It was a mistake in ever allowing more than four men behind the line.

The natural formation of a football team consists of seven players in the line, and when you begin to take one or two of those players back you're increasing the element of physical force and lessening the element of science.

More than that, you're playing into the hands of the anti-football people, and giving them further grounds for their charge of brutality.
"Football's the noblest game that's played, but it's got to be played right.

We did away with the old mass-play evil and then promptly invented the guards-back and the tackle-back.

Before long we'll see our mistake and do away with those too; revise the rules so that the rush-line players can not be drawn back.