, i. e., each will place his leading hand on the back of his opponent 's neck while the other hand either grasps his opponent's leading arm at the elbow or hangs ready for action. This hold brings the men together, obviates much needless sparring for openings and is equally fair to each, so that neither should hesitate to assume it. I shall mention three ways of throwing the opponent to the mat from the referee's hold. The first depends upon your ability to pull your opponent suddenly forward and past you. If you are successful this gives you the oppor- tunity of clasping his waist from behind. With this advantage it should be possible to throw him to the mat either by throwing your whole weight sharply to one side and tripping him at the same instant, or by pushing him quickly forward with your whole strength and as you do so catching up one of his legs at the ankle. If you have managed to get behind him, one of these methods should bring your man to the mat. The second hold is somewhat more dan- gerous as an offensive move but more likely to end in a fall when successful. By a quick feint your opponent's arms are thrown upwards while at the same instant you dive for his for- ward leg. If successful you lift quickly and advance, entangling his other leg with your own as you carry him backwards and down. 458 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS The third hold is by far the most difficult but the most satisfactory and sure of a fall when well executed. It is an arm lock with a cross- body throw. If you have assumed the referee's hold you will be gripping your opponent's lead- ing arm just above the elbow. The success of the hold which I am about to describe depends upon the firmness of that grip and upon the quickness with which the other moves are car- ried out. Draw your opponent's elbow sud- denly towards you, at the same time slipping your leading arm around his neck and with the same motion turning your body by stepping sharply across in front of his body with your leading leg. Now with the leg acting as a ful- crum you throw your man across your hip and on to the mat. Do not loosen your grasp on his elbow or neck but fall with him, maintaining your grip until you have gained the fall. If wrestling were all offense, any one of these three holds would always mean a fall for the man who attempted them, but wrestling also has its defensive side. In the first hold the de- fense consists in anticipating the pull and bra- cing against it, or in warding off the pulling hand. In the second hold, the best defense is to keep the legs well back so that they cannot be reached by a dive. But if your leg has been caught by the dive it is necessary either to break the hold by quickly straightening the leg and throwing your weight on your opponent in "A I— I (^ EH WRESTLING 459 an endeavor to bear him to the mat, or to turn and fall on the mat in the defensive position. The defense against the third hold is very sim- ple but must be used quickly in order to avail. By placing the heel of your hand in your oppo- nent 's groin or against his side as he attempts to turn his body to make the throw, it is easy to ward him off while you slip free. At the same time you should attempt to slip behind and throw him to the mat. On the mat so much depends upon the defen- sive position that I shall describe it first. Whenever you are thrown to the mat you should try to assume a position on your hands and knees. This will enable you best to with- stand your opponent's hold and to get away from him if the chance arises. Likewise if you are so fortunate as to be on top, do not forget that your opponent is working always to get up and that this position on his hands offers him the best chance. Of the holds taken on the mat, the Nelsons are the most commonly used. They all are worked by using the arm and head as points of leverage. In the full Nelson, your arms are slipped one under each of your opponent's arm- pits and clasped on the back of his head. By pressing down on the head and lifting on the arms it is possible to turn your opponent in half a somersault and press his shoulders to the mat. This particular hold is barred in 460 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS amateur wrestling but should be known to all wrestlers as it contains tbe principle on wMch the others are worked, i. e., the leverage on the head and armpit. In the haK Nelson no at- tempt is made to slip the arm under the more distant arm of your opponent. Instead the free hand is used to hold your opponent close and to assist in pushing down his head. In the ** further half " the opposite arms are the parts involved. 'The breaks for the Nelsons are all similar. They consist of an arm lock and body roll. Thus if your opponent has taken a half Nelson, you should lock his arm tightly between your arm and his side and roll quickly towards him, at the same time throwing your free arm over his body. This roll is often more effective in gaining a fall than the Nelson itself. The break for the '' further half '' is exactly the same except that the lock is on the other arm and the roll away from him. The use of the leg scissors is very important. This hold alone is not usually enough to gain a fall but in conjunction with other holds is very effective. The scissors can be taken on the opponent's body, arms, legs or head. In the body scissors the legs are wrapped around the opponent's waist and the feet securely locked by pressing with the knees. This hold may be made very firm. The principle is ex- actly the same in the head or arm scissors. ;zi <«« ^l!f^ "^ !z S ^ fe^Sn kJ O ^ fc, '^ ;, O K T BY 30RS ( EMPT H HIS 'Sj OD H H «^^^ KgSg f^ w w 2 o^o^ H H 02 03 r, B hI B3 ft SS ->< OPPOKl HOLD, : HT ARM . FALL B !^2 ►z; M U- 1 )— 1 h- ( d^ '— ' o ^ M ^ 1 FH CO ^ c^ ►^ E t^ ■"" ri i J ?;» . ^ O J ■^ - ?" f^ - '-C 5? a ^ « H 5 '^ ? « 5^hP c^ 2; K ^ c s H a ^ - « s S - H S <; a i^i ^j, ■ K 5 . « H i2 oS S CC ftj cc O WRESTLING 461 The defense for the scissors is not to let your opponent get it, for once obtained it is hard to break. So if your man tries to take the scis- sors, try to push his knees away and keep his feet apart. If he is successful in his endeavor, the hold can be broken sometimes by reaching his feet and pulling them apart, or by turning quickly so as to face your opponent. This latter can be accomplished only when his grip has not been tightened. These are but a few of the more important holds. However, it is no exaggeration to say that if these few are thoroughly mastered, they offer an offensive and defensive equipment suf- ficient for winning many a bout. It is far better to know these few well and be able to use them than to have a great many more half learned. A sense of poise and balance is of much greater value in winning bouts than any number of fancy holds. This comes naturally to some boys and others get it only after years of practice. Learn your few holds and when to use them, watch for your opponent's mis- takes and take advantage of them, be careful but aggressive and you will find wrestling no mystery. It is a sport where quick wits, strength, and knowledge all play important parts. BOXING BOXING BY L. J. CONLEY, Boxing Coach, Harvard University The most convincing evidence that boxing is a form of exercise well suited to the develop- ment of mind and muscle is the fact that the sport has lived through one century after another from the days of the ancient Greeks to our own more enlightened times, and to-day is more popular than ever before. If parti- cipation in a form of athletics such as boxing were not beneficial to the development of man's body and brain, it would have perished long ago. To start with, let me say that in classes the same methods of attack and defense are taught that Jack Dempsey, Jack Britton, Benny Leonard, Johnny Kilbane, and other champions had to learn in the more rugged school of Give and Take when they were youngsters breaking in. The same left jab, the same right cross, the same block, and the same parry are a part of our system, but they 465 466 THE BOOK OF ATHLETIC are learned and practised by the majority, not with the thought of achieving any cham- pionship honors, but with the idea of attaining genuine exercise. When one considers the footwork, arm action, body movement, bend- ing and straightening that one goes through during a few rounds of boxing, it is not difficult to understand that one gets the maximum of exercise in a short space of time. Boxing properly done brings into play every muscle in the body. It develops speed with the arms and legs, teaches perfect balancing of the weight, sudden shifting of weight from one foot to the other and, above all, calls for alertness of the eye and mind second to no other sport. The eye becomes trained to notice an instant^s opening in the other man's defense, the mind must instantly recognize the opportunity, direct the proper currents of muscular action to start the hands on their way to take advantage of that opening. There is eye, brain, and muscle aU in action at the same moment. Is it any wonder the boys who try it once come back for more.'^ First, the candidates are shown the various fundamental blows, and with these in mind they are sent through a drill lasting about ten minutes. They include straight punches, left jab, hooks, uppercuts and combination punches, and the body action that goes with the various strokes. bo in O -CI . :^ o ^3 OS +^ G ..-1 H _, S-=<£ >>(* M O S, «2 ""^ S vn « C m >< d wit ith th ady t ift foo 3 M CI o d > 0) OJ 'a 0) nt's h t arm hand h the ^':.'*" a -tJ aS-« a3 M °:S.t^-^ at the blow, beld w d is ta 2 2 hot the ng ] •war M-C'a) o TJXI m CXJ**-" cd .^ +»^ o -< tn O H &< W 2 cQ a> Q M '^-tJ „, o J^ o P s :3 - c ots iS g S a -i^ ^^ >j a 'S'^ O ra a) a3 '" "-0 „ § £ 02 03 bD 03 O S ft .t: o CO fl bo ^ >> i< £-C 83-*^ O 03^ pj C.S-2 oJ o3 03.G >. P 03 o 03 O (»*' is ?TS « G-^ O ii S S 4^ O S '•2^m 03 2 >> !7 ^W ,G"+3^ o pq ^ S (3 JS -t^ ■'^ " tH -^'S >.2 =^ ■73 Hi -(J .^ 02 ^ o o ^ • +3-0 C-^ o3i£, bC !;i > w-^ m >^ o ■'- ~ £ «! opq « m o o J2 O BOXING 467 After the class drill, the boys are?sent through a round of shadow boxing at one-quarter speed. They try out all their punches, ducks, and feints against imaginary opponents. Fol- lowing this is a round of shadow boxing in which the footwork is given most of the attention. This is done at full speed to enable them to step around lightly and not become flat-footed in their style. With instructions to work only at half speed, the boys are then paired off to box lightly with one another, care being taken to see that at no time do they work any faster than half speed until they have familiarized themselves with the sport sufficiently to preclude the possibility of accidents. After two or three weeks of this, I find the students at Harvard are capable of such good work that the rounds are full of action, and the full benefit of the exercise results. I believe that boxing is a natural sport for Americans. We borrowed it, of course, from the Old World, but I think the youths of this country take to it so naturall}^ that they develop faster than elsewhere. I have found some excellent material since I started instruct- ing at Harvard University, and in fact many of the boys in the classes have learned so rapidly that, in refereeing professional bouts, I have found many of the preliminary boxers do not know nearly so much about how to box 468 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS as the boys in the classes. I do not attribute this to anything that I have shown them, but to the fact that the college man is more capable of reasoning out the science of the game. That the boys naturally take to the sport is evidenced by the fact that last year three Freshmen, who had never had a glove on before they took it up at Harvard, won the University championships. A boy who can box seldom gets into trouble, and when he does he stands much less chance of being injured than one who has not familiar- ized himself with the art of seK-defense, but even though the knowledge gained in boxing may never come into use, the sport brings its full reward in physical condition, muscular and mental alertness. I have employed only the most simple methods of instruction in my work at Harvard University, and the boys have grasped the point of instruction with little difficulty. First, I teach the boys their boxing stance. I teach them to stand with left foot forward and right foot back with a spread of from 14 to 18 inches. After this attention is directed to the position of the hands which is of fundamental importance. The most orthodox and popular position is with the left hand extended and the right hand on the chest. After students assume the proper o *-* X o PQ BOXING 469 stance and the position of the hands foot- work is taught. Proper footwork constitutes a large part of boxing success. In general, the boys are taught when working to the left of an opponent to step with the left foot first, with the right foot folloTving. On the other hand, when working to the right of an opponent just the opposite process should be followed, w^ith the right foot leading and the left following. The greatest care should be taken in avoiding positions where the legs are crossed. Such a position is fatal. Shadow work, so-called, is another im- portant element in teaching boxing. This form of boxing helps the footwork and tends to make the students more graceful and natural in their actual boxing contests. Shadow boxing is done against an imaginary opponent with both hands being called into play in the execution of the various blows. This sort of boxing is essential to the develop- ment of the student, and should be practised each day from tw^o to four rounds. I shall now endeavor by illustrations to teach the reader the simple leads and blows which any boy washing to take up boxing should know. The first lead is a straight left to the head, (see illustration 1) ; the second lead is a straight left to the body, (illustration 2). In both cases, the illustration shows the 470 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS position to be assumed by the defensive man properly to block these leads. The third lead consists of a straight right to the head, (illustration 3) and the fourth, a straight right to the body, (illustration 4). Again these illustrations show the blocks which should be employed to ward off the blows. So far, we have dealt with only straight punches which should be thoroughly mastered before taking up the following ^ 'hooks." First, there is the left hook to the head (illustration 5), with its complement, the left hook to the body, (illustration 6). When these have been developed, a right hook to the head (illustration 7) and its complement, a right hook to the body, (illustration 8) should be mastered. As in the previous illustrations, each picture shows the proper block for each of the blows described. When these elemental leads are mastered, the student should be taught a left upper cut to the head (illustration 9), and then a right upper cut to the head (illustration 10). These two leads should be followed up by a left cross-counter to the head (illustration 11) and a right cross-counter to the head (illus- tration 12). All these blows are important. It takes time and constant practice to master them. When they are conquered, however, the student is well equipped in the fundamentals CO 03 -tJ Oi-C 0) i-> o ■" a BOXING 471 of boxing, and his development thereafter is largely a matter of teaching him to employ a combination of the various punches and blows already shown. At first the boys should practise these blow&.at half speed, both in shadow work and with an opponent. From time to time the speed can be increased until even the student himself will regard his development as wonderful. At least, this method has proved most successful in my work at Harvard. LACROSSE LACEOSSE BY PAUL GUSTAFSON Laceosse is a game for whicli we are indebted to the Indians, primarily, and to the Canadians, who have revised the play and formed a code of playing rnles. The Indians used to play on fields of various sizes, and with a great num- ber of players on each side. The fundamental principle of the game was, as it still is, to have the sides even; often as many as a hundred played on each team, and the goal-posts were placed a mile apart. Sometimes the play lasted all day without deciding a winner. As the aborigines played lacrosse, it was a game for everybody. Each player made his own stick, or ^^ crosse," from a bent branch and thongs, to make a ^^ pocket " in which to catch the ball, which was made of leather. The man with the greatest endurance, speed, and cleverness in handling his stick, regardless of his size, became the most successful player. About 1850, George Beers, of Canada, recog- nized the value of lacrosse as a game for others than the Indians, and introduced the game among civilized Canadians, at the same time 475 476 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS making definite rules. For this reason, he is rightly called the *^ father " of lacrosse, which has become the national game of Canada. In certain parts of Canada it is as popular as base- ball is in the United States, and the boys begin playing as soon as they are able to lift their little sticks. Amateur and professional leagues have been formed, and all the schools and col- leges have representative teams. Lacrosse was first begTin in the United States by Canadian players, who settled in New York about 1870. Since that time the game has gained in popularity, so that it is now played at many of the leading colleges and universi- ties, preparatory schools, and clubs in several cities. The first intercollegiate lacrosse asso- ciation was formed in 1882, the members of which were Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Colum- bia, and New York University. The Intercol- legiate Lacrosse League now comprises Johns Hopkins, Swarthmore, Lehigh, Harvard, Cor- nell, Stevens, and Hobart. Many other colleges and training schools, including the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, are rep- resented by lacrosse teams, while at the Car- lisle Indian School, lacrosse is played to the exclusion of baseball, in the spring. Among the clubs, the Crescent Athletic Club has done much to foster the game in New York, playing several Canadian teams each season; while Baltimore, Boston, and several Western cities LACROSSE 477 are represented by strong amateur teams, the players being chiefly men who used to play on school and college twelves. Among the younger players, lacrosse is most popular in the prepar- atory schools of Baltimore and New York, while Phillips Andover Academy has had a team for some years. Just as the lacrosse the Indians played was a game for everybody, so to-day it is a game that anybody can take up with advantage, and ** make good '' at it. This may be easily under- stood, when a man weighing one hundred and fifteen pounds is seen playing against another who weighs two hundred; speed and stick- work make up for the difference in weight, and by constant practice a small man may become a better player than one much heavier. I shall now try to outline the qualifications for a successful player and for a well-balanced team, for twelve good players do not necessa- rily make a good strong team unless their ef- forts are united to score more goals than the other side, and at the same time, if possible, prevent the opponents from lodging the ball safely in the objective goal-net. The most important feature of individual playing is ability to handle one's stick. A man who can catch any ball which is within his reach, and throw it wherever he desires to, every single time, is exceptional. First of all, a good stick must be used. One made of raw- 478 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS hide and clock-cord which is fairly soft is best. It raakes little difference, as in hockey, whether the player is right-handed or left-handed; it is best to stick to one system or the other until perfectly familiar with it, before attempting to be ambidextrous, though it is often of advan- tage to be able to handle the crosse equally well either way. I have found it useful to keep the hands well apart in passing, thus getting greater accuracy. Grood stick-work is obtained only by long and faithful practice, but unless the men on a team are sure of their own and their team-mates' passing, fast playing cannot result, and the ball is on the ground most of the time, instead of being in the air. The best way to become proficient is for a few men, and only a few, to pass the ball around from one to another, with every one in motion, for lacrosse is a moving game. As for playing with only one hand upon the stick, this should be attempted only in emergencies, as when warding off an opponent or holding the stick out of his way. How shall the ball be held in one's stick? What is the best way to shoot, to get the most power behind the ball? These are questions which experience answers best. As soon as the ball is caught, it should assume a position next to the wood, and be kept there, until it is passed or ** shot " at the opponents' goal. The only way to get at the proper direction is to let the LACROSSE 479 ball leave the stick at the bend in the wood. On a long, hard throw it may be started nearer the handle than in case of a short pass, but never should the ball be allowed to become caught in the leading- string, for then it invariably goes wrong. This, however, can be learned best by constant practice. The pass should always be where your colleague can most easily catch it and be in a position to throw again. I have found that a ball face-high is usually very eas- ily caught, and the receiver is thus in a position to pass immediately. If he has to catch the pass at his ankles, it is necessary to lift the stick up before throwing, thus wasting time and losing opportunities. The line-up of the teams is as follows: Groal Inside Home Point Outside Home Coverpoint First Attack First Defense Second Attack Second Defense Third Attack Third Defense Center Center Third Defense Third Attack Second Defense Second Attack First Defense First Attack Coverpoint Outside Home Point Inside Home Goal 480 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Of the twelve men on the team, each player, with the exception of the goal-tender, has one direct opponent to play against. There are five attack men against five corresponding de- fense men, besides the center, who ^* faces off '' at the beginning and after each goal. As the field of play is one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty-five yards long, there is ample room for the twenty-four players on the field at one time. There is no fixed way to line up, except that the centers face off with left side toward the goal they are attacking; that is, the referee places the ball upon the ground between their sticks, and when the referee calls '* play " they draw their sticks toward them ; while this is being done the other players must be at least ten feet away. The third attack usually stations himseif at the edge of the ten-foot circle, in order to be as near the ball as possible when it is put into play. The other attack men usually find it of advantage to keep spread out, so that the initial line-up usually is like that represented in Fig- ure 1. The defense men are seen between their attack men and the goal, to prevent the attack from getting shots at goal unmolested. It is true that the attack men score most of the goals ; but in order that the attack may get into a position to score, it is necessary for the twelve men to work together as a team and that each individual keep his eye on the ball all the i.h: + CP oh. 1 a + 2D ea +3D ._ ^ /+3A •-' 3d + 2A ad + 1A id +0.H. c.p. + I.H, "I P FIGURE 1 482 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS time. When a man from each team has started for the ball, a third man should immediately go to the assistance of his team-mate, and keep his opponent away from the ball long enough to allow his team-mate to get it. Body-checking is allowable when within six feet of the ball, though to check a man with the stick, a play called the ^^ crosse-check," is a foul. The team which has the ball most of the time is usually the winner. In no game is team-work more important than in lacrosse, and this applies particularly to the attack. Good defense alone cannot win games. The attack must break through or out- wit the opposing defense and shoot the ball into the opponents' goal-net. There are certain rules which the attack men should always fol- low; the first is to keep moving all the time. If an attack man stands still, except when he is directly involved in the play, he is what the de- fense man calls '' easy to cover,'' and his oppo- nent does not have to watch him all the time. Another rule which seldom, if ever, calls for exception, is that the man move toward the hall. If you stand still or move away from it, then your opponent has a chance to intercept the pass; also, it is to be remembered that a straight hard pass is the only one to use. If one team played with only eleven men, it is easily seen that the other team, with twelve, would have a decided advantage. If the team V LACROSSE 483 with the greater number of players got the ball, they would have an odd man, and theoretically they should not lose it until a goal had been scored. Thus, it is the effort of a team to get an extra man upon the attack, in that part of the field nearest the opponents' goal, when in possession of the ball. With sure passing and an accurate shot, a goal should result. On the other hand, the opposing defense tries to block all attei_ipts to ^^ get the extra man.'' It be- comes a question not only of speed, but also of wits. An attack man may be able to run faster than the defense man against him, but cannot carry the ball past him. There are several simple plays which, if properly executed, and if the proper moment is chosen, often result in securing the extra man. Let us suppose that the attack has the ball, but that each attack man is covered. The play is then for the third defense or the center to sprint suddenly away from his direct opponent, in toward goal. The attack man with the ball passes to the uncovered third defense, who keeps on until checked, or goes into goal and takes a shot. (Figure 2.) In this case (Figure 2), the first attack has the ball, and all his fellow attack men are ** covered close " by the defense. Now, when this extra man gets the ball, he continues until a defense man comes to check him, or until he gets to the *^ crease," six feet in front of the 484 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS I.H. OH. Id lA. I zd 2A sd 3A ^3D C C 3 a 3D FIGURE 2 goal, within which he may not step, when he shoots. In case a defense man checks him (Fig- ure 3), he passes to the man who is left un- covered, and is in a favorable position. Now let us suppose that the goal-tender has come out to check the inhome, as in this case ; a shot at goal is taken, regardless of the distance. If no goal-tender is there, the ball passes directly into the net. Frequently it is possible to get the extra man LACROSSE 485 I.H. mS- A- ^s p. FIGURE 3 by what I choose to call the ^' pivot play.'* This term is self-explanatory to the veteran player. In this play the man with the ball passes to his colleague, and immediately rushes past his unsuspecting adversary and receives the quick return pass, thus gaining the advan- tage afforded by having the odd man. In Fig- ure 4, A and B are attack men, playing against C and D respectively. A has the ball at Al, checked by C, while D is covering B closely at Bl. B takes a step to B2, while A passes to him and dashes to A2, where he receives the pass and is free to take a shot at the goal. 486 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Oftentimes a player finds himself deserted, so to speak, in jDossession of the ball, with only one defense man between himself and the goal, and too far out to have a chance of shooting past the goal-tender. Xow is the time for in- dividual play. He has nobody to pass to, only one man to get by, and if successful in the at- tempt to dodge, he is almost sure of a goal. There are various ways to dodge, but it is dif- ficult to pass the experienced point or first de- fense; you must make up your own mind in a hurry, and have confidence that you can out- guess your opponent. One way is to throw the ball over his head, then run past him and catch it ; another way is to run around him, if you are faster on your feet ; the third, and perhaps the most successful method, consists of making a feint at throwing or shooting, and while he is attempting to block the shot, instead of body- checking, he finds himself swinging at the air as the attack man wheels around, and passes him with the ball in his stick and a free shot at goal awaiting him. This method, however, re- quires a great deal of practice, but it is a good play to be able to execute, as such emergencies often arise. The attack men shoot at the goal, but often the goal-tender stops the greater number of the shots, especially from far out, and often the ball goes past the goal. In the latter case, of course, the inhome and outhome should dash LACROSSE 487 behind the goal to get the ball, but if the goal- tender or a defense man gets the ball, the attack is immediately put on the defensive. The de- fense intends to pass the ball up the field toward the opponents' goal, and the opposing attack must not expect the defense to do all the defensive work. "When the other side gets the ball, the attack men should ** cover back; " that is, they should prevent the defense men from passing the ball up the field, and be care- ful not to let the other side have the extra man at any point, for the ball travels much faster than a player can run. Often a goal-tender stops a great many shots in a game; thirty or forty attempts are inter- cepted by his body or stick, and he may let only one or two pass. Where one analyzes this wonderful defensive record, it is sometimes found that the attack men are not ** placing " their shots, but letting them go to waste by hit- ting the goal-tender, or shooting too low when near the goal. After the work of bringing the ball into a position to score, the man making the shot should place the ball so that the goal- tender shall have hard work to stop it, for it is true that a goal-tender often feels the ball be- fore he sees it, on close shots. When far away, it is well to make the ball bound at least waist- high; when close to the goal, aim for the top corners of the net. It is the purpose of the defense to prevent the 488 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS opposing attack from scoring, and there are a few general rules which may be laid down for defense team-]Dlay. The attack has an advan- tage, of course, in that the defense must adjust itself to the style of offense, but the slightest slip-up is likely to give the defense the ball. As long as every attack man is covered, he cannot get a free shot at the goal ; therefore it is the first principle to * ^ cover your man. ' ' In this case, the attack must shoot hurriedly and from a distance, and there is little danger of a score, with a reliable goal-tender. The real work comes when the attack, by clever manoeu- vering, gets the extra man, and begins to make a rush toward goal. What can the defense do? How can three defense men cover four attack men? It will be noticed that the attack men immediately spread out, so as to have one man free — uncovered. This man would be able to score, provided the defense took a man each. The thing to do is to draw in toward goal, re- treat, as it were, and *^ bunch the attack," so that the defense man has a chance to intercept a pass or spoil a shot; in the meantime, if the attack men hesitate, another defense man is on the way to cover the extra man. When an attack man has succeeded in pass- ing his direct opponent, the defense man next nearer the goal must leave his man to check him. The defense man must be warned not to rush at him, but wait, and, if possible, delay LACROSSE 489 liim wliile the other defense man is regaining his position. An axiom for a defense man is to run straight toward goal if another defense man is needed, for there he will find the last uncovered attack man ready to take a shot. The defense man must choose the correct mo- ment to leave his own man to take another; if too early, this man never receives the pass ; if too late, he has passed it along or shot a goal. The ideal defense is the one that does not permit the opponents to get the extra man, but in case the attack outwits the defense and gets the extra man, the defense men must work to- gether and prevent the opponents from getting a close shot. The center is a combination of defense and attack; one moment, he is defending his own goal, the next, he is shooting at the other. This position requires a great amount of skill and endurance. The goal-tender, on the other hand, does very little running except behind the goal, when a shot goes by, but he must stand un- flinching and stop with stick or body the hard and the easy shots of the opposing team. The requisites of the attack and defense men have been mentioned in detail. A good attack is made up of five men who have fine stick- work, plenty of initiative, and confidence in each other, while the successful defense is found to be the one, every man of which is determined to stop his opponent, and which works together 490 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS as a unit in stopping the adversary. In every position a man must think quickly and act quickly; lacrosse is a game which requires and develops alertness, speed, and stamina in every one who plays it. \ M |^^HH| 1 1 m^m % ^1 m ^SK.' ^^^H W- . i^ 1 Mm^ 1 m^Hiiv^ m --^l^^^B 31 H M « . ■<1 O !pO QQ oO OB Oii l-H i-i ^^ !=( M §:^ O ^ W OS I P4 BASKETBALL HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL The Defense by feed a. kohler Basketball, unlike football, baseball, hockey, and similar games, has no fixed system either of defense or offense. There are no mass plays or defensive formations as in football, no in- field and ontfield as in baseball, and no goal- tender or point as in hockey. Every player on a basketball team is as much a defensive player as he is offensive and vice versa. In former years, when basketball was not as perfected as it now is, it was thought that the forwards were to do the scoring, the guards the defensive work, while the center did a little bit of both. This idea has been entirely discarded. In fact, to-day there is little or no difference between the duties of a forward and a guard. Both must be equally able to score and to pre- vent their opponents from doing so. In a re- cent game between Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania the forwards of both teams failed to score. In the majority of games, however, the number of points scored is 493 494 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS justly, evenly distributed among tlie whole ^ve players. This shows plainly the tendency toward a team that scores and guards as a team. In other words, every man a forward, a guard, a center at the proper time; a '^ five man team. ' ' When boys begin to organize teams they nearly always pay too much attention to indi- vidual shooting or guarding and overlook the vital element in the game, namely, team-play. The best team is not necessarily the team that can shoot most accurately, nor the team that guards most effectively. It is the team that plays entirely together, that guards together, passes together, shoots together. Perhaps the best way for a team to develop team-play is the method now employed by nearly every well-coached team. At every practice there is a short scrimmage lasting from ten to fifteen minutes, in which no shots at the goal are attempted, merely getting pos- session of the ball and keeping it away from the opposing side. A team that can pass the ball around long enough will ultimately exhaust or demoralize their opponents. This sort of passing, however, does not mean simply tossing the ball from player to player while standing still. Every player is expected to be moving and moving fast the entire game. No matter how well a man can shoot or guard, if he loafs, he had better be out of the game, HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL 495 for it is practically the same as having six men on the other side ; the ^ ^ loafer ' ' not only slows np his team-mates' play but he allows his man to rnn free. Every man must be always on the jump, always ready to receive a pass from one of his side or to intercept one of his opponents' throws. Besides this, he must be alert enough to pass the ball quickly and accurately to the proper man, to get free himself and to repeat the operation until a fairly easy chance for a basket is offered. The best way to express it is, '' never stand still a second.'' Play as hard as you can and then ask for a chance to rest. Under the new regulations which require that time shall be taken out at least once every ten minutes there is no reason why a player should save his strength. Handling the Ball Another thing that teams should pay partic- ular attention to is the practising how to handle the ball when the player is on the run. In any fast game practically all of the passes and shots are made by players while running. Practise catching and throwing the ball while you are in motion. Be able to pass or shoot accurately while at top speed. Players that have mastered that part of the game are the most dangerous men and the hardest to guard closely. Now as to the defense. I said before that 496 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS every player must be able to play defensively when the otber side has the ball. At such a time every player — center, forwards, guards, every one — must single out an opponent and try to prevent his passing or shooting. It is a mistake to try to *^ cover " the same man al- ways. The best plan is for each player to take the opponent nearest him, no matter what posi- tion he is supposed to play. This is the hardest thing for a boys' team to master. Remember that it is a game between two teams, not five separate games between five different pairs of players. Guard as a team. The same idea is shown when a football defense line stays un- changed although the opposing line men drop back or shift. This means even more alertness in every player, yet, difficult as it may appear, it can be acquired with an average amount of careful practice. If a certain member of the other side should succeed in scoring a large number of goals, do not necessarily blame the man who played against him. It is very seldom that any one man is entirely responsible for a basket made by the opponents ; it is usually due to a number of misplays or mistakes in judgment by the rest of the team. Similarly the man that scores the largest number of points does not always de- serve the greatest share of the credit; before he could shoot his team had to get the ball and work it down the floor into a position where he HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL 497 could shoot the basket. When faults are ap- parent or good points very evident it is the team-play which is responsible rather than in- dividuals, for it is team-play, both offensive and defensive, that either wins or loses the game. Li games where the dribble is allowed there is another phase in the defensive play. One player should always take care to be between the play and the basket he is defending. This does not mean that a guard should station him- self on a certain spot and wait for some one to attempt a dribble, but he should always be in a position to cut in ahead of any such attempt. It often happens that all the other players have followed a play into the other half of the floor. In such a case the guard may follow right in, provided he make sure none of the other side are so placed that they could dribble past him and get a free shot. This player is not * ^ loaf- ing ' ' by any means. He plays up and down on a line in the center of the floor and must watch both sides so as to head off a dribble down either side-line. It is not customary for any one player to do this *^ back playing " continually. Usually the man that happens to be farthest back tends to it. But as the dribble is becoming more and more restricted each year and is des- tined to be entirely eliminated from basketball some day it is not worth while paying too much attention to it. 498 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Play the Ball Another fault that younger teams should seek to avoid is the tendency to play the man rather than the ball. The players cannot seem to realize the time and points they lose in at- tempting to hold or block their opponents. Oc- casionally the ** dirty '' team will ^' get away with it." That is one of the big drawbacks in all sports : the possibility of winning by unfair means. Sooner or later every basketball player will be beaten unfairly. By that I mean that he is beaten by an inferior team who take un- fair advantage. The natural impulse is to beat them at their own game, but it never pays in the long run. The team that plays a clean, fast game is sure to win over a team that wastes time and energy in trying to '' body-check.'' After all it is the ball you play with, also it is the ball that your opponents must play with in order to win. Therefore play the ball always. If the man you are playing against has the ball get your hands on the hall. Don't try to spoil his shot or pass by striking his arm or by push- ing or tripping him. Besides risking having a foul called you are wasting time and an op- portunity. Get the hall. If you can't get it entirely away, get one hand on it. By so doing you prevent his making a shot or an accurate pass. If he is dribbling, wait until he starts to bounce the ball and then snatch it or bat it out HOW-TO PLAY BASKETBALL 499 of his reacli. A team that plays the ball en- tirely ought to beat a rough team easily. If they don't, it is usually because they try to re- turn the rough play and so neglect their own style. A striking example of the superiority of the fast-passing team that played the ball instead of the man was shown by the team of the Uni- versity of Chicago a few years ago, the year that they played the two best teams in the East, Columbia and Pennsylvania. Columbia had a heavy team composed of individual stars who have yet to be equaled in individual excellence. They relied on these men to score and on the other heavy men to get the ball and '' feed " them. When they lined up against Chicago it looked like an easy victory. Chicago, however, by fast passing and always playing the ball more than made up for their lack of individual stars and won the game by a comfortable mar- gin. Later on in the same season this same Chi- cago team was to play Pennsylvania for the intercollegiate championship. Pennsylvania had a wonderful team, with a dribbler who was supposed to be invincible. The best guards in the East had failed to stop his scoring. It was on dribbling that Pennsylvania relied mainly. Chicago was known to play the fast-passing game. The series was regarded with a great deal of interest since it would show which style 500 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS of play was the more efficient. The Chicago men had been instructed on stopping dribbles. They were to wait until the man started his dribble and then cut in and get the ball away. They did this and won two successive games and the championship. So much then for the general outlines of the defensive play. It must be fast, clean and with well-developed team-play. But there are a number of minor details that it is well to know when playing on the defense. First, you must see how your opponent shoots, whether from the knees or from the chest. All players have a preference, one way or the other, and in- stinctively shoot that way. If the man guard- ing knows what to expect he can much more easily prevent a shot. Besides, always notice whether a man is left-handed or not. Jump for the side from which he throws. By taking ad- vantage of such points you may break up a man's whole system of play. When the other side has the ball, and you wish to prevent your man from receiving a pass, do not face him; try to keep one hand touching him, without holding him, of course, and watch the ball. In this way you are able to intercept almost any pass that can be made to him. Sometimes it happens that a man has a free chance to pass and you are closing in, trying to block the throw. In such a case it is best to HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL 501 watch the man's eyes as he always looks where he intends throT\ing. The same thing is true where an opponent has the ball out of bounds ; any interference or partial blocking of the throw-in helps to break up, or at least slow the opponents' team-play. Recovering the Ball Another point well worth noticing is recover- ing the ball when a shot for either basket is tried and missed. Follow the course of the ball and try to foresee on which side of the basket it is going to drop, and how far back into the court it will rebound. Then be there, and get it. With a little practice this becomes almost second nature to a player and is of great service to his team. When the opponents are throwing a foul, the man that shoots must be covered as soon as the ball reaches the basket to prevent any possible second shot by him, which would count two points. These are, perhaps, the most common of the great number of situations that a player on the defensive has to face. Of course every game, almost every play brings in some new varia- tion. There is only one fixed rule that could cover all such cases. It is this, ** Play to get the ball. ' ' Players are beginning to realize that basketball is nine-tenths getting and keeping 502 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS the ball and one-tenth basket-shooting. Every time you get the ball from the other side and start a play that nets a score you are entitled to as much or, perhaps, more credit than the man that shot the goal. On the football field in 1911 the man that won the highest indi- vidual honors and the championship for his team was the man who watched for his chance and succeeded in getting the ball away suddenly and scoring on both Yale and Harvard. The alert basketball player can do exactly the same several times each game. When his opponents least expect it he can often intercept a pass or snatch the ball away and enable his team to score. It is plays like that that win or lose games and the players who make them most often are the most valuable players. All that I have said heretofore has had refer- ence only to the technical side of basketball and the purely mechanical requirements of the game. But there is much more in basketball than that. As in every sport, to be a good player a man, besides mastering the game's technicalities, must be a gentleman at heart. Basketball is no game for the man who loses his temper, or tries to ** slug " his opponent, or indulges in any of the many other unsports- manlike tactics. The truly excellent player is the player who will fight fairly as hard as he can and will smile good-naturedly whether he be winning or losing. After all, having the HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL 503 higher score is not the most important thing in true sport. The man who, while the game is in progress and after it is over has both his self-respect and the respect of his team-mates and opponents is the one man that is always sure to win. His team may be outscored, but if he has outpointed and outclassed the other side in showing himself a truer gentleman, on the scoreboard of his own conscience and that of other men's opinion he is an easy winner. BASKETBALL: THE OFFENSE BY JAMES A. EEILLY The offensive part of basketball is essentially the most important. Some may say that a good defense may result in a good offense, but I do not think this is so. Possession of the ball is what makes the opposing team defend its goal. Nothing could be better offense than to retain possession of the ball. It is with the ball that the scores are made, so why not control the score? If a team has possession of the ball often, it must necessarily develop team-play or individual play. When a player sees a chance to shoot or pass he immediately disposes of the ball. It is most important for a team to be clever or have some idea of dexterity in the game of basketball in order to be among the winners. Cleverness is an essential part of the game, of- fensively and defensively. Cleverness is a prominent feature for one who dribbles. He must be able to exert supreme control over the ball while in motion, must be elusive — especially so while dodging. He must have speed and courage. He cannot be cow- 504 BASKETBALL: THE OFFENSE 505 ardly while dribbling. A good dribbler is tbe hardest sort of a man to stop. He is generally coming directly toward you and at full speed. If you rush at him quickly he evades you by clever dodging. If you stay still he is liable to be upset or upset you. The new dribble rule has affected the playing of many men, especially those who always have played a dribbling game. According to the new rule, the man cannot touch both hands to the ball after receiving it more than twice and still be entitled to a shot. This is the essence of the intercollegiate rule. Formerly there was no prohibition against using two hands as often as one wished. This new ruling makes a player use one hand oftener in dribbling, which is un- doubtedly the best way. It is much more diffi- cult to use two hands in dribbling than one. A slow dribbler is a hindrance to the offense. He must be quick and accurate in timing and gauging the distance he has to cover in his dribble. It is well to know just how far to con- tinue the dribble. Many a good chance for a shot has been spoiled by a player dribbling just once too often when he could have completed it earlier. In dribbling a player ought to remem- ber that it is best to be advancing as rapidly as possible. Some players will stand and drib- ble, making no advancement. It is better to hold the ball and not dribble if no advance is being made. 506 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Always dribble while in motion and try to dribble toward your opponents' goal. No rule can be laid down in regard to this as many times it is necessary to go toward your own goal. Much may be said against advancing toward your own goal. If a team would advance toward its own goal only when necessary then all would be well. The question then arises when is it necessary! My answer would be only when there is no chance for a shot or for team-play to advance toward your opponents' goal. In many instances a man has no chance for a basket, but one of his team-mates is behind him, clear for a shot. If the ball is passed back it is easier for the player behind to shoot. The first player is generally covered, or about to be covered, or is distracted in his shot in some way. Not enough plays which require the ball to be passed backward have been used, and there will surely be more of these. Team-worTi I believe in team-work, more so than in indi- vidual playing, provided the team-work proves successful. If team-work does not prove suc- cessful then I believe in indi\ddual playing. By team-work I mean plays in which every man on the team is concerned. It is certain that the more there are trying to obtain possession of BASKETBALL: THE OFFENSE 507 ttie ball the more cumbersome it is for all play- ers. The fewer there are trying to get the ball the easier it is to break up plays or to start plays. Team-work generally proves successful in teams which have played together for some length of time, say two years. Each player feels that he knows where his team-mates will be on every play. If this is the case, then team- work ought to be successful. Team-work develops instinct among the play- ers; they seem to think and play as do their team-mates. Fast, clever team-work is enough to dazzle any team which relies on individual playing. But fast, clever team-work is some- thing which is rarely seen. Now in regard to individual playing. If a team has one star man, accurate in shooting — both fouls and goals — it has a very valuable asset. The basketball term ' ' feeding to a man," means passing the ball to one man, who is supposed to be the most accurate shooter. This ^* feeding '' game is a good one provided the right man is located. The man to whom the ball is fed can generally be found in the vicinity of his opponents ' basket. A tall, clever man is generally the kind whom it would be best to ^* feed " to. He has the advantage of being able to get the ball above the reach of the man guarding him, provided the pass is what it should be. He has the advantage of a long reach for the ball. 508 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Passing Accuracy, cleverness and skilfulness in pass- ing are an essential in basketball. Nothing is more discouraging than to see a man make a wild pass. In some cases a man will pass, or rather throw the ball, not having the slightest idea where it is going. This sort of passing is demoralizing. One must pass the ball at the proper time. For instance, a slow pass across the floor to a man going at full speed generally results in a failure. If the pass is to be a short one it can be made too speedily. Many a basket is lost on too hard or rather too swift a pass at close range. Passes which are thrown high in the air are of no use, except in rare cases. AVhen passes are made this way it gives time for one's oppo- nents to cover their men. Often these passes are intercepted by one's opponents. Long passes are good if they are made with sufficient speed to carry their distance. These passes generally travel almost parallel to the floor, but sufficiently high to prevent their being inter- cepted. Overhand passes are the best, and most commonly used. Few underhand passes are used nowadays. Long passes can be made better with one hand than with two. In fact all passes can be made better with one hand. Passes with two hands used generally are made when the ball BASKETBALL: THE OFFENSE 509 is being thrown in from out of bounds to in- bounds. In many cases a pass could be made by boun- cing the ball to one's team-mate. This how- ever is seldom done, since the ball does not travel as fast as by direct passing. A swift pass to a man makes him feel confident when he catches it. A man must have good judgment in catching the ball or he may injure a finger or wrist. In many cases a pass can be made by rolling the ball along the floor and this is very often done. For instance if a man was covered and had the ball on the floor, and if one of his team-mates were near, he could roll it along the floor to him. In some gymnasiums the walls are used as a means of passing, for instance, where there are no out-of-bounds rules and the wall on one side is such that a ball can be caromed from it. This can be used to advantage. A team-mate can stand at a certain spot and receive the pass after the carom. No gymnasium or basketball court equipped in modern fashion would have this, but it is a frequent occurrence in small gymna- siums. Signals Many teams base a great deal of their play on the use of signals ; others do not. A system counts to a great advantage in any «port, and 510 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS if a system of signals can be developed success- fully a winning team should result. Some teams have signals in the way of numbers, that is their plays are numbered. If number one play is wanted, generally the center calls aloud '^ one.'' Signals by the use of the hands or feet are common among most basketball teams. For instance some teams will have the captain give the signals by pass- ing his hand through his hair, or placing his hand on his hip, or some such signal. If the right hand is up it means the man on the right of the center. If the left hand is up, it means the man on the left side of the center is to re- ceive the tip-off, and start the play. The center seems to be the best man to give the signals. He is at the spot where the play starts and should be capable of knowing which play or signal to call for at the proper time. Some centers give signals by the manner or di- rection in which they walk into the center circle. If a center should walk into the circle from the left it might mean that he was to tip the ball to either the left forward or left guard. Entering the right side applies as above to the right for- ward and guard. Signals can be given by a guard or forward. It is a very hard thing to be able to play a game without having your signals discovered. By the end of the first period the signals are known. It would be a good plan to have two BASKETBALL: THE OFFENSE 511 sets of signals in case one should be found out. The change could be made without much diffi- culty. In order for signals to work successfully the center must be a man capable of outjumping his opponent at the toss-up of the ball. It doesn't necessarily mean that a center be ex- tremely tall. I have seen centers many inches shorter than their opponents still able to out- jump them. In most cases the taller man is the best, but the shorter man may outjump the taller. If the center man is able to win the jump or toss-up, there is an instant advantage. He has the play started toward his opponents' goal. The center's team-mate, generally the forward, should be ready to receive the tip-off and con- tinue the play. It is much better for the for- ward or guard to receive the ball while in the air rather than when it hits the floor, or after it has hit the floor. This makes the play faster and allows the man to keep the ball in a more advantageous position. When the Ball Is Held A common play for a jump is not from the center but in most cases near the side-line. Here again a signal comes in handy. If a man could signal to his team-mate that he is going to knock the ball out of bounds, his mate could 512 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS be ready to get it as soon as it went out of bounds. This is allowed under the intercolle- giate rules. But under the A. A. U. rules the ball would have to go to the opposite side from the one that knocked it out. Securing the ball out of bounds is a distinct advantage to a team. It allows the team to start the play with really no opposition. There is the opponent who tries to prevent the ball from being thrown into play, but he should never be in such a position as to break up a pass from out of bounds. This is an important pass. The man opposing the man outside generally stands close to the outside man with his arms in the air in an endeavor to try to stop the pass. At close quarters it is easier to pass the ball by a man than when the men are widely separated. If the man just inside the out of bounds line could glance quickly behind him to get some idea of how his opponents are located he might be able to break up the pass, as he has some idea in which direction the pass is going to be made. A play which when started from out of bounds is broken up immediately before reach- ing the in-bounds line is demoralizing. It is a case where the easiest play is broken up. It is a play which never ought to fail, but through carelessness it fails more often than any other play. Make the easy plays the safest and the harder ones will take care of themselves. Some men are more clever than others in this BASKETBALL: THE OFFENSE 513 game of basketball. For instance a forward is generally more clever than a guard. The for- wards must be wide-awake, quick, alert, and last of all clever. They are, with the center, the chief scoring players in the game. The center is the pivot man and, with the forwards, does most of the scoring. If the forwards find it impossible to score as much as they should the guards should not hesi- tate to take chances to count goals. Many teams do not have their guards come down the floor enough to shoot for a basket. Clever shooting guards are necessary for most teams unless the forward men are exceptional. Every man on the team should have as much basket- shooting practice as possible. Baskets count twice as much as fouls. Free Throws Fouls play a very important part in the scoring of the present day game, especially so under the intercollegiate rules. If a clever foul- shooter can be developed, he is a valuable man to any team. If he can he counted on to shoot seven-tenths of his tries, he plays an important part in the score. Ten intercollegiate games of the past season were really won by superior basket-shooting. More were won by superior foul-shooting. Too many fouls undoubtedly spoil a basketball game, and this was often the 514 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS case in the intercollegiate series. Some teams have a good foul-shooter who is generally a good basket-shooter. This is not always the case, as it is a different proposition to be shoot- ing for the basket while in motion, as is gener- ally the case, from what it is when one is shoot- ing at leisure from the foul-line. A man who can shoot half the fouls he tries for is main- taining a good average. Under the intercollegiate niles fouls are the chief point-scoring means. Some games of the past season contained as many as forty-one fouls. Twenty-two fouls were called on one team and nineteen on the other. There were forty minutes of playing time. This makes an average of a foul a minute. Games of this sort are not interesting to watch. There were no reasons for so many fouls being called, but if the officials insist on calling fouls it is neces- sary to have a good foul-shooter on any team. In general if a team has at least one good dribbler, a clever center around whom a team can be built, a good foul-shooter, a signal sys- teiii, there is no reason why it should not be successful. As is said above, possession of the ball is the chief factor. This is so of any game but especially in basketball. GOLF THE GAME OF GOLF. BY FRANCIS OUIMET When I think of the game of golf now and what it was fifteen years ago I cannot help but marvel at the changes that have taken place. Most important is the personnel of the players now in comparison with what it was then. About 1905 you seldom saw a young goKer on the links, and if one did happen along he was almost a curiosity. In other words, the game was looked upon as an old man^s game, and as such only our elders were supposed or expected to play it. A boy, for example, who played goK in preference to baseball or football was looked upon as a weakling, unfit for the other more strenuous games. And yet in a short period this country has gone wild over goK to such an extent that every golf and country club is filled with memberships and there are many anxious ones on the waiting lists, while new courses are springing up like so many mushrooms to relieve the congestion of practically every course that may be situated quite near a city of size or importance. From a reliable source I have learned that there are approximately 517 518 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS three and a haK million golfers in this country, and, judging from the game's remarkable growth, it will some day supplant baseball as the most popular American game. Surely wath young and old, male and female, taking it up and liking it, it will not lack for support, for once a golfer, always a golfer. What is this game that everybody seems to go crazy over.^ Is it a game that is easy to play.? Is it a game of skill, or that requires great physical prowess to be played success- fully .^^ Yes, it is a game of skill, and it does require some strength, though this is really the very least of its requirements. It is one of the tantalizing sort of games that irritate you beyond measure in one instance, and in the next you get more satisfaction than from any other thing you have ever tried. Golf and other sports are different. There is no game that calls for more courage on the part of the player than does golf. Many think that because you do not come into physical contact with your opponent that it is a namby-pamby game, but the player who is playing in an important golf tournament can suffer more mentally in this game than in any other, and yet, while suffering, so to speak, he is thorough^ enjoying himself. Golf is plaj^ed differently from what it was years back. The rules of the game, with few exceptions, are about the same, but the ball is THE GAME OF GOLF 519 different, and with the advent of the rubber- cored golf ball came a game far above the old one in the question of science. The hard gutta-percha ball was much easier to handle, for the very good reason that it was not nearly so resilient as the present-day ball. The better players, such as Vardon, Taylor, and Braid, soon discovered that playing with a rubber-cored golf ball required much more skill than was necessary in using the hard ball, and to them we owe the introduction of such golfing shots as the cut shot, or the purposely played pull and slice. The cut shot is used in pitching the ball to a green guarded with sand traps. All that was required to hold the hard ball on a green was to play it high in the air. Owing to its lack of resiliency, it usually dropped dead. The livelier ball needed a spin or English to hold the green, and if such were not imparted it bounded merrily over into a waiting hazard. The '^puir' was used to make the ball roll long distances, because it had an overspin which caused it to roll many yards beyond the place it struck. The slice was played for an opposite effect, or to take advantage of certain wind conditions. The medicore goffer seldom appreciates the advantages of an intended ^^pull'^ or '^slice,'' because he does these things to such an extent that they become bad faults, causing him much 520 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS trouble and annoyance. As an example of how the ^^pull" and slice operate, I will relate an incident that took place between Harry Vardon and another golfer. They were play- ing a hole one hundred and ninety yards long, and the wind was blowing at right angles, from right to left, to the direction they had to go. Vardon 's opponent, having the honor, selected a driving iron and, allowing for the wind, he played well to the right of the green. As the ball got up into the wind, it was seen to break to the left, or I should say curve, and so well had it been gauged as to direction that it came around in a direct line for the flag, but striking on the green it rolled on and over into a trap. Vardon noticed the performance very care- fully, and instead of using a club similar to the one used by his opponent he used his brassie, which was ever so much more power- ful. Naturally you would think that he would go well over the green with this club, especially after his opponent had gone beyond with a less powerful club. Instead of playing to the right as did the other fellow, Vardon started his ball to the left with a slice. It curved around in the direction of the green, and owing to the fact that it was sliced into the wind it dropped to the green and rolled just a few feet from where it struck. Now Vardon could have played the same kind of a stroke as his THE GAME OF GOLF 521 opponent, but he was taking advantage of the wind, which the other man did not do, and therefore you have an idea as to how one shot is sometimes better than another. Then George Duncan, the originator of the famous '^push shot,'' gave to gohers one of the most spectacular shots ever thought of. This particluar stroke sends the ball flying on a Une and low toward the hole, and on striking the ground it stops almost instantly. On a windy day it is the only kind of a shot to play, since the wind has little or no effect upon it, while it is likewise useful on a day that is calm, because, summing the shot briefly, it is a mar- vel for accuracy. The first-class exponent of the ^^push shot" invariably finishes at the top, and this style of shot is as necessary to the golfer who would be successful as the draw shot is in billiards to the expert. And when one is speaking of golfing strokes apart from the orthodox ones, a word or two concerning Joseph Kirkwood the Australian professional would not be amiss. To golf and golfers he is what Willie Hoppe is to billiards and billiard-players. Think of a stroke, tell him, and he will play it. No other man living has mastered the control of a golf club and ball to the same degree that Kirkwood has. He plays them high and low, straight and otherwise, and can play them out of bad lies as easily with a wooden club as he can with a mashie. 522 THE BOOK OF ATHLETICS Earlier in this article I touched upon golf as being a courageous game and not one for the weak-hearted entr}^ to engage in. First of all, it is a mental game almost entirely. You are quite often influenced by what your opponent does, although the star player is never affected in this way. But, for instance, two players are all square going to the home hole. One chap is nicely on the green in two strokes while the other is in a sand-trap. Off- hand, you would say that the match is over. Not necessarily. The fellow in the trap plays out dead to the hole, and then the other has to call upon his nerve or courage to pull him through. If he weakens he is gone, and the mental strain is unusually severe. As a further illustration, cite the actual happening that took place at Brookline in an amateur championship, semi-final round. The opponents were Chick Evans and Bill Fownes. The scene was the sixteenth hole at the Coun- try Club. Evans was two up and three to play, and when his mashie shot landed safely on the green it looked all over for Fownes, be- cause his ball was even short of the bunker guarding the green. Did Fownes weaken .^^ Not a bit. He pitched on to the green, but was still some distance from the hole. Then Evans ran his ball four feet past the hole, which is not a safe distance by any means. Fownes holed his long putt and Evans missed, and THE GAME OF GOLF 523 instead of losing the hole and the match Fownes actually won it, thereby reducing his opponent's lead. That was not all, he won the next hole also, squaring the match, and then the last one for a wonderful victory. The odds were levelled one hundred to one against him yet he had the courage to fight on where a less stout-hearted fellow might have given up. It takes a great deal of nerve and courage to pull through under such conditions as these. Imagination has ruined many a promising player. He imagines he cannot do certain things, and the funny part of it is, he doesn't do them. For years I took much time on the putting greens, and just before I was ready to putt a short one I would get the idea into my head that I could not hole the putt, and of course I would not. Then it occurred to me that if I putted quickly I would not think these things, or such things as missing putts. It worked might}^ well, and to-day I putt as rapidly as I can, in fact, before I have time to think of missing the putt, and, if I do say so, I putt ever so much better than I did.