alm

The higher goal will increase spectator enjoyment, and will decrease in-
juries under the goal from accidents by players when driving in hard for lay-inse

We have scen tall players in many team line-ups who were born without any

special gift in basketball, but who were on the team sololy on the accident of
-~ ~-extreme height. Some jumior high school coach discovered this altitudinous

Brobdingnagian, skyescraping stepper oozing ethereally down the hall and straight}
way the coach made for him with a vair of shorts, the stimulus being mainly his
altitude and not his ability. Only a severe cardiac insufficiency will pernit
that basketball monstrosity to escape the coach's tentaclese Therefore, it is
beyond reasonable doubt but what we can expect players of this 6'10" altitude to
become so numorous that they will be the rule rather than the oxceptione

An elevenefoot basket would not be out of reach of the exceptionally tall
playerse A twelve-foot basket would forever guarantee non-interference of the
basket rim by playerse In addition to this, the twelvce-foot basket would contri-~
bute markedly in clearing up the congestion under the goal by increasing the arc
of disbursement of the rebound of the ball much further out on the court and
away from the baskets. 11 modern gymnasia and auditoria have high ceiling clear-
ances, but in schools that do not have high cciling clearances ground rules could
be pormitted which would allow the use of the lower baskets until conditions could
be corrected.

In 1934 Kansas State and Kansas played a home=and-hone series using the
elevated 12=foot basket. Neither team had practiced previously with the 12-foot
goal, but the players seemed to have little difficulty in making goals and the
spectators enjoyed the game very muche The players’ only complaint was tha t they
couldn't drivo in and make their lay-up shotse On the other hand, they roactod
quite favorably toward the elevated basket.

At tho coaching school tho following sumer conducted by Allen of Kansas
ond E, Je Hickox of Springfield, Professor Hickox elevated the basket to 12 fect
ond the boys in the coaching school, without ony practice whatsoever, played a
match gamee We asked Profossor Hickox to write his impressions of that game.

It scemed to be his opinion and that of the group who watched the game that the
players had little difficulty in finding the range of tho baskcte

It scoms to be a fair conclusion that certainly no one should criticize
the clevated basket until he has at least tried it out. There are so many
benefits and so few drawbacks that this experiment should be indulged in by more
coaches than those who have tried it. It also seems roasonable that it might
be fair to a11 concerned that if the 12—foot basket is found to be practical to
advance the time of its possible adoption over a two year period so that none
of the tall players now in college would be injured, but those oncoming playcrs
would have notice of ite This perhaps would remove an objection from coaches
who might have tall men noWe

The following are a number of reasons set forth in favor of the twelvoe
foot basket:

le Arc of disbursement is greater, thus freeing congestion under baskote

2 Guards are foreed further away from baskets to get rebound.

36 Forwards are forced further out from baskets to obtain rebound,

4, Will encourage more shooting account greater valuo of ficld goals.

5, Will definitely reduce foul shots because of no drive-in necossitye

6. Shots are easier made 8 or 10 feet out from basket instead of directly
undere