‘Neismi th

Allon

Naismith

Allen

Naismith

Allen

Naismith

Allen

Ze
center of the court for all the ills of the past gamc, I have
heard one of our own bosy, Coach Arthur "Duteh" Lonborg, of
Northwestern University Bay many timos that ho found when his
team had a short center and could not control tho tipeoff that
in those vory yoars he had his scrappiest tcams,s Those boys
with their apparcnt disadvantage had to fight harder than over
to recover the ball aftcr the tipeoff.

Well, Doctor, that is a good point. Now, another question =-

is there ony other game in which there is not cither an cqual
chones for the opponents to obtain the ball after a goal is

made, or the defendants are compelled to.drive the ball into

tho opponents ' territory? In the carly !90s in football the

ball was givon to one side at the beginning of the game and after
the goal was made, they were pommitted to attack instead of tho
usual kick off, This lasted about two years, and then the ree
turn to tho kick off was madce

Dre Nodemdth do you think that the game of baskotball as now
constituted has a similar opportunity?

I am not sure as to that. If the game is better without the
tipeoff certainly it will not return, Only time will tell about
thate .We want the game to continuously make progresse

Doctor, one critic in Indianapolis contended that you are still
in the cra of the peachebasket stage, What would be your ro-
action to such criticism as that?

If I am in the peachebaskct stage it is because the lato rules.
compel mc to be in that stagee In the carly days 10 men played
the game in a 40 by 50 foot areca, and we gradually enlarged the
ficld soas to get in sciontific playg But the rulcs since 1932
are now compelling 10 men to play in a space 45 by 50 fect which
naturally brings in a lot of roughness as wo had in the peach
basket stago, ond the centor tip is the only play that occupics
the full courte !

Woll, Drs Noismith, this is a tribute to you when they talk about
the penoh basket stago, because the basket idca was yours, and I
would say that any idea that can enthrall’18 million people is a
peach of an ideag But, scriously, Doctor, the proponents of the
new rule state that this now rule has inereased the playing time
about 7 minutese What do you say as to that?

Do you think that is right? In the rule it specifically statcs
that the ball is dead after a goal is made and play ceases, and
how can you increase the playing time? You might decrease tho
elapsed time, but you can't increase the playing timce

That is exactly right, Doctore They have not increased the playing
time one iota by rulee But they can actually play longer under
this gome than they played under last year's gamco,. This is the
roason: After a free throw or a ficld gonl was made the referee