=e

eontests and in the international competitions, proved thet there is still
mach work to be done in orining out 4iffieulties and mistakes of administrat-
fen before the next Olympic gareg at Tokyo, im 1940, |

The Olympfe courts at Berlin wese a sombination of salt end sawdust which
wade « wory firm sufface in dry woather, but in wet weather they were « quage
mite. It rained during the finsle end made skillful pley in the mud with a wet
tall impossible.

The gares were played under the rules of 7.1.3.3. (faternatione! Federation
of Basketball), which were, in reality, our national rules of 1934, witheut the
10-sesond rule or the S-seoond rule. The FeIeB.B. rules permitted no player
ones renoved to return to the gene.

These first Olympic basketball games emphasized the differences in the
physical make-up of the competitors from the various nations. The tallest man
on the Philippine team was 5 ft». 11 ine, and the tellest man on the American
team was 6 ft. 9 in. This wide range of height among contestants brought out
the feet thet tall men were monepolfzing the game and that the shorter races
were greatly handieapped, not only in the center jump tut in every department
of the gine.

So apperent was thie difficulty that tt wee suggested by notions of
shorter stature, Japen originating the euggestion, that there be two classes
of eonpetition in future Olympic besketbell, the Mmited and the unlimited
claasese dhe erigtsn! tatention off depan tn anting this enggestion wes te
have the linited<division lace include pleyers unter and net over 180 me tall
(epproxinatoly Sfte 10 ins). Japan's hope in making thie euggestion was to
_ strive for skillful and technien! development in play without being eompletely
handiespped by leck of great stature. Japan felt that the emphasis that was
having tro classes of competition no nations would be discriminated againste