Revolutionary iaeas in this sports world come a dime a dozen but once in
a greai while un iuea comes along that is fondled by exper ts and actually put
into effect. ‘ake for example, the forvard pass in football, the lively ball
in baseball aid so forth down the line,

Right on the heels of the hotly arguments on the disadvantages of the zone
defense, comes a new suggested change--one advanced by Lt ceorge Yells, former
basketball mentor of Upper lo.a University and Kirksville !-issouri Teachers"
College and now athletic director of the 1907 Service Command Unit organization
‘here at Fort Lewis, washington. His new idea will completely rub out the un-
popular zone defense of today, and, if ever put into effect would completely
revolutionize the game, adding more speed both to the offense and defense and
giving the general public an excitement it has seldom experienced.

Here's the whole gist to Lt Wells’ idea:

(1). Give the offensive side an option to shoot at either goal with a
standing rule that/must cross the center line before it can turn back.

In other words, as the face. is played today, Team A has the bail on its own

Side of the court following a goal by Team B. According to Lt wells' rule, Team

A must advance past the middle of. the court before it can, so to speak, try for

"its own goal." |
‘The advantages of this suggested new rule are many. For one thing, it would

~ @ef initely throw: out the fans* iJo, 1. nemesis--zone defense, which not only slows

the game down to a snail's pace. but also makes it quite uninteresting in the

~ spectators' viewpoint. 4:nother thing, it would regulate play and distribute

it more evenly in the court. Today, much of the playing is congested around the

two baskets, but given the option to shoot at either goal, the middle of the

court vould defini tedy: becom a more distinct area of play than it is today.

At present there are two so-called defensive arease-namely, under the two bas~

kets. The nev ruling would provide a third defensive srea--the center of the

‘court.