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Dees the present 10-feot basket give the extra tall boy an abnormal
advantage over his opponents of reasonable and average height?

Is there anything sacred about the 10-foot basket now in use? If so,

how was it decided that ten feet is the proper height?

Would those who oppese a higher basket also oppose a lower basket? If
sc, would their objection be that it would give the tall players too
much advantage? (It should be observed that the 10-foot basket proe
vides more advantage to the 4all player now than a basket nine feet,
six inches high would have provided twenty-five years ago).

If it is desirable to neutralise the advantage to the tall player, is
there any way to do it except to raise the basket to a height that
will net permit interference with opponents’ bona fide shots and will
not permit tall players to ‘jump up and drop it in' without any chance
of interference by shorter opponents?

Will it remove the abnormal advantage to the tall player if tho baskets
ars raised so that every goal scored will have to be the result of a
*shot' whereby the ‘shooter’ must throw the ball at the basket and not

_ merely ‘lay it int?

Will the raising of the baskets take away from the game some of the
spectacular plays now enjoyed by players and spectators?

Does the rules committee have in mind further changes that will curb
the offensive activities of the long, tall boys in order to compensate
for curtailment of pessible defensive demonstrations?

_ After the war there will be thousands of high school gymasiums and athletic
_ plents built. The old style loweceiling basketball court will be entirely
passe within a few years. Provisions for greater seating space will be nec-
essary end if there are to be other requirements for more floor space,
_ higher basketball goals, or any other facilities, then we should begin our
plans to get ready for them and the basketball rules comnittee should act in
& positive, educational way to solve the pending problems that will confront
us, inetond of resorting to negative performances of the new ‘whittling’
variety, *

Last week on April 12 "Duteh” Lonborg, one of my old players

and captain of my University of Kansas basketball team in 1920, came out
with the statement from Chicago that he didn't think the officials would
have such a terrible time and thought the rules were pretty good. While
on the other hand, Nick Kearns, veteran mid-western official from Chicago,
denounced the rules the day before stating that the changes are placing
too heavy @ burden on the official. "Dutch" stated, "It is okay. It will
‘deeempheasiaze offenses built around the tall boy and at the same time forces
coaches to disoard defenses which employ goalies. No eoach will use a set
up which might cost him five or six baskets in a single game." |