FOOTBALL IN THE UNITED STATES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2467, 21 February 1893, Page 4

FOOTBALL IN THE UNITED STATES.

A San Francisco correspondent referring to the proposal of the New Zealand Rugby Union to send a team to the Chicago World’s Fair mentioned that Yale players were of opinion that the radical difference between the American iuter-cullegiate game and the English Rugby would render difficult the arrangement of international games. The following reference to the changes made in the game as given by the San Francisco Post will be of interest ;

The game of football, which is now the representative college sport, lias been played played in America about 17 years. In its present form the game is a modification of the Rugby of England. When first introduced into this country it was in a crude state as regards apparatus, the players devoting all their attention to a mastery of the rules. As the play improved in skill it was found that the injuries to players increased, and the devotees of the sport set about devising means of lessening the danger to those who participated in the contests. The result has been that the football players of to-day are protected from injury by a number of ingenious devices. Were a team of players arrayed in the uniform of 15 years ago to meet a modern 11 in a few vigorous rushes, the wearers of the old-time appliances would doubtless feel much discouraged before the first half was over.

In the matter of improvement football apparatus lias kept pace with baseball. Back in 1870 the baseball mask was unknown and catchers protected their teetli from injury by holding a square piece of rubber in their mouth.

Black eyes and broken noses were plentiful until the mask made its appearance. To-day the baseball catcher in lus mask, heavy breast pad, and large catching glove is about as well as protected as possible, unless he were to stand behind a board fence and pick the ball up from the ground. So it is with the football player. In the early days of the game the clothes which the latter wore were not calculated to stand the strain of many scrimmages. True, the canvas jacket came into use quite early, but this was not so much on account of its protective qualities as owing to the fact that a smooth close-fit-ting canvas garment is not an easy thing to grasp, and thus tackling is made difficult.

One of the most serious drawbacks to the game is the liability of players to receive broken noses. During the fierce collisions of. opposing rush lines, noses are apt to come into violent contact with heads or shoulders, and the result is invariably disastrous to the noses. Valuable players, who are all right iu other respects, are unable to play because of an injured nose. This fact has led to an investigation, which makes it possible for a player with a broken nose to continue the game. Cranston, the great centre rush of Harvard, bad a weak nose, and declined to play op tfigt account. Arthur Cumnock, --Auiii of the teajp was yery desirous of Ci h . ' "fwktiiuce of Cranston, and having the . - -Hli. a result that he set his wits to work, n •>bled Cransgot up a nose mask, which em. ton to play without danger to lus na,/ appendage. The mask has since been improved upon. It is made of fine rubber and will not injure opposing players, and affords protection to both nose and teeth. The nose mask is now a common sight on the football field.