N ational Basketball Committee
LooksOverNew-F angledBaskets

a

 

Also Studies Three Types
of Backboards; No Major
Changes Likely in Rules

1
By Everett B. Morris

The National Basketball Commit-
tee of the United States and Canada!
began its annual two-day session at
the. McAlpin yesterday by putting in|
a long day going over sub-committee
reports and. studying nee neon
baskets and backboards.

' Today the rules makers will iclean
up their business by electing officers
and -making whatever changes in.
the playing code are deemed advis-
able. The revisions, though, are
expected to be minor. The commit-
tee, through its far-flung question-
ary system and the recommenda-
tions of coaches and officials, has
discovered no sentiment for radically
changing the game.

_ The committee’s deliberations, pre-
sided over by H. H. Salmon jr.,
chairman, are being carried on by
representatives from the eight N. C.
A. A. districts, the National Federa-
tion of State High School Athletic’
Associations, the Y. M. C. A., the
Canadian Intercollegiate Union and
the Canadian Amateur Basketball
Association.

Wants Basket Raised

Dr, Forrest C. (Phog) Allen, chair-.
man of the research committee and
long an advocate of raising the
basket from its present ten-foot
height to twelve feet, delivered an-
other exhaustive report on the sub-
ject.. It contained. no less than
thirty-two itemized reasons for the
ascension, one of which was the
bald statement that the twelve-foot
basket “would forever guarantee
non-interference.”

The committee is likely to author-
ize such conferences as so desire to
‘use the higher goals for experi-
mental and research purposes next
season. Similar action a few years
ago led to the abandonment of the
center tap after goals.

After the executive session be-
hind closed doors at the McAlpin,
the committee adjourned to the New
York University School of Education
gymnasium in Washington Square
and watched the Violet varsity. play-
ers fire away at three new types of
backboards. One was convex with
the corners curbed in four inches
from the center to facilitate corner
shots and the two others were de-
‘signed to eliminate much of the
backboard space seldom used in
shooting. Another new item of
equipment coming under committee
scrutiny was a basket with metal
links replacing the standard cord
mesh which is now official. |

Favors Ten-Minute Quarters

Something may be done about di-
viding college games into quarters
instead of the customary twenty-
minute halves. This change was
recommended by the coaches to af-
ford additional rest for players who
find the tempo of the no-center-tap.
ame a severe pphysical drain. Last
ear the rules makers made it op-
tional whether games should be
played in quarters or halves, but the
coaches now want the ten-minute
periods to be mandatory.