NCAA rules committee to review pass interference, off-sides calls
NEW YORK (UPI) — College football, now at an all-time peak, is likely to be even better in 1970.
An era of stabilization on major rules is in prospect despite the desire of many educators to outlaw platoon substitution in an effort to cut the cost of recruiting, equipping and coaching.
A two-thirds majority in the NCAA rules committee now is required on all changes and such majorities are hard to come by.
Dozens of changes, however, will be considered by the NCAA at Sarasota, Fla., next Jan. 19-21. Those with the best chance of passing are the ones that bug the fans the most—pass interference
and who's off-side?
Those infractions frequently occur in plain sight of the customers and on television. Often, crucial penalties are involved. Some of the confusion, both on field and off, is likely to be eliminated.
"A committee has been studying the pass interference rule for a year and the whole thing will be reviewed," says Davey Nelson of the University of Delaware, member of the NCAA code committee.
"So will the off-side rule," Nelson says. "When we have linemen jumping back and forth before the ball is snapped nobody really
knows who is guilty. There is sentiment from all over to pin the penalty on the first offender—the man who first crosses into the neutral zone."
"First offenders are supposed to be treated kindly in other walks of life," he says, "but we may have to penalize them in football so we can throw 25 or 30
different interpretations out the window."
Numerous suggestions will be considered on defensive pass interference.
A penalty now gives the offensive team a first down at the spot of the foul if it occurred in the field of play or on the one yard line if the infraction was in the end zone.
National league hires Feeney as president
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (UPI)—Charles "Chub" Feeney, vice president of the San Francisco Giants, was named the National League president Thursday, succeeding Warren Giles and keeping the circuit exactly like most of its members want it to be—a separate entity from the American League.
The kicking shoe will be re-examined. Place-kicking specialists now may wear any size, shape or weight as long as no other player is endangered.
Feeney, who barely missed being named baseball commissioner eight months ago when he originally attracted 13 votes, only five short of election, said the National League office would be located in San Francisco "for at least two years" instead of Cincinnati as it was during Giles' 18-year tenure.
A proposal to make a field goal worth only two points instead of three, if the scrimmage line is on or inside the five yard line, is unlikely to pass.
Feeney, 48, is a nephew of Giants owner Horace Stoneham and has served 24 years in various jobs with the Giants.
Feeney made it plain at the outset that he intends to keep the job of National League president exactly what it has been for the past 100 years.
Roughing the kicker penalties will be reviewed. One proposal calls for 15 yards and automatic first down if the kicker is roughed, five yards and first down if he is merely touched.
The statement came exactly two days before the joint major leagues are to consider sweeping suggestions for revamping the top structure of the game's offices—and apparently blocked an attempt to downgrade the importance of each major league as a separate organization.
"Yes, I am sure there will be some restructuring." Feeney said. "But it was a condition under which I accepted the job that the league president's office would remain as it has been."
Giles, 73, had served in the office of league president longer than any other man. As a matter of fact, he retired two years ago but almost immediately consented to remain on the job until a successor was named.
Feeney said he has invited the members of Giles' office staff to remain on the job, provided they
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1969
There are more technical items on the agenda but no bombshells are expected.
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are willing to move to San Francisco.
With a laugh, the popular new president said he assumes that "Stoneham will let me use my office at Candlestick Park for a while" until he can establish a separate league office.
Feneye said he plans to do a lot of commuting between San Francisco, Cincinnati and New York in the near future.
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Oddsmakers favor Texas in showdown
Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, asked whether the election of Feeney would result in a more or less close connection between the league president's office and the commissioner's office, said "I think Chub will be a team man and work in close cooperation with me. He and I have worked together'a great deal. When I was attorney for the commissioner's office I probably worked more with Chub than anyone else in the National League except Mr. Giles."
What will 1970 brides be wearing? The current issue of
NEW YORK (UPI)-Oddsamakers established the Texas Longhorns $ 7 \frac {1}{2} $ -point favorites Tuesday to down Southwest Conference rival Arkansas Saturday and claim the conference title and the national college football championship.
The top-ranked Longhorns, winner of 18 straight games over the past two seasons, face the third-rated Razorbacks at Fayetteville, Ark. The contest between the two bowl-bound teams will be televised nationally by ABC-TV at 12 noon cst.
No matter how bright the outlook, however, it's well to remember the NCAA has tossed bombshells without warning in the past.
Both teams have 9-0 records this year.
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The winner will be the host team in the Cotton Bowl opposite Notre Dame, making its first bowl appearance in 44 years, and the loser will go to the Sugar Bowl to meet Mississippi.
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If the Longhorns and Razorbacks tie, Arkansas will go to the Cotton Bowl and Texas to the Sugar since Texas was the most recent of the two to play in the bowl at Dallas.
"One suggestion is a high school rule calling for a 15-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage instead of possession at the spot of the foul," says Nelson. "Another would place the ball on the five yard line instead of the one in case of an end zone foul."
After a year of study, Nelson feels a revision of the pass interference rule certainly will come.
Easy passage was expected for a rule to prohibit blocking from the waist down in an effort to curb knee injuries.
A proposal to outlaw platons is up again. It was defeated 24-3 last year and hasn't picked up much support.
Safety proposals include elimination of metal shoe cleats and reducing their length from five-eights inch to three-eights.
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