The Mail-Journal, Volume 11, Number 4, Milford, Kosciusko County, 20 February 1974 — Page 38

Basketball then and now. . .

The sport of basketball (“A game played with a ball between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court, usually indoors. Each team attempts to throw the ball through its own basket and to prevent the other from scoring, the winner being the team that scores the most points." — Webster) had its modest beginnings in 1891 in Springfield. Mass. Today the Basketball Hall of Fame stands in Springfield as a monument to the sport and all who have grown to love the game. Dr. James A. Naismith, physical education instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association training school (now Springfield college) had -been searching for a game that would increase the club’s attendance during the winter months when the idea came to him He tacked peach baskets to the balcony for boys to pitch balls through. Within a short time the sport had spread throughout the city with teams representing different YMCA's playing against each other. Final scores were 2-2, 1-0 and the like. One reason for the difference in scoring then and now is that first team played in long pants and tight fitting long sleeved wool jerseys The teams of today wear lightweight shorts and sleeveless tops By the year 1894 the Amateur Athletic Union joined the YMCA in administering the sport which was spreading across the country m leaps and bounds It was four years later that the first professional league was formed with professional players receiving up to 5225 per month — this too is a little different today.

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In 1904 the game was played as an exhibition in the Olympics — today it has become a very important part of the Olympic games. In 1906 the peach baskets were replaced by metal hoops. Sometime along the turn of the century basketball was introduced in Indiana and soon Hoosier Hysteria had begun. The first state tournament was held in 1911 at Indiana university (the site of this year’s tournament) with Crawfordsville winning 24-17 over Lebanon. In 1912 four preliminary tourneys were held at Muncie, Vincennes, Notre Dame and Indianapolis. Lebanon won that state final with a 51-11 victory over Franklin. In 1921 the Indiana High School Athletic Association took over the tournament with Franklin

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claiming the state crown. Few Rules Those early games which were often played in bams had few rules, if any, so games were riotous affairs with much spirit. When the sport was moved to gymnasiums players were hampered by low hanging rafters, pot-bellied stoves and the feet of spectators and early gyms soon became known as cracker boxes. They were a far cry from the modern buildings of today. Inter-school competition was heavy and became even heavier when the automobile and its improvements made travel even easier. Today millions of fans all over America attend basketball games each week during the season. Rules-Tertns With more and more persons taking part in the sport new

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terms sprung up and rules were drawn for the game. Today the basketballs are made of ■ airtight rubber cases which are covered with leather. Official balls are from 29 to 30 inches in circumference and from 20 to 22 ounces in weight. Terms like field goal, foul, personal foul, technical foul, violation and free throw came into being. A field goal is, according to Webster, ‘‘A basket in the game of basketball made while the ball is in play.” A foul is an infringement of the rules with a personal foul being one committed by a player, usually by personal contact and a technical foul being on a person or persons not in the game or on a player when the ball is not in play ~. this foul is used quite often for what is called unsportsmanlike conduct The results of a foul is the free throw which gives the opponent an unhindered shot from behind the foul line. A violation is less serious than a foul and gives the ball to the other team. Os course, the referees are the gentlemen who run up and down the course watching carefully to see if the players are committing fouls or violations and seeing that the game is played properly. r Other terms that confuse those who do not understand the game are dribbling, traveling and the like. A player must dribble the ball — bounce it on the floor once for each step he takes — according to the rules or he is called for traveling — too many steps for the number of dribbles — which is a violation. Confusing? Not if you attend two or three games and learn to love the sport as most Hoosiers do!