Common Sense In Basket Ball

O

‘
‘
A
4
a
‘
\

 

G------a><

4
A

2

method has its advantages, but I think
that formation play has more advantages
than the other style.

“Last season. I think that we used
more formation plays than did any of
our Eastern Intercollegiate League ri-
vals. There was a good reason for that.
When you use formations you use a
passing game—and, generally speaking,
a passing game is a winning game in
basket ball. Opposed to the passing
game is the dribbling game, which some-
times is effective and sometimes isn’t
effective. It happened that we had too

many dribblers on our squad, so we went _

in strong for formations to cut down
the dribbling.
“When you have a tall center, you

design your formations with the as- |

sumption that your center will be able
to outjump his opponent at least half the

time, and so your play starts with the

79

center tapping the ball to one of the
other players. But with our short cen-
ter we couldn’t do that, for usually his
opponent outjumped him. So, after the
signal for a formation was given, the
play started when one of our players
obtained possession of the ball, and that
signal meant that the formation play it
called for was to be gotten under way as
soon as possible, and at any time before
the next jump. 2

“Here are a few of the plays that we

have found to be successful:

“In Play No, 1, Player X1 passes to
Player X5, and cuts by him, near the
side line, for a faked return pass.
Player X4 cuts over toward the opposite.
side line, and blocks Player X3’s defense
man. Player X3 cuts to the basket for
a pass from Player X5.

“In Play No. 2, Player X1 passes to
Player X5, at ‘A.’ Player X5 passes to
Player X1, blocking his man from fol-

=