WESTERN UNION Chicago, Ill. January 26, 1944. oe) Dr. Forrest C. Allen, University of Kansas. Satisfactory. We surely want the article. Will wait. Athletic Journal. Day Message January 26, 1944 Mrs. Ali@e K, Griffith, The Athletic Journal, 6858 Glenwood Avenue, Chicago, Ill. Illness in my office interfered with my writing article. . could mail it from here Friday if not too late. Please advise by wire. Deeply regret this bottleneck. Forrest C,. Allen. JOHN L. GRIFFITH, EDITOR 9 x : TELEPHONE ROGERS PARK 5074 THE ATHLETIC JOURNAL 6858 GLENWOOD AVENUE CHICAGO, ILL. January 8, 1944 — Dr. Forrest C. Allen Director of Physical Education University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Dear Dr. Allen: If you need the extra five days, I will plan it that way. When you know the subject on which you plan to write will you drop me a line, so 1 ean plan on different subjects for the basketball articles. Yours very truly, hes ) follows after a rebound on his om left side of the court. oO onte: Se He Sone ont event -4 ‘sg guard, going over near the free-throw circle for rebound center work or followup works Oe » Crouching after his shot, wits and thon darts in to follow the ball for rebound and followup work on his ow right side of the courte ®) 4s laying cagey tell, ready:to drive oither to his right or to his left as the cocnsiion dennis, to receive the passe SRE O, be on oF position, (@) will slide for a pass~out play fron his side of the courte in this type of offense against the sone defense, a quick snapping of the bell to the open man will pay big dividends. After the play has started, there should be two men back on the offensive and three men ups oe eee eS ar ey, es chants No SRA SHG ant enantio i Feb. 15, 1941 The Athletic Journal Twenty Years of Gains and Changes in Basketball What a galaxy of events in the history of basketball is this year, 1941 Ae D! The Golden Anniversary of Basketball! The Silver Anniversary of the Joint Basketball Rules Committee! Two decades of phenominal progress. in basketball. What has inspired the phenomenal growth and progress of this great game? How heave the offense and the defense changed? Why the great popularity of this sport? These are a few questions for which we find the ansWer S's From the inventor's peach basket to the present iron rim; from - @ soccer football to a full-sized regulation basketball; from the large _ rectangular 6' x 4* backboards, that were first made of chicken wire, then glass, then wood, to the present streamlined fan-shaped pressed-steel back=- boards, the game of basketball has steadily forged ahead to become one of the most popular amateur sports. The original purpose of the large backboards was to keep spectators and partisans of the game from kicking or batting the ball awey from the basket. Later the players learned to bank the ball from these large boards. The Research Committee of the Rules Body, by cutting away the dead wood, retained only the fertile area of the board. The radical reduction in size of the backboard has aided spectator visibility, back of the basket, more than fifty percent. From the smell low-ceilinged gymnasiums to the usabtve Mitt honees of todey; form the audiences of a few hundreds to crowds of from 12,000 to 20,000; from nine, then seven to five players on a side unfolds the unprecendented growth of the fifty-year-old indoor game of basketballe Everyone knows thet the distinguished Dr. James Naismith, former Pra- fessor of Physical Education at the University of Kansas, while a student at ‘a the International Y.M.C.A. College in Springfield, Massachusetts originated the game in 1891. A photostatic copy of the original thirteen rules: are encased in a frame in my office. As a medium of comparision the original rules are given herewith 1. Ze Se 4e 5e 6. Te 8. 9. 10. The pall may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, never with the fist. A player cannot run with the ball; the player must throw it from the spot where he catches: it, allowance being made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it. No shouldéring, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of the opponent is to be allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a fouls; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole game; no substitute allowed. A foul is striking the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3 and 4, and such as described in Rule 5. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count for a goal for the opponents. (Consecutive means without the opponents making a foul.) A go@#l shell be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal. ‘When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field, and played by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the Umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the Umpire shall call a foul on them. The Umpire shall be the judge of the men, and shall note the fouls, and notify the Referee when three consecutive fouls have been made.s He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5e ll. The Referee shall be judge of ites ball, and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, and to which side it belongs, and shall keep time. He shall decide when a goal is made, and keep account of the goals, with any other duties that are usually performed by a Referee. 12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, five minutes between. 13. The side making the most goals shall be the winner. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of captains, be continued until another goal is made. Important fundamentals of the game as played today are found in the original thirteen rules. This fact is a remarkable tribute to the sound judgment and foresiz ht of their author How have the Offense and the Defense Changed? Due to Dr. Naismith's uncanny vision in his first thirteen rules, the fundamentals of the game have changed but little, if any. But the rules: makers have legislated rules since which have affected both the offense and the defense. The three-second rule, the ten-second rule and the elimination of the center jump have all contributed to the present hurricane, heart- splitting game that we have at present. But the fundamentals: have remained about ou ball The accepted unified terminology of the game, the formation of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Research Committee, both of the Rules Body and Coaches: Association have been a definite factor in stabilizing and improving the rules and administration of basketball. Why the great populerity of the sport? Basketball has had truly an amateur as well as a sound educational and a real missionary background.- (1) The genuine amateur sports promoters: of America are the Boards of Education of the high schools and the Boards of Regents of the universities and colleges. There are 27,474 high school buildings in the United States. There are 9,158 junior high schools, 918 colleges and 600 junior collegese It is: reasonable to suppose that most of these educational institutions have gymnasiae These gymnasia are built and maintained by public tax money. The maintenance of a basketball court is small and the equipment is inex- pensive. Due to the fact that no cancellations of basketball games occur on account of weather conditions, the games can be played in all climes a regular times. Basketball can be an individual game as well as a team game. Children of practically all ages, therefore can play it without serious conse- quences. In the words of the great inventor who said, “Basketball is a game easy to play but difficult to master." The ball is always out in the open. It is not hidden from view as it is in football, when mass play is in the order. Many midwestern university coaches have told me that they have checked every able-bodied boy entering the university and have failed to find a single active boy who has not played basketball in high schoole (2) Perhaps by accident or by place of invention the game of basket- ball has.a real missionary significance. At the International Y.M.C.A. College, Springfield, Mas sachuetts, "the cradle of basketball", physical directors, medical missionaries and general secretaries were trained. These emissaries of good will planted the game early in our century in many foreign countries and islands of the seae The United States soldiers, in 1900, introduced basketball in the Philippine Islands. The American army of occupation taught it to the German populace in 1919. During the Inter-Allied games: in Paris, June, 1919, the United States, France, and Italy played for the championship, which the United States won rather handily. After the Armistice was signed, two American teams, by ivteedition from the British government, demonstrated basketball in the British area of the war zone. The British took to it readily. Proctically every foreign country has fashioned its basketball rules after our American game. They look to us as the mother country of the sport, and expeet our guidance in formulating their rules and in shaping their ideals of the game. In an official check-up with Dr. Naismith, we found that 49 nations and territories are now playing basketball; Africa, Alaska, Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Ceylon, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hati, Hawaii, Honduras, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Persia, The Philippines, Poland, Porto Rico, Portugal, Rumania, San Salvador, Siam, Spain, Seiticrtand, Syria, Turkey, the United States,and Uraguaye Portugal, which introduced the game in 1927, went mad over ite In less than two years 24 basketball clubs were in existence and matches were being played every Sunday end were well partonized. Competition in the game was so keen that a team immediately begen training for the European champion= ship competition. This team was confident of victory because some of its players had learned the game in the United States and had figured in some important contests here. In America, according to the All Sports Book for 1935, basketball outdrew all other sports with a totel of 80,000,000 paid attendances. Base~ ball was next with 50,000,000; football third with 40,000,000. The author of this article, working with Dr. Karl Diehm of Berlin, Germany and Sohaku Ri of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, had the pleasure of having basketball placed on the Olympic calendar in Berlin in 1936. Prior + this action, The National Association of Basketball Coaches, through their President, William Chandler, sold to the Basketball-conscious public of the United States the idea of giving to Dr. Naismith and his family an honorarium, so that they might go to Berlin to see basketball in its great demonstration before the nations of the earthe Since Dr. Naismith had never made a penny from this: great game that he had so gladly given to the youthful posterity he was deeply grateful for the gratuity and affectionate contribution of his friends toward the Olympic tripe His epic statement at that time was, "Do not be afraid to serve humanity and wait for your reward.”