FOOTBALL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1638, 21 May 1879, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

To the Editor of the Olohe. Siß, —I am a pretty frequent attendant at the squares on Saturday afternoon*, and being a thorough believer in the Rugby game, always enjoy myself. But one thing distresses me. The modern game, as played here, seems to. be confined too much to running and handling the ball. Nothing, of course, is piettier or more effective than a good “run-in,” but a thoroughly good “drop,” on the other hand, is not to be despised, and is certainly very ornamental. Scores of times I have noticed players in the middle of the ground, who had plenty of time for a good kick, make most effete spurts towards touch, running almost parallel with the goal posts right across the enemy’s line of players. They have thus lost a splendid opportunity of skying the ball over their opponents’ heads, and are of course tackled at once, gaining no ground whatever, but, on the contrary, giving the enemy time to come up. It must always be remembered that, with a hi£h and well directed kick, one’s own side hao time to run up under the ball, and ihe odds are that the man on the other side who gets the ball does not get the fair kick that your own man has had, and much advantage to your own side is the result. Besides, the ball is kept well in the midlde of the ground. To my mind, there is far too great a tendency among our players to gravitate towards the touch lines, particularly in the neighborhood of the enemy’s goal. Indeed our players seem to play more for a touch down than for a goal. One very leldbm sees a goal “dropped” during loose play in front of the goal. Players do not seem to bear in mind that there is, in front of the enemy’s goal, a sacred spot from which, and which alone, it is possible to make A grand coup. Almost invariably when they seize the ball in the neighborhood of this spot, they shuffle off sideways into a portion of the ground in which nothing can be done. With a view of encouraging drop kicking I could suggest that the football club should give an annual prize for the best drop kick. It might bo competed for at one of the sports or anywhere else, but I cannot help thinking that some such plan'would have the effect of encouraging a very useful and ornamental branch of football, at present too much neglected. Yours, &c,, SPECTATOR.