One of the most prominent football coaches which Pennsylvania boasts of to-day, is Bob Folwell.  Always a brilliant player, full of spirit and endowed with a great power of leadership, he was a huge success as a coach at Lafayette.  His team beat Princeton.  At Washington and Jefferson, he beat Yale twice.  His ability as a coach was watched carefully not only by the graduates of Penn, but by the football world as a whole.

In 1916 this hard-working, energetic up-to-date coach assumed control of the football situation on Franklin Field.

CHAPTER XX

UMPIRE AND REFEREE

There is a group of individuals connected with football to whom the football public pays little attention, until at a most inopportune time in the game, a whistle is blown, or a horn is tooted and you see a presumptuous individual stepping off a damaging five yard penalty against your favorite team.  At such a time you arise in your wrath and demand:  “Who is that guy anyway?  Where did he come from?  Why did he give that penalty?” Other muffled tributes are paid him.

In calmer moments you realize that the officials are the caretakers of football.  They see to it that the game is preserved to us year after year.

An official is generally a man who has served his time as a player.  Those days over, he enters the arena as Umpire, Referee or Linesman.

One who has a keen desire to succeed in this line of work ought to train himself properly for the season’s work.  In anticipation of the afternoon’s work, he must get his proper sleep; no night cafes or late hours should be his before a big contest.

The workings of football minds towards an official are most narrow and critical at times.  The really wise official will remain away from both teams until just before the game, lest some one accuse him of being too familiar with the other side.  He can offer no opinion upon the game before the contest.

Each college has its preferred list of officials.  Much time is given to the selection of officials for the different games.  Before a man can be chosen for any game it must be shown that he has had no ancestors at either of the colleges in whose game he will act and that he is always unprejudiced.  At the same time the fact that a man has been approved as a football official by three of four big colleges is about as fine a football diploma as any one would wish.

For the larger games an official receives one hundred dollars and expenses.  This seems a lot of money for an afternoon’s work just for sport’s sake, but there are many officials on the discarded list to-day who would gladly return all the money they ever received, if they could but regain their former popularity and prestige in the game.  Certainly an official is not an over-paid man.