January 22, 1974
By Jack Craig
Whalers President Howard Baldwin yesterday was awarded a New England franchise in the World Football League.
The team, 12th and last to be awarded, will play its home games at Foxboro's Schaefer Stadium, kicking off a 20-game schedule in mid-July. Games will be played on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
The new league, composed of teams in Memphis, Toronto, Birmingham, New York, Southern California, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Detroit, will hold a draft of college players in New York next Tuesday, according to league president Gary Davidson, who also founded the World Hockey Association.
"Although we don't want to raid anybody, we will be going after both college graduates and pros," Davidson said, announcing the WFL would hold its second draft in February after the NFL's draft.
Davidson added that NFL "superstars" would probably be prevented from switching leagues by NFL officials, at least during the 1974 season.
Franchises owners will lose between $500,000 and $1 million in 1974, Davidson said, and probably won't show a profit for at least three years.
Davidson said he hopes to "open up" the offenses with a number of rule changes such as:
• Kickoffs will be from the 30-yard line instead of the 40 to enhance the possibility of a runback.
• The goal posts will be moved to the rear of the end zone as in college football to make field goals more difficult.
• On missed field goals, the ball will be returned to the line of scrimmage except when the kick is made from inside the 20, on which occasion the ball would be returned to the 20.
• A two-point conversion option will be in effect as in college ball.
• A pass receiver needs to have only one foot inbounds instead of two.
• There will be a fifth quarter to break ties.