Lou Little, Columbia coach and chairman of the rules committee of the American Football Coaches Association, announced last night that a questionnaire circulated among the coaches brought an "overwhelming" response in favor of the 1953 limited substitution rule.

Final tabulation of the replies was to be made later last night but Little said that more than 800 answers had been received from 1,000 coaches and that a large majority favored retaining the rule as it now stands.

A good many coaches favored some modifications--such as allowing two or three substitutions at a time but no platoons--and others favored eliminating the four-minute period at the halves.

The AFCA recommendations will be considered by the NCAA rules committee at its meeting next week in Sarasota.