American football . r as to contendthat the running-game should be en-tirely dropped in favor of one basedupon long kicks well followed up. Fail-ing to establish this opinion, they nev- I20 AMERICAN FOOTBALL. ertheless brought it about that theyshould be told by some signal what theplay was to be, and so be spared uselessrunning. This was probably the first ofthe present complicated system of sig-nals, although at about the same timesome teams took up the play of makinga rather unsatisfactory opening for arunner in the line, and made use of asignal to indicate the occasions whenthis was to be
American football . r as to contendthat the running-game should be en-tirely dropped in favor of one basedupon long kicks well followed up. Fail-ing to establish this opinion, they nev- I20 AMERICAN FOOTBALL. ertheless brought it about that theyshould be told by some signal what theplay was to be, and so be spared uselessrunning. This was probably the first ofthe present complicated system of sig-nals, although at about the same timesome teams took up the play of makinga rather unsatisfactory opening for arunner in the line, and made use of asignal to indicate the occasions whenthis was to be done. The signalling ofthe quarter to the centre-rush as to whenthe ball should be played antedated thissomewhat, but can hardly be classedwith signals for the direction of the playItself. To-day the teams which meet to de-cide the championship are brought upto the execution of at least twenty-fivedifferent plays, each of which is called forby a certain distinct signal of its own. The first signals given were * word. p. D. SIGNALS. 121 Signals; that is, a word or a sentencecalled out so that the entire team mighthear it and understand whether a kickor a run was to be made. Then, whensignals became more general, *^sign sig-nals (that is, some motion of the handor arm to indicate the play) were broughtin and became for a time more popularthan the word signals, particularly uponfields where the audience pressed closeupon the lines, and their enthusiasticcheering at times interfered with hear-ing word signals. Of late years nu-merical combinations have become mostpopular, and as the crowd is kept atsuch a distance from the side lines as tomake it possible for teams to hear thosesignals, they have proven highly satis-factory. The numerical system, .whileit can be readily understood by the sidegiving the signal, because they knowthe key, is far more difficult for the 122 AMERICAN FOOTBALL. opponents to solve than either the oldword signals or signs. Still, the inge-
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcampwalt, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookyear1894
