The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-03-11

Modern Cage Came
Calls For Changes
BY LOU FABRO
Times Sports Editor


The game of basketball has been refined quite a
bit since it was invented SO years ago. Yet, the game
.basically the same as it was when invented.
EVEN SO, IF DR.. JAMES E. AiSMETH we're alive
today, he would be aStonished by the fast pace of to-
days game; he would be amazed at the gangling play
es and fabulous scoring; and he would be puzzled
about the meaning of such terms as: one-and-one, tap
in, d~unkshot, goal-tending, turnover, offensive foul
rule, etc.
This illustrates that even though the game is basil
caly the same, there have been quite a few changes.
For you see, DR.. Naismith is the fellow who invented
the game back in 1891.
DR.. Naismith, who died in 1889, launched the
game In 1891 when he nailed a peach basket to a
gymnasium wall in Springfield, Mass, and told the
first modern cage players that the object Of the
game was to toss a ball soccer ball, in this easel through
the basket. The team that scored the most baskets
within a specified time was the winner.
Well, the game caught on, and today authorities
say that more basketball games are played each year
than any other kind Of game.
ALSO TODAY, there are increasing demands for
major changes in the game. And as can be expected,
there is strong opposition to many OF the changes
which have been suggested.
Let's look at some of the more outstanding changes
of past years. Eliminated has been the center jump
required after each successful field goal and foul shot.
This was ruled out to speed up the game and to de-
emphasize the importance of the tall center.
The foul lane has been Widened. This was design
ed to cut down on the Cheap basket since a player
on an offensive team can't linger in the foul lane long
er than three seconds. Affected most was the tall play
er, who is usually assigned to play around the basket.
Another rule aimed at the tall player is the goal
tending regulation.
Despite these attempts at cutting down the tall
players advantage, the short player still has a tough
time in today's cage game. The reason is that these
rules only "chipped' away at a tall players advantage.
AMONG THE MANY CURRENT SUGGESTIONS
Is that the basket be raised. Most advocates say by two
feet. The argument is that the basket is 10 feet above
the floor simply because that's how high the running
track wall was when DIR N3ISmlth hung ID that Dpacl
basket,
Proponents say that tall players require little or
no skill to score because the basket is only inches out
of reach Of their outstretched hands. While they only
lob, drop or dunk the ball, short players need shooting
skill to score.
Of course, there's strong opposition to the rule.
One big reason is that it will require quite a bit of
work to raise many baskets. Gyms with low ceilings
would be obsolete.
A relatively new suggestion growing in favor, is
to divide the court in zones. Baskets scored within,
say a 10foot radius of the basket, would count one
point; within 20 feet they would count two points; and
anything outside of 20 feet, would count three points.
OF COURSE, THIS COULD PROVE a headache
for referees and scoring officials. Yet, the idea has
merit Slnce-to use a rough comparlson-a baseball
hit over the fence is a homerun while one hit just
through the infield ordinarily goes only For a single
or double.
Adoption of a time limit for shooting-like in the
pro game-is another suggestion. This would eliminate
the boring stall game. More important, it would give a
losing team some chance in grabbing a win. 1t also
would eliminate the ~unsightly deliberate foul which
losing teams resort to in order to gain possession of
the ball.
We might interject here that DR.. Naismith GER
tainly didn't mean for basketball to be marred by de-
liberate fouling. Yet, we must sympathize with a losing
team when it resorts to such tactics.
To prevent such tactics and to preserve basketball
as a 40-minute game Commute in high school, we
feel that some sort of time limit rule should be adopted.
WE ALSO FEEL THAT TO PREVENT the game
from being an exclusive activity for the tall boys, some
major change will have to be adopted either in regard
to baskets or scoring zones.