PAGE TEN lean McCoy Sounds 0!! A football helmet with a face mask that rotates on swivels and canvas leather lacrosse-type football shoes may be the next two new pieces of equipment worn by football players. The changes may come about as the result of studies con ducted by the NCAA safety committee, headed by Penn State athletic director, Ernest B. McCoy. In an effort to cut down the-number of injuries, the com mittee, along with scientists, has been studying better ways to make the game of football safer. “Right now, the committee’s major concern is injuries to the head, neck, knee and ankle,” McCoy said in his Rec Hall office yesterday. “The knee and ankles are the most vulnerable part of the body for injuries, but most of the deaths are at tributed to blows to the area of the head.” THE NEW HELMET, invented by an Indiana firm, would be made so that when a player hits the ground face-first, the face guard would release and prevent a serious injury. “There are some flaws in the helmet that have to be cor rected yet,” McCoy said. “But it could be a big step forward in aiding to cut down on injuries.” McCoy said that the committee is placing strong emphasis on well-fit equipment. "I'VE TOLD the coaches, trainers and doctors here at State to make sure that a boy is properly fitted with equip ment and that it is checked periodically,” McCoy added. “So many unnecessary injuries could be avoided if care was taken to get the best equipment available and have it checked often.” The Lion athletic director emphasized that football helmets may be of two varieties, depending on the preference of the boy. A boy can either wear a helmet that fits snugly over his head like the one Bob Ferguson of the Pittsburgh Steelers wears, or the kind that is protected with padding and suspended by elastic. McCoy said that studies being conducted at West Point show that less injuries occur to the knee and ankle when lacrosse shoes are worn. These shoes are made of leather and have short, narrow spikes on the bottom of them. When a player is hit by a block or tries to turn quickly, the spikes do not grab the ground but instead bend with the movement of the player’s weight. "THE CADETS in their squad football games had less injuries to knees and ankles in all their games than the Army football team,” McCoy said. “Changes to -the shoes are a definite possibility in the near future.” During the seven years in which the safety committee has studied injuries, ankles and knees have headed the list every year. McCoy said that these are the two most vulnerable parts because tackling and blocking are the major parts of the game and the lower part of the body comes in for the most stress and strain. “A boy gets hit by a block and, if his spikes are dug into the grass, something must give,” McCoy said. “It’s usually his ankle or knee. Exercises to build up the muscles around these twb areas with isometric drills are being used as possible pre ventives of these-injuries.” McCoy said that the committee recommended coaches teach their boys the proper way to block in order to avoid injuries. “If a boy keeps his legs pumping while blocking,- then the chances of receiving an injury are less,” he explained. AS A RESULT of the work of the committee and inter ested scientists, the percentage of football injuries has de creased yearly. The committee, however, will not be satisfied until they can make the game as safe as possible. “You’ll never be able to cut outjnjuries entirely,” McCoy said. “It’s a contact sport and injuries are bound to occur.” The collegiate teams have already adopted some of the measures proposed by the safely committee. Among these are the use of mouth-pieces during games and the use of hip pads. McCoy issued a warning about the pads saying that “too many athletes pull the pads down over their hips just to make themselves look good instead of pulling them up so that they afford the proper protection.” Scientists are constantly checking new equipment to see the impact it can take. They are also studying the football player’s reaction during a game. NORTHWESTERN FULLBACK Bill Swingle wore instru ments during two football games so that scientists could study the effects of contact on different parts of the body. So, the never-ending struggle to make the game of football safer continues, and out of it may come equipment that will change the outward appearance of the football player. How ever, it should not make the game any less exciting. Wife Owl On Football Injuries By JIM BUKATA Assistant Sports Editor THE DAILY COLLEGIAN, UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA Werkman (Jps Cage Average To 32.8 Points NEW YORK (/P) —Nick Werk man of Seton Hall, the nation’s major college scoring leader since the start of the basketball season, has opened up a four-point lead over his nearest challenger, Bar ry Kramer of New York Uni versity. Werkman padded his average to 32.8 during the past week while taking advantage of Krgmer’s idleness. The sharpshooting junior clicked for 76 points in two games, according to figures released by the NCAA Service Bureau yes terday. NYU, meanwhile, was inactive because of mid-year examinations and runner-up Kramer’s average remained at 28.8. Records include games through last Tuesday. Jay Buckley of Duke continued as the most effective field goal marksman with a 66.0 per cent average by making 70 of 106 shots. Cincinnati’s -Ron Bonham still ranks as the top free throw shooter with a 92.4 per cent mark on 85 of 92 attempts. Paul Silas of Creighton has averaged 19.7 re bounds to maintain his supremacy in that department. Beta Theta Pi 31 Epsilon Phi 11 Phi Sigma Delta 36 Delta Theta Sigma 16 Acacia 26 Pi Lambda Phi 15 Alpha Clam Rho 27 Zeta Beta Tau 21 Phi Sigma Kappa 3H Delta Tau Delta In Lehigh 37 Columbia 18 Buck?? 24 Blair 20 Centre 48 Montgomery 12 Lackawanna. 64 Erie 84 Pi Lambda Phi 8 Sigma Phi Ep» 0 Sigma Nu 8 Delta Theta Sig 0 Sigma Alpha Ep ti Alpha Epsilon Pi 2 Tau Kappa Ep 6 Delta Upsilon 2 Alpha Sigma Phi 6 Delta Chi 2 Handball Campbell, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, defeated Bcrkowitz. Phi Epsilon Pi, 21-7, 21-0. Shena. Tau Phi Delta, defeated Brickley, Sigma Chi, 14-21, 21-14, 21-16. Krewson, Beta Theta Pi, defeated Young, Sigma Nu, 21-13, 21-9. Kerr, Phi Kappa Sigma, defeated Rein, Alpha Zeta, 21-6, 21-5. Paddleball Johnston, Alpha Sigma Phi, defeated Zuckcrman, lietn Sigma Jtho, 21-4, 11-21, 21-14. Carnahan, Phi Kappa Sigma, defeated Valdov, Kappa Delta Rho, 21-12, 18-21, 21-9, Cover, Phi Kappa Psi, defeated Klein, Delta Sigma Phi, 21-5, 21-2. . IM Results Basketball Bowling PENNY-A-MINUTE SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 Pay a Penny for Each Minute Girls Stay Out Between 1 & 2 AM. MORTAR BOARD CHIMES NL To Play Fewer Night Games CINCINNATI- (AP)—lt "sounds strange but the National League will play fewer night games this, year than it did in 1962., The 1963 schedule the 10 clubs in the league have'scheduled 419 games under the lights as compared with 421 last year. Ac tually, because of postponements and the like, 427 night games were played last year. The 162-game schedule .will cover 175 days, counting April 8 when Cincinnati opens at home against Pittsburgh in the only contest to be played. Cincinnati NIGHT Sponsored by FRIDAY. JANUARY 25. 1963 always is allowed to play its first game .at home. The rest of the openers will be April 9, with St. Louis at New York, Cincinnati at Philadelphia, Milwaukee at Pittsburgh, Los Angeles at Chicago and San Fran cisco at Houston. Hoffman Radio Guest Earl Hoffman, co-captain and leading scorer of the Penn State basketball team, will be tonight’s special guest on Meet the Varsity. The show will be heard on WDFM and-WMAJ beginning at 7:30. SCROLLS CWENS
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