The Washington herald., 1913-01-26
FLOOR game
REALLY NEEDS
new ATTACK
"Stereotyped Basketball" Is
the Latest on the
Market.
HOW TO MAKE THE PLAYS
Close Guarding Taught by College
Coaches Makes Change
Imperative.

stereotyped basketball is the latest
Inc close guarding game taught by COL
iese and school coaches makes a new
h'ode OF attack imperative for the team
SO suafded-an attack that will increase
opportunities for scoring.
Inc average Basketball fan delights in
seeing game full Of accurate and regu-
!ar shooting Just as the average baseball
ran prefers Z to score to a 1 to O
score. He also delights in seeing the
game worked fast and mechanically
wherever possible.
The advancement OF baseball and foot
hall along this line of unselfish team
work has moved the progressive basket
ball coaches to think up a premeditated
attack that will break up a close guard
ing game OF the opposition and to in
crease the scoring possibilities also
The problem is to break up the close
guarding game and still encourage team
work. A solution has been found in the
introduction Of the blocking game. The
ones 10 do the blocking should be the
guards, since they generally are better
adopted for this work because OF their
heavier weight.
Forwards Light.
The forwards, generally speaking. arc
lighter. but the better shots. and accord
ingly can be utilized TO better advantage
by their own guards, who can do the
blocking II freed from their Eluelike ad-
versaries prying. thereby giving the for
wards free rein to shoot
The time to attack in baseball known
as the psychological moment, is the sec
ond the opposition relaNes. This mo-
ment occurs not once In a basketball
game. but often. Every time the ball
goes out OF bounds, or when the teams
line up after the caging OF a basket, is a
moment OF relaxation. In order to get
the best results strike while the iron is
hot is a recognized law that fits this
case exactly.
The plan OF attack is to sacrifice the
guards in the passing department of the
game when the ball goes out of bounds.
or. better. to make them perform both
and a blocker to the man of the Opposi
tion who tries TO play the close guarding
games on these occasions.
As the ball goes out of bounds the team
which has caused II to do SO Immediately
is put on the defensive
Evadc Defense.
The old method Of the offensive team.
which is still used. was to try to evsde
the defensive Ave by lodging tactics. The
new game is to have the guards out
guess the opposition by playing a guard
ing game when it Cthe opposition) feels
they will run away.
However. il is not to he surmised that
YOU play the man who tries to play you,
but, on the contrary. you block one OF
his teammates while he is attempting 20
follow you. That is. If A is guard. he
picks out a man who tries to cover his
forward and blocks this man for sec
Ond, so that his CA'sp forward will get
free for the time required to shoot
basket.
Cleverly executed. this act. II per
formed by both guards of the offensive
team leaves the offensive forwards free.
with the possible chance Of foul being
called on the defensive team because the
guards. while blocking also. are being
guarded. putting two Of the defensive
team about one of the offensive.
The plays devised to put this style OF
attack into practical execution are the
kind that require a hard. heady bunch
of players. No players Of a rowing or
slipshod type can hope to attain success
with them. and. like everything else.
steady. persistent practice is the only
means of gaining the desired end.