Halfback

“ The rest you’ll have to learn for yourself. After all, football isn’t different from any other game. It consists of applying common sense to physical ability. And a fullback is just a halfback under another name. Time was when there was more difference between a half and a full. Then the fullback was never used for plays outside of tackle. His business was to have a lot of weight and strength, and slam himself at the center of the line. Now he has to do a little of everything, buck the center, slide off the tackles, or run the ends. ”

“ If he can kick besides, so much the better. If he can get forward passes off, still better. But in the final analysis, he’s a third halfback.
“Playing back where he can look over the lines and watch the opposing backfield, however, he’s in a position to diagnose the enemy’s plays quicker than any other man on his side. Of course, guessing what the other fellow is going to do is largely a matter of practice and experience, but it’s something that every fullback ought to learn to do. Watch the little signs, Crail. Watch the faces of the backs and the center. ”

“ Note the halfbacks are inside of the end men on the restraining line in front of them. If the ball is kicked to our left, our front men sprint quickly to a point in front of the football where they can block the men on the kicking team before they can recover the football. The halfback on the left side is instructed not to try to advance the football, but merely to fall on it and get possession of the football. The quarterback and right halfback swing in behind the left halfback in the event he mishandles the football. ”

“ The right halfback feeds the right wing and the right inside. If both of these are carefully guarded, then she should send ball to center or to the other side of field. 19 In defense she guards the left wing or the left inside—if the inside is near the wing. ”

“ The left halfback feeds the left wing and the left inside unless they are guarded, then she changes the direction of the ball. The left half should send very careful, well-placed balls to her wing and inside, balls that slant a little bit, not straight ahead. As the right wing is apt to dribble, the left half should be very quick and should be careful to avoid running in on the left. ”

“ The halfbacks should remember: Never to give up; if your opponent gets away, run after her and stop her; never hit through the forward line, always hit the ball to somebody; never run out of position to tackle an opponent. Each half should stick closely to the girl she is guarding. Never interfere with the work of the fullback or the goal keeper. ”

“ When using the back to the side the ball is going, in order to have a backfield man block a particular defensive player, we merely add two zeroes to the number which has been assigned to the defender, and the back gets this man. As an illustration, if we want our halfback to block the #3 defensive man, the halfback’s block is 300 ”

“ We try not to tip-off when we intend to quick kick. We try to make the formation look exactly like our regular running formation. One slight difference is that we line up our backs slightly deeper than usual and slightly to their right, as illustrated in Figure 88, if the left halfback is quick kicking. ”

“ The halfbacks are also the first line of defense, necessarily they have a great deal of running to do. These three positions are generally filled then by players physically fit, with speed and with stamina for endurance. Center half is a particularly strenuous position. The halves should always try to keep the ball in the opponents’ territory; when on the defense, they should be quick to tackle, to intercept passes and to guard their opponents.
The fullbacks are the mainstay of the defense. They are cool-headed players who use great judgment. ”

“ The fullbacks are primarily defensive players although they have opportunities for long shots to the forwards. The fullbacks and the halfbacks should never mix up, by guarding the same girl. The fullbacks stay near their own goal. If the right half is guarding the left wing and the center half the center forward, then the left inside remains for the right fullback to guard. ”

“ Much may have been lost owing to the alteration in the law, for the player now must stand with both feet on the line instead of being able to have a good run ere he parts with the ball. The half-back should be a good shot, and should cultivate taking the ball on the run when shooting at goal. More goals would be scored if the halfbacks did not hesitate but shot straight at the goal. "The man who hesitates is lost," says a well-known proverb, and its truth is shown in half-back shooting as in any other way. ”

“ Our ends rush the kicker from the outside, making certain he kicks the football. The interior linemen and linebackers use the same techniques our offensive backs use when they are protecting the passer. When they feel they are losing their men, then they will go into a cross body block. Our halfbacks will be the personal protection for the safety man. The safety will field the ball in the air and start upfield. ”

“ There should be an understanding among the forwards and halfbacks as to which way the ball will be hit out on the bully so that some one is always ready for it. The right hand should grip almost three-quarters way down the stick, the player then must bend over the stick. The feet are wide apart, planted firmly on the ground. (See Rule for Bully.) After the three separate “grounds and sticks” the ball is hit out. It is here that quickness and skill count. The halfbacks—one from each team—always back up a bully to help their forwards. ”

“ It is a debatable point regarding the halves whether they should direct their main efforts against the opposing inside or outside forward. To my mind, there ought to be an understanding between the back and the half, but in theory the half-back should tackle the inside forward and leave the outside man to the back. The best of critics disagree on this point, and I only give my own personal view from the long experience I have had in playing the game. Still touching on the wing half, a half-back should certainly cultivate speed as well as ability, for he must never know when he is beaten. ”

“ If a forward-pass develops on his side his place is under the ball. Right half-back plays about three yards back, between his guard and tackle. Full-back occupies a similar position on the other side, ready to go in or out, as play develops. He and left tackle must look after the opposing tackle and end. Behind him, more to the right and well back, is the left half. The quarter, of course, is up the field. Chancellor will almost always punt from that formation, but she may fake, and it is those fakes you must watch out for. Full-back must be especially alive. ”

“ To be a really first-class half-back requires the possession of something more than skilful use of the feet To fill the position well, demands, not only quickness of discernment to counteract the tactics of the opposite forwards, but also judgment and decision to be able to take advantage of the best opportunity to assist those of one's own side. The half-backs are, or ought to be, as useful for the purposes of attack as for defence. ”

“ When a half-back has to tackle, he must be as sure as a steel-trap; when a half-back has to catch, he must be a man to be relied upon; when a half-back is called upon for a kick, it must be no fluke; and, although no one expects a half-back to always make on his run the five yards, he must be a man who will not be denied when he is called upon for that last yard [Pg 98] which will enable his side to retain the ball.
Almost the first thing to be critically noted by the coach is the way in which a half-back takes the ball from his quarter. ”

“ There is nothing that makes halves fumble so badly, get into such awkward positions, start so slowly, and withal play so half-heartedly, as the feeling that the quarter does not think much of them, does not trust them, or believe in their abilities. Every half-back can tell the same story—how he is nerved up by the confidence of the quarter, and what an inspiration it is to good work to see that confident look in the eye of the man who is about to pass to him. ”

“ A good drop kicker can be used temporarily from almost any position in the line, whether he be guard, tackle or end. As a rule, however, the full-back is the player who does most of the kicking. He must also be a good line bucker and be able to gain the required distance when called upon.
In general, then, we choose the three centre men because of their weight, the tackles and ends for speed and ability in tackling, the quarter-back for his all around ability and his generalship, the half-backs because of their skill in rushing the ball, and the full-back for the kicking department. ”

“ They are supposed to be fast runners too, and a good deal of the tackling comes to their lot, for a good runner of the other side can often get past the quarters, and then the halves have got to bring him down. Behind the half-backs is a single man—the back. He is the last resource when all others are past. He should be a sure and long kicker, so as to get the ball away from the goal by that means—but you are not listening. ”

“ It is understood that a half-back has much more to do in proportion than any other player in the field, and should always be in the pink of condition. He has infinitely more running and twisting about to do, and should be most elastic. ”

“ A half-back must be taught to be uniform in starting, and in reaching the spot where the ball is to meet him. The coach will have no great difficulty in teaching him this steady uniformity of pace, which will enable the quarter to throw the ball so as really to assist rather than retard his motion. There are two other things which the half-back must practise apart from his team-play. They are kicking and catching. ”

“ In running back punts the quarter-back will often be used because he is sure in catching them, which is a matter of the greatest importance. And all of this work is required of a man who is usually the smallest, lightest man on the team and who alongside of the giant guards and centre sometimes looks like a pigmy. There is no higher honour in football than to be a good all around quarter-back.
The half-backs are chosen because of their speed and their ability to advance the ball and to elude the tackling of the opposing team. ”

“ On the defense, half backs take the places ours have now--back of the tackles to assist the ends, for this is a frequent point of attack. The full back of the attacking side stands directly behind the quarter, with the halves on either side of him, while our full back is 30 yards or so behind his own line, waiting for a possible punt and acting as a final line of defense, should the opposing runner succeed in carrying the ball past the rest of his comrades. ”

“ The provision which keeps a man always on-side as long as there are three between him and the opposite goal, offers undoubtedly a great temptation to forwards to get as far up as they can consistently with safely. To meet this, it was found necessary to strengthen the first line of defence, and the centre half-back was introduced therefore, though his mission is, in a great measure, to feed the forwards, to enable the other halves to pay more attention, in fact to devote themselves mainly, to stopping, or at least frustrating, the tactics of the opposite wing. ”

“ Quarter clears the hole out for the runner. Full-back does not start until the pass from quarter to left half is made. He must then time himself so as to protect the second pass. In case of a fumble the ball is his to do the best he can with through the end-tackle hole. ”

“ Dribbling should never be indulged in beyond what is absolutely necessary; but passing from the half-back to backs, and also between the halves themselves, and between the backs themselves, is often extremely useful Last, but by no means least important, where a half-back finds himself in such a position that he cannot reach the ball, or that it will be more easy for the back to do so, he must invariably keep the man off. ”

“ The best half-backs endeavor to receive the ball at approximately the same height relative to their bodies, no matter how it comes, and they will correct quite a variation in the quarter's throw by a little stoop or a slight jump. ”