Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 45.djvu/753

Rh met in one of two ways, either by gate money or by subscriptions. Most young men prefer to give their money at the gate and thus to pay for what they see. If a club knows that it is to spend only what it earns, it will be stimulated, first, to play as good a game as possible; and, secondly, to spend its earnings with prudence. It seems only just, too, that, if the public desire to see a good game, they should pay for the exhibition. The men work hard in practice, and are entitled to have their expenses paid. More than that they do not ask. They do not play for gain but for honor.

"The evil of liability to strains and injuries in athletics can not be entirely obviated. It is well to bear in mind, at this point, the fact that even those who are not athletes do not, therefore, enjoy immunity from accidents. Yet so far, according to the recollection of the writer, no regular member of a Yale crew, team, or nine has been permanently injured by participating in a race or match. Still, it is possible that a slight injury, to a person having organic weakness, might result in a fatal difficulty. Such an issue might be avoided by the requirement that every candidate for trial should be examined by a competent physician, and, in default of procuring a certificate of physical soundness, should be excluded from participation in physical contests."

As to particular rules looking to the improvement of the game, none but experts should speak, Yet it might be allowed to those who are interested in it, and who have watched it closely, to make suggestions along the lines in which improvements should be attempted. The present style of mass play and momentum play puts a premium on weight and brute force. The mingling men in masses makes injuries more probable than in an open style of play. The mass play makes the game as little as possible a kicking game. It eliminates a great deal of the element of skill. Skill ought to be encouraged by setting some sort of premium on it. Increasing the number of points scored by a drop-kick from the field might accomplish this somewhat. Some changes in the rules regarding "interference" would do more. If, again, the "warnings" for "rough play" were entirely omitted and the umpire were instructed to send a man off the field at the first offense, captains would train their men to avoid these plays entirely. Then the experts, in reforming the game, could not do better than turn their attention to the umpires. If a plan for training umpires could be devised it would be a good thing. Not every good