The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-06-01
THE GAME OF BASKET Ball.
Interesting and Exciting Sport For Those
Not Able to Exercise Regularly.

Interesting and Exciting Sport For Those
Not Able to Exercise Regularly.
The announcement that at woman.
educational institution not far from this
city the students played a close and ex.
citing game of "basket ball" was perhaps
the first item which attracted public at
tention to a sport that is rapidly becom.
ing very popular in this country among
| those who have neither the physique nor
| the taste for baseball OF football. The
rules of the new sport are comparatively
simple, and the ease with which the
fundamental laws of the game can be
acquired in few minutes practice have
served to make it popular wherever it
has been introduced, while its freedom
from much of the roughness and intri-
cacy of football has also tended to make
the devotees of basket ball enthusiastic
in their praise of its merits.
The name "basket ball" is derived from
the fact that scores are made not by car
rying the ball across the goal lines or
kicking it over the goal bar as in foot
ball, but by throwing the spheroid into
moderately small basket, which is hung
about 10 feet above the ground or floor.
To accomplish such feat usually re-
quires much practice, and as rule the
try at goals are far more numerous than
the scores. Either hand or both hands
can be used in holding the ball, and it
must either be thrown or be batted with
the open hand-a punch with the fist or
arm, or kick, constituting foul.
The game differs from football also in
the fact that no player is allowed to run
with the ball, but must stand where it is
caught, and fair catch can be made
only with the hands. If the ball is held
for an unnecessarily long time, the UNI
pire takes possession Of it and puts it
"in play" by throwing it in the air, no
player being allowed to touch it in such
an event until it has struck the ground.
If a ball goes out of bounds, it is put in
play as in football, and no player is "otf
side," but every player has the right to
touch the ball anywhere or everywhere
in the game, provided the ball is in play.
No pushing, tripping, showing or tao
king is allowed, and every such offense
constitutes foul, which gives one point
to the opposing nine. AS a goal counts
but three points and q foul one, there is
every incentive to avoid rough play. The
players advance the ball by tossing it to
some member Of their own nine and
there is the best opportunity for success
in personal skill combined with good
team play. The forwards" and 'cen-
tiers" usually toss the ball forward, but
when it gets dangerously near his own
goal, the gcalkeeper often bats it with
the open palm.
One advantage which basket ball has
over many other forms of popular sport
lies in the fact that, while it allows 10
players to participate, it can be pursued
the year round-in the open air during
the warmer months and in the gymna-
sum while cold weather prevails. Again,
basket ball can be played by persons
whose physique is not of the most robust
type, although many athletes also have
found in it healthful form of exercise.
Il has proved of great value In furnish
ing exercise for business men, women
and children, as well as brawny students,
and from the general success it has al
ready attained wherever it has been in
troduced there is every probability that
basket ball will soon become very popu-
lar and widespread form of outdoor and
indoor sport.-Boston Advertiser.