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p. 193

THE OFFENCE

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the distance and retains possession of the

ball. It shifts the point of play on the

field, and gives a greater variety,

(d) Signals.—A Signal is a sign of some

kind given to indicate to'player the play

to be used and the time of its execution.

There are two kinds of signals, the

vocal signal and the visible Bignal—the one

addressed to the ear and the other to the

eye-

Signals should be as simple as possible,

so as to be easily understood by the side

using them. The tendency is to make

them rather complicated, in order to make

them unintelligible to the other side; and

the captain framing his code of signals

is very apt to presume too much on that

score. The result is that the signals are

more mystifying to his own men than to

the other side. Avoid by all means a

complex system.

The signals, once decided upon, should

be thoroughly learned by constant drill,