The University eleven will play Williams College on Soldiers Field at 3 o'clock today in the first game of the Harvard football season.

During the last few days the Harvard eleven has been improving slowly, but neither individually nor as a unit has it shown great promise. At times the play is almost sluggish and the tendency toward unsteadiness makes the strength of the team very uncertain.

Williams was defeated last year by a score of 16 to 0, but the Harvard eleven was farther advanced a year ago than it is at present, while Williams now has a team probably stronger than the one which last fall won the triangular league championship. Unless the Harvard team plays together much better this afternoon than in practice hitherto, a victory, if obtained at all, will be by a very narrow margin. The line-up of the two elevens will be as follows: HARVARD.  WILLIAMS. Burgess, l.e.  r.e., Vose. Wright, l.t.  r.t. Hatch (captain). Hovey, l.g.  r.g., Dennett. King, c.  c. Murray. Barnard, r.g.  l.g., Hoffman. Knowlton, r.t.  l.t., Jones. Bowditch, r.e.  l.e., Newell. Marshall, q.b.  q.b., Williams. Lindsay, l.h.b.  r.h.b., Watson. Leatherbee, r.h.b.  l.h.b., Gutterson. Meier, f.b.  f.b., Peabody.

Three new men, Davenport, a former Williams lineman, Mason and Sawyer, reported for practice yesterday afternoon. Graydon ran through signals as fullback with the University substitutes but took no part in the line-up as he is not yet in condition for play. Fourteen graduate coaches were on the field including, besides those who have been out every day recently, J. Cranston '91, D. S. Dean '91, N. W. Cabot '98 and F. S. Newell '92.

The short line-up between the first and second elevens brought out poor football. The first team backs showed some ability to gain on tackle plays, but, as a rule, were too slow in starting and fumbled frequently. The line failed to open holes and to get into each play with snap and vigor. Neither team did effective work. The line-ups: FIRST ELEVEN.  SECOND ELEVEN. Burgess, l.e.  r.e., Crocker. Wright, l.t.  r.t., Frantz. Hovey, l.g.  r.g., Wilder. King, c.  c. Carrick. Force, r.g.  l.g., Lehmann. Knowlton, r.t.  l.t., Oveson. Bowditch, r.e.,  l.e., J. T. Jones. Marshall, q.b.  q.b., Noyes. Knowles, l.h.b.  r.h.b., Foster. Piper, r.h.b.  l.h.b., Sard. W. T. Harrison, f.b.  f.b., Ives.

The football rules for 1902 have been changed somewhat and to make clear some of the points which may arise in today's game several of the more important changes are enumerated below.

After a touchdown or a successful field-kick goal, the two sides change goals.

If the centre, in snapping the ball back, is off side, "The ball must be snapped again, and if this occurs once more on the same down, the opponents shall receive five yards, the number of the down and the point to be gained remaining unchanged." The former penalty was loss of the ball.

In order to prevent coaching from the side lines or by water-carriers, the umpire is given power to penalize such breach of the rule by a loss of five yards to the side whose man infringes.

The penalty for a foul by the side not in possession of the ball is changed from ten to five yards.

Five yards is awarded to the opponents if the ball is "thrown, passed or batted towards the opponents' goal."

"Whenever a foul is committed which, in the opinion of the umpire, did not affect the play, the offended side may decline the penalty (ten yards.) In case of a run being made from this play, not more than twenty-five yards from the spot where the foul was committed shall be allowed."

Under the new rules, the timekeeper starts his watch, not when the referee blows his whistle, but when the ball is put in play.