HOW ONE CONFERENCE INTERPRETS RULES

 

Committee Report of the Tri-State Association

 

As a substitute for a general interpretation meeting, Mr.
Frank Wolf, President ofthe Tri-State Association of College Basket-
ball Coaches, appointed a committee composed of Dr. H. C. Carlson,
Pittsburgh; Charles R. Davies, Duquesne, and Max E. Hannum, Carnegie
Tech, with authority to outline playing regulations, and circulate
them among our officials. We have gone into each point thoroughly,
and have come toan amicable agreement, despite the fact that each
member of the committee has certain ideas that are at variance with
the others. :

It was agreed in the committee meeting that there is still
too much officiating--too much domination of the game by the officials--
in short, "too much whistle". We want to make the game more attrac-
tive for the spectators, by not halting the continuity of play too
frequently for minor fouls or violations. The colleges are losing cer-
tain classes of spectators, whose sole excuse for not attending the
games is that "we get tired of hearing the whistle, when we can! see
why they are whistling."

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFICIALS WORKING TRI-STATE GAMES.

(1) . HELD BALL: We notice that officials are still
attempting to protect themselves by calling held balls that are not
held balls. A HELD BALL IS A BALL THAT IS KEPT FIRMLY OUT OF PLAY
BY TWO MEN HAVING EQUAL POSSESSION, OR BY TWO MEN WHO ARE EQUALLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR WITHHOLDING THE BALL FROM PLAY. EACH MAN IS PER-
MITTED 'ONE TUG! BEFORE THERE IS A HELD BALL. That was our inter-
pretation last year, but several officials have been ignoring it.

(2) LOOSEN UP IN THE BACK COURT: Don's be too quick
to call fouls and violations in the back court. Unless there is a
flagrant violation of the rule against travelling, that is unless a
man obtains a definite advantage by travelling, or the travelling
is so noticeable that it can't be missed, let it go in the back
court. If a defensive man commits a minor foul on an offensive man
in the back court, such as running past him, and making slight
contact, but not enough to break the offensive man's stride, or hinder
its offensive efforts, let it go. Nobody has been hurt. (Of course,
do not permit deliberate stepping to avoid a held ball). Use your
judgment, remembering at all times that we wish the whistle blowing
to be cut down drastically.

(3) DON'T GUESS ON ANY FOULS: If you are not ina
position to see fouls plainly, and if there is any doubt in your
mind whether or not they are fouls, DON'T CALL THEM. It is entire-
ly possible, in fact, several cases have been noted this year, for
fouls to have been committed by just the opposite men who eventu-
ally made the free throws. WE WANT OUR OFFICIALS TO REALLY GO TO
WORK IN THE FORE COURTS. There is where the 10 men are gathered on
defense and offense, and there is where there is a premium on the