80

Jowing—or, Player X5 fakes a pass to
Player XI and then passes to Player X4—

at “B,’ and cuts by to take a return pass,
his defense man being blocked by Player
X4. This is a pivot play.

“In Play Ne. 3, Player XI passes to
Player X5, at ‘A,” and euts on inside.
Player X5 dribbles behind X1, as he
passes. If he is free he goes on to the
basket, but if he is taken off he pivots
at ‘B,’ and makes the play with Player
X3, as shown in the diagram. .

“These are just a few of the many
formations that may be worked out by
any basket-ball coach. But in designing
formations, the coach should show his
common sense by making them simple
enough for his players to understand

them and perfect them.

' “Ag in football, a basket-ball team is
just as strong as its players are strong
in the fundamentals of the game. The
best-designed play won't result im a
score if your players aren’t able to pass
accurately and receive passes surely,
shoot the ball into the basket when the

right moment comes, and help each ~

~ other—which means that they must be
team players rather than individual
players. Practice, practice, practice—
that’s what makes a ‘basket-ball team
good. Individual practice in the funda-
mentals of passing, catching and shoaet-
ing the ball. Team practice in team
plays.
ABOUT DEFENSIVE PLAY.

“The ideal of every good basket-ball
player is to play offensive basket ball all
the time—even while the other team has
possession of the ball. When you have
the ball, try every fair method to keep
possession of it. When the other team
has the ball, try every fair method of
getting it away from them.

“But, no matter how hard your play-
ers try to get and keep the ball, there are

Sport Story Magazine

times in every game when the other fel-
lows have it. When that happens, your
players must know how to meet and
stop their attack.

“There are two methods of doing that.
In the past many teams used the zone
system of defense, but the large mod-
ern courts killed that system. It still is
useful on small courts. But the modern
system is the man-for-man defense—a
defense in which each man is responsible
for a certain opponent.

“Basket ball is a hard, fast game,
and training is essential to play it well.

‘I advise all boys to practice as much as

possible on outdoor courts. Some boys
think that this slows them up, but I
don’t agree with that theory. One of
the things that makes basket ball a hard
game is that it is played indoors, and
boys should build up as much health as
possible by staying outdoors as much as
they cam. Before a game, of course,
they should practice a few times on an
indoor court.

“No preliminary training is necessary
for basket ball. Running will slow a

boy up, rather than make him faster.

During the first two weeks of the season

we have practice sessions two nights a

week. After that we have practice
three nights a week until the season is
well under way. Then, with the team
playing two or three-games a week, one
practice session is quite sufficient.

“We have.a training table here at
Pennsylvania for our basket-ball play-

‘ers, but I think that its greatest value is

that it gets and keeps the players to-
gether. Strict dieting is mot necessary
—plain, wholesome food is all that a
basket-ball player needs. He should get
plenty of sleep, especially during the
playing season, and he shouldn’t. smoke.

Getting and keeping in condition, like

most. other things in basket ball, is
mostly a matter of common sense.”

ae

SPO—5B