The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-02-04
IntersectionaI Rulings Show
Variance; Midwest's Play
Is Foul in East

pivots and top-offs!
With college basketball this VIM
ter making its boldest bid for recog-
milton as medium Of international
sporting warfare. these three ele-
ments are found to be the greatest
trouble makers il, respectively. these
sections: east, midwes.-and-south,
and Pacific coast. :
Basketball's debut as big-,ime at
traction at Madison Square Garden
here, headlined by New York Us
games against Notre Dame and Ken
tucky-which set respective all-time
attendance records Of l6,lO0 and 49,
500-brought into sharp focus some
differences in rules interpretations
heretofore suspected but not clearly
defined.
AS q result number Of coaches
have been quick to espouse more in
tersecttonal play-even advocating q
national tournament-aS q means Of
eliminating sectional differences.
interviewing Of coaches and OBJ
servers in various sections brought
out strongly that the chief points of
Observation-Disclosures east and mid
west-were on the screen play and
the pivot play. The treatment Of each
Is Numerically opposite In these two
sections.
Reminds Of 'Short-Pass' Attack
Let US have look at "a the screen
play (also variously known as the
legal block" the sliding block. and
the 'pick-off');
In the east, this play is interpreted
as strictly illegal. Coaches and off,
cialS reduce to as simple terms Is
possible their stand by saying "the
only time = player may commit q
legal screen is in his actual handling
Of the ball." (This gets back to the
original "short-pass" attack wherein
q team moved down the floor on q Sc
ries OF "handings" Of the ball from
one player to another who was break
ing past.)
In the midwest a well-executed
screen playa species Of animated
chess whereby, after some quick pass
Ing, Player A finds q clear path to
the basket because q tearn-mate is
standing Tin the way" of Player AS
OPPONENTS warmly applauded Is
good basketball
The midwestern premises OF q lie
gall block Is that any player Is en-
titled to any particular square foot
Of floor space he wishes to occupy, II
he gets there firstl But it becomes
illegal-in any league-wten the
blocker has to shift his position, even
slightly, in order to pick off the de-
feusive man.
You Can't Stand THERE
Now in the east that premise
doesn't hold. No matter how station
ary the screening player Is, II 1t Is
obvious that he Is holding his posi-
ton 50 that Z team mate can use him
Is . post on which to "scrape off" .
pursuing guard, he Is committing .
''pick-off" foul.
AZ for ca the pivot play (also
known Is the post play ana the
bucket play, it Is admittedly trou-
bic maker wherever 1t appears. but
1t appears rarely along the Atlantic
seaboard, while in the midwest It is
almost the standard" attacking for
mula. Some coaches say this may
be due to the greater wealth Of UNI
usually big centers' available in the
midwest.
This is the maneuyer which puts .
big fellow at or inside the free throw
lire. his back to the basket, to re-
ceive passes and either return them
to cutting mates. or pivot and take
. one-hand shot.
The battlirg between the pivot
man and his guard usually CAUSES Of
ficials q bad evening. It's hard to
ten which one Is crowding the other.
The Big Tens own ruling Is that the
pivot man Is allowed to feel hts way
back until he contacts" his guard
once on each advance-any second
contract made by him Is regarded q
10 foul.
Helman Has Z Solution
But that "by him" Is the Joker.
Nat Holman, coach Of City College
Of New York and IN all-tine great