moan

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 solely on the accident of
extreme heights Some junior high school coach discovered this altitudinous
Brobdingnagian, skyescraping stepper oozing ethereally dovm the hall and straight-
way the coach made for him with a pair of shorts, the stimulus being mainly his
altitude and not his abilitye Only a severe cardiac insufficiency will permit
that basketball monstrosity to escape the coach's tentaclese Therefore, it is wet
beyond reasonable doubt but what we can oxpect players of this 6'10" altitude to
become so numorous that they will bo the rulo rather than the oxception.

An eleven-foot basket would not be out of roach of the exceptionally tall
players. A twelve-foot basket would forever guarantee non-interference of the
basket rim by players. In addition to this; the twelve+foot basket would contri-
bute markedly in clearing up the congestion wdor 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 A111 modern symnasia and auditoria have high cciling clear-
ances, but in schools that do not have high cciling clearances ground rules could
be permitted which would allow the use of the lower baskets until conditions could
be corrected.

In 1934 Kansas State and Kansas played a homeeand=hae 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 drive in and make their lay-up shots. On the other hand, they reacted
quite favorably toward the clevated basket.

At the coaching school the following swmer conducted by Allen of Kansas
ond Eg Je Hickox of Springficld, Professor Hickox elevated the basket to 12 fect
and the boys in the coaching school, without ony practice whatsoever, played a
match game. We asked Professor Hickox to write his impressions of that gome.e
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 basket.

It scoms to be a fair conclusion that certainly no one should criticize
the clevated basket until he has at least tried it oute 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 all concerned that if the 12=foot basket is found to be practical to
advance the time of its possible adoption over a two year poriod so that none
of the tall players now in college would be injured, but those oncoming players
would have notice of it. This perhaps would romove an objection from coaches
who might have tall men nowe

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

le Arc of disbursement is greater, thus freeing congestion undor basket.

2- Guards are forced further away from baskets to get rebound.

5» Forwards are forced further out from baskets to obtain rebounde

4, Will encourage more shooting accowmt greater value of ficld goals.

5e Will definitely reduce foul shots because of no driveein necessitye

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