Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-19
BASKETBALL AS PLAYED
 AMONG THE COLLEGES
Game Invented By Dr.. James A. Mai smith in 1391-Game Adopted By Colleges in 1901.
By SOL METzGER, Coach Washington and Jefferson Football Team.

By SOL METZGER,
 Coach Washington and Jefferson
 Football Team
 The opening of the intercollegiate basketball sea son Saturday night with Princeton playing Cornell at Ithaca once more centers attention upon this splendid indoor sport which is prov ing more popular each season among the various colleges. Indeed, basket ball is crowding baseball, rowing and track in point of interest; a strange condition when it's brief history is re- viewed.
 The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James A. Naismith, now of the University of Kansas and a member of the joint committee of basketball rules, when he was an instructor at the Y. M. C. A. Training school at Springfield. This accounts for the in tereSt taken in it by the Y. M. C. A. and it's adoption in many foreign lands. No competitive sport-not even base ball. following the Civil war-ever grew so rapidly in popular favor in it's first few years of life.
 It was not until ten years after its invention that the game was given much recognition by the colleges. In 1901-02 the first intercollegiate league was formed in the east, with Harvard which has since dropped the game, a member. In 1905 the western confer ence organized it's league. About 1896 the present number of competitors, five to a team, was finally agreed upon, though formerly as high as 20 men were on a side, the number being de- termined by floor area, for the most part.
 So widespread has been the interest in the game that it may be said that the rules governing it's play have but recently become standardized. In fact, the 1915-1916 code was the first uni form one adopted and it met with suc- cess. Previous it was case of first half your rules, second half ours," or play our rules or lose your guaran- tee" But the main effort of the rule makes has been to eliminate roughneSs and unclean tactics-the task of all rule makers in all competitive games where personal contact cannot be | avoided-and the rule makers have here succeeded.
 There are three interests represent 1 ed in basketball-the colleges, the Y. M. c. A. and the Amateur Athletic union. On top of this there are a good many f1ourishing professional leagues | over the country. These three inter- ests have a joint committee on making i the rules and now that they have 1 been standardized the game is on the l eve of great development Hitherto 1 the schoolboy entering college had played a game differing from the one istauSht al college. COnIuSlOn was the
 result. With fundamentals agreed upon l team work, to a greater degree, is l bound to result and no other sport, ex- | cepting football, is more appreciated | by both player and spectator,
 r Basketball is an essentially simple
 game to understand. The speed, skill alertness and team work displayed are quickly recognized and appreciated by the spectator. Intercollegiate contests l pack every available seat and as little | financial outlay is required to main 1 tain a team the game is showing a profit to athletic association.
 | It will be long time before the 1 Eastern Intercollegiate league cham 1 pionship of last winter will be forgot l ten. Pennsylvania and Princeton con- ] pleted the regular schedule on even i terms and on the play off Pennsylva- mia won 16-14 in a game marked by l hair-raising stunts all the way through In the western conference Wisconsin | the winner, came within one game o1 ] repeating the feat of Illinois the pre- | vious season of winning all of it's + games. In the Pacific northwest Washington State college was the