MINUTES OF MEETING OF NATIONAL BASKETBALL COMMITTEE
OF UNITED STATES AND CANADA HELD ON MAY 1 and 2,
1939, AT MCALPIN HOTEL, NEW YORK

The 1939 annual meeting of the National Baskotball Committee was held at the McAlpin
Hotel, New York, on May lst and 2nd.

General Plan of Sessions

 

The sub-committees met in informal session ot 9:00 A.M. Monday, May lst. Tho first
formal session opened at 10:00 A.M. Monday with Chairman H, H. Salmon presiding.
Other sessions were held Monday afternoon, Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Monday night the committee recessed for an hour to attend a demonstration of baskote
ball backboards of a new size and shape and with o convex surface. These boards had
been erected at the Now York University Gymnasium by the Fred Medart Company of St.
Louis, Missouri.

Synopsis of Reports

 

THE CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE authori,ed the seating of members as listed and reports
wore hoard.

REPORT OF SECRETARY: Tho minutes of the last meeting were approved as mailed. Tho
Secretary reported on the general nature of committee activitics sinco the last
mecting. The methods used in making up material for the guide and for the play
situations book were outlined. After sanction by the Executive Committee the
National Federation published 2 coaching school edition of the guide which was
available about June lst. This book was not genorally distributed but was used by a
numbor of coaching schools. 229 copies of tho book wore sold for this purpose and
tho National Federation paid tho usual royalty of four cents per copy for such
books. Attontion was called to the desirability of continued action by the com-
mittoe in directing trends so that the game may kcop pace with improvements in other
fields, and in coordinating the experimental work which is being done by groups
throughout the country. Attempts should also be made to constantly improve the

code itsolf by clarifying and amplifying disputed sections. Such work can be
directed through study of requests for interpretations on different sections of the
rules and of the results of the comprehensive examinations which sre given by var-
ious groups to their registered officials.

ittention was callod to statistical blanks and data showing the effect which the
1938-39 rule changes have had on the game. Such work included tests to determine
the best bouncing reaction of a ball, to determine the best size of ball for various
ege groups, to determine tho part of the backboard which is actually used, to find
how much uso is being made of the four-foot end space and possibilities in various
proposed modifications in timing mcthods. |

A comprohonsive questionnaire, based on experimental work which was sponsored by the
committee, was widely distributed and carefully tabulated.

Continued progress may be promoted by making certain cquipment or procedures Op-
sionally legal until such time as it scems dosirable to make them compulsory. .’A
socond way to promote progress is for tho committee to designate certain groups as
experimental groups to try out modifications which the committec may think dosir-
able but which they would hesitate to immediately put into the rules.