Page:Association Football and How to Play It (1908) by John Cameron.djvu/21

practically agree. A half-back should be able to distribute the ball when it comes his way to the best advantage, and a long swinging pass from centre or outside right or left, according to his judgment, has always proved most effective. No one understood this game more than Cowan, and I am certain others who know the player and game will testify to this. I prefer a fast man for this position, if only for the reason that from the kick-off he gets going invariably before anyone else in the field. His head work ought to be excellent, and a great deal depends upon him whether the run of ' play be in the opponents' hands or otherwise. As a matter of fact, the distribution of play to the best results is practically left to him. 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 out-manœuvres him, he should instantly fall back on his own goal, so that when his back tackles the opposition the half-back should be available to retrieve the position; that is to say, if the outside left, for instance, beats the right half-back, the