16
EDITOR'S NOTES

_ . Colleges in New. En-land dropped it; the professional crowds fell off

end from 1810 to 1920, basketball was at a low ebb, With the geme almost

headed for extinction, a small group began to hold interpretation meetings

and this resulted in better officiating, better playing and better conditions.

_' Today we have a fine game that is playedibq a greater number than any
other sport. An example of the success’ with/modern basketball is being received

can be. cited by the fact that more than 18,000 fens paid their way into Madison

- Square Garden, recently for a colleze double header, |

Why go back to the centre jump and other phases of. the old game that

served to slow it up to a point of disinterest? Let us make a ferw steps to-
ward increasing its appeal to player and spectator alike. This could be done
by standardizing the officiating and the playing surface, The latter should be
_ from 82 to 85 feet in length and 42 to 45 feet in width, =~

, ? ' 5 *

Officiating has improved tremendously tut there is still room for

improvement. An indication of the improveent ig revealed in a story by.
Leander MacDonald, now nhysical directdr of the schools in Cambridge, Mass. ,
‘and a coach for over 25 years. MacDonald had yeen asked to referee a game
between Dartmouth and Williams at Hnover shortly after the turn of the century.
On -the day of the gare, MacDonald “bought a rulé book and gtudied 4t on-his

: ;

ride to Hanovér, When he stepped onto the floor, he was stiil in doubt as to

many of the rules and most of the nenalties. At the end of the contest, the

Williams coach asked him where he thought he had learned the wame and MacDonald
renlied that he had played some on a class team at Harvard but that most of his
knowledge had been secured from the rule book on the train. "Luckily ror me" ,
he said, "Dartmouth von 16 - 15 or I would have been yynched vefore | left,"

NOTES FROM HERE AND THERE,
Basketball 4s not much like the gaze that Dr. Jchn Haiswith ssartec in
Springfield many years ago althoush four of the 1% prizinal rules are still in
effect, The ones that have managed to survive follow! ee
(1) - The pall shall he a licht round object similar to a soccer pall.

” on - Walking or running with the ball is prohibited.
(2) - The goals shall be porizontal. . ae |

" .“(4) = There shall be -no »ersonal contact, i
“At first, dribbling was banned but when it was found that players.
- (tramed. in the corners had no way of getting out, bouncing was permitted and
later a dribble with either hand or both hands ‘was permitted, It was even pos-
sible to break the dribule at that time but this was leter ruled out.

. . With the advancement through the years, other notable changes almost
completely revolutionized the game. The well. dressed player of a few years ago
‘wore an outfit that included long tights and when the shorter pants becane the
vogue, they were heavily padded - - The playing surface were not always in the
best of condition and the. game was played with. the grain so that when a player
... fell, he would pick up only a few splinters - Basketball ‘was once known as a
sissy's game - The first eof areas oF Syeece eer Eneland was held in
1920 and for a long time, the New ®ncland cistrict, with 360 members, had the
largest number of officials.- Thore was no disqualification for four fouis in
the early games as most clubs had but five players. Instead, for every three

‘fouls committed by Team A, one noint would.be given Team B.~
fb gOSE TOME aa SIGNET? Soe eal eae TP:

_. Heywood Broun, the well known sports columist who died recently, vas
a great advocater of basketball, While at Harvard, he was the coach of one of
the class teams and did much toward fostering the vnrogress of the sport
Oi ok 2k 2 ok 2 Og oie 2k