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p. 227

THE DEFENCE

175

In plays just within the side lines, the

shortfield should be carefully guarded, and

a concerted effort to force the play outside

and into touch, thus making the offensive

team lose its first trial to advance—i. e.,

the first down.

A team should never delay the game by

playing slow simply because the other side

is ahead and it is most of the time on the

defensive. It is an unfair and disgusting

practice, and unquestionably poor general¬

ship. The other side, seeing that it has

an easy thing, will simply play all the

more bold, confident, and aggressive game,

and pile up the score; whereas a constant,

stubborn resistance, a die-in-the-last-ditch

defence, will keep the other side guessing

all the time.

But ofttimes a team may find itself be¬

ing pushed back towards its own goal

steadily with no apparent good reason.

The cause may be simply a little nervous¬

ness on the part of the men, and if the