Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-11-11
BY z. A.

- 80 -
PARIS, oct. 20 (By Mail)-To the
fact that necessity is the mother of
invention the athletic world owes
the game of basketball, a sport that
probably is enjoyed by more players
and spectators han any other indoor
competition. DIR. James Naismith
head of the physical department of
the University of Kansas, now serv-
ing with the American Y. NJ. c.. A. in
France, is the inventor of the game.
He evolved 1t to fill the gap between
football and baseball, and to fino
something to occupy q class of active
young men at the Y. NJ. c. a. train
ing school, Springfield. Mass. What
he is doing in France is a sidelight
on the great overseas athletic program
arranged by the ~" the X. of c.. the
Salvation Army and other united war
work agencies.
Basketball first blossomed back in
1891. There have been numerous
changes in the original rules. but the
foundation principles are the same
today as they were when 1t was in
vented. II is being PLACED In practl-
cally every civilized country in the
! world except England at h present
time and is constantly gaining in pop
ularity, though, like some other sports
IL alternately wakes and wanes in
| some sections of the United States.
DIR. Naismith went about h task
of finding a game hat would combine
tho desired elements of keen competi-
ton and vigorous exercises at the
request of the late DIR. Luther Halsey
Gulick, who at that time was head
of the physical training department of
the Y. NJ. c. A. school at Sprinf1field.
1t has been a great problem In the
school to interest some of the men
training for York as general secreta-
ries in any sort of gymnasium work.
Although two excellent teachers had
struggled with them, they had been
given up as hopeless when DIR. Gu
lick asked DR.. Nalsmith to take
charge.
DR.. Naismith looked the situation
over and decided that the trouble with
the class of athletically recalitrant
young men was that there was no
enough of the connective element In
the gymnasium program. He saw
that some good lively game was what
they needed to keen them interested
But there was no such game known
The doctor was determined that he
would make athletes out of those men,
I however, so he sat down n thought
It out. He considered all the feat
ures of all the games he ever had
| seen and concluded that football was
the best Of them.
Football on a gymnasium 1oor was
out of the question. Of course. but
there were certain principles OF the
sport that mieht he INCORPORATED in
q pastime intended to be less stren-
uous. What made football too rough
for indoors? The tackling of course,
and why did they have tackling? Be-
cause the men were allowed to run
with the ball. Very we'll. in his new
game. DIR. Naismith decided that there
there wouldn't be any necessity for
tackling. That eliminated the ele-
ment too much roughness right away.
DR.. Naismith hen turned to la
crosse and hockey n soccer football
and pondered over the things that
made these sports too gruelling for a
gymnasium floor. He came to the
Conclusion that one trouble could be
attribute to the fact that the
goal keeper was permitted to block
shots with his body. thus making II
necessary to put great force behind
the drives for the cages.
So he determined to put the goal
In basketball where the defenders
could not get in front of It.. But
where3 The only place was up In the
air over everybody's head in a spot
that could be reached only by a toss.
This put the premium on accuracy
and removed the necessity for force
In shooting.
The next problem tackled was how
to put the ball in play. It wouldn't
do to have a wild scramble because
somebody probably would get hurt.
Instead DIR. Naismith hit pom the
happy plan of having just two men
feht for original possession of the
sphere. These three principles, no
running or tackling: a goal that could
not be blocked with the body or arms
after the shot was once on its way;
and the two-men face-off. still endure.
There were nine men on a side
when the game was first played. This
number was automatically deter
mined by the size of the class for
which the sport was designed. There
were eighteen men and DR.. Naismith
divided them into two equal parts. 1t
was soon discovered that putting eigh-
teen men in a small court made the
game a mad scramble and practically
eliminated all chance for science.
Consequently. the number was reduced
to seven after a time. and later to five.