The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-11
IMPORTANT POINT
FINALLY SETTLED
Hepbron UphoIds Gingrich's
Interpretation of Basket
ball Rule.

The Interpretation of rule >. section 10,
OF O. B. Gingrich, physical director OF
the Y M. c. 4. in Salt Lake CITY. is
upheld by George T. Hepbron. editor OF
the a, A. L. rules. under which code
most OF the teams in Utah are playing
\ ba sketball at the present.
Hepbron's decision comes in answer to
the following questions. asked repeatedly
! by players. officials and coaches:
Would It be considered foul If one
( man, guarding another over the shoui-
J ders of the man having the ball. and
another man of the same side Of the
man guarding were TO run In front OF
the man having the ball and take it away
from him. provided the man guarding
over his shoulders did not touch the
ball?
Does the rule pertain to the ball only
and not to the number OF men about tse
ball as long as they do not touch the
ball?
Would ten men scrambling 70: the ball
at the same time he a foul provided three
Of them did not touch the ball at the
Gingrich Rules.
Physical Director Gingrch has always
ruled that any number of mon could dive.
jump or scramble for the ball at the
same time. AS long as not more than two
Of them touched the bah al the same
time he has never considered IL foul.
Editor Hepbron writes Mr.. Gingrich
that Your Interpretation in Your COM
munication of recent date regarding more
than one man OF each side touching the
ball is correct. That rule IS i'm effect
only when the man touches the ball.
! The fact that they are standing around
does not come under this rule IT they
push, shove or make other fouls " does
not come under this rule. but under some
other one.
clear that touching the ball is the only
thing that counts under this rule
Physical Director Ginsrich said:
My reason for having taken up this
matter has not only been because OF the
many requests concerning the interpreta-
tion OF this rule. but because OF the illegal
foulng OF officials which has come un-
der my observation. not only i'm Salt Lake
city. but in other places in the state of
Utah.
"The Interpretation Of this rule. how
ever. Is not only local. as | have known
IL to cause q considerable amount OF
controversy in other states, MANY bril-
liant plays have been ruined and ron
dered impossible because OF the intercep-
tion of the referee umpir"'s whistle.
when. I'm fact. the spirit of the rules
would have prevented any such intercep-
tion. The purposes Of the rules. however.
are not 10 stimulate or Ia encourage un
due roughncss of any type. but I had
thought that PLAYING the game IN the
spirit in which the rules were written
meantime. less thought concerning the
technicalitics Of the rules. For instance.
players arc continually alling 10 the Of
f1cial's attention the fouls being made
upon them. This would be q literal inn
possibility II the game were played an
der the spirit of the rules and the Off
cials we're officiating in the spirit In
which the rules were written.
''Of course. rough play Is 10 bc dis
countenanced and ungentiemanly conduct
OF any type. and il Is To- be looked upon
as a violation OF the rules. hut an
honest attempt TO get the bail. which Is |
in the air or upon the floor. upon the
part Of any number OF Incn who are
participating In the game, Is not TO be |
lIampered by the officials ruling accord |
ing 10 tecbnicalities-
1T is my hope that officials will profit |
by my efforts 20 have the proper inter-
probation OF this rule. and trust they |
will receive il In the best OF spirit