Now the point I want to emphasize is this, that as Yale's style of attack and probable method of scoring were well known even to the general public before the game, the average spectator, had he taken careful stock of the weather conditions, must have realized at once that nothing but good fortune could give the victory to the Blue. If sun, wind and heavy footing have such a serious effect, hard rain, or indeed, even a drizzle, will also prove favorable to one team or another. Any eleven that has been placing a great deal of dependence in the forward pass will find the long heave, and sometimes even the short one, all but impracticable in the rain. The spectator must rearrange his estimate of the teams accordingly.

So much for what the onlooker ought to take into account before the game. As soon as possible after the kick-off he should school himself to a disregard of the ball for the time being. This is perhaps the most difficult task of all, for there is a fascination in following the ball that grips even the more experienced watcher, and makes it difficult for him to stick to his original plan. With the exception of a run for a touchdown from the kick off, or a fumble or blocked punt, the first minute or two of play are not likely to produce anything that will be missed by the man who is not following the ball. Since plays succeed or fail through the combined work of the entire team, it follows that the man with the ball may be yards away from a team mate who is doing yeoman service in keeping a player of the defense out of action.

The very first thing to note, and note carefully, therefore, is the work of the two sets of forwards. The team playing against the wind will probably start a running play or two soon after the game begins, and even if the first play be from kick formation there will be instant opportunity to size up the "jump" of the lines, for upon this "jump" the result of the battle may, and often does depend. Should the forwards of the team carrying - not kicking - the ball, get a little the better of the charge and get it as often as twice out of three plays, the fact is significant, for under the rule these men are not allowed to use their hands, must charge across the neutral zone between the lines, and have more difficulty in reaching the defensive players than the defensive men in reaching them. Further, they must reach the defensive forwards in a certain way if their charge is to be effective, and an ability to do so shows at once a superiority that, if continued with any degree of consistency, will mean all the difference between good and bad line play. The advantage, so far as the line is concerned, lies with the defense.

In the line-up the backs of the attacking forwards must be kept straight if they are to play as they have been taught, and humped backs are an instant indication to the spectator that the men are not doing their work properly. Again, the perfect charge goes to the count of "one-two-three," and when a line is found answering to this rhythm the onlooker will know that it is giving of its best. It is possible, of course, that the work of the attacking line will be uneven, but if the men are in good physical condition, and they have reached their best form more than a day or so before the big game, their play in the first few minutes of the game is apt to furnish a fair criterion for the entire afternoon. The exceptions to this are numerous, but they prove the rule.

Now in watching this line at work the eye must exclude absolutely everything else, taking in the runner only as he reaches the line of scrimmage, and in case forwards are found going clear through to the secondary defense they should be followed to the end of their charge to ascertain whether or no they have accomplished their purpose of accounting for at least one man beyond the line of scrimmage. Just a moment before the ball is snapped many of the forwards will have one knee on the ground, but the men will come up together to the crouch at some part of the signal, and if one man is behind the others he may be put down as a weak member. Absolute unison is one of the sure signs of a good set of forwards.

In plunges through the line there must be an opening for the back, and it is the way in which these openings are made that stamps the attacking line as successful or other-wise, always remembering to give due credit to brilliant defense. If there is the slightest check as the runner strikes his opening it means either that the attacking forwards are at fault, or that the defense is strong. It is in this close work in the line that it is so difficult to apportion justly the praise and the blame for the success or failure of the plays, as the case may be.

The study of the defense is equally complicated, for the players have more range, and that slight natural advantage that goes with letting the other fellow have the ball. There is more latitude in the position of the defensive player than in that of the attacking forward, and it is here that individual genius crops out. The men will be swinging their hands, now, and using them freely on the charge. The use of the hands should be closely watched, for as I explained in the chapter on technique, it is one of the foundations of line defense. It sometimes happens that both lines will be charging better on defense than on attack, in which case the spectator may look for difficulty in using the running attack, and a low score, while should both be charging better on attack than defense the running plays of both teams are likely to be effective, and there may be scoring on both sides, with a chance that the totals will be high. Of course, when one line is charging better than the other both on attack and defense, the game will be theirs, if supported by any sort of a backneld.

The play of the backs may now be taken up, and the ball followed only on its journey to the player who is to carry it, after which each back should be watched in turn to get an idea of his versatility, and to learn whether he is of full value to his eleven when not carrying the leather. The interference is especially important. Are the men getting their opponents out of the play to stay, or are they only bumping them momentarily? How many men are on the ground after the backs have passed the line of scrimmage? These are questions that should be answered at the earliest possible moment if the spectator is to enjoy the game to the full. Quick starting, clean handling of the ball, mutual helpfulness, always remembering that the rules no longer permit a man to push or pull the runner - these are the signs of a smoothly working set of backs.