of 
 AT 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 LIBRARY
 
 BOOKS ON SPOR1 
 
 Each iimo. Profusely Illustrated 
 
 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TRAINING. 
 PSYCHOLOGY AND ATHLETICS. 
 By Coleman R. Griffith. 
 
 MAJOR SPORT FUNDAMENTALS. 
 By Charles Edward Hammett. 
 
 ICE HOCKEY. A Manual for Player and Coach. 
 By Thomas Knight Fisher. 
 
 FIELD HOCKEY AND SOCCER FOR WOMEN. 
 By Helen Frost and Hazel J. Cubberley. 
 
 TRAINING FOR SPORTS. 
 ATHLETES ALL. 
 
 By Walter Camp. 
 
 BASKET BALL. A Handbook for Coaches and 
 Players. 
 
 By C. D. Wardlaw and W. R. Morrison. 
 
 BASKET BALL AND INDOOR BASEBALL FOR 
 WOMEN. 
 
 By Helen Frost and C. D. Wardlaw. 
 
 BASEBALL. Individual Play and Team Play in 
 Detail. 
 
 By W. J. Clarke and F. T. Dawson. 
 
 ATHLETIC TRAINING. 
 By Michael C. Murphy. 
 
 CAMP CRAFT. Modern Practice and Equipment. 
 By W. H. Miller. 
 
 SWIMMING AND DIVING. 
 By Gerald Barnes. 
 
 FOOTBALL. 
 
 By J. C. Wllce. 
 
 FUNDAMENTALS OF BASEBALL. 
 By C. D. Wardlaw. 
 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
 
 BASKET BALL
 
 H'.i. 1. C'ORRKCT GUARIMNC 
 No Personal Contact.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 A HANDBOOK FOR COACHES AND PLAYERS 
 
 BY 
 
 CHARLES DIGBY WARDLAW, A.B. 
 
 INSTRUCTOR IN ATHLETICS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, SUMMER SESSIONS 
 PRINCIPAL, WARDLAW SCHOOL, PLAINF1ELD, N. I. 
 
 CO-AUTHOR or "BASKET BALL AND INDOOR BASEBALL FOR WOMEN" 
 AND 
 
 WHITELAW REID MORRISON, A.M., M.D. 
 
 PR.OFBMOR OP HYGIENE AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OP CINCINNATI 
 
 INSTRUCTOR IN HYGIENE AND ATHLETICS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 
 
 SUMMER SESSIONS 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY 
 
 JESSE FEIRING WILLIAMS, A.M., M.D. 
 
 .TE PROFESSOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, TEACHERS COLLEGE, 
 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK 
 
 NEW YORK 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
 1928 
 
 117162
 
 COPYRIGHT. 1921, w* 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
 Printed in the United States of America
 
 GV 
 
 co ^ 2. 
 PREFACE 
 
 IT has been about thirty years since the game 
 of basket ball was invented. In all that time 
 there have been comparatively few articles written 
 or books published on this sport, which has be- 
 come so popular in America. Throughout ten 
 years' experience in coaching and teaching in 
 normal schools, colleges, and universities, the 
 authors have been continually impressed by the 
 need of sufficient material on this subject. 
 
 There is probably little in this volume that is 
 new to the experienced college player, but the 
 authors have attempted to analyze the game sci- 
 entifically and to present the material in a logical 
 way. 
 
 Men prominent in basket ball throughout the 
 country have contributed their thought to this 
 work, and it is a source of regret that many more 
 could not have been consulted. Appreciative ac- 
 knowledgment is due especially to Mr. Edward 
 Thorp, coach of the N. Y. U. championship team 
 of 1919-20-21 and prominent basket-ball official, 
 for reading the manuscript and checking over the
 
 vi PREFACE 
 
 diagrams; Mr. Ralph S. Patch, of the Plainfield 
 High School; Mr. Chauncy M. Stewart, for 
 three years Cornell 'Varsity forward; Dr. L. B. 
 Chenoweth, University of Cincinnati; Mr. W. D. 
 Hartshorne, Jr., of the Wardlaw School; the 
 basket-ball class of the summer of 1920, Colum- 
 bia University, who worked out situations pre- 
 sented in the diagrams; to those three members 
 who posed for the illustrations; and to many 
 other friends and critics whose suggestions and 
 help were so valuable to the authors.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PREFACE v 
 
 INTRODUCTION xi 
 
 PART I 
 
 CHAPTIK 
 
 I. How THE GAME Is PLAYED .... 3 
 
 PLAYING TERMS 5 
 
 II. HANDLING THE BALL 10 
 
 PASSING ii 
 
 CATCHING 19 
 
 DRIBBLING 21 
 
 III. SHOOTING 24 
 
 IV. HANDLING OF THE BODY 34 
 
 STARTING 34 
 
 STOPPING 36 
 
 JUMPING 37 
 
 PIVOTING 37 
 
 DODGING 39 
 
 PART II 
 
 V. POSITIONS 43 
 
 GUARD 43 
 
 FORWARD SO 
 
 CENTRE 53 
 
 vii
 
 viii CONTENTS 
 
 GIAVTBR *AE 
 
 VI. OFFENSE 57 
 
 SIGNALS 72 
 
 DIAGRAMS 75 
 
 VII. DEFENSE 131 
 
 PART III 
 
 VIII. THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING .... 145 
 
 IX. SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY . . . 189 
 
 PLAN OF TRAINING 189 
 
 SYSTEMATIC PRACTICE 192 
 
 DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEAM . . . 196 
 
 CONDITIONING 2O2 
 
 PICKING THE TEAM 2O7 
 
 INJURIES 212 
 
 X. ADMINISTRATION 222 
 
 CONCLUSION 230
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 MMM 
 
 1. Correct Guarding No Personal Contact . Frontispiece 
 
 FACING PAGE 
 
 2. Overhead Pass 14 
 
 3. Chest Pass 18 
 
 4. Side-Arm Pass 20 
 
 5. Start of the Underhand Pass 24 
 
 6. Finish of the Underhand Pass ...... 28 
 
 7. Start of the Overhand Pass 38 
 
 8. Finish of the Overhand Pass 44 
 
 9. Overarm or "Hook" Pass . 48 
 
 10. Position in Catching Ball Above Waist ... 52 
 
 11. Position in Catching Ball Below Waist ... 54 
 
 12. The Dribble Correct Position for Body and Ball 60 
 
 13. The Dribble Faulty Position for Hand and Ball 66 
 
 14. Foul Shooting Underhand Toss 72 
 
 15. Foul Shooting Chest Shot 132 
 
 16. Cross-Body Shot Back Overhead 136 
 
 17. Put or Placed Shot Coming in from Right . . 140 
 
 1 8. Put or Placed Shot Coming in from Front . . 160 
 
 19. Well Up in the Air 184 
 
 20. Two Positions Assumed in Jumping . . . . 192
 
 x ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 r i CUR i rxciwo FACE 
 
 21. The Start of the Pivot 198 
 
 22. Finish of the Pivot and Start of the Dribble . . 206 
 
 23. The Dodge Evading a Charging Guard . . . 218 
 
 24. Incorrect Guarding, Foul 228 
 
 DIAGRAMS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Diagram of a Basket Ball Court 2 
 
 Diagrams of Offense 1-56 75-130 
 
 Diagram of Defense 57 133 
 
 Diagram of Defense 58 135 
 
 Diagram of Defense 59 139 
 
 Diagram of Defense 60 141
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 OVER a period of some years I have spent 
 most of my leisure in games and sports. In these 
 activities I have had a variety of experiences, 
 and have learned many things that seem to me 
 very much worth while. 
 
 Sometimes I have played alone with only snow- 
 shoes as special equipment, or a fishing-rod, or a 
 dog for companion. Sometimes I have been one 
 of a group, a member of the team. Sometimes 
 I have been the organizer, the director back of 
 the play. 
 
 But, after all, the happiest memories of play 
 or sport are those of the men with whom I have 
 played. Both Mr. Wardlaw and Doctor Morrison 
 are in this retrospect of mine; I have played with 
 them many times. 
 
 And so when the opportunity to read the manu- 
 script and to write an introduction for their book 
 came to me, it was grasped eagerly, because I 
 felt that I could speak with assurance and con- 
 fidence, knowing more than the manuscript could 
 tell, or the professional athlete could pass upon. 
 
 As I look over the text, I am impressed with
 
 xii INTRODUCTION 
 
 the clear, definite, detailed analysis of confusing 
 points; but I am not surprised, because I have 
 seen the minds of these two men at work on similar 
 problems with similar results. As I note the 
 broad, tolerant attitude on moot questions, where 
 the judgments of others are just as good as the 
 authors' judgments, I recall the good sports- 
 manship evident in our many games together. 
 The book throughout has given me a cinema 
 view of our athletic battles on the courts. I see 
 the quick analysis of the problem involved, the 
 various hazards of the possible play, the decision 
 on the plan of attack, the carrying through to 
 the end. 
 
 In the professional field of physical education, 
 a book on the coaching of basket ball has been 
 needed particularly. Several attempts have been 
 made in the past. Famous players, men with 
 reputations of national significance, have written 
 on the playing of the game, but it has remained 
 for two teachers, who have gone through the 
 experience of teaching boys and college youths 
 the technic involved in the game, to analyze in 
 detail this technic, study and present the sub- 
 ject from the standpoint not only of its kine- 
 siology but also its physiology and psychology. 
 
 Athletics in America are passing through crit- 
 ical years. Professionalism, high specialization,
 
 INTRODUCTION xiii 
 
 and proselytism are cancerous growths in college 
 sport, which need the knife for cure. Some who 
 sense the danger are wont to advocate the Eng- 
 lish method of sport. They see values there, 
 but overlook the characteristics of the American 
 people. It seems rather that we must develop 
 our games, sports, and athletics in harmony with 
 our dominant national traits, and we must make 
 sure beyond chance that we utilize these ac- 
 tivities for the development of the finest and 
 best in health and character in the young men 
 of the nation. 
 
 A book such as this, which sets standards of 
 play, which tends to make the game uniform, 
 and thus leads to better understanding and better 
 play, which emphasizes the amateur and unpro- 
 fessional spirit, will contribute greatly to the 
 larger goal of basket ball the health and char- 
 acter of the American youth. 
 
 JESSE FEIRING WILLIAMS. 
 
 Teacher* College, February, 1921.
 
 PART I
 
 Right 
 Forward 
 
 2 feet 
 
 Center 
 Orelc 
 
 Center 
 
 feetradhM 
 
 Fre Throw 
 
 Right 
 1 Guard 
 
 Bod 
 
 MAORAM OP A BASKET BALI COURT 
 
 Line
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED 
 
 Basket ball for men is played by two teams of 
 five members each. The object of the game is to 
 score as many points as possible by tossing the 
 ball into the opponents' basket,* and at the same 
 time to prevent the other team from scoring. 
 
 The game is played on a rectangular court, ap- 
 proximately forty by seventy feet. These dimen- 
 sions may vary, however, according to the avail- 
 able space. The playing area is enclosed by well- 
 defined lines. The court is further marked off by 
 a circle in the centre and free-throw lines at both 
 ends. 
 
 Aside from the court the only other equipment 
 ncessary is a ball and two backboards, one for 
 each end of the floor. The ball is made of a rub- 
 ber bladder, enclosed in a leather case. The 
 backboards are four by six feet in size, and are 
 
 * In this work the authors refer to the basket into which a team 
 is throwing the ball as "opponents'" basket; the goal which the 
 team is defending as "ovrn" basket. Although contrary to the 
 definition in the "Official Rules," historical nomenclature and the 
 logic of the situation justify this stand. 
 
 3
 
 4 BASKET BALL 
 
 usually made of plate glass or of wood painted 
 white. The baskets are made of cord or other 
 soft material, and are suspended from metal 
 rings which are attached to the backboards. 
 
 The personnel of a team is composed of two 
 forwards, a centre, and two guards. The forwards 
 are primarily responsible for the scoring, the 
 guards for preventing the scoring of the opposing 
 team, while the duties of the centre may be either. 
 Under present systems of play any or all members 
 of the team may take part in the offense or defense. 
 
 The game is started by the referee, who tosses 
 the ball up between the two centres in the middle 
 of the floor. Each attempts to bat the ball to 
 one of his team-mates. The side securing it im- 
 mediately goes on the offense, and endeavors by 
 a series of passes or dribbles to advance the ball 
 near enough to the opponents' goal to make a 
 successful shot. The team failing to secure the 
 ball is compelled to fall back on the defense, where 
 it attempts to prevent the opponents from making 
 a basket, and at the same time tries to get pos- 
 session of the ball, after which it becomes the 
 attacking side. When a member of one team 
 causes the ball to go out of bounds, it is returned 
 into the court by a member of the opposing team, 
 who, bringing it to the point where it left the 
 court, may pass it in any direction to any one of
 
 HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED 5 
 
 his team-mates. Certain very definite rules and 
 regulations govern play. (See Spalding's "Official 
 Rules.") The player having possession of the ball 
 may neither run with it nor kick it, but must ad- 
 vance the ball by passing, dribbling, or shooting. 
 The player on defense may not tackle, trip, 
 shove, or use any method that is unnecessarily 
 rough, but must secure the ball by intercepting a 
 pass or taking it from an opponent without com- 
 ing in bodily contact with him. Violation of any 
 of the rules constitutes a foul. 
 
 When a basket is made from the field two points 
 are scored; when made from the foul-line in what 
 is known as a "free throw," one point. The actual 
 playing time consists of two twenty-minute halves. 
 For young boys four ten-minute quarters may be 
 used. The visiting team has choice of goals, 
 which are exchanged at the end of the first half. 
 The officials are a referee, an umpire, two time- 
 keepers, and two scorers. Their duties are ex- 
 plained in the official rules. 
 
 A summary of playing terms follows: 
 
 PLAYING TERMS 
 GOAL, WHEN MADE 
 
 SECTION I. A Goal is made when the ball en- 
 ters the basket from above and remains in or 
 passes through.
 
 6 BASKET BALL 
 
 PLAYER OUT OF BOUNDS 
 
 SEC. 2. Out of Bounds A player is out of 
 bounds when any part of his body touches the 
 boundary line or the floor outside of the boundary 
 line. 
 
 BALL OUT OF BOUNDS 
 
 The ball is out of bounds when any part of it 
 touches the boundary line, the floor outside the 
 boundary line, any object outside the boundary 
 line, or when it is touched by a player who is out 
 of bounds. 
 
 WHO CAUSES BALL TO GO OUT OF BOUNDS 
 
 The ball is caused to go out of bounds by the 
 last player touched by it before it crosses the line. 
 
 HELD BALL 
 
 SEC. 3. Held Ball is declared when two players 
 of opposing teams have one or both hands on the 
 ball, or when one closely guarded player is with- 
 holding the ball from play. 
 
 "TIME OUT" 
 
 SBC. 4. " Time Out" is declared whenever the 
 game can be legally stopped without the loss of 
 playing time.
 
 HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED 7 
 
 FOUL 
 
 SEC. 5. A Foul is a violation of a rule fot which 
 a free throw is allowed. 
 
 DEAD BALL 
 
 SEC. 6. The Ball is Dead and play shall cease 
 until the ball is put in play again in a manmr in- 
 dicated by the Referee: 
 
 a. When a goal is made. (Centre ball.) 
 
 b. When the ball goes out of bounds. 
 
 c. When held ball is declared. 
 
 d. When "time out" is declared. 
 
 e. When a foul is called. 
 
 /. After each of the two free throws following 
 a double foul. (Centre ball.) 
 
 g. At expiration of playing time. 
 
 k. When the ball lodges in the supports of the 
 basket. (Centre ball.) 
 
 t. After the first of two free throws following 
 two fouls on the same team. 
 
 y. After an illegal free throw. (Centre ball.) 
 
 RUNNING WITH BALL 
 
 SEC. 7. Running with the Ball is progressing 
 in any direction while retaining possession of the 
 ball. '
 
 8 BASKET BALL 
 
 DRIBBLING 
 
 SEC. 8. A Dribble is made by a player giving 
 impetus to the ball by throwing, batting, bouncing, 
 rolling, fumbling, or muffing it and touching it 
 again before it touches another player. The in- 
 stant the ball comes to rest in either one or both 
 hands or touches both hands simultaneously the 
 dribble ceases. 
 
 HOLDING 
 
 SEC. 9. Holding is personal contact with an 
 opponent that interferes with the opponent's free- 
 dom of movement. 
 
 BLOCKING 
 
 SEC. 10. Slocking is impeding the progress of 
 an opponent who has not the ball. 
 
 FREE THROW 
 
 SEC. II. A Free Throw for goal is the privilege 
 given a team to throw for goal from a position 
 directly behind the free-throw line. 
 
 DOUBLE FOUL 
 
 SEC. 12. A Double Foul is made by both teams 
 having fouls called against them simultaneously. 
 
 DELAYING GAME 
 
 SEC. 13. Delaying the Game is unnecessarily 
 interfering with the progress of the game by a 
 player.
 
 HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED 9 
 
 OWN GOAL* 
 
 SEC. 14. Own Goal is the basket for which a 
 team is throwing. 
 
 EXTRA PERIOD 
 
 SEC. 15. Extra Period is the five-minute exten- 
 sion of playing time necessary to break a tie score. 
 
 TECHNICAL FOUL 
 
 SEC. 1 6. Technical Foul is any foul not involv- 
 ing personal contact. 
 
 PERSONAL FOUL 
 
 SEC. 17. Personal Foul is holding, blocking, 
 tripping, pushing, charging, or committing any 
 other form of unnecessary roughness. 
 
 DISQUALIFYING FOUL 
 
 SEC. 1 8. Disqualifying Foul is rough play for 
 which a player is removed from the game. 
 
 * See footnote, page 3.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 HANDLING THE BALL 
 
 The most essential factor in successful basket 
 ball is the mastery of the fundamentals of the 
 mechanics of play, namely, the handling of the 
 ball and the body. In any game success or failure 
 is determined by the strength or weakness of the 
 human element. The most elaborate system of 
 offense or defense is invalidated when some one 
 fumbles the ball. In the following chapters, 
 under Part I, we shall discuss and elaborate on 
 the various ways of catching, passing, dribbling, 
 and shooting the ball; also the correct methods 
 of using the body in starting, stopping, jumping, 
 turning, pivoting, and dodging. A coach cannot 
 spend too much time on these fundamentals. 
 Skill, smoothness and speed, which are essential 
 to successful playing, are acquired not by elab- 
 orate strategy but by tireless practice of the pji- 
 mary elements of the game. An ill-timed pass, a 
 fumbled ball, the inability to pivot or make a 
 turn, the failure to make an easy shot may, at a 
 critical moment, destroy a hard-earned oppor*
 
 HANDLING THE BALL n 
 
 tunity and throw the advantage to the other 
 team. Although the apparatus used in basket 
 ball is simple, yet on account of the new and skil- 
 ful co-ordinations required there is, perhaps, no 
 other game where definite, scientific coaching 
 bears better results. 
 
 The movements or co-ordinations used in many 
 of the team games are natural ones. They are 
 inherent, and have been practised from infancy 
 by most boys. In basket ball, however, new 
 methods of handling the ball and the body have 
 to be worked out and developed. Skill in base- 
 ball, for example, is more easily acquired, because 
 the necessary co-ordinations have been to a large 
 extent developed before the boy comes under the 
 control of the coach. He has been throwing stones 
 or playing with a bat and ball from childhood. A 
 basket ball he has perhaps never seen, nor any 
 other object handled in a similar way. Such 
 movements as are required in making an over- 
 head pass or a chest shot are entirely new, and 
 skill can be acquired only through careful coach- 
 ing and constant practice. 
 
 PASSING 
 
 The ultimate aim of the offense is to throw the 
 ball into the opponents' basket; but before this 
 can be done the ball must be worked down the
 
 12 BASKET BALL 
 
 court to a position where a shot can be made. 
 This is done largely through passing. It is ob- 
 vious then that before a team can hope for suc- 
 cess it must be proficient in this part of the game. 
 It is seldom that one sees a winning team that 
 does not have good passing and good team-work, 
 while the most marked characteristic of the play- 
 ing of a losing team is usually poor passing. Pass- 
 ing is the element of play that will most constantly 
 demand the attention of the coach. It is vital 
 that he do not neglect it. Perfection in this de- 
 partment of the game is rarely attained, but the 
 more nearly a team comes to it the more likely 
 is it to win. The explanation of why teams lose 
 possession of the ball so often is in a large major- 
 ity of cases simply poor passing. 
 
 Kinds of Passes 
 
 Passes are made with two hands or one hand. 
 In general the short passes are made with two 
 hands, largely because they are more accurate. 
 For greater distance the one-hand pass is better, 
 because the ball can be thrown farther and with 
 greater force. Passing should be first taught 
 while the player is in a stationary position. After 
 proficiency is acquired it should be taught while 
 the players are in motion, simulating more nearly 
 the actual conditions of the game.
 
 HANDLING THE BALL 13 
 
 TWO-HANDED PASSES 
 
 Underhand. The first of the two-handed passes 
 is the natural one made from some low position 
 near the floor to left, right, or forward. This pass 
 may be made at any time, but is especially valu- 
 able when pivoting away from a guard. It may 
 be used in either of two ways: with a long, free, 
 underarm sweep, or by a mere snap of the wrists 
 and hands. 
 
 Overhead. (Fig. 2, facing page 14.) This 
 pass enables a team of tall players to take ad- 
 vantage of their height and pass the ball over 
 the heads of their shorter opponents. It may be 
 made either as a hard drive or an easy lob. The 
 latter is safe only for short distances. It is an 
 excellent pass to use in feinting. Because of the 
 sure grip on the ball the player is enabled to feint 
 in one direction and throw the ball in another. 
 
 Mechanics: In making this pass the ball is held 
 high overhead between the hands, fingers out- 
 spread, palms facing each other, and thumbs 
 nearly parallel behind the ball, while the elbows 
 are slightly bent to give better control. The ball is 
 thrown with a forearm and wrist movement. A 
 step forward gives greater driving power. 
 
 Chest. (Fig. 3, facing page 18.) The chest 
 pass is a sharp, snappy, two-handed pass made
 
 14 BASKET BALL 
 
 from a position in front of the chest. It is one 
 of the most popular and useful of all passes. It 
 can be made quickly because the ball is so often 
 caught in front of the body, and from there can 
 be got away, without further preparation, by a 
 wrist snap and extension of the forearm. 
 
 Mechanics: The ball is held chest high between 
 the hands, palms facing each other, fingers out- 
 spread, thumbs parallel and pointing upward, 
 and the elbows close to the body. If started 
 nearer the waist-line and brought up as the 
 arms are extended the pass is made with greater 
 force. 
 
 Sidearm. (Fig. 4, facing page 20.) The side- 
 arm pass is made from one side when the player 
 wishes to pass in the direction across his body. 
 It may also be used when passing forward if started 
 high above the shoulder. 
 
 Mechanics: The ball is held in both hands at 
 one side of the body, elbows partly flexed. If the 
 pass is made forward or to the left, the left hand 
 is on top of the ball and the right underneath it. 
 The reverse is true if the pass is made to the 
 right. A snap of the wrists with a slight fore- 
 arm action is used to drive the ball. A step 
 in the direction the pass is made gives greater 
 force.
 
 FIG. 2. OVERHEAD PASS PAGE 13.
 
 HANDLING THE BALL 15 
 
 PASSES ONE-HAND 
 
 UNDERHAND PASS. (Figs. 5 and 6, facing pages 
 24, 28.) The underhand pass is one of the easiest 
 methods of sending the ball from one player to 
 another. It follows a natural co-ordination of a 
 free underhand swing, and permits of great speed. 
 
 Mechanics: The ball is held, fingers outspread, 
 the arm hanging by the side. The hand and arm 
 are carried to the rear. The drive is made by 
 swinging the hand and arm to the front, and is 
 best followed through by a step forward with the 
 left foot. The swing of the arm in pitching an 
 indoor baseball, or in bowling ("tenpins"), is a 
 like motion. The pass may be varied, when the 
 arm in its forward movement is raised to the side. 
 
 Overhand. (Figs. 7, 8, facing pages 38, 44.) For 
 throwing the ball great distances the overhand pass 
 is best. It gives the greatest driving power because 
 it is done by a movement which every boy has 
 practised since he first threw a stone. It is the 
 combination of the peg of a catcher and first base- 
 man in baseball and the "shot put" in field 
 events. When thrown from directly above the 
 shoulder it should carry accurately for the full 
 length of the court, if such a pass is required. 
 In practising this pass, in order to acquire accu- 
 racy the ball must be handled slowly at first, be-
 
 16 BASKET BALL 
 
 cause, being large, it is not possible to grip it so 
 firmly as a baseball, for example. A slight turn 
 of the hand causes the ball to curve and nullifies 
 the pass. 
 
 Mechanics : The ball should rest in the hand, 
 fingers spread well apart. The hand is brought 
 backward until it is just behind and above the 
 right shoulder; body is turned toward the right. 
 With a stride forward with the left foot the right 
 shoulder turns to the front, the right elbow and 
 shoulder are extended, and the full force of the 
 turn and extension drives the ball. 
 
 Hook or Overarm. (Fig. 9, facing page 48.) 
 The overarm is generally made while the man is 
 in the air. It is valuable for short or long pass- 
 ing when the player is in motion, and carries the 
 advantage of being thrown with great force from 
 a position as high as the player can jump. It 
 also enables him to turn his opposite shoulder to 
 a guard coming toward him. 
 
 Mechanics: The pass may be made as follows: 
 The player with the ball has turned or pivoted 
 away from his guard. He is not in a position to 
 shoot, but wishes to make a pass to a team-mate 
 behind him. He takes one bounce, and upon the 
 recovery leaps high into the air, making a half- 
 turn to the left; carries the ball up and out at 
 right angles to his body; and whips it back over
 
 HANDLING THE BALL 17 
 
 his head to his team-mate. The mechanics of the 
 arm, wrist, and finger motions can be practised 
 from a stationary position under the following 
 directions: The body is turned to the right; the 
 ball in the right hand is carried far beyond the 
 right shoulder, arm straight, fingers outspread. 
 It is delivered by an upward swing of the arm and 
 shoulder to an arch position over the head, from 
 whence it is snapped by a wrist and finger motion 
 to the player for whom the pass is intended. The 
 fingers are a great help in giving the direction to 
 the ball. 
 
 The Bounce Pass. The bounce pass is used 
 when an air-line pass may be easily guarded. The 
 ball should be thrown so that it bounces at the 
 feet of the guard trying to intercept it. When 
 passed thus it is almost impossible to block with- 
 out kicking it. It also carries the element of 
 surprise to the opponents. 
 
 PASSING IN GENERAL 
 
 Basket ball is primarily a passing game. A 
 team may make a dozen passes before trying one 
 shot for basket. As a general rule the passing is 
 progressive toward the goal. Most passes are 
 made while players are in motion, but situations 
 constantly arise on a large floor when the man 
 with the ball is stationary, while his team-mates
 
 1 8 BASKET BALL 
 
 manoeuvre for positions nearer the goal. After 
 making his pass the player must advance through 
 his opponents' defense ready again to receive the 
 ball should it be passed to him. The long, low 
 passes are hardest to intercept, and a bounce pass 
 is very disconcerting to the opposite side. A ball 
 should never be thrown at a running player, but 
 rather just far enough in front of him so that he 
 and the ball reach the same place at the same 
 time. Such passes must not be too swift, but 
 rather carefully timed. A swift rifle-bullet pass 
 may be made to a team-mate in a given position, 
 but a lobbed shot just over the head of an oppo- 
 nent may sometimes accomplish better results. 
 The man who drives a ball at a team-mate com- 
 ing toward him is a menace to the team. Too 
 many broken fingers result from this affected 
 playing. There are times, especially in the play 
 in which the guard comes down and receives the 
 ball from his forward, that the pass is no more 
 than a gentle toss in the air. The onrushing 
 player can more easily catch it so. If it were 
 driven at him, or even passed toward him, the 
 chance for a fumble would be enhanced by the 
 speed of the ball against the speed of the player. 
 
 The ability to run down the floor passing back 
 and forth to a man by his side is of prime impor- 
 tance in basket ball. It should be practised con-
 
 FIG. 3. CHEST PASS. PAGE 13.
 
 HANDLING THE BALL 19 
 
 stantly with two men, then with three, and then 
 the whole team. Ability to pass a ball from the 
 position in which it is caught makes for smooth 
 playing. There are two elements in the passing 
 of a ball, the one of preparation, and the one of 
 delivery. The preparatory movement is the 
 longer, and if it can be eliminated the pass is 
 materially faster. For instance, if the ball is 
 caught above the head it may, if time permit, be 
 brought down and passed by an underhand, over- 
 hand, or chest shot; but to bring it into a position 
 where any of these passes can be made requires 
 preparatory motion; while if the ball is snapped 
 from the overhead position where it is caught, 
 by means of the overhead or the overhand pass, 
 the ball can be turned loose very quickly. A ball 
 caught in front of the chest can be passed instantly, 
 by either the chest or the sidearm pass. The 
 fewer motions a basket-ball player makes the 
 smoother and faster will be his play. 
 
 CATCHING 
 
 Good passing counts nothing if the ability to 
 receive the pass is lacking. Catching is just as 
 important as passing, and the one is the comple- 
 ment of the other. The principles of catching 
 are few and can be quickly taught, but only con- 
 tinual hard practice will produce results. First
 
 20 BASKET BALL 
 
 a man must learn to catch while standing still, 
 and then while in motion; and the latter case, of 
 course, predominates in a game. The ability to 
 catch a ball coming straight at him, a bounding 
 ball, or one in which he must leap into the air and 
 secure a ball coming from in back of him, is abso- 
 lutely necessary to every one on the team: to the 
 forwards and centre on offense, and to the centre 
 and guards in their attempts to intercept passes 
 on defense. 
 
 The mechanics are simple. To receive a ball 
 coming above the waist (Fig. 10, facing page 52), 
 a player should reach out in front, elbows slightly 
 bent, with fingers extended and pointed upward 
 and outward, palms front, with thumbs about 
 five inches apart. The wrists, elbows, and shoul- 
 ders should give a little in order to lessen the 
 force of the impact of the ball. 
 
 A ball coming below the waist should be taken 
 in the same manner (Fig. n, facing page 54), 
 but with the fingers pointed downward. A ball 
 bouncing close must be carefully played for fear 
 a broken finger may result. Perhaps it is best to 
 turn the fingers slightly backward and gently 
 sweep the hands forward when reaching down to 
 trap a bounding ball. When running down the 
 floor it is often necessary to leap into the air and 
 make a catch of a ball over the shoulder. This
 
 FIG. 4. SIDE-ARM PASS. PAGE 14.
 
 HANDLING THE BALL 21 
 
 may be done without turning the body from the 
 direction toward which the player is running by 
 allowing the ball to strike the palms of the out- 
 stretched hands. Sometimes in this running posi- 
 tion, if the ball is coming low, it is wise to turn 
 completely around, make the catch backed up 
 by the body, and then either pass again or, pivot- 
 ing, turn in a new direction, dribble, and go on. 
 But, after all, the only way to learn to catch is 
 to catch and keep on catching. 
 
 DRIBBLING 
 
 The dribble is a means of advancing the ball 
 when the player has a clear field ahead of him. 
 It is also used by a man when his team-mates are 
 covered and it is necessary for him to get into an 
 advantageous position to shoot. It is as spec- 
 tacular as a home run in baseball, but is entirely 
 individual, and tends, if constantly used, to 
 break up team-work and to encourage grand- 
 stand playing. 
 
 It seems too bad that so excellent a means of 
 teaching a man to handle, and get the feel of a 
 ball, should be the principal thing that must be 
 discouraged in the actual playing of the game. 
 In its place, however, it has great value, and a 
 strong coach should not hesitate to have his men 
 practise the dribble at length.
 
 22 BASKET BALL 
 
 Mechanics: The dribble is a succession of one- 
 hand bounces, in which either one or alternate 
 hands are used. The ball should be started from 
 about the waist-line and never allowed to rise 
 above it (Fig. 12, facing page 60). 
 
 In starting the dribble some players make the 
 mistake of raising the ball too high for the initial 
 motion (Fig. 13, facing page 66). This is wrong 
 for several reasons. First, it takes too long a 
 time; second, the ball is brought up to a point 
 where it interferes with the line of vision; and, 
 third, it is easy to block. The ball is pushed, not 
 slapped. As it rises after the bound the hand 
 comes up with it, and it is then pushed down again. 
 The ball must never be allowed to bounce so high 
 that it interferes with the line of vision, and it is 
 played so that it is always in front of the dribbler. 
 He, by bending toward the bounce, as it were, 
 keeps the ball under his hand, and so more easily 
 controls it. The dribbler should not run in such 
 a way that his feet follow in line. Rather, his 
 gait should be such that his feet are far enough 
 apart, and his weight so balanced that he can 
 shift either foot as it becomes necessary to dodge 
 an opponent in the rush down the floor. The 
 dodge is made in either of two ways. In the 
 first the dodge to the left is made by stepping to 
 that side with the left foot, or at least bearing
 
 HANDLING THE BALL 23 
 
 rather abruptly in that direction. If this is done 
 the dribbling hand should be the left just as the 
 dribbler passes the opponent, so as to keep the 
 ball as far away from him as possible. At best 
 this is hard. The better dodge would be if the 
 intent is to go to the left, to swing the right foot 
 over and beyond the left, and to make a quarter- 
 turn to that side. This throws the right shoulder 
 and hip toward the man guarding, and gives him 
 comparatively little opportunity to make a play 
 on the ball. The danger is here that the dribbler 
 will be forced to turn more than one-quarter 
 around in order to maintain his balance. In so 
 doing he may lose the ball, or at least be forced 
 to change his direction. This is the opportunity 
 to pass to a team-mate, who should be following 
 near. If the pass is made the dribbler reverses 
 his turn, runs forward and is ready to receive the 
 pass again, now much nearer the goal. In prac- 
 tising the dribble one should begin slowly, and 
 gradually increase the rapidity of his bounces 
 until he is able to go at top speed down the floor.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 SHOOTING 
 
 As the ability to bat in baseball is the prime 
 requisite of offensive play, without which no runs 
 can be scored, no matter how well a ball-player 
 may catch or throw, so in basket ball all the 
 ability in the world in catching, passing, and drib- 
 bling will not score a point unless at least some 
 of the team can shoot baskets successfully. Orig- 
 inally the idea was to have the forwards do most 
 of the scoring, and the tradition still remains, 
 though now we expect of our back-court players 
 many a basket, and the boast of a good guard 
 often is that he has scored more goals than his 
 forward. 
 
 The art of shooting is distinctly a comparatively 
 new bodily co-ordination, never practised before 
 by American youth, and, although it is daily be- 
 coming familiar even to the boys of the elemen- 
 tary school, yet there are many great helps in 
 teaching which will make easier this so vital part 
 of the game. 
 
 There are two ways of shooting for the basket 
 one in which it is the idea of the player to drop 
 
 24
 
 FIG. 5. START OF THE UNDERHAND PASS PAGE 15
 
 SHOOTING 25 
 
 the ball over the basket's rim, with no thought 
 of the backboard or bank, and the other in which 
 the bank is taken into consideration and is used 
 as an aid, by deflecting the ball into the goal. 
 
 A safe rule to follow in this respect is to make 
 as many shots free as is possible, because the 
 basket is the ultimate aim, the bank only the 
 means to an end. Always from in front of the 
 basket, from the extreme side, or from any posi- 
 tion more than fifteen feet away the shot should be 
 free. From any point under or near the basket 
 at either side the ball may advantageously be 
 made to carrom off the bank. In the long shots 
 with the thought of only the basket in mind, the 
 player can shoot with a certain assurance that if 
 he misses the basket and shoots beyond, the bank 
 may help deflect the ball into the goal. All shots 
 except close ones in which the bank is used should 
 be made with a very high loop. The ball which 
 enters the basket from overhead has a full circle 
 in which to drop, whereas the long low shot will 
 have but an ellipse, if indeed it even clears the 
 rim. In both bank and free shooting the shots 
 may be made with one or two hands. For be- 
 ginners shooting may best be practised from a 
 standing position, but when a fair degree of effi- 
 ciency is reached, play conditions should be used 
 and the goals thrown while the player is in motion.
 
 26 BASKET BALL 
 
 It is not force that counts in basket-shooting, yet 
 often a player running down the floor will make his 
 shot so hard that striking the bank it will bound 
 back into the court behind him, and thus his 
 follow up will be lost. There are many shots 
 which call for a deftness of touch and a nicety 
 of judgment such as would be used in baseball 
 when bunting the ball. 
 
 The matter of following up a shot is extremely 
 important, but it depends somewhat upon the 
 style of offensive play the particular team adopts. 
 Some coaches have the man who makes the shot 
 drop back and another man run in and follow up, 
 while others have a man follow up his own shots 
 even to the third or fourth opportunity. The 
 writers recall one play in a college game in which 
 a noted guard followed up his shot four times, 
 and caged a basket on the fourth attempt. What- 
 ever the style of play, the "follow up" is an excel- 
 lent means of exercising judgment and practising 
 the recovery of a loose ball. Many times by a 
 spring into the air a missed shot may be tapped 
 or batted into the goal before it has a chance to 
 fall to the floor. But here again opinions vary, 
 some coaches feeling that this is conducive to 
 loose playing and therefore to be discouraged. 
 In basket-shooting as in every department of 
 play there may be differences of opinion, as to
 
 SHOOTING 27 
 
 methods and technic, but if the fundamental 
 principles are studied closely and practised as- 
 siduously, the improved work of a player will 
 repay many times the effort spent. 
 
 SHOTS Two HANDS 
 
 Underhand. (Fig. 14, facing page 72.) The 
 natural way an inexperienced player shoots for 
 the basket is by the underhand shot, the one in 
 which the ball is simply tossed up from an under- 
 hand position. Because this is the natural method 
 it has been studied and improved so that now it 
 is very generally used for that most important 
 part of scoring, viz., foul shooting. The shot is 
 also used from various parts of the floor and may 
 be made with great accuracy. It is not made as 
 frequently from the floor, however, as some of 
 the other shots, because it is difficult to execute 
 while running, and is rather easily blocked. 
 
 Mechanics: The ball is grasped in the palms, 
 fingers outspread on either side, the little fingers 
 slightly underneath, the elbows somewhat bent. 
 With eyes on the basket and the body inclined 
 somewhat forward, the arms are lowered between 
 bent knees. An easy toss which co-ordinates the 
 trunk, arm, and leg movements completes the 
 shot, and as the ball leaves the hands the body 
 is extended and the weight forward. In the
 
 28 BASKET BALL 
 
 preparatory movement, too far forward a position 
 of the body should be avoided, and throughout, 
 the eyes must be on the goal. 
 
 Chest. (Fig. 15, facing page 132.) The com- 
 plement to the underhand shot is the chest shot. 
 This is a shot employing the mechanics of pushing 
 rather than swinging. It has several advantages 
 over the underhand style. First, because it is 
 started nearer the line of vision and followed 
 through closer to the basket, it is more accurate; 
 second, because it is started higher and pushed 
 upward, it is more difficult to guard. The com- 
 mon error in learning this shot is to hold the ball 
 as a half-back runs with it in football, that is, at 
 both poles, grasped only by the thumb and fingers. 
 This has a tendency to throw the elbows out and 
 make the motive power rather the snap of the 
 wrists than the extension of the wrists, elbows, 
 shoulders, etc. A more direct push can be given 
 the ball if it is held between the palms chest high, 
 fingers outspread, thumbs parallel and in back 
 about five inches apart. The elbows are in close 
 to the body, the body is crouched slightly and 
 inclined forward, the feet may be together or one 
 foot in front. The arms are extended, and the 
 ball is shot without a twisting motion. The body 
 becomes erect as the shot is delivered, and a step 
 or spring forward may be made. The lower down
 
 FIG. 6. FINISH OF THE UNDERHAND PASS PAGE 15.
 
 SHOOTING 29 
 
 the shot is started the more power can be put 
 into the throw, and the ball is often shot fifty or 
 sixty feet by this method. The ball travels to 
 the basket describing a high loop, and is some- 
 times called the "loop shot," but as we have said 
 before the principle of the high loop applies prac- 
 tically to all shots. Much practice is needed to 
 perfect the chest shot, because the co-ordinations 
 are difficult; yet because it is almost the basic 
 shot of the game too much time cannot be spent 
 upon it. 
 
 The last of the two-handed shots is made when 
 the player receives the ball coming in toward the 
 basket from the right, and too late to make a 
 play on the near side. In order to avoid "prog- 
 ress" it may be necessary to take one bounce 
 before the shot; when this is done, and the man 
 is on the left of the goal with his back turned 
 toward it he makes a quarter-turn to the right, 
 looks up over his right shoulder, and with a long 
 underhand motion sweeps the ball up and back 
 so that it carroms off the backboard into the goal 
 (Fig. 1 6, facing page 136). There is a variation 
 of this shot which may be used when the player 
 shooting is closely guarded, and cannot hold the 
 ball out in front for the full arm sweep. The 
 shot is then made from the "chest shot" position, 
 by the player bringing the ball to the chest, mak-
 
 30 BASKET BALL 
 
 ing a half-turn to the right as he springs into 
 the air, and pushing the ball up and back to the 
 backboard and the goal. In this shot the ball 
 glances off the bank at a sharp angle. In the full 
 underhand sweep it rolls on the bank and down 
 into the basket. Both shots are made while run- 
 ning, but the chest push is accompanied by a 
 spring and half-turn. This throws the back, 
 shoulder, and hip into the guard following. 
 
 SHOTS ONE HAND 
 
 There are three one-hand shots worthy of note 
 they all admit of variations. The most pop- 
 ular at the present time is what we may call the 
 "put" shot. The situation in which it might 
 occur is as follows: A player is coming down the 
 right side of the court, either dribbling or receiv- 
 ing a pass. When within striking distance of the 
 goal he attempts his shot. Because a guard is ap- 
 proaching from the left he has no time to pause. 
 Consequently the shot must be got off quickly, 
 and from his right side, where it cannot be inter- 
 cepted. The ball is carried in the right hand to 
 the shoulder, where it is lifted up and over his 
 head to the left, describing a full circle on its way 
 to the goal. The shot is made without "English" 
 or spin, and should descend with as little force as 
 possible upon the basket. To gain greater height
 
 SHOOTING 31 
 
 and further forestall the possibility of blocking, 
 the player, as he shoots, may leap into the air. 
 Some players acquire great accuracy and skill in 
 making this shot. 
 
 The second one-hand shot is made by a player 
 coming in from the right front to the near side 
 of the basket (Fig. 17, facing page 140). He de- 
 sires to get closer to the goal so that his shot will 
 be more sure. There is no guard between him 
 and the basket. He receives the ball, takes one 
 bounce, leaps high into the air, and with a rotary 
 motion of the hand from the right to the left, 
 so as to impart a right-to-left spin to the ball, he 
 rolls the ball off the bank into the goal. 
 
 There are two variations of this play: One in 
 which his approach is the same but in which he 
 leaps high enough so that the ball may be gently 
 placed over the rim (Fig. 18, facing page 160); and 
 another in which he approaches the basket either 
 from in front or from the left front. In either of 
 these cases the bounce and leap are the same, 
 but the ball, instead of rolling off over the little 
 finger, is rolled off the tips of the fingers as the 
 palm is upraised. The slight over English twirl 
 which this position permits often causes the ball, 
 if it strikes the rim, to roll over into the goal. 
 These also are lightly placed shots, and require 
 much skill.
 
 32 BASKET BALL 
 
 A shot frequently used when coming in from 
 the left side is made as follows: The player has 
 received a pass too close to shoot from the near 
 side. He takes one bounce if necessary, under 
 the basket, so that it brings him into position on 
 the far side. With a leap and half-turn to the 
 left he swings the ball up, simultaneously carry- 
 ing the palm of the hand around to the left from 
 a position in which it is toward the player to one 
 in which it faces the backboard, and with the 
 "spin" thus imparted to the ball he rolls it into 
 the goal (Fig. 19, facing page 184). This shot 
 may also be made by simply putting the ball 
 without the spin against the backboard. 
 
 These are the basic shots in basket ball. Varia- 
 tions of them occur as it becomes necessary to 
 shoot from unusual positions and when closely 
 guarded. The game permits of few pauses or set 
 shots, and even when a player has an oppor- 
 tunity to make one it frequently goes wide of the 
 mark. Sometimes we see a loose forward receive 
 a long pass down near the goal. With all the time 
 he wishes he sets himself, shoots and misses. 
 The spectators cannot understand why a usually 
 good forward has so failed. It is generally be- 
 cause his co-ordination has been changed from a 
 shot made while in motion (the prevailing ones in 
 the game) to one in which he is standing sril! a
 
 SHOOTING 33 
 
 comparatively strange position. So does a fielder 
 in baseball miss the easy roller. The crowd says, 
 "Too easy," but the strange co-ordination is to 
 blame. By constantly keeping his eyes on the 
 basket a player in time comes to sense its location, 
 and can turn in the air and locate the goal almost 
 instinctively. But it is not instinct which guides 
 so much as experience and long practice in this 
 fascinating part of the game.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 HANDLING OF THE BODY 
 
 Thus far we have discussed the elements of 
 basket ball from the standpoint of the handling 
 of the ball in passing and catching, and shooting 
 baskets. The third factor in developing individual 
 ability is the study of the mechanics of body 
 movements. Basket ball is so essentially a game 
 of motion that the consideration and analysis of 
 motion is vital to successful play. The ability 
 to start quickly, to stop suddenly, to outjump an 
 opponent, to dodge or pivot away from him, and 
 then again to guard him, if he has the ball, and 
 to take it away, are all more or less natural move- 
 ments; but because so natural, are little under- 
 stood, and consequently little heeded, especially 
 in work with younger boys. Yet there are few 
 players whose work cannot be improved by a 
 study and an understanding of the way these 
 things are done. To analyze is to simplify, and 
 to simplify is to clarify and improve. 
 
 STARTING 
 
 The ability to start quickly depends upon a 
 condition of readiness not only of body but of 
 
 34
 
 HANDLING OF THE BODY 35 
 
 * 
 
 mind. The player must be alert of mind, with a 
 body well balanced. Balance is maintained by a 
 position in which the feet are planted firmly upon 
 the floor in a stride position with enough pres- 
 sure upon the balls of the feet or the toes to 
 enable him to start forward, backward, or to the 
 side with the least possible waste of time. The 
 basket-ball player never is sure in what direction 
 he will be called upon to run, so the crouching 
 start of a sprinter is of no value. A player may 
 expect to run forward, but a poor pass or the 
 successful jump of an opposing centre may give 
 the ball to the other side, and an immediate run 
 backward or to the side-lines be demanded. It is 
 generally wise, particularly on the "tap-off," for a 
 forward to manoeuvre to outwit his guard, but he 
 must never be caught flat-footed, and so left at a 
 disadvantage. One reason for fumbling is that a 
 player is set in a certain position to receive a ball, 
 and then for some reason or other, such as a poor 
 pass, he is compelled to change that position in 
 order to catch it, a condition which, on account 
 of being poorly balanced, he is unable to meet. 
 While not literally upon his toes, yet figuratively 
 he should be, and from this balanced position is 
 ready upon call to start quickly for any place on 
 the floor.
 
 36 BASKET BALL 
 
 STOPPING 
 
 Ability to stop and turn quickly is just as im- 
 portant as ability to start quickly, and to a large 
 extent this depends on the shoes. Many floors 
 are slippery, and so basket-ball shoes are made 
 with large spongy suction soles. They are made 
 so for two purposes: First, because they are 
 easier on the feet, and, secondly, because they 
 afford greater clinging power than the thin rubber- 
 soled sneak. When two feet are planted firmly 
 at the same time the player is brought to a sud- 
 den stop. The jump which plants the feet should 
 be made with a half-turn to the side so that the 
 player lands in a stride position, with feet at right 
 angles to the direction in which he was running. 
 The pushing-back effect of the forward foot is 
 then taken advantage of, and the balance main- 
 tained by the firm planting of the other. Com- 
 pare the position assumed by the ice-skater when 
 he desires to stop suddenly. The attempt to 
 stop while facing forward is awkward, inasmuch 
 as the player has a tendency to fall forward upon 
 his face, necessitating further steps. As the front 
 foot is slapped down on the half-turn jump there 
 is some danger of a snapped ankle, so coaches 
 must watch well the feet of their teams and 
 strengthen weak ankles by a brace or tape.
 
 HANDLING OF THE BODY 37 
 
 JUMPING 
 
 The principal elements in the jump are a com- 
 bination of catching at the right time and spring- 
 ing high from the bent knees. The first is a mat- 
 ter of judgment and experience, the second of 
 much practice. Some officials throw the ball up 
 very quickly, others are deliberate and slow. 
 Study of the referee will aid in outjumping an 
 opponent. Being ready in the circle or any part 
 of the floor where the jump is to be made will 
 help much. A fraction of a second gained in 
 preparation may give a decided advantage. If 
 his opponent has any peculiarities of style or any 
 weaknesses, a player should try to find them. If 
 he is slow he can be caught napping on his prepa- 
 ration. Many players crouch too much in making 
 the jump. It takes too long to get up, and they 
 sacrifice judgment of time to height of spring. 
 Others jump from a position in which the knees 
 are not bent enough. This is the other extreme, 
 and is the more common. Two positions are 
 shown in Fig. 20, facing page 192. 
 
 PIVOTING 
 
 The pivot is a means of evading a charging 
 guard, making it possible for a player to turn in 
 another direction without breaking the "foot- 
 
 .7162
 
 3 BASKET BALL 
 
 position" rule.* The turn, usually from 45 to 
 1 80 degrees, is made upon one foot; the other 
 foot is placed after the turn is completed. The 
 pivot to the left must be taken upon the right 
 foot; the right knee is slightly bent; as the pivot 
 or turn is made the left leg is raised sideward, so 
 when the foot is placed it will give a wide base 
 and consequent balance; the left foot is placed 
 sideward or backward in the direction toward 
 which the player passes or dribbles the ball. The 
 pivot may be taken on the ball or heel of the foot, 
 but the foot must remain in place. 
 
 The pivot is an excellent means of getting into 
 a position to pass, dribble, or shoot. When cov- 
 ered in front a player uses the pivot to evade the 
 guard, i. e., place the guard behind him or off 
 at the side (see Figs. 21 and 22, facing pages 198, 
 206). Here A is attempting to take the ball from B> 
 who pivots to left, throwing his shoulder and hip 
 toward A, and then starts off in a new direction. 
 The turn may be made to either side, and may be 
 to the extent of a quarter, a half, or a full turn. 
 In any case the player has evaded his guard and, 
 as in the illustration, has been able to dribble out 
 of his way. 
 
 * See Basket Ball and Indoor Btttkall for fTomfn, by Frost and 
 W.rtil.w.
 
 FIG. 7. START OF THE OVERHAND PASS. PAGE 15.
 
 HANDLING OF THE BODY 39 
 
 DODGING 
 
 There are three kinds of dodges, depending 
 upon three different situations. A dodge may be 
 simply a side-step to the right or left of a charg- 
 ing guard. Again it may be the dodging, while 
 dribbling, of a guard trying to block; and last it 
 may be in making a pass, by feinting on one side, 
 swinging the arm and body over, and passing on 
 the other. The first occurs when a player who 
 has received the ball finds the guard rushing upon 
 him. He makes a long side-stride to the right or 
 left, keeping one foot in position, bends his body 
 low, and lets his guard run past him. This is 
 generally practised while making a shot at the 
 basket (see Fig. 23, facing page 218). 
 
 In using the second dodge the player is drib- 
 bling down the floor; an opponent attempts to 
 block. The dribbler passes him to the left by 
 planting his left foot down and crossing the right 
 leg over and ahead of the other. This throws the 
 shoulder and hip into the opponent and leaves 
 him on one side. (If the dodge is made by step- 
 ping over on the left foot first, the dribbler gains 
 no advantage, as his position, relative to the 
 blocker, is approximately the same; see "The 
 Dribble," page 21). 
 
 After eluding a guard by dodging in this way
 
 40 BASKET BALL 
 
 it is very difficult to avoid a half-turn. At this 
 point it may be well to shift the ball from the 
 right to the left hand, or to pass it to some team- 
 mate either a man trailing the dribbler or one 
 of the players nearer the objective goal. Only 
 long practice will enable the dribbler to dodge 
 successfully. 
 
 The third type of dodge is made in connection 
 with a feint to throw the ball in one direction and 
 actually throwing it in another. The man mak- 
 ing the pass may feint, by any of the two-handed 
 passes, to throw to the right. He retains his 
 grip on the ball, however, and makes his actual 
 pass to the left. He then steps past his guard on 
 either side, ready to receive the ball again. He 
 may, instead of passing the ball, carry it forward 
 on his second motion thereby starting a dribble. 
 His step is across his opponent's foot, and at the 
 same time he makes the first bounce of the drib- 
 ble. Clever dodging depends upon the shifting 
 of the weight upon the feet, and this again is a 
 question of maintaining balance. The footwork 
 of a good boxer will furnish an example.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 POSITIONS 
 THE GUARD 
 
 As the name suggests, the man playing guard 
 on the team protects and defends his team's goal 
 or basket. His primary duty is to prevent the 
 opposing team from scoring. He tries to keep 
 the ball entirely out of his end of the court, and 
 especially from any position near enough for the 
 opponents to make a successful shot. 
 
 Although the guard's first duty is to defend his 
 goal, it does not mean that all he has to do is to 
 stay in his end of the floor and be ready to attack 
 an opponent whenever his goal is menaced. That 
 is sufficient, at times, to keep him busy; but how- 
 ever much engaged he may be at such times, he 
 must be willing and ready to do more the instant 
 his team gains possession of the ball and starts 
 an offensive of its own. He must help get the 
 ball out of his own territory and away from his 
 own goal, and perhaps even help take it all the 
 way down the floor. In the beginning when 
 basket ball was first played, it was thought neces- 
 sary to keep the guards down in their own end of 
 
 43
 
 44 BASKET BALL 
 
 the floor, and the responsibility for scoring was 
 entirely that of the centre and forwards. This 
 is quite different from the modern conception of 
 the part the guard should play in a game. To-day 
 the guard is expected, in addition to being the 
 main defense, to take an active part in all offen- 
 sive operations of his team. On many teams one 
 of the guards at least is expected to score several 
 points during the game, and it is not uncommon 
 to find the most dangerous man on a team, from 
 the standpoint of scoring, to be a guard. We 
 believe this to be the right idea of the responsibili- 
 ties of a guard. He should, in addition to his 
 other duties, take a prominent part in the pass- 
 ing, team-work, and scoring of his team. In 
 doing this the guard is only carrying out the idea 
 that "the best defense is a good offense." In 
 this change whereby the guard has become a 
 more prominent factor in scoring, the centre and 
 forwards have, to a certain extent, relieved him 
 of the entire responsibility of guarding or defense. 
 With this understanding regarding the guard 
 his importance becomes obvious at once. It is 
 very essential that the team has a couple of good, 
 reliable men back under its own goal who are 
 able to break down any offensive that the oppos- 
 ing team may start. Once a team gets under 
 way and begins to roll up the score, it is very hard
 
 FIG. 8. FINISH OF THE OVERHAND PASS. PAGE la.
 
 POSITIONS 45 
 
 to stop. Such a start or advantage may be 
 stopped before it has acquired any great momen- 
 tum, if the guards are keen and awake to every 
 situation. The guard has a better opportunity 
 to observe the game and to discover the methods 
 of the opposing team than any other player. He 
 often finds himself standing in the middle or at 
 his end of the floor watching the forwards and 
 centre playing the ball under their opponents* 
 basket, and he should take advantage of this op- 
 portunity and assume the responsibility of advis- 
 ing and directing the other players. A guard 
 should not feel that he should be continually on 
 the run in order to be playing a good game. If 
 the ball is being kept in the opponents' end of the 
 floor, and the other men on his team are making 
 an occasional basket, the guard should be content 
 and satisfied to stay where he is. The object of 
 keeping the opponents from shooting is being ac- 
 complished, and there is nothing to be gained by 
 deserting his post. 
 
 In order to meet the qualifications of this posi- 
 tion the guard should be keen, wide awake, ag- 
 gressive, and have a spirit that will enable him 
 to play for all he is worth right up through the 
 last minute of the game. Things happen too fast 
 in basket ball for the man who cannot think 
 quickly, and it is too strenuous for any one who
 
 46 BASKET BALL 
 
 gives up easily, or who is not willing to work as 
 hard as he can all through the game. Basket ball 
 is a man's game, and it requires all the qualities 
 of the finest kind of a man to play it. The guard 
 should have the spirit that carried the late John 
 L. Sullivan to so many victories. It is said that 
 before every battle this great fighter and most 
 popular champion of the ring would look at his 
 opponent as if to say, "What right have you even 
 to get into the same ring with me ? " and then 
 proceed to make his opponent wish he had 
 never seen either the champion or the ring. The 
 methods, to be sure, should be different, but there 
 is need for that same spirit of determination. 
 The guard should be a large man, fast on his feet 
 and a good shot. "A good big man is always bet- 
 ter than a good little man." This is true in all 
 branches of athletics. The smaller man is some- 
 times faster, but he is at a great handicap play- 
 ing guard. It is an important factor in the suc- 
 cess of the team to have a couple of big guards 
 who, on account of their size, are able to inter- 
 cept a large number of passes, and make follow-up 
 shots and team-play of their opponents practically 
 impossible. 
 
 In coaching a guard he should first be taught 
 to guard his man and not to worry about anything 
 else. He should learn to guard and do it well.
 
 POSITIONS 47 
 
 As he becomes more experienced he should learn 
 to break away when his team secures the ball, 
 and make his forward pursue him. The principle 
 to follow is to first see that the work of guarding 
 is well taken care of, and engage in the other 
 phases of team-work only as the player has time, 
 energy, and ability to do it after the purely de- 
 fensive work is done. How much the guard will 
 cover any particular opponent will depend, of 
 course, on the type of defense used. It always 
 worries a forward if he is closely guarded. By 
 that we mean making it very difficult for him to 
 receive a pass, and just as hard for him to make a 
 pass or shot after he has once got his hands on 
 the ball. When the forward has the ball it is not 
 enough just to prevent his shooting at the basket. 
 He should be guarded so closely and pressed so 
 hard that he cannot pass the ball, and if he tries 
 it, the pass will be bad. Again, it is just as an- 
 noying to the forward if he knows that as soon as 
 his team loses the bail he must follow his guard 
 closely. The guard should try to make his man 
 feel that way, and even if he plans no offensive 
 move he should feign one. 
 
 In plays from centre, if the signal is for the 
 guard to receive the ball, he must leave his for- 
 ward; otherwise he should try to prevent him 
 from getting it. To do this it may be necessary
 
 48 BASKET BALL 
 
 for the guard to take his eye momentarily off the 
 ball. But he should break up any play to his 
 forward and, if the latter be successful in getting 
 the ball, make it impossible for him to pass it. 
 A good position in which to watch the forward 
 is a little inside and to the rear of him. The 
 guard should try to prevent his man from getting 
 inside and between him and the goal. In rushing 
 toward an opponent the guard should have good 
 control of his movements, and be ready to stop 
 and go in any direction. This will make it im- 
 possible for the man with the ball to dodge and 
 elude him. A common mistake of guards is to 
 rush at their man too fast. All players should be 
 ready for the many unexpected things that hap- 
 pen in basket ball. A man should not get set to 
 receive a pass at a certain place and in a certain 
 way until he sees the ball coming. If he does 
 and the pass is bad, or he has to change his plans, 
 he is apt to do the thing awkwardly and lose his 
 balance. A player should have such control of 
 himself that he can go or move in any direction 
 at any time. 
 
 A problem that a guard often has to solve is 
 how to guard two opponents as they approach his 
 goal ready to try for a basket. No definite state- 
 ment can be made regarding the matter, as his 
 action varies according to the type of defense
 
 FIG. 9. OVERARM OR "HOOK" PASS. PAGE 1G.
 
 POSITIONS 49 
 
 being used, how close the men are to the basket, 
 and so on. If the guard is close to the man with 
 the ball and he thinks he can reach him before he 
 can make a pass, the guard should take a chance 
 and rush his opponent. If the chances are that 
 a pass will be made to the other man, the guard 
 should try to prevent the first man from shooting 
 and at the same time be ready to cover the second 
 man. In this way the guard may be able to 
 delay the shot until his team-mates come to his 
 assistance. Under any circumstances the guard 
 should remember that his first responsibility is to 
 prevent his own man from scoring. 
 
 The two guards should learn to work together, 
 so that while one of them is going at least part 
 of the way down the floor the other will always 
 be back as a last defense of his goal. The ideal 
 combination is one where both are good shots 
 and of value on the offense. Usually, however, 
 one is better than the other, and comes down 
 the floor more often than his team-mate. After 
 coming in and taking a shot it is usually best 
 for the guard to hurry back to his defensive 
 position. 
 
 While the guard should play hard and be very 
 aggressive, he should live strictly up to the rules. 
 There are many little tricks, such as holding his 
 opponent's wrist, stepping on his toes, taking hold
 
 50 BASKET BALL 
 
 of some part of his clothing, which the guard may 
 be able to do and not be seen by the officials, but 
 all such procedures are to be condemned. If a 
 man cannot be a gentleman and play not only 
 according to the letter but also the spirit of the 
 game, he should not play at all. This applies to 
 the other players as well as to the guard. 
 
 FORWARD 
 
 A good forward must be possessed of at least 
 three qualities: ability to shoot, craftiness or bas- 
 ket-ball intelligence, and speed. Unless he is able 
 to shoot, craft and speed are wasted. Without 
 craft he can never outwit his guard, and without 
 speed he is unable to take advantage of the open- 
 ing his craftiness makes for him. The three quali- 
 ties are necessarily interwoven, and the lack of 
 any one nullifies the advantages of the others. 
 To these we might add aggressiveness, except that 
 such a quality is presupposed in every basket- 
 ball player. It is a fighting game, and the for- 
 wards are in the front line of the attack. 
 
 In the chapter on "Shooting" we have dis- 
 cussed fully various kinds of shots, and the prac- 
 tice of these shots in the order given should 
 develop shooting ability. It is well to know, how- 
 ever, a few fundamentals which pertain partic- 
 ularly to the forward's shooting. A forward must
 
 POSITIONS 51 
 
 be able to shoot from any position in which he 
 finds himself. His are very rarely the set shots 
 with plenty of time to aim that the guard has. 
 He has no time to aim and shoot. The ball must 
 be tossed from the point at which he receives it; 
 sometimes a mere tap up to the goal as it conies 
 toward him is all he can do. He is generally run- 
 ning at full speed when the ball is passed to him. 
 Even the short delay of a bounce may be denied 
 him. He may be surrounded by opponents, but 
 he must come out of the mlee with an upward 
 sweep of his arms or a snap of his wrist which will 
 send the ball up to the goal. There must be a 
 sensing of the position of the basket, for often he 
 will not have time even to look for it. Of course 
 this ability to locate the basket comes only after 
 long experience, but as a result of constant and 
 hard practice it is a rich reward. 
 
 Basket-ball intelligence, particularly as applied 
 to the "Forward," might be termed knowledge of 
 the strategy of the game, and a craftiness or shifti- 
 ness that makes it possible to take full advantage 
 of that knowledge. A forward should never be 
 still. At the "tap-off" he must be constantly 
 manoeuvring either to reach the ball before his 
 guard or else to lose his opponent and gain a 
 position down near the goal. 
 
 It is his business to get free whenever the ball
 
 52 BASKET BALL 
 
 comes into possession of his team. He must be 
 ever on the alert to dash into the unoccupied sec- 
 tion of the floor ready to receive the pass made to 
 him, or to the spot where he is expected to be. 
 If the ball passes to the other side, then the situa- 
 tion is reversed. The forward falls back on de- 
 fense and according to the system used plays 
 temporarily a guarding game. If it is a "man-to- 
 man" defense, he must see that his guard does 
 not score, or even succeed in taking a pass. If 
 it is a "five-man" defense, he picks the man who 
 comes through on his side. With two guards 
 back he may even let his own man go through if 
 that man is the first or second to do so, but the 
 third man in on his side he must cover. Now 
 covering does not mean simply preventing the 
 other man from getting the ball, as is sometimes 
 done when a man faces another, leaps into the 
 air, and raising his arms is struck in the back with 
 the ball; it means intercepting the ball itself; 
 making that one stride in the direction of the ball 
 just a fraction of a second ahead of the other man. 
 That fraction of a second is what wins in basket 
 ball when all else is equal. 
 
 The position of the forward at the tap-off de- 
 pends upon the signal given, and the ability of 
 his centre to get the jump. For the various posi- 
 tions he may assume, see Diagrams i to 20, pages
 
 FIG. 10. POSITION IN CATCHING BALL ABOVE WAIST. PAGE 20.
 
 POSITIONS 53 
 
 75 to 94, inclusive. Often a forward finds a guard 
 opponent who takes the ball from the tap-off 
 when the opposing centre can place it. This is a 
 very hard play to break, as a forward is seldom 
 drilled to block it. If the forward plays outside 
 of his guard, the guard is closer to the ball, and 
 has the better chance of getting it. If he plays 
 up between his guard and the centre, the guard 
 is between him and the goal; but this is the better 
 play because possession of the ball is the first ob- 
 jective in basket ball, and although he himself 
 may be blocked in his dash to the goal, yet the 
 play starts from the point where the tap-off is 
 caught, and the ball may be passed to any team- 
 mate who may be uncovered. 
 
 The name forward still holds true. He is first 
 on attack, first to take advantage of open spaces 
 near the goal, and first to follow up his shot. 
 Accurate shooting, craftiness, and speed sum up 
 the absolute requirements of a good forward. 
 
 CENTRE 
 
 The centre is to basket ball what the pitcher 
 is to baseball the pivot-man on the team. If 
 possible he should be tall, so that he may place 
 the "tap-off" to his own men, though in games 
 between fairly equal teams the centre tap-off 
 does not count so much as is commonly believed,
 
 54 BASKET BALL 
 
 because the opposing players stand close and have 
 a fair chance of intercepting the ball. Neverthe- 
 less, the tall man who is able to play the floor is 
 a better mark for guidance to his team than a 
 shorter man. His tall figure is a guide, and the 
 psychological influence of a physically prominent 
 leader and pivot-man is an aid to clean passing 
 among any group of players. 
 
 The advantage of height is great and counts 
 for much in the rush of a close contest; but the 
 centre must have other virtues in order to play 
 his position well. He should be a good shot, fast, 
 and rangy on his feet, and possessed of an en- 
 durance that will carry him at top speed through 
 every minute of a game. There are breathing 
 spaces for the guards, waiting moments for the 
 forwards, but the centre who is both a forward 
 and a guard has no rest while the bill is in 
 play. 
 
 Generally his range is up and down the middle 
 of the floor, although crossing to one side or the 
 other on the tap-off, as the forward on that side 
 runs from his position, makes it necessary for him 
 to play any corner of the triangle which the offen- 
 sive players should always maintain in front of 
 the goal. To him often the first play may be 
 made when the tap-off is caught. He is the most 
 likely player to be temporarily uncovered. As
 
 FIG. 11. POSITION IN CATCHING BALL BELOW WAIST. PAGE 20
 
 POSITIONS 55 
 
 he jumps he runs around his opponent, and getting 
 in back of him is frequently the first man in toward 
 the goal. He by his height can often, without 
 catching it, tip the ball up into the basket, and 
 after a foul has been shot and missed, he can 
 deflect the rebound into the goal. 
 
 When in the scrimmage around the basket for 
 which he is shooting, the ball passes to the other 
 side, he should lead his players back to the de- 
 fense in the middle of the floor, and as centre man 
 of that defense make himself responsible for the 
 guarding of any man after the first two who come 
 in on either side of him. Many times he can in- 
 tercept a pass while in that position which would 
 go over the head of a smaller forward. If the 
 defense is broken and the scrimmage occurs un- 
 der his own goal, by his height he may retrieve 
 the ball on the rebound from the backboard be- 
 fore his smaller opponents can reach it, and lead 
 his players in an offense down the floor. 
 
 Training for jumping may be accomplished by 
 trying to touch some object raised a little higher 
 each day, and certainly a centre should have 
 ability to spring; but catching the time of the 
 jump is often more important than merely jump- 
 ing high. In the article on "Jumping" we have 
 discussed this, and there is no further need to 
 speak of it here; but this jumping ability coupled
 
 56 BASKET BALL 
 
 with accuracy in shooting, endurance, speed, and 
 good basket-ball sense is the necessary equipment 
 of a capable centre.
 
 The subject of offense in basket ball is a broad 
 one, so broad, in fact, that it comprises in itself 
 almost the whole game, and practically every 
 part of the Chapters II, III, and IV contributes 
 to it. Offense consists in handling, passing, and 
 shooting the ball, in executing the various body 
 movements such as jumping, starting, pivoting, 
 and dodging, and in those formations which are 
 used to advance the ball into the opponent's ter- 
 ritory. The consideration of these various forma- 
 tions is the purpose of this chapter. 
 
 Floor formations may be formed from prelim- 
 inary situations: Jump ball in the centre of the 
 floor, Diagrams I to 20; ball out of bounds, under 
 opponent's basket, Diagrams 21 to 27; at side- 
 lines, 28 to 30; and under own basket, 31 to 36; 
 plays from free throw, Diagrams 37 to 41; plays 
 from "held ball," Diagrams 42 to 45. Also gen- 
 eral offensive floor plays, Diagrams 46 to 50, deal- 
 ing with offense under varying situations to which 
 the tandem or twin-guard defense is opposed. 
 Diagrams 51 to 56 deal with breaking the five-man 
 defense. 
 
 57
 
 58 BASKET BALL 
 
 The diagrams shown we offer as suggestive 
 material. No wise coach will use more than four 
 or five set plays from centre; and unless the jump 
 is assured, he may not use that many. The other 
 plays are used in proportion. Diagrammatic work 
 is all very well for drill purposes, and it accom- 
 plishes much the same purpose that it does in 
 football, but in basket ball there is rarely a set 
 formation from which to start an offensive. There 
 is only one time when the players of both teams 
 are likely to be in a definitely assigned position, 
 and that is when the ball is tossed up at centre. 
 Even then the forwards and guards may be run- 
 ning around manoeuvring for position. Partic- 
 ularly in general floor play will the formations of 
 the team under game conditions vary widely 
 from any set formation which might be illustrated; 
 but principles can be taught by diagrams, and so 
 we give a wide range of material from which 
 choice of plays may be made to fit conditions, 
 ability of players, and so on. 
 
 As defense varies to meet certain forms of of- 
 fense, so offense must sometimes assume different 
 attack formations against certain forms of de- 
 fense. Against the tandem defenie two men may 
 be sent down to the opponents' territory, with 
 some chance of getting through and scoring by 
 passing the ball from man to man. The opposing
 
 OFFENSE 59 
 
 guard will not know whom to cover. Two men 
 cannot be successfully sent against the twin guard ; 
 that situation requires three. And again three 
 men cannot break the five-man defense. It takes 
 four or even five to get by that formation. The 
 size of the floor, the presence of boundary-walls, 
 the height of the ceiling, the ability of the op- 
 posing centre, all vary the attackers' style of play. 
 High loop shots from the middle of the floor may 
 win a close game on a court with a high ceiling. 
 The low ceiling requires a final pass to a man 
 directly under the basket. 
 
 The prime requisite of successful offense con- 
 sists in working the ball down the floor. This is 
 accomplished by three styles of passes the short 
 pass, the long pass, or a combination of both. 
 The most important point to be impressed upon 
 players is that the moment a pass has been made 
 the man must advance down the floor ready to 
 receive the ball again nearer the goal. Too often 
 among untrained teams a player comes into pos- 
 session of the ball, and because his team-mates 
 do not start down the floor he does not know to 
 whom to pass it. If upon recovery of the ball 
 every player immediately dashes down the floor, 
 an offensive is launched. Some one in an advan- 
 tageous position should call for the pass. The 
 fact that each member of the team is in rapid
 
 60 BASKET BALL 
 
 progress toward the goal in itself indicates that 
 they have a good offensive spirit. It must not 
 be supposed that the ball is always passed for- 
 ward. Many times situations arise in which it 
 is wise to pass to a man behind rather than to 
 a player in front who may be guarded. The 
 nearer the goal the more likely the players are to 
 be covered. And for this reason the floor guard 
 or some following player may be in a better posi- 
 tion to receive a pass and shoot than the man 
 who wins a position under the goal. This is an 
 excellent style of offense to use when dribbling 
 that is, to have a man following immediately be- 
 hind ready to receive the ball if the dribbler finds 
 himself blocked. In this case the man who drib- 
 led passes back to the trailer and either drops 
 back as trailer in his turn or runs forward ready 
 to receive the pass over the head of or past the 
 guard who intercepted him. 
 
 Of the two passes used in offensive play, the 
 short and the long, the former used in connection 
 with the bounce is coming more and more into 
 favor. A few teams still employ a forward under 
 the goal. This man waits in that position to re- 
 ceive a long pass from the other end of the floor. 
 He is rather easily guarded. If this type of play 
 is adopted, only the head-work and agility of that 
 forward can make it valuable. His play may con-
 
 FIG. 12. THE DRIBBLE. PAGE 22. 
 Correct Position for Body and Ball.
 
 OFFENSE 61 
 
 sist in crossing to one side or the other in an 
 effort to evade his guard or in suddenly rushing 
 back part way up the floor to receive the pass 
 which he plays to a second man rushing down the 
 floor. Long passes are dangerous, and are apt 
 to be intercepted when tried against the twin- 
 guard type of defense. Many teams when secur- 
 ing possession of the ball under their own basket 
 start their offensive toward the other end of the 
 floor by making the first pass to a man at the 
 centre and side of the floor. From there short 
 passes are used. 
 
 The short-pass game is in more common use 
 now that the five-man defense has become so 
 popular. It is a system in which men go down 
 the floor, passing to each other as they go. If 
 one is tackled, he passes across, forward, or back- 
 ward to a team-mate; then continues on, ready to 
 receive the pass again. If three or four men 
 start an offensive of this kind it is extremely hard 
 to stop. The bounce pass is here very valuable, 
 being deadly accurate at close range, and difficult 
 to intercept if played beside the feet of an oppo- 
 nent. As mentioned before, when the forward 
 line is guarded, the ball may be passed back to a 
 floor guard or the last man in. A zigzag attack 
 with short passes works to admirable advantage 
 on a large floor. On the small floor the conges-
 
 62 BASKET BALL 
 
 tion caused at the middle line of the court by the 
 forwards and guard crossing nullifies the advan- 
 tage gained by this style of play. The crisscross 
 is a valuable attack for the tap-off from centre. 
 
 For floor play in general the system which 
 draws players away from a certain section of the 
 floor is a good one. If this vacated section is on 
 the left, the left forward may be made responsible 
 for dashing into it and receiving a pass made to 
 the empty space; if on the right, the right forward 
 may take the ball, or the forwards may cross the 
 floor and go into each other's territory. The 
 twin-guard defense is apt to cause trouble to this 
 manoeuvre, because the guards are generally sta- 
 tioned near the sections from which the shots 
 may be easily made, and they are more or less 
 at a fixed post. In scrimmaging, however, they 
 may be enticed out of position by an opposing 
 player, and upon their leaving the territory, the 
 forward rushes in, receives the pass, and often 
 has a free shot for goal. 
 
 It is generally true that the ball should not be 
 advanced all the way down the floor in a straight 
 line. The play is too easily broken, and one guard 
 can cover too many men. The "crisscross" play, 
 passing the ball from side to side, is better. This 
 holds particularly when near the opponents' bas- 
 ket. Neither is it good basket ball for the often-
 
 OFFENSE 63 
 
 sivc play to carry the ball to a position on the 
 floor from which it is difficult to shoot. It is 
 easier to make a pass to a man in a corner to the 
 side of the basket, but it avails the team nothing, 
 as it is only the exceptional man who can then 
 score. The aim should be to take the ball near 
 the basket. 
 
 In the majority of cases the plays in a game 
 work out differently from the way they have been 
 practised. There is usually some unexpected 
 opposition, which makes the end or outcome of 
 the play different from what was planned. This 
 difficulty can be partly overcome by working out 
 a choice of plays so that if the one in mind does 
 not work, the player will not be absolutely lost 
 as to what to do, but will have a second, or even 
 perhaps a third, choice. In football when the 
 signal is given for a forward pass to a certain 
 man, the player making the pass tries to throw 
 the ball to that player, but if the latter is cov- 
 ered, the passer may make the play to one of the 
 two or three other men who have tried to get free. 
 This policy is sound, and can be used in basket 
 ball. It does not mean that the coach should 
 try to plan for every play and move that a man 
 makes in a game. If this idea is carried too far 
 the players become mere automatons and lose 
 their initiative. The men should be resourceful,
 
 64 BASKET BALL 
 
 so that when any planned play fails they will be 
 able to meet the situation and work out some- 
 thing for themselves. 
 
 Though speed is a vital essential of successful 
 playing, it is not always necessary or wise to play 
 fast on the offensive. Speed will win when that 
 speed is used to organize the attack before the 
 defense is formed, but when a five-man defense 
 is between the attacking side and the goal, 
 strategy and cunning may well be employed. 
 The ball held temptingly for a bait to draw a de- 
 fensive player out of his position, the quick dash 
 of an attacker into the vacated place, a sharp pass, 
 and the five-man defense is broken. Sometimes 
 when all else fails "time out" may be called, and 
 a new strategy planned. Less and less brute force 
 is counting and more and more brain-work and 
 clever passing produce the winning team. 
 
 There are two or three ways to break the five- 
 man defense. One is to try a long shot from the 
 middle of the floor, rush in on the follow up, re- 
 cover the ball from the backboard, and shoot 
 again. A feint to shoot may be made, the op- 
 ponent's attention momentarily averted, and a 
 rush started through the line, using short passes 
 or the dribble. One or two of the players may 
 run up the floor, take a position inside the defense, 
 and come out to meet a pass. The player re-
 
 OFFENSE 65 
 
 cciving the ball may then turn and shoot or pass 
 again to another team-mate coming in. If the 
 defense has had time to form before the offense 
 could get started, it is best for the attacking side 
 to take its time in organizing its attack, but when 
 once under way the attack should be fast and 
 hard. If a long shot is to be tried from the mid- 
 dle of the floor it should be taken by the best long- 
 distance shooter. If either of the other methods 
 of attack mentioned above is to be used, at least 
 four, and perhaps all, the men on the offense 
 should come up close to the defense and from there 
 try to break through. In order to use the fifth 
 man, the guard who will stay back, the offense 
 may be started by him, and after making the 
 first pass he may drop back to his assigned posi- 
 tion. Diagrams 51 to 56 illustrate these plays. 
 The best way to beat the defense here shown is 
 to organize the offense before the defense is 
 formed. 
 
 On plays from centre the diagrams will give 
 wide scope for team-play on any type of floor, 
 and they may be reversed at will. They are 
 given with one guard back, but can be varied so 
 that the twin-guard defense will be used. The 
 salient point to remember in these formations is 
 that the ball must be secured. Some one must 
 be in close to the centre to take the ball before it
 
 66 BASKET BALL 
 
 has gone to the opponents. Then with two or 
 three passes it should be carried close to the goal. 
 Where the opponents clearly have the jump, all 
 of the weaker side may be placed in the five-man 
 defense position, trusting to intercept a pass 
 rather than to get the tap-off. This system should 
 be rather carefully tried out, though, before being 
 used in important games. It is generally possible 
 for quick men to secure the opponents' tap. 
 
 There is an old play which still works against 
 teams unknown to each other, but which in league 
 games is obsolete. We refer to the one in which 
 the forward and guards change places. At the 
 "tap-off" the guards become forwards and the 
 forwards become guards. Its advantage against 
 an inexperienced team lies in the fact that the 
 opposing players do not know for a short time 
 whom to cover, and a situation exists where the 
 guards of the team upon whom the trick is being 
 played follow the guards of the other team, who, 
 in turn, are following the opposing forwards. 
 For a few moments the forwards of the team 
 using the formation find themselves free. Like 
 the old hidden-ball trick in baseball, though, this 
 play is going out of fashion. 
 
 When the ball is out of bounds the team in 
 possession of it has a greater opportunity to work 
 a set and fixed play than at any other time, as
 
 FIG. 13. THE DRIBBLE. PAGE 22. 
 Faulty Position for Hand and Ball.
 
 OFFENSE 67 
 
 the man with the ball may pass to any place or 
 in any direction he pleases. Although any man 
 on the team may take the ball when it is out of 
 bounds, there should be a definite play used in 
 putting it back into the court again. It is not 
 necessary to have a play for every few feet all 
 around the court, but for the general divisions of 
 the floor such as the ends, under either basket, 
 and along the side-lines, near each basket. (See 
 Diagrams 21 to 36.) 
 
 Only a few out-of-bounds plays should be used, 
 but they should be well learned and practised, so 
 they may be executed quickly. It often gives 
 the offense a big advantage to get the ball into 
 play before the defense has had time to form and 
 get ready for it. If the game has been fast and 
 the men are tired, the temptation is to slow up 
 for the moment and take their time in recover- 
 ing the ball. However, the players should be 
 coached not to think of the game as having stopped 
 when the ball goes out of bounds, but rather think 
 of it as a time when, if they hurry, they may get 
 the jump on their opponents. Many times the 
 players know whose ball it is without having to 
 be told by the referee, and they should lose no 
 time in getting it and passing it into the court. 
 Sometimes a delay can be feigned and an advan- 
 tage gained by suddenly putting the ball into
 
 68 BASKET BALL 
 
 play when the opponents are off their guard or 
 are disputing with the referee. The greatest op- 
 position to getting the ball in from out of bounds 
 comes when it is near the opponents' goal. Little 
 or no opposition is met under the team's own 
 goal, especially if a five-man defense is used. 
 Many teams do not guard the man who is passing 
 the ball in, and use his opponent for some other 
 purpose. The man out of bounds is often a good 
 man to get the second pass, as he is apt to be for 
 the moment uncovered. 
 
 After a foul has been called on the opposing 
 side and the team lines up for a free throw, there 
 are three objectives to be kept in mind. The 
 first is to make the basket from the free throw if 
 possible, something that depends entirely upon 
 the ability of the foul shooter. There is nothing 
 whatever that the team can do to help him. If 
 the throw is missed the object is then to try to 
 get immediate possession of the ball and try for 
 a goal from field. The third possibility, if not 
 successful in either of the first two and the op- 
 ponents gain possession of the ball, is to prevent 
 them by close guarding from passing it out of 
 their territory. 
 
 In plays from held ball the position of the play- 
 ers depends upon what part of the floor the ball 
 is thrown up. (See Diagrams 42 to 45.) If it is
 
 OFFENSE 69 
 
 near a team's own basket the play is defensive in 
 character; two or three of the men should come 
 into position behind their man who is jumping, 
 between him and their own goal, and one man in 
 front in order to cover any opponent who might 
 receive the ball in that position. When near the 
 centre of the floor, but in the defending team's 
 territory, the remaining four men should line up 
 behind the man jumping, between him and their 
 own goal, in a position similar to a five-man de- 
 fense. This protects the goal and at the same time 
 permits of a quick change to the offense. If near 
 the centre of the floor but in the opponents' half 
 of the court one man plays in front and two men 
 behind, each a little to the side of their man jump- 
 ing. One guard is back. The ball is batted to 
 one of the men who is behind and to the side, 
 or to the man in front. The same formation may 
 be used when the ball is held near the oppo- 
 nents' basket. 
 
 The most successful type of offensive play is 
 that which is hard and fast. In most cases it is 
 started quickly, so that before any defensive for- 
 mation can be assumed the team with the ball 
 has advanced into its opponents' territory and is 
 menacing the goal. The idea of the attacking 
 team should be to overrun the opponents and to 
 make them do all the guarding. This is especially
 
 70 BASKET BALL 
 
 true if the team is behind and it is near the end 
 of the game. There is little difference whether 
 the game is lost by two points or a dozen. There- 
 fore, a team should be willing to take a chance and 
 do everything possible to push the offense, as 
 there is everything to gain and nothing to lose. 
 A team cannot be successful if the men are con- 
 tinually worrying about their opponents' scoring. 
 The idea is to let the opponents do the worrying. 
 In baseball the man that goes to bat thinking 
 about the wicked curve the opposing pitcher is go- 
 ing to throw him will, in all probability, never 
 reach first base, and the basket-ball player that 
 allows himself to think the same way will not have 
 any greater success. 
 
 While the offense should usually be fast, it 
 should be absolutely under control. There is al- 
 ways more or less opposition encountered every 
 time the ball is advanced down the floor, and 
 unless the passes are accurate and the plays sure 
 the objective will never be reached. The wild, 
 hurried way that we often see teams start down 
 the court would not result in a basket if there were 
 not a single opponent on the floor. The proof of 
 this can easily be found in watching five inex- 
 perienced players advancing the ball toward their 
 goal in practice. They make a bad pass, bump 
 into each other, or something happens resulting
 
 OFFENSE 71 
 
 in a fumbled ball. Control of the offense is very 
 important. The more experience a man has in 
 basket ball the less he runs about the floor. He 
 learns to move warily and speedily and to be at 
 the right place at the right time. Many men 
 spoil their playing by running wildly about, 
 bumping into the other players, and giving the 
 impression that they are the whole team. This 
 type of man may win the applause of the gallery, 
 but he would be a much better player if he used 
 his head more and his feet less. 
 
 Strategy and the element of surprise should be 
 used as much as possible in offensive work. With 
 the modern systems of guarding, it is becoming 
 more and more difficult to catch the opposing 
 team off its guard, but there are still many possi- 
 bilities. If a team is quick and the players wide 
 awake and willing to take a chance, a goal can 
 often be scored before the other team realizes 
 what is going on. 
 
 Every man on the team should feel the respon- 
 sibility of contributing toward scoring the win- 
 ning basket, either by a pass or a shot. It is 
 the spirit of fight and determination that decides 
 many a close contest, and a team made up of 
 that type of players will always be a hard one to 
 beat.
 
 72 BASKET BALL 
 
 SIGNALS 
 
 A signal in basket ball is a means of communi- 
 cating the intent of one player to his fellow play- 
 ers. Because the intent of a player so seldom 
 materializes in the definite action he contemplates, 
 however, signals in basket ball are comparatively 
 unimportant. They are used chiefly in starting 
 plays from centre, in which case their success de- 
 pends on the fact that one centre is so superior 
 to his adversary in the jump that he can tap the 
 ball in whatever direction he wishes. In college 
 and high school games this condition exists but 
 seldom. Generally the men are so nearly equal 
 that neither is ever certain where he will tap the 
 ball. The question might arise here: "Well, if 
 the centre has 'the jump' so seldom, why bother 
 with diagrammatic plays at all ?" The answer is 
 twofold. If the thing works even a few times in 
 a game, it is worth while. A set play on signal 
 which works three times might tally six points, 
 and one of those six might win the game. Then, 
 again, diagrammatic plays when practised faith- 
 fully become second nature to the players, and 
 some planned play may always be started no mat- 
 ter which of the players on a side has the ball. 
 Of course if one centre is markedly superior to 
 another, signals and regular formations play a 
 prominent part in running up a big score.
 
 ^^m 
 
 FIG. 14. FOUL SHOOTING PAGE 27. 
 Underhand Toss.
 
 OFFENSE 73 
 
 Signals are mainly used in plays from centre; 
 but they may be used from a "jump ball" between 
 players in any section of the floor, in formations 
 following a free throw, from plays out of bounds, 
 and in forming an offensive at any time. It is not 
 so much the use of given signals that puts through 
 the play, though, as it is the knowledge of the 
 game and of each other that the players have. 
 After the members of a team have played together 
 for some time they know, approximately, what 
 each will do under ordinary conditions, and they 
 depend upon that and calling to each other rather 
 than upon signals for their initiative in starting 
 plays. 
 
 Signals are divided into two classes : given signals 
 and called signals. The given signals may be any 
 sign made with the different parts of the body. 
 A hand brushed over the head may mean that 
 the centre will tap the ball to the right forward; 
 rubbed on the trousers may send the ball to the 
 guard; a crooked elbow, a tapping of the foot, a 
 nod of the head, the way a man steps into the 
 circle, may all indicate some proposed play. The 
 ingenuity of the coach or the players themselves 
 will invent many which should be intelligible to 
 fellow players but meaningless to the opposing 
 team. 
 
 The called signal is used in the form of nurn-
 
 74 BASKET BALL 
 
 bers or letters called by the captain or the centre. 
 It is seldom practicable owing to the fact that in 
 the excitement of a game the galleries are in an 
 uproar, and it is difficult for the players on the 
 floor to hear a spoken signal under these conditions. 
 The whole subject of signals is greatly over- 
 estimated by young coaches. If the men know 
 basket ball, are used to each other, and keep their 
 eyes open it is seldom necessary to consider sig- 
 nals at all. On jump ball when one man clearly 
 has the advantage, or on out-of-bounds plays, 
 signals may be used, but as a rule the more ex- 
 perienced a team becomes the less attention the 
 men need give to them.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 75 
 
 IF 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 1 
 LF receive* ball and pacsei to RF. RF, if unable to shoot, paMM ball either to C 
 
 or LF or to RG, who hat trailed down ceatre of floor. 
 
 NOTI. In iktfollatrini diagrams: 
 
 indicates course of ball. 
 
 > course of player. 
 
 ~*~~^~~~~- dribble. 
 
 Opponents' basket ' basket for which team is shooting. 
 Own basket basket teaa is defending.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 2 
 
 Lf crouei over to opposite Me to receive ball, raakei pau to KF or centre, and 
 continues to original position of KF.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 77 
 
 
 DIAGRAM 3 
 
 C taps ball back to basket. LF runs to centre of floor to pull guard away. Rr 
 outmanoeuvres guard, runs toward basket, secures ball, and shoots. LG goes down 
 at side of floor. LF turns and conies in as fourth man. This play is of value only 
 when C completely controls ball.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 4 
 
 LF MCUCM ball aod miket pan to C at left of bikt. K.F com** up and circle* 
 back. LC eroMM to right id< of floor. LF trail* in a* fourth ma*.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 79 
 
 DIAGRAM 5 
 
 RF feu ball, palm to LF, who hat croited to opposite tide of floor. C joci orer 
 to left. JJ.F turn* when making pats and takei centre of floor.
 
 So 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 6 
 
 Lf gets bail and paiiei to RF, who bai cruscJ over to left side of Door. RF may 
 boot or pati back to LF or C.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 81 
 
 DIAGRAM 7 
 
 l.F gtt bll, dribbles to basket, and shoots. If he is blocked he may pass either 
 to C OB right. RF, who has crossed over to left, or KG. KF comes up tke floor on 
 this play and may receive the initial past from C.
 
 82 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 8 
 
 LF |u bill ind dribblet in and thoott. If be ii blocked he may pan either to 
 RF oo left, to C on right, or KG. KF crotiei over oo t hit pity iottead of comiof up.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 9 
 
 LF reeehr** ball, paitet to RF, who comet down centre. He may dribble and shoot 
 if RF i covered.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 10 
 
 LF reeire bad, paa** to RF, who croitea ovrr to hit left. A/ itarti in at referee 
 to*ie up ball. Pan may be made to C >I KF it covered, or LF may dribble and
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 5 
 
 IF 
 
 LG 
 
 DIAGRAM 11 
 
 LF receives ball, passes to LG, who comes down outside of floor. LG dribbles to 
 basket and shoots or passes to RF or centre. LG should not start in too toon.
 
 86 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 12 
 
 jfC rei ball awl dribble* to biiket. He may pan to KF, who croMO to tkc 
 Irft, to /", who ii following him in, or back to C.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 13 
 
 LF receive* ball behind C and pane* to KG, who gow down right lid. of floor. 
 *G may dribbl* in and (hoot or, if blocked, pa** to Rf or C.
 
 88 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 LO 
 
 DIAGRAM 14 
 
 f.F receive) ball on oppotite tide and paites to KG, who may dribble in and shoot 
 or pan to KF or C.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 LF 
 
 DIAGRAM 15 
 LG rtccivtt ball and piet to KF. RF abooU or, if covered, PMM* to C. Lf, or /-6'.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 16 
 
 LC rriv bkU d pititi lither to */", who h run in, or to LF. who hat *ro**4 
 over. K LC cannot make piti he dribble. far at poitibU nd tkooti
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 DIAGRAM 17 
 
 JM ft UU u4 ptiw to /, wfco paei to JV. RG ccotmuc* down floor. C 
 h fwwtfc in
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 RF 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM IB 
 Lf ten ball bck of C tad P*MC* to Kf. RF PMM to C, wko tboou.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 93 
 
 DIAGRAM 19 
 
 Forwards and guards change position* on floor. LF gits ball and ptiioc k back 
 and forth with RF until ciote enough to ihoot.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 20 
 
 Lf icti ball and ptM to 1C. 1C pMe* cither to Xf or KG LF coa.i back 
 to fi
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 95 
 
 16 
 
 DIAGRAM 31 
 
 C hai btli out. Forwirdi cron to opposite tide* of floor. P*M if mtde to guard 
 coming down centre or to either forward. If guard receive* ball he max dribble 
 in and ihoot or put back again to centre.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 22 
 
 C ha* ball out. All other playen except KG advance toward centre ma aj if to 
 receive paa*. ThU clear* floor on oppoiite tide permitting RG to recrir* ball and to 
 hoot. C fotlowi ball in and may receive pa bade from guard.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 c 
 
 97 
 
 DIAGRAM 23 
 
 C has ball and pastes either to RF or LF. If both forward* arc covered th pat* 
 nu>7 be made to one of the guard*.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 24 
 
 C hn ball. LF comet back to guard position. LG crone* brhind Kf and i 
 paM from C. Pan may be made to KC, wko follows l.C in.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 c 
 
 DIAGRAM 26 
 
 C ha* ball. K.F U &rtt man in. LF comet in juit after KF. If paM caMot be 
 made to either forward, bail it (ire* to RC. who thooti or paue* back M C.
 
 JOO 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 c 
 
 DIAGRAM 2fi 
 
 RF erotics to leh. RG comet down right tide of floor. tk p*M. and pi> 
 cither back to C or to LG.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 101 
 
 LG 
 
 DIAGRAM 27 
 
 Forwards go to their respective lidet of floor, drawing opposing guard* away from 
 ceatr* of floor. LG receives pats and shoots. If LG is covered, pass may be made 
 MJtC.
 
 102 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 Rf 
 
 HF h bull. Other pli/cn eictpt 
 *4 to LC or to C t 1. 
 
 DIAGRAM S8 
 
 f toward otfcw 
 
 toor. ri M
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 103 
 
 DIAGRAM 29 
 
 C tutti toward player out of bouodi and call* for ball. Pan i* auif. howtvr, 
 to *G. *G patM* back W &f or C. If A/ racctrci bail k m*|r .hoot. r paM to 
 CwJLP.
 
 104 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 RG 
 
 RF 
 
 DIAGRAM 30 
 
 LF and KG advance toward opponent*' goal. KF makes pati to whichever one 
 ii uncovered. If both are guarded, pan it made to C, who crotM* over behind KG.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 105 
 
 f 
 
 IF 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 31 
 
 KG ha* ball and pan** to RF near side-line. If uneovered. pa may be made to 
 LForC. 
 
 Play* 3 1 to 36 may be used when team passing in from under it* own bak*t U op- 
 poted. The opponent! here may be trying to intercept the ball rather than play tfa 
 fire-man detente.
 
 io6 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 LG 
 
 DIAGRAM 32 
 
 C *od JIG itrt in toward their own goal. Pu it made K> If, wo 
 ii<idl< of ftcor.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 107 
 
 LG 
 
 DIAGRAM 33 
 
 ForwH CTOM to oppoaiu tid*i of floor. LF cronti first. RF recwvei pu. 
 my Wt Bodc to C or AC.
 
 io8 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 34 
 
 KG make* pil to LC, conet in, receives bill Riu. and paiMt to Kf.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 109 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 35 
 
 /JG pane* to RF, runs in and receives bait again. Hie play now may be to any 
 of the three me* going down left side of floor. RG and RF go down right side of
 
 no 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 80 
 
 PUy depend* upon MiccMiful crUtcroti work of forward*. The U 
 be md* to A/* under goal. Other pliyeri continue down the floor.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 in 
 
 16 
 
 DIAGRAM 37 
 
 If ball come* ttraight back after miued free throw, shooter try* again for the 
 baiket or. if covered, passes back to guard, playing immediately behind him. 
 Play* 37 to 41 are from foul circle after an attempted irtt throw.
 
 112 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 tG 
 
 DIAGRAM 38 
 
 If basket U roused nd ball drops to one side, it is tipped back toward the side- 
 line bjr the player standing on that side of the basket. Foul thrower runs over to 
 that side, recovers ball, and shoot*. He waits, however, until he sees on which side 
 of the basket the ball is going to drop. He may make pass to guard who come* in.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 LG 
 
 DIAGRAM 39 
 
 If basket is misted and ball fallt on left tide, C taps it back to foul-line to RC, who 
 comes in, gets ball, and shoots. If ball drops on right side of basket the correspond- 
 ing play is made from that side by LF.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 40 
 
 If baikrt ii mined and ball drops to loft ide, it ii tipped back to KG, who como 
 down floor, frtt ball, and ahooti. If ball drops on opposite lide or come* rtraight 
 back to foul thrower, it may be batted over to guard.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 41 
 
 C (lands back and to the side of the foal circle. If goal is missed, he runt ia, 
 jumps into the air, and tips the ball into the basket. Two men ma/ play back and 
 both rush in. The play may be varied by having player who rashes in tip the ball 
 back to foul shooter.
 
 n6 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 42 
 
 Kf (mmpi. tlpt bail to C. nd goei down left tide of floor. C dribbU* or paiMt to 
 Lf. *ho CKWM* orer to right. Criitcroti pUy duwn the floor. 
 Plr o 4J art from "jp ball" petition.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 DIAGRAM 43 
 LG junipi. LF get* ball, who passes to C. Criiecross play down tht floor.
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 / 
 
 RG 
 
 DIAGRAM 44 
 
 LG ad LF go in on their respective sides; LF gets ball, pane* to KF, who panel 
 M> LG. Pat* mar be made to C. Players assume these political as toon ai beld 
 kaH ii eUe<d in ttu territory.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 119 
 
 \0 
 
 DIAGRAM 45 
 
 Thii pky is the sme as 44, except that it is on opposite side. Ball may b< batted 
 to C if man jumping clearly bas jump, or to LG on uuidc of floor.
 
 120 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 46 
 
 5 intercept* pan, i come* down floor and take* long pan from 5 tad in turn give* 
 ball to 4, who pa**e* to 3 to (hoot. ^ might have pai*d to I or j if he had not been 
 covered by A. 
 
 Thii play illattrate* how long and ihort pax may be combined in taking ball 
 down floor. It may be u*ed where one forward itay* clo*e to opponent*' baiket, 
 aad the opponent* u*e the tandem formation in defenee; i. /., ooe junrd behind the 
 other.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 121 
 
 DIAGRAM 47 
 
 In preceding play forward comes straight ia to meet long past. In this play for- 
 ward cro*M* to opposite tide to receive pass. I pane* to 4. who iboott. Pun may 
 be made to j from I.
 
 122 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 48 
 
 This play illustrate* in offense begun from a five-van deface and againit a twin 
 type of defense; i. (., two guards back one on each side of floor. By short paurt 
 ball is worked to right side of floor, giving ruoW ?u<d b*cc to to down Wt side 
 and thoot.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 123 
 
 DIAGRAM 49 
 
 J intercepn ball on attempt of opponent* to break five-man defense, aid panes 
 to i, who dribblet down centre of floor. 2 and 4 go down outiide of floor, drawing 
 out guardi A and B, if I i> blocked by A or B.
 
 124 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 DIAGRAM 60 
 
 $ get ball and pattei to I it tide and centre of floor. 5 may pan to t. I drib- 
 blet and paste* to 3. who in turn paiMt to 4. The crittcrott pact in combination 
 with th dribble it Hluitraud here, t it drawing out guard E who othrwiM might 
 tackle 3. If fuardl 3, I >y pa to a.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 125 
 
 DIAGRAM 51 
 
 1 trie* for goal from middle of floor. 4, z, and J ruth in to get ball. This if tke 
 long-shot method of offeni* against the five-man defoott.
 
 126 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 B 
 
 DIAGRAM 52 
 
 5 h ball. He feint* to putt to I, but make* pa* to 3, who gocji in between A 
 and C. J and 4 go down ndc. If B and C play J and 4, 2 either pane* to I or 
 dribblet in and ihoou. If D and come in to interfere with play, pan U mxit to 
 3 or 4, who continue down outside of court.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 127 
 
 DIAGRAM 53 
 
 S pMMt to I. who give* bail to 2. 2 dribbles in and skoou, or if Mocked by D, 
 pMM to t-
 
 J28 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 5 ,'- * 2 
 
 DIAGRAM 64 
 
 } taktt politico between lines of defense *i ooo as it u apparent opponent* have 
 taken position. 5 and 4 go down tide* and cro over. 2 feinta (hot and trie* to 
 draw A oat of petition. He then pane* acrott to I. I bounce passes to J. } may 
 l> to 4 or J. or if they are corered by D and E ht may dribble in and (hoot, or 
 he may paw to I or l, who may come in.
 
 OFFENSE 
 
 129 
 
 B 
 
 DIAGRAM 65 
 
 3 and 4 go in OB right side of court. 5 pasies to I, who with } works the bail down 
 to within hooting distance of the goal. The danger here U that C will force j oauide.
 
 130 
 
 BASKET BALL 
 
 B 
 
 4 
 
 DIAGRAM 58 
 
 ] takes potation in 54. 4 goet down and btck to position between linet ol de- 
 feme. I txnuee pattei to 4 or j. If D covert 4, l ptisei to 3. 5 goei down oppo 
 lite lid*. I my make preliminary feint of (hot from middle of floor to draw A tod] 
 B OMI of petition.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 DEFENSE 
 
 The subject of defense in basket ball at once 
 brings up the mooted question: "Is it better to 
 play the man or the ball ? " As we have said be- 
 fore, it is not our intention to be too dogmatic 
 in this work, for opinions vary, and successful 
 coaches use both methods; yet it would seem that, 
 after all, basket ball is played with a ball, and 
 there can be no scoring unless the ball is secured. 
 A side cannot win by simply playing the man. 
 The ball must be intercepted. It should follow, 
 then, that the better defense would be to play 
 the ball and then immediately start an offensive. 
 For the axiom is as old as time that "the best 
 defense is a strong offense." And again, as a 
 wit once said: "You can't throw the man into 
 the basket." He is a poor player who, facing the 
 man he is expected to guard, is hit on the back 
 of the head with the ball. The successful player 
 will watch both the man he is guarding and the 
 ball, and when an opponent starts to receive a 
 pass, by agility or craft he rushes in and himself 
 intercepts it. The team which is quick on the
 
 iji BASKET BALL 
 
 tap-off need not worry about defense. Defense 
 is only secondary. Offense is the primary play. 
 But as only one team can be on the offensive at 
 one time, it naturally follows that there must be 
 defensive play; and so we must consider how best 
 this defense may be accomplished. 
 
 In general there are three standard forms the 
 tandem guard, the twin guard, and the five man. 
 The first two are more or less set formations, the 
 last a formation rapidly taken when a side loses 
 the ball. All have advantages, all have draw- 
 backs, and none can prevent the long, accurate 
 shot from scoring. That is one of the happy un- 
 certainties of basket ball. One side may be 
 ahead by a point, and in the last second of play 
 the other may score a basket by a shot taken 
 from the far end of the floor. No possible de- 
 fense is of value here. 
 
 Against teams who persistently keep a forward 
 down under the opponents' basket, the tandem 
 method of play is best. In this formation a 
 "back" guard stays back to watch the opponent 
 in his territory, the second or "floor" guard 
 comes up to or past the middle of the floor and 
 acts as secondary offense, backing up the attack- 
 ing line of centre and two forwards. He is the 
 first line of defense if the play comes back toward 
 his own goal. This method may be used to ad-
 
 FIG. 15. FOUL SHOOTING PAGE 28. 
 Chest Shot.
 
 DEFENSE 
 
 B 
 
 DIAGRAM 57 
 D and E represent approximate petition* of guards in tandem-guard defense.
 
 134 BASKET BALL 
 
 vantage even though there be no forward down 
 underneath the basket. In this case the back 
 guard may come up as far as the centre of the 
 floor, and the floor guard as far as the opponents' 
 foul circle. This back guard, however, must 
 never allow an opposing player to come between 
 himself and the goal. He must also be something 
 of a general, because he alone is facing the field of 
 play, and his quick eye and snap judgment may 
 create and meet many situations which his busier 
 team-mates are not in a position to see. Perhaps 
 his most trying situation is the one where, while 
 near his own goal, he has to determine which of 
 two men rushing down the floor he is to play in 
 order to prevent a possible score. If he plays the 
 man who has the ball, that man may pass to his 
 team-mate, who will have a free shot. If he 
 covers the man who has not the ball, the other 
 man will dribble in for an easy basket. Possibly 
 his only play is to feint an attack upon the man 
 with the ball, force him to pass, and then rush 
 over to the other. But at best his chance of pre- 
 venting a shot is slight, and he cannot be blamed 
 if in this situation he sticks to one man and trusts 
 to the speed of the floor guard or one of his other 
 team-mates to come to his aid. This is the prin- 
 cipal weakness of having only one man back. 
 On the whole, though, this tandem formation
 
 DEFENSE 135 
 
 B 
 
 DIAGRAM 58 
 
 D nd E rprnt approiimate poiitioni of fuardi in twin-guard d/ot.
 
 1 36 BASKET BALL 
 
 permits of sending four men into the attack, and 
 is a good defense to assume when the ball is put 
 in play at centre, the two forwards with the 
 centre as the front line, the floor guard to back 
 them up, and the back guard as field general to 
 direct the play. 
 
 The twin-guard style of play is an excellent 
 defensive system, but has the disadvantage of 
 holding two men out of the attack if they act 
 strictly as guards. Team after team has used 
 this system to great advantage. The two guards 
 are posted on either side of the court between the 
 centre circle and their own goal. Here they wait, 
 and when the attack comes are in good position 
 to break it up. They are stationed where they 
 can intercept most of the passes made down 
 toward their basket. Only three or more men 
 can go through them, and by the time their op- 
 ponents have started an offense the guards' team- 
 mates have rallied to their support: When the 
 ball is in the possession of their own team they 
 come farther up the floor. To a certain extent 
 this is a modified form of the five-man defense, for 
 when the ball passes to the opponents again, the 
 two guards immediately drop back near their 
 own goal, and the three forward players fall back 
 with them. 
 
 The five-man defense is formed in either of two
 
 <1G. 16. CROSS-BODY SHOT BACK OVERHEAD PAGE 29.
 
 DEFENSE 137 
 
 ways : having all five men line up across the middle 
 of the floor to wait for their opponents to break 
 through, or to have three men on the front line 
 and two others just behind. The formation de- 
 pends upon the fact that while the opponents are 
 down in their end of the floor they may play with 
 the ball as long as they wish, yet be unable to 
 score. It has its drawbacks and merits. In the 
 former it is evident that it is purely defensive, 
 and takes every man on the team into it. There- 
 fore, it would be used only by teams which are 
 ahead. A team behind in the score would have 
 to make an attempt to intercept the ball in order 
 to win, or their opponents would stall by passing 
 the ball in their own half of the court. If the 
 opponents were ahead there would be no point 
 in their taking the risk of losing the ball by try- 
 ing to break through. Then again the play is 
 invalidated if by a long shot from beyond the 
 centre of the floor a basket is made, and this, by 
 the way, is one means of breaking through it. 
 It must be formed instantly or it is of no value. 
 If the offensive gets under way and past it on the 
 floor, it is no longer a five-man defense; it becomes 
 a race, with the advantage in favor of the offense. 
 Truly it has its weakness, but, on the other hand, 
 it is so good that practically all teams use it, and 
 when properly formed it requires all the skill and
 
 138 BASKET BALL 
 
 strategy a team can command to break through. 
 First, it permits of five men on the offense, and 
 each man knows that if the ball passes to the 
 other side he immediately must go on defense 
 and draw back to his station in the centre of the 
 floor before the other team can get there. Second, 
 it uses five men on defense, and is impregnable 
 against any system which sends only three or four 
 men down on attack, and even those teams which 
 send five find it almost impossible to penetrate 
 it. Third, if the team is ahead it permits of a 
 breathing spell, and a recuperative moment while 
 the opponents are manoeuvring for position. 
 
 There are two ways of playing this defense: 
 the position style and the man-to-man. Gen- 
 erally the position style is played with three men 
 on the front line and two directly behind, as in 
 the diagram. 
 
 The object of each player is to guard a respec- 
 tive section of the floor, and he must not be drawn 
 out of this position by any apparently tempting 
 chance to secure the ball. If the diagrams under 
 offensive play are studied it will be seen what a 
 difficult matter it is to get through this formation 
 for a close shot. If the attacker dribbles down the 
 side-lines it is the purpose of the defense to force 
 him out of bounds. If the play comes down the 
 centre of the floor, successfully eluding the first
 
 DEFENSE 
 
 139 
 
 B 
 
 DIAGRAM 59 
 Fire-man defense, position style of play.
 
 140 BASKET BALL 
 
 line, it is met by two defensive men, who may 
 smother it before a pass or a shot can be made. 
 The three forward players may be brought back 
 to assist the second line if several of the attacking 
 team get through, or they may remain in their 
 position, ready to receive the ball from the back 
 guards and to start their own offensive down the 
 floor. In case the attackers take a long shot for 
 goal the two back guards may be expected to re- 
 ceive the ball from the backboard if the shot be 
 missed. The three forwards, waiting to receive 
 it, start their own offense. All five men may now 
 get into the attack. 
 
 In the man-to-man type of defense, the five de- 
 fensive players line up across the floor between 
 the foul circle and centre, and each man picks his 
 opponent as he comes through. This is the sys- 
 tem to use when each player on the team is re- 
 sponsible for his own man. When a man's op- 
 ponent comes down the opposite side of the court, 
 however, the drawback in this style of defense 
 is evident. The defensive player must try to out- 
 guess his opponent and manoeuvre for position 
 so as to be opposite to him as he comes through. 
 A zigzag attack is very confusing when this 
 method is used. 
 
 Considering the five-man defense, however, as 
 a distinct style of play, we may safely say that
 
 FIG. 17. PUT OR PLACED SHOT. PAGE 31. 
 Coming in from Right.
 
 DEFENSE 
 
 B D 
 
 DIAGRAM 60 
 Fire-man defense, man-to-man type of play.
 
 H2 BASKET BALL 
 
 in the opinion of most of the leading coaches of 
 the country it offers more advantages than any 
 other system, and is now universally in use in 
 scholastic and collegiate basket ball. Funda- 
 mentally it is sound, because five men scattered 
 all over the floor cannot be expected to form so 
 solid or united a defense as five men in a body in 
 front of their goal. But whatever defense is used 
 must depend on the offense that opposes it. The 
 size of the court, the height of the ceiling, the style 
 of the opponents' play, and their skill and speed 
 may all call for an adoption of a standard form 
 or a modification or blending of all three forms. 
 Judgment on the part of the coach, skill and ex- 
 perience on the part of the player, alertness in 
 diagnosing the adversary's attack and speed in 
 meeting it, and the ever-readiness to shift to the 
 offense are the salient features of successful de- 
 fensive play.
 
 PART III
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 
 
 Training for participation in athletics is the 
 process by which the ability of the individual or 
 team is increased to the maximum degree of effi- 
 ciency. The object is to raise the standard of 
 performance and to meet the demands on the 
 body made by some particular sport, and involves 
 both mental and physical measures. When prop- 
 erly carried out, training results in an improve- 
 ment of all the functions of the body. Many of 
 the injuries and much of the harm resulting from 
 athletics could be prevented if adequate super- 
 vision and training were provided for the teams. 
 
 It is exceedingly important that the player 
 train faithfully before and during the basket-ball 
 season. Even after the season is over he should 
 not stop work altogether but continue to take some 
 exercise. This is true after any sport that re- 
 quires intensive training. As stated before, bas- 
 ket ball is a game that requires a maximum of 
 speed, skill, and endurance, and progress in the 
 ability to play the game is made by increasing 
 these qualities. There is no game that requires 
 
 145
 
 146 BASKET BALL 
 
 a greater degree of fitness than basket ball, and 
 there are but few sports where the results of little 
 or no training are so noticeable. To play his best 
 game the player must be in good condition. 
 There is no exception to this. The man who 
 breaks training can no more play a first-class 
 game than a runner who is out of condition can 
 run a quarter mile in record time, and we know 
 the latter is impossible. In basket ball the player 
 expends a great deal of energy in a very short 
 time. This means a heavy demand upon the 
 body's reserve power, and especially is this true 
 of the circulatory and respiratory systems. The 
 athlete who, on account of lack of training or 
 for any other reason, such as a bad heart, is not 
 able to meet this increased demand on the body, 
 soon gets out of breath and has either to drop 
 out or become a handicap to his team. 
 
 MEDICAL EXAMINATION 
 
 It should be the custom of every coach, as well 
 as a strict rule of every school, that before the 
 applicant for the team is allowed to begin practice 
 at the beginning of the season he should have a 
 thorough medical examination. It is not suffi- 
 cient to give the benefits of this procedure to just 
 the eight or ten men that make the regular team; 
 every candidate for the team should be examined.
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 147 
 
 The reason for taking this precaution with basket- 
 ball players is obvious, although it is surprising 
 how often it is not done, and it is pathetic how 
 often harm comes from neglecting it. It is only 
 by an examination that those in charge of the 
 team can tell whether or not the players are physi- 
 cally sound and able to indulge in this strenuous 
 sport. Those in charge of adolescent boys should 
 especially be concerned, as there is great danger 
 of injury to the heart at this age. The game is 
 not worth the chance taken in neglecting this im- 
 portant matter. The coach and the school au- 
 thorities should not forget the responsibility they 
 have for the students in their charge. It often 
 takes a long time for an athletic sport to recover 
 from a blow it has received in the minds of the 
 parents when something serious happens to a 
 man, not to speak of the more important consid- 
 eration of the injury, and perhaps the death, of 
 the player. Besides being of vital importance to 
 the player, the examination may be of consider- 
 able value to the coach. It gives him an idea of 
 the physical condition of the players and how 
 much he may expect from each one. He learns 
 from the examination the weaknesses and limita- 
 tions that certain men have. If a coach knew, 
 as a result of the examination, that a player had 
 impaired vision it might save him considerable
 
 148 BASKET BALL 
 
 time and energy in trying to teach that man how 
 to shoot. 
 
 Whenever it is possible the examination should 
 be made by a physician. If a physician is not 
 available and the coach is forced to assume that 
 responsibility, he should at least try to find out 
 the condition of the men's hearts. As a result 
 of some previous experience or an examination 
 either by the school or family physician, the boy 
 with a bad heart may be able to inform the coach 
 of this condition. He may do quite the contrary, 
 however, and try to conceal the facts. A very 
 good question to ask the player is whether or not 
 he gets out of breath easily. He should be asked 
 if he is able to run up a flight of stairs without 
 experiencing any difficulty in breathing. If there 
 is a history of any such trouble, it probably means 
 a bad heart, as getting out of breath is not a 
 question of weak lungs, as is commonly supposed, 
 but rather that of a weak heart. 
 
 There have been several tests worked out to de- 
 termine the efficiency of the heart. A simple test 
 that may be used to advantage is the one that has 
 been devised by Dr. W. L. Foster. This test 
 makes use of the standing pulse rate, the rate 
 immediately after running in place for fifteen sec- 
 onds at the rate of one hundred and eighty steps 
 per minute, and the rate forty-five seconds after
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 149 
 
 the work has ceased. In making the test the 
 standing pulse rate is taken and the rate per 
 minute recorded. If the player is nervous the 
 rate may be a little above normal, but it should 
 not be very high. Doctor Foster found the aver- 
 age rate of twenty-five hundred boys between the 
 ages ot fourteen and eighteen to be ninety-seven 
 per minute. The normal adult pulse rate varies, 
 but it should not be much above ninety. The 
 average is seventy-two beats per minute. After 
 the standing pulse rate is taken and recorded, the 
 boy runs in place for exactly fifteen seconds at the 
 rate of one hundred and eighty steps per minute. 
 Immediately after he stops running the pulse is 
 again taken and recorded. As little time as pos- 
 sible should be consumed in determining the rate 
 after the exercise, as the record should be that of 
 the pulse immediately after running, and not after 
 he has rested several seconds. The rate should 
 not increase more than twenty to forty beats per 
 minute as a result of the exercise. If there is a 
 marked increase it is an unfavorable sign. After 
 running for the fifteen seconds the boy stands at 
 ease for forty-five seconds, when the pulse is taken 
 and recorded for the third time. If the heart is 
 in good condition the rate will come back to nor- 
 mal or close to the starting rate after this short 
 period of rest. It may drop below normal. If
 
 150 BASKET BALL 
 
 the rate stays high it means poor power of re- 
 cuperation. If the standing pulse rate while the 
 individual is resting is high, if there is a marked 
 increase after exercise, or if the rate fails to come 
 down after the forty-five seconds of rest, the 
 player should not be allowed to play until the re- 
 sults have been checked up by a physician. 
 
 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 
 
 In training a team for any form of athletics the 
 coach is interested in the measures which have to 
 do with the general all-around condition of the 
 players as well as the special procedures which 
 are followed in order to prepare the men for some 
 particular sport or event. The former is of special 
 interest in basket ball because of the physical en- 
 durance required by the game. We shall first 
 discuss some of the more important aspects of 
 personal or individual hygiene that are necessary 
 not only to put the men in the best physical con- 
 dition but also essential in keeping them where 
 they can be of greatest service to the team. 
 
 Before much can be accomplished in the way 
 of training it is necessary to have a live spirit of 
 enthusiasm toward the team and the school or 
 organization which the players represent. This 
 can come only from a love for the sport and a de- 
 sire on the part of the athlete to give his best
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 151 
 
 efforts to the team. The coach should try to de- 
 velop such a spirit among the men that they will 
 want to train and enjoy doing the things that are 
 best for all concerned. The most successful 
 coaches are those who are able to have their teams 
 go about their work in a businesslike way, and as 
 a rule the most valuable athletes take the game 
 more or less seriously. "As a man thinketh in 
 his heart, so is he." 
 
 The question of exercise, which is one of the 
 most important requisites of good health, will be 
 taken up later under special considerations of 
 training. 
 
 SLEEP 
 
 Sleep is of prime importance to any athlete. 
 The growing boy needs more than the mature 
 man, and the latter should have at least eight 
 hours a day. "It winds up the physical clock." 
 During the day the processes that tear down the 
 body are greater than the ones that build it up, 
 and as a result there is a loss in the available food- 
 supply and an accumulation of fatigue products. 
 While sleeping, this process is just reversed. The 
 loss in energy and tissue is made up, the kidneys 
 and other organs of elimination are able to re- 
 move the accumulated waste material, and the 
 organism is put in condition for the next day'g
 
 152 BASKET BALL 
 
 work. Some people seem able to get along with 
 less sleep than others, and there are those who are 
 not, as far as we can tell, affected very much by 
 having their sleep cut short a few hours for one 
 or two nights. There is a great difference some- 
 times, however, between what seems to be and 
 what really is true. Moreover, we should follow 
 the rule that fits the average rather than the ex- 
 ceptional case. The loss of sleep for a single night 
 means a lessened efficiency, and in some cases this 
 is very marked. When continued over any very 
 great length of time there is a gradual expenditure 
 of the body's reserve power and accumulation of 
 toxins over and above that of the day before. 
 Such a process in the athlete shows itself in lack 
 of enthusiasm for the game and inefficient as well 
 as indifferent playing. There may be loss of 
 weight, the face loses its natural color, and the 
 bright look of the eyes is replaced by a dull, 
 sleepy appearance. These conditions are com- 
 monly seen in players who during the basket-ball 
 season spend several nights a week on the dance 
 floor or some other place of amusement. Meeting 
 numerous social obligations and playing a good 
 game of basket ball are incompatible and cannot 
 go together. To get the greatest value from sleep 
 it should be regular and undisturbed. One should 
 develop the habit of going to bed at a certain
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 153 
 
 hour and getting up at a fixed time. In most 
 cases, if this rule is followed, the person will be 
 able to go to sleep immediately upon going to 
 bed and sleep through until morning. If possi- 
 ble he should sleep in a very quiet place. Even 
 though a noise may not be sufficient to awaken 
 the sleeper, he will unconsciously be stimulated 
 and affected by it. One feels more refreshed if 
 he sleeps out-of-doors. Even though all the win- 
 dows are open and there is good ventilation, as 
 should always be the case when compelled to sleep 
 in a room, that same restful feeling is not experi- 
 enced that exists when sleeping out-of-doors. 
 
 VENTILATION 
 
 Modern conditions of life make it necessary for 
 us to spend much of our life indoors, a fact which 
 explains a good deal of our ill health and disease. 
 This handicap to health can be lessened consider- 
 ably, however, by giving our attention to some of 
 the factors which are entirely within our control. 
 The discomfort which one experiences as a result 
 of breathing "bad air" results from too high tem- 
 perature, too much moisture or too little, and a 
 lack of motion in the air physical conditions 
 which can be modified and changed by proper 
 ventilation. The temperature should be about 
 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It should not be above
 
 154 BASKET BALL 
 
 that. Heat is depressing. The same is true of 
 air that is too humid, or, on the other hand, too 
 dry. There should always be some movement of 
 the air. The temperature in a gymnasium where 
 basket ball is being played should not be any 
 higher than is absolutely necessary for the com- 
 fort of the spectators. The men will play a better 
 game if it is not too hot. Smoking during the 
 game should be absolutely forbidden. 
 
 MENTAL CONDITIONS 
 
 There is a very definite relation between whole- 
 some mental states and efficiency. If we are op- 
 timists and in a pleasant state of mind we are able 
 to do more and better work than when we are 
 downhearted and looking on the dark side of 
 things. Worry not only lowers our efficiency but 
 it may even cause ill health. "It is not work 
 that kills a man. It is worry." The coach should 
 prevent, if possible, any cause for worry among the 
 players. It will cause them to fall off in their 
 playing more than anything else. There are 
 many things that athletes worry about. They 
 worry over their studies, examinations, over mak- 
 ing the team, over some particular game, and 
 many other things connected with the sport. It is 
 a common testimony of coaches that their teams 
 lost because the men were afraid of being beaten,
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 155 
 
 and consequently did not play their best game. 
 Worry lowers the morale, confidence raises it; 
 worry lessens efficiency, confidence increases it. 
 There is such a thing as being too confident, how- 
 ever. When players or teams become overconfi- 
 dent and grow careless, the condition is nearly as 
 bad as when they are worried. There is a great 
 deal in the psychology of basket ball and it should 
 be given considerable attention. For the team to 
 take the proper mental attitude toward the game 
 it must be in a happy and contented state of mind. 
 The coach and management can do much to bring 
 this about by carefully attending to the needs of 
 the players, seeing that they have good equipment, 
 having interesting practices, arranging satisfac- 
 tory schedules, giving the men a good time on 
 their trips, properly advertising the games, and 
 doing everything that is practical to make it 
 worth while for the players to make any necessary 
 sacrifice and to give their beet to the team. 
 
 DIET 
 
 Aside from exercise the question that has re- 
 ceived most attention in training for athletic 
 sports has been the diet of the players. While it 
 is true that diet is a very important factor, yet 
 it must be admitted that there have been numer- 
 ous fallacies and many absurd and foolish ideas
 
 156 BASKET BALL 
 
 held regarding it. The same principles that should 
 govern the selection and eating of food for the 
 average normal person should guide the basket- 
 ball player in matters relating to diet. It is for- 
 tunate for most teams that this is so, as circum- 
 stances often demand that the players eat the 
 same kind of food as the other members of the 
 family where they happen to be living or board- 
 ing. While experience has shown that training 
 tables are unnecessary to get best results, yet it 
 is essential that we understand and observe cer- 
 tain fundamental rules regarding food and diges- 
 tion. 
 
 In order for the body to function normally it 
 is necessary that it be furnished with food of the 
 proper kind and amount. We shall first take up 
 the qualitative requirements, then discuss the 
 amount of food that we need, and conclude by 
 mentioning a few factors other than diet that 
 have to do with digestion. 
 
 Food functions in the body by supplying energy 
 and heat, by building and repairing tissues, and 
 by stimulating and making possible the various 
 processes and activities of the body. Energy and 
 heat are furnished by the carbohydrates and fats. 
 Carbohydrates include starches, sugars, and gums, 
 and form the principal element in vegetables. 
 Fats have their main source in butter, cream, oil,
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 157 
 
 nuts, and some meats. Protein is used to build 
 up new tissues and repair old ones. Certain in- 
 organic substances also aid in this work. Prac- 
 tically all foods contain some protein, but it is 
 found chiefly in lean meats, eggs, milk and cheese, 
 nuts, peas, beans and lentils. Water, certain 
 mineral salts and vitamins, or "protective sub- 
 stances," are also necessary to keep the body 
 functioning properly. 
 
 There should be a certain variety of food not 
 only for each meal but also for each day and 
 week. There are many good foods which we 
 grow tired of if they are served too often. A 
 variety of food keeps the appetite keen, and a 
 good appetite is a great blessing and an aid to 
 digestion. 
 
 The diet of the athlete should contain but few, 
 if any, of the accessory articles of diet, such as 
 flavors, stimulants, and the like. While these 
 things are used they are not necessary, and may 
 be even harmful to the health. Spices and condi- 
 ments, such as pepper, catsup, and mustard may 
 appeal to the sense of taste and smell, but they 
 act as a local salivary and gastric stimulant. 
 They may do harm by destroying the taste for 
 simple and wholesome foods and by irritating 
 the gastrointestinal tract. Other things that 
 should be excluded from the player's diet are
 
 158 BASKET BALL 
 
 fried foods, highly seasoned dishes, pastries, or 
 anything else that he has learned by experience 
 does not agree with him. Appetites differ, and 
 our ability to digest food is not always the same. 
 Some people have idiosyncrasies toward certain 
 foods. They cannot eat a particular article of 
 diet, although it may be easily digested by the 
 average person. Experience should play a large 
 part in the choice of food; it should not be the 
 only thing considered, however, as there are some 
 who enjoy good digestion in spite of what they 
 eat rather than on account of it. There is a com- 
 mon fallacy that it is harmful to mix or eat cer- 
 tain foods at the same meal that some other par- 
 ticular food is eaten. For instance, to drink milk 
 with cherries is thought to cause indigestion. 
 There is probably very little danger from such 
 procedure, especially if all of the foods are good. 
 Simply putting them together will not cause any 
 grave disaster. Another mistaken idea commonly 
 found among athletes is that milk should be used 
 very sparingly. Milk is one of the best and most 
 valuable foods for the average person that we 
 have, and simply being an athlete does not mean 
 that a man becomes different from other people 
 in this respect. The claims that milk "cuts the 
 wind," "causes constipation," and "makes one 
 sleepy" are fallacious. It is understood, of course,
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 159 
 
 that the rest of the diet should be well propor- 
 tioned in regard to its quality and amount. The 
 high food value of milk lies in the fact that it is 
 easily digested, its constituents are well propor- 
 tioned, and it contains valuable growth-promoting 
 substances. 
 
 There has been a great deal said about the use 
 of tea and coffee. "These are substances that 
 are usually employed as makeshifts in an effort 
 to cheat nature." "Coffee is essentially a drug 
 and in itself has no nourishing principle." It 
 does put work upon the body in order to throw it 
 off, but gives nothing in return. Tea and coffee 
 hinder the action of the saliva, and if taken in 
 excess may impede digestion. Their action is 
 due to caffeine and tannic acid. The most im- 
 portant action of caffeine is upon the nervous 
 system, where it acts as a stimulant. If these 
 drugs are taken in moderation by a healthy per- 
 son they may not do any harm, but the athlete 
 should not need the stimulation which results 
 from their use. If he indulges at all it should 
 be very moderately. We recommend milk as a 
 substitute. The only value that coffee has as a 
 food is that it serves for a vehicle for milk and 
 sugar. 
 
 Now that this country is enjoying the great 
 blessing of national prohibition the question of
 
 160 BASKET BALL 
 
 alcohol is not so important as formerly. Alcohol 
 is not a stimulant. It is a narcotic and has a 
 detrimental effect upon all the activities of the 
 body. 
 
 By experience and experiment we have learned 
 that the body gets along best if it has so much 
 food and no more. When carbohydrates and 
 fats are taken in quantities greater than we need, 
 the excess amount is stored in the body as fat. 
 It furnishes so much weight for us to carry around. 
 The excess protein is not stored but is thrown off 
 as waste. This means extra work for the excre- 
 tory organs. The end products of the carbohy- 
 drates and fats are very simple and easily elimi- 
 nated, but with protein they are very complex 
 and are gotten rid of with difficulty. Their 
 elimination sometimes causes injury to the kid- 
 neys and other organs. 
 
 The ordinary college athlete needs between 
 three and four thousand calories per day. Carbo- 
 hydrates furnish fuel for energy, and the harder 
 the work the more is needed. They should furnish 
 between sixty and seventy per cent of the total 
 heat units. The amount furnished by fats should 
 be moderate, about twenty-five per cent, and these 
 should come mostly from butter-fat as found in 
 butter, milk, and cheese. From ten to fifteen 
 per cent should come from protein.
 
 FIG. 18. PUT OR PLACED SHOT. PAGE 31. 
 Coming in from Front.
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 161 
 
 At the present time most of the leading authori- 
 ties on this subject favor a low protein diet. 
 Most people, including athletes, eat too much 
 meat. As stated above, this food is one of the 
 chief sources of protein. It is not necessary to 
 have meat two or three times a day. Once a day 
 is sufficient. It may be that it would be better 
 if meat were served but four or five times a week. 
 It used to be thought that it was meat that gave 
 strength to the body, but quite the contrary has 
 been shown to be true. Fisher and Fisk, in their 
 book "How to Live," in speaking of experiments 
 made to determine this question, say: "The re- 
 sults would indicate that the users of the low 
 protein and non-flesh dietaries have far greater 
 endurance than those who are accustomed to the 
 ordinary American diet." We cannot conclude 
 from our present knowledge in food matters that 
 the athlete needs no meat, but we can be reason- 
 ably sure of getting better results from a low 
 protein diet than when excessive amounts are 
 eaten. 
 
 It is a common practice among athletes to over- 
 eat. Gluttony may easily become a vice of the 
 basket-ball player as well as of the idle and lazy. 
 "Overeating is about as common as eating." 
 Three fairly good-sized meals a day is all a player 
 needs. Efficiency and pleasure in eating as well
 
 162 BASKET BALL 
 
 as in anything else lies in moderation and not in 
 excess. 
 
 Carbohydrates when eaten in excess cause 
 fermentation, indigestion, and constipation. 
 Fruits, besides being splendid food, are also 
 good for this condition. Every one should drink 
 plenty of water. Many athletes do not drink 
 enough, especially between meals. A glass or 
 two during meals will do no harm. It does not 
 unduly dilute the digestive juices, as is sometimes 
 thought, but rather is an aid to digestion. It 
 should not be used to wash the food down. The 
 athlete needs from five to ten glasses a day. 
 Ice-water should be avoided, although cooled 
 water may be drunk with safety. It is not a 
 good thing to eat any food that is very hot or 
 very cold. 
 
 Regularity is one of the most important rules 
 of training. The athlete's meals, as well as his 
 sleep and exercise, should be regular. The habit 
 of eating between meals is bad. It causes over- 
 eating and often leads to impaired digestion. 
 Some players have a desire to eat something be- 
 fore going to bed. If the food is simple and not 
 excessive in amount, it will probably do no harm 
 providing there is a need for the same, but it 
 should not become a habit. A man sleeps and 
 rests better if the stomach is empty when he goes
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 163 
 
 to bed. Plenty of time should be taken to eat, 
 as the evils of "bolting" food are many. Meals 
 are enjoyed more when eaten slowly. Moreover, 
 when the food is not chewed and masticated thor- 
 oughly one is apt to eat more, digestion is not so 
 complete, and there is a failure to get the greatest 
 possible benefit from the food. Food should be 
 chewed until it is thoroughly mixed with the sa- 
 liva and swallowing takes place without thinking 
 about it. 
 
 Heavy meals should come when they can be 
 followed by physical and mental composure. 
 For the ordinary student, breakfast should be 
 moderate, lunch light, and dinner the big meal 
 of the day. The meals would be something as 
 follows: for breakfast, fruit, cereal, eggs or meat 
 or potatoes, toast or bread, and milk; for lunch, 
 eggs, potatoes or another vegetable, bread, cooked 
 fruit, and milk; for dinner, soup, meat, potatoes, 
 a couple of green vegetables or salad, light dessert, 
 and milk or tea. Whether or not the athlete can 
 follow the above plan depends upon the time of 
 day the game or practice is held. The meal im- 
 mediately preceding or following a hard work-out 
 should always be light. It is never good to eat 
 a big meal when one is very tired. Excessive per- 
 spiration impedes the secretion of the gastric 
 juice, and the fatigue products resulting from the
 
 1 64 BASKET BALL 
 
 exercise have a depressing effect upon the mind 
 and cause impaired digestion. The nutrition is 
 affected by mental and moral states or by any 
 kind of nervous irritation. A contented mind 
 and joyous nature go with a good digestion, while 
 remorse, discontent, and so on are apt to be asso- 
 ciated with poor digestion. 
 
 Many players are affected by nervousness just 
 before a game and suffer from impaired digestion 
 as a result. To prevent this condition an effort 
 should be made to keep them as optimistic as 
 possible and their minds on something other 
 than the game. The coaching should be done 
 some time before the day of the game. The same 
 principle holds true in regard to diet. The men 
 should have taken such care of themselves and 
 should be in such good condition that nothing 
 more than the ordinary precaution regarding diet 
 will be necessary. Breakfast should be about 
 the same as usual, consisting of fruit, cereal, meat 
 or eggs, bread or toast, and milk. If this is not 
 sufficient a baked potato may be added. With 
 some it would be better to omit the meat or eggs. 
 If the game is in the afternoon it is best to have 
 a light lunch. Soup, eggs, bread, and tea or milk 
 is sufficient. If the contest is not until the 
 evening, lunch should be heavier than usual and 
 consist of eggs or a small portion of meat, one or
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 165 
 
 two vegetables, including potatoes, bread, milk, 
 and a light dessert. Supper should be light. 
 
 Most ill health and disease are caused by toxic 
 substances which are formed either within the 
 body or are taken in the form of drugs. It is 
 necessary, therefore, in order that man be able 
 to enjoy good health, that there be a regular and 
 orderly elimination of the waste products, and 
 also the prevention as far as possible of the 
 entrance of any toxic substances from the out- 
 side. 
 
 The work of removing the poisonous material 
 from the body is done by the lungs, kidneys, skin, 
 and intestines. The amount of water needed each 
 day has been mentioned. The kidneys are exceed- 
 ingly important organs of elimination, and their 
 proper functioning is dependent upon a good sup- 
 ply of water. 
 
 Much of the waste material of the body is 
 thrown off by the intestines. This removal should 
 be prompt and regular. Any delay in the action 
 of the bowels is accompanied by the formation of 
 toxic substances which are absorbed into the body, 
 causing headache and other symptoms of ill 
 health. Sometimes the results of this condition 
 are very serious. The most efficient treatment 
 of constipation consists of removing and adjust- 
 ing the causative factors. Of very great impor-
 
 166 BASKET BALL 
 
 tance is the matter of establishing a regular habit 
 of having the bowels move at a certain time every 
 day. A common cause of constipation is a lack 
 of the proper kind and amount of physical exer- 
 cise, resulting in bad posture, a lowered muscular 
 tone, and a poor general resistance. While this 
 may not be of great interest to the athlete who 
 indulges in strenuous physical activity, yet it 
 should be mentioned in passing on account of its 
 special significance to the average person. The 
 exercises that are of greatest value in stimulating 
 the action of the bowels are those that bring into 
 play the muscles of the trunk and especially those 
 of the abdomen. 
 
 Perhaps the most important measure in pre- 
 venting constipation is the proper regulation of 
 one's diet. In most cases the condition can be 
 avoided by eating foods that have either consid- 
 erable bulk or some special laxative action. Some 
 of the laxative foods are oranges, apples, prunes, 
 peaches, figs, celery, string-beans, asparagus, 
 spinach, rhubarb, onions, green peas, corn, baked 
 potatoes (with skins), lettuce, tomatoes, honey, 
 molasses, rolled oats, other whole cereals, and 
 bread made from whole wheat or graham flour. 
 Oils and fats are also laxative. The following 
 are constipating: rice, dried beans, cornstarch, 
 custard puddings, boiled milk, salted and dried
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 167 
 
 meats, cheese, tea, coffee, and bread made from 
 fine flour. Water aids greatly in stimulating and 
 promoting the action of the intestines. It works 
 best if taken when the stomach is empty. This 
 is especially true in the morning before breakfast. 
 Such things as agar-agar and mineral oil are of 
 value, but they should be used only temporarily 
 and not be depended upon to take the place of 
 the wholesome measures mentioned above. Most 
 cases of constipation will clear up if sufficient 
 attention is given to the diet, exercise, and habit. 
 These are the correctives that should be tried 
 first. If they fail, try medicine; but the common 
 practice of always depending upon relief found in 
 a drug store is a great mistake. Drugs should be 
 the last resort and not the first. 
 
 BATHING AND THE CARE OF THE SKIN 
 
 The skin is a very highly developed and sensi- 
 tive organ and functions in many ways in helping 
 maintain the health of the body. It protects the 
 underlying tissues from the heat, cold, injuries 
 of various kinds, and invasion of parasites. One 
 of its most important functions is to help regu- 
 late and maintain a constant temperature inside 
 the body. It also acts as an organ of sensation, 
 receiving the external stimuli of heat, cold, and 
 pressure. The skin is an organ of excretion, al-
 
 1 68 BASKET BALL 
 
 though its importance as such is not considered 
 very great. It also acts as a support for the hairs 
 and nails, which are modifications of the skin. 
 As an organ of absorption the skin has very little 
 significance as, aside from the sweat-glands, it is 
 practically water-proof. This is due to the skin 
 being covered by the oily secretion from the seba- 
 ceous glands. Very little, if any, of the numerous 
 preparations used by athletes and others to rub 
 on the skin is absorbed into the body. Many of 
 these things have no value aside from the lubri- 
 cating effect in promoting massage. 
 
 Whether or not the skin stays healthy and well 
 and in good condition depends in a large measure 
 upon the general condition of the body. The skin 
 is often an indicator of our general health. It 
 gives us a good idea of how the other organs are 
 functioning. If there is injury or disorder in some 
 other part, such as the digestive tract, it may be 
 very quickly reflected in the skin. The first mani- 
 festations of overeating, too free indulgence of 
 meats, fried foods, pastries, and other errors in 
 diet, often first appear in the skin. The condition 
 of this important organ is dependent in a large 
 measure upon exercise, diet, sleep, and other 
 general hygienic measures that we employ. That 
 explains the unsatisfactory results that we so 
 often get from the local application of the various
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 169 
 
 skin remedies. Another reason is the worth- 
 lessness of most of these preparations. 
 
 Cleanliness is of prime importance in the care 
 of the skin. This is accomplished by the warm 
 bath with the aid of soap. Everybody should 
 take a bath at least once a day. The cleansing 
 bath for the athlete should come after exercise. 
 The oblique shower-bath is the most satisfactory 
 and beneficial, as it is not only efficient in cleans- 
 ing the skin but, in addition, has a valuable stimu- 
 lating effect. Only a few minutes in the warm 
 bath are necessary to get the desired results. It 
 may even be harmful to stay in too long. A warm 
 bath dilates the blood-vessels of the skin, lowers 
 the blood pressure, and has a soothing effect upon 
 the nervous system. It frequently induces sleep 
 if taken directly before going to bed. Cleansing 
 the skin not only keeps the pores open so that the 
 skin may function as an excretory organ, but it 
 also prevents the clogging and infection of these 
 openings. The athlete, as well as any one else 
 who is going out of doors afterward, should always 
 follow the warm bath with a cold shower. This 
 helps to prevent catching cold. For the same 
 reason he should dress warmly and avoid sitting 
 in a draft after the bath. Better results are al- 
 ways evident if the bath has been preceded by 
 exercise.
 
 170 BASKET BALL 
 
 Training the skin is also an important procedure. 
 The skin can be trained the same as any other 
 part of the body. The cold bath is a real stimulant 
 and aids materially in this process. It contracts 
 the blood-vessels, slows and deepens respiration, 
 and stimulates the nervous system. Not every 
 one should indulge in cold baths, as there are many 
 people who cannot stand the shock. Most ath- 
 letes, however, will not only be able to take the 
 cold shower but will be greatly aided by it. 
 Whether or not one is able to take this kind of a 
 bath depends upon the reaction he gets. The 
 signs of a favorable reaction are a return of the 
 blood to the surface of the body, a feeling of 
 warmth, and a sense of well-being and exhilara- 
 tion. If the body responds poorly a person feels 
 cold, weak, and perhaps has a headache. How 
 cold the water should be depends, then, upon the 
 individual. The best time to take a cold bath is 
 upon getting up in the morning; it should always 
 follow a warm bath when one is going out into the 
 cold. A vigorous rub-down should complete the 
 bath. Aside from drying the body the rub-down 
 is of value in giving a certain amount of exercise 
 and stimulating the circulation. For those who 
 can take it, the cold bath is a real tonic and one 
 of the best preventatives of cold and producers of 
 health that we have. Another valuable hygienic
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 171 
 
 measure for those who are strong enough to do it, 
 without being chilled, is the air bath, or exposing 
 the body to the air and light for a few minutes 
 each day. 
 
 Clothing is another factor to be considered in 
 training the skin. Jut enough clothing should 
 be worn to keep the body warm. We err more 
 often in wearing too much clothing in the winter- 
 time than in summer. Too heavy, thick clothing 
 should not be worn indoors in winter as it causes 
 the body to become overheated and to perspire, 
 a condition which renders a person liable to a 
 chill when he goes out of doors. It is better to 
 wear the heavier and warmer clothes outdoors. 
 Underclothes made of cotton or a mixture of 
 cotton and wool are better than all wool, as wool 
 absorbs and retains the moisture, preventing the 
 normal action of the skin. In order to keep the 
 skin clean it is necessary to change the under- 
 clothing often. While it is desirable not to shut 
 the air out from the skin by wearing too much 
 clothing, a word of caution should he said to those 
 who sometimes go to the other extreme. We often 
 run across people who pride themselves on being 
 able to go through the winter wearing their sum- 
 mer underwear and without using an overcoat. 
 This is an unwise and foolish custom. It may be 
 that certain individuals with a high resistance
 
 i;2 BASKET BALL 
 
 and well-trained skins can do this and suffer no 
 apparent ill effects. They stay well in most cases, 
 however, in spite of the procedure rather than on 
 account of it. In cold weather, when we are not 
 sufficiently clothed, there is a great loss of heat 
 and a severe drain upon the body's reserve power 
 and strength. 
 
 The question is often asked why so many ath- 
 letes lose their hair prematurely. The two most 
 common causes of baldness are dandruff and a 
 poor circulation, and anything which will prevent 
 these will be valuable in preserving the hair. 
 The best treatment in preventing dandruff is 
 keeping the scalp clean. This can be done by 
 shampooing the head and perhaps using some kind 
 of an antiseptic solution. The shampoo not only 
 cleans the scalp but also stimulates the circula- 
 tion. How often we should use this measure 
 depends upon how often there is need for it. 
 Athletes naturally get their heads very dirty, and, 
 while they usually bathe after exercise and get 
 their heads wet while in the shower, they often 
 do not cleanse their hair and scalp thoroughly. 
 This may explain their loss of hair. Certainly it 
 is not caused by wetting their hair every day. 
 The simple application of water does not cause 
 baldness. The circulation of the scalp is aided 
 by massage, brushing, and combing the hair.
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 173 
 
 It is impeded by wearing hats that fit the head too 
 tightly. There are many remedies widely adver- 
 tised and used for preventing the loss of hair. 
 Most of them are useless except in that they help 
 do the two important things mentioned above, 
 namely, aid the circulation or cleanse the scalp. 
 Measures such as singeing, that affect the hair it- 
 self, are worthless. 
 
 Proper cleansing of the skin will prevent various 
 infections which are often the source of considera- 
 ble annoyance to athletes. The prevention of 
 acne, "blackheads," and pimples consists of 
 keeping the skin clear and the pores open. In 
 treating and removing pimples, care should be 
 taken lest a second and more severe infection oc- 
 cur. A pimple should be opened by a sterile in- 
 strument, and, after the removal of the contents, 
 washed with antiseptic solution. They should 
 not be squeezed and pinched in a way as to injure 
 and lower the resistance of the part. Many boils 
 and severe infections start in this way. 
 
 Boils are circumscribed areas of inflammation 
 caused by pus-producing organisms. The infec- 
 tion usually follows a scratch or injury to the skin, 
 although at times they seem to occur without 
 any apparent cause. Although boils are, in most 
 cases, due to a local infection, the general condi- 
 tion or resistance of the body has a good deal to
 
 174 BASKET BALL 
 
 do not only with their occurrence but also with 
 their cure. Their prevention is accomplished by 
 keeping the body clean and avoiding scratches, 
 abrasions, or injury of any kind to the skin. The 
 application of sterile hot compresses, wet with 
 bichloride-of-mercury solution, I to 5,000, is 
 recommended for softening and bringing the 
 boil to a head. The application should be made 
 every two hours. The use of poultices for this 
 purpose is to be condemned. When opening a 
 boil it should be incised and the pus or "core" 
 gently removed. The body, in attempting to 
 limit the infection to a small area, builds a wall 
 around the process and the common practice of 
 squeezing the part breaks down this protective 
 barrier and paves the way for a more extensive 
 and serious infection. Before making the inci- 
 sion it is advisable to clean the skin with some 
 antiseptic solution such as alcohol or bichloride 
 of mercury. Tincture of iodine may also be used. 
 After the boil is opened, care should be taken so as 
 to prevent transference of the infection to some 
 adjacent part. "Crops" of boils often result 
 from careless handling and dressing of these open 
 wounds. After opening the boil, as well as after 
 every dressing, the part should be washed with an 
 antiseptic solution and covered with a dry sterile 
 dressing.
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 175 
 
 Blisters on the feet sometimes give athletes 
 considerable trouble. Usually they can be pre- 
 vented by wearing properly fitting shoes, and 
 socks or stockings that do not have holes in them. 
 Socks should not only be kept free from holes, but 
 should also be washed often. While the basket- 
 ball shoe should fit the foot snugly, it should not 
 be too tight. The feet should be carefully washed 
 and dried after each practice. The free use of 
 talcum powder on the foot and in the shoe also 
 helps prevent foot troubles. In treating blisters 
 it is best, unless the blister is a large one, not 
 to open it but rather protect it in some way. 
 This may be done by the use of a felt pad, gauze 
 bandage, or a piece of adhesive plaster. If the 
 blister is very large or for any other reason it 
 seems desirable to open it, first wash the foot 
 thoroughly and then, with a sterile needle, punc- 
 ture the blister through the skin at the side. 
 After the fluid is removed the part should be pro- 
 tected from infection or any further irritation. 
 To harden and toughen the feet a solution of 
 tannic acid (a tablespoonful of acid to a quart of 
 water) or alum water (a teaspoonful to a pint) is 
 recommended. Corns and callosities are caused 
 by wearing shoes that are too tight or permit 
 friction. For the soft corns, which are usually 
 between the toes, some dusting powder like aristol
 
 176 BASKET BALL 
 
 (thymol iodide) may be used. Hard corns are 
 frequently treated by soaking the feet in hot 
 water and, after washing them thoroughly in some 
 disinfecting solution, cutting them down with 
 a sharp knife. Various so-called "corn cures" 
 are also used. Although it is a common practice, 
 it is questionable whether such conditions should 
 be treated by the patient himself. It should be 
 pointed out that it is not uncommon for very 
 serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences to 
 follow even slight cuts and infections of the foot. 
 
 Basket-ball players should keep their finger- 
 nails cut short, cut with round corners. Bad 
 scratches, as well as serious injuries to the eyes, 
 sometimes result from long nails. Toe-nails 
 should be cut straight across. Ingrown toe-nails 
 can be prevented by wearing shoes that do not 
 fit the foot too tightly. The nails do not grow into 
 the skin, the skin is forced and squeezed over the 
 nail. 
 
 "Jockstrap itch," known scientifically as "tinea 
 cruris," is an infection of the inner sides of the 
 thighs and scrotum, and is due to a spore-forming 
 organism. The infection usually follows the wear- 
 ing of dirty jock supporters and from unclean 
 habits. It is commonly found among athletes. 
 Sometimes it spreads among the men using a 
 gymnasium and is very hard to eradicate. The
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 177 
 
 best treatment for the condition is keeping the 
 part clean, applying ammoniated mercury and 
 preventing irritation of any kind. The ammoni- 
 ated mercury should be of weak strength. It is 
 a good plan to use it only at night, applying tal- 
 cum powder during the day. If the infection is 
 very wide-spread among the men it may be neces- 
 sary to boil all their clothing before the condition 
 will clear up. 
 
 Aside from the toxins resulting from the physio- 
 logical processes of the body, there are frequently 
 poisons formed from pathogenic germs in some 
 localized site. Such conditions are known as 
 focal infections. These processes are a constant 
 menace to health, as either the bacteria or their 
 toxins may be carried by the blood or lymph to 
 other parts of the body and cause a secondary 
 infection. It is believed that many diseases such 
 as rheumatism, arthritis, valvular heart-disease, 
 neuritis, chorea, Bright's disease, pernicious anae- 
 mia, and others, which have baffled medical men 
 in the past, are now explained by the presence of 
 some focal process. For example, it is very com- 
 mon to find rheumatism following tonsilitis, or 
 neuritis caused by an abscessed tooth. These 
 focal processes also cause a generally lowered 
 resistance. There are many evidences that oui 
 conclusion regarding this matter is true, the most
 
 178 BASKET BALL 
 
 conclusive being the fact that when the local in- 
 fection is removed, the patient is greatly improved 
 or gets entirely well. There are many places in 
 the body where these focal infections are found. 
 The most common sites are the teeth, gums, 
 tonsils, nose, cavities in the bones of the head and 
 face, gall-bladder, appendix, and genito-urinary 
 tract. An infection anywhere may serve as a 
 focal process. A boil or an infected finger may be 
 followed by either a general or secondary infection. 
 It is of vital importance that we appreciate the 
 relation between focal infections and disease. It 
 is obvious that when in doubt regarding the cause 
 of any of the conditions mentioned above, that 
 a thorough search should be made for a probable 
 localized origin. But that is not enough. We 
 should be interested sufficiently in the prevention 
 of disease to attend to such matters before we 
 get sick and thus avoid a possible permanent 
 injury to vital organs of the body. Sometimes 
 these focal processes are very difficult to find 
 and it may mean a little inconvenience and time 
 to do it, but it is worth the trouble. There may 
 be no definite symptoms. We may be totally 
 unaware of an abscess at the root of a tooth 
 until the X-ray reveals its presence. For that 
 reason periodic examinations are advisable. 
 Many people have formed the habit of going to
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 179 
 
 the dentist once or twice a year to have their 
 teeth attended to and the rest of the body should 
 receive the same care and attention. 
 
 COLDS 
 
 It is not to be inferred from what we have said 
 that focal processes are the cause of all the ill 
 health and disease. That is not true. Pathogenes 
 may get into the body through any of the many 
 entrances and by growing and multiplying injure 
 not only some particular tissue or organ but 
 cause a poisoning and lowered resistance of the 
 whole body. Prevention of disease involves, there- 
 fore, not only the elimination of suitable sites for 
 the growth of bacteria but the prevention, as far 
 as possible, of their entrance into the body. 
 
 Perhaps the most common infection is that 
 causing the ordinary cold. There are two or three 
 important factors in the causation of this condi- 
 tion. Bacteria of one variety or another are 
 practically always present and play a prominent 
 part in the production of the symptoms. In most 
 cases, also, there is a disturbance of the circulation 
 of the blood, especially of the respiratory tract. 
 Again, as in so many other cases, the general 
 condition of the body is of prime importance, 
 otherwise we should never be free from colds. 
 There are many things that will lower the resis-
 
 i So BASKET BALL 
 
 tance of the body. Congestion of the respiratory 
 tract may result from a number of factors. It 
 may be caused by undue exposure to the cold, 
 causing a disturbance of the general circulation. 
 This is especially true in persons with poorly 
 trained skins. It commonly follows irritation of 
 the lining of the nose and throat by such agents 
 as dust and hot, dry air. Deformed septums, dis- 
 eased tonsils, and adenoid growths interfere with 
 the normal functioning of the respiratory organs 
 and are responsible for a large number of colds 
 as well as many other more serious conditions. 
 If the invading organism be of sufficient virility 
 there may result an attack of a cold in healthy 
 individuals. This, however, we believe to be 
 unusual. Athletes often suffer from severe colds, 
 but with them, as with other apparently normal 
 individuals who suddenly come down with a 
 severe cold, the cause lies not in any special 
 strength of the bacteria, but rather in a tempo- 
 rary lowering of resistance resulting from careless 
 exposure or from overwork and fatigue. There is 
 a limit to the physical endurance of the athlete 
 just the same as with any one else, and the limit 
 of his work should be where his reserve strength 
 is greatest and not at the point where his reserve 
 power is exhausted. When for any reason during 
 practice, or a game, the player is not working,
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 181 
 
 he should be properly protected from the cold. 
 If the athlete is not overworked and he observes 
 the same rules regarding his health as everybody 
 should, he ought to be practically free from colds. 
 Just because they are strong and in good health, 
 athletes often disobey certain rules of hygiene 
 and take chances that ordinarily they would not 
 be willing to take. 
 
 In preventing colds the most important factor 
 is following the rules of hygiene and keeping the 
 resistance as high as possible. If this is done and 
 attention paid to the other causative factors 
 mentioned above, colds should be rare. To avoid 
 colds, one should take exercise regularly; but 
 not overwork and become extremely fatigued. A 
 bath should be taken once a day. The cold bath 
 is a tonic and a valuable agent in training the 
 skin if the individual is strong enough to get a 
 favorable reaction from it. Overheated rooms 
 should be avoided, plenty of outdoor fresh air 
 breathed, the windows kept open while sleeping, 
 too much or too warm clothing avoided, eating 
 done moderately, plenty of water drunk, and all 
 of the organs of elimination kept working nor- 
 mally. 
 
 For the athlete whose general health is good, 
 the most important considerations are the re- 
 moval of any obstruction or handicap to normal
 
 1 82 BASKET BALL 
 
 breathing or functioning of the respiratory tract, 
 such as diseased tonsils or a deflected septum 
 and the avoiding of extreme fatigue and exposure 
 to the cold. The principle followed in trying to 
 abort a cold is to relieve the congestion in the 
 respiratory tract. This may be done by taking a 
 saline cathartic or by dilating the peripheral 
 blood-vessels by use of a hot bath. A hot drink is 
 of value. Other methods are used, such as the 
 local application of drugs, but this should be done 
 only under the direction of a physician. The hot 
 bath should be taken before going to bed and care 
 exercised to prevent chilling of the body after 
 the bath. Hot lemonade is the most popular 
 drink. The best cathartics are magnesium sul- 
 phate or Epsom salt and Rochelle salt. This is 
 especially true if taken during the daytime; at 
 night calomel is recommended, to be followed by 
 Epsom salt the next morning. The best time to 
 take magnesium sulphate is in the morning, half 
 an hour or so before breakfast. Plenty of water 
 should be drunk with it. 
 
 The thing to remember about the treatment of 
 a cold is the fact that after the initial stages the 
 condition is one that affects the whole body and 
 not just the respiratory organs. While it is true 
 that in many cases the most marked symptoms 
 are in the nose and throat, yet there is always a
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 183 
 
 lowering of the general resistance. There is a 
 struggle with the disease in which the whole 
 body is involved. We should not think of a cold 
 as a condition of little consequence but rather a 
 disease, which, if not properly cared for, may lead 
 to very serious results. It is common knowledge 
 that the complications of a cold are many and 
 oftentimes serious. In most cases the abortive 
 treatment of colds is unsuccessful. But it is 
 always worth while to try. Whether it is expected 
 to stop it or not a cathartic should be taken. 
 After that the most successful treatment consists 
 of following carefully the laws of individual hy- 
 giene and taking the best possible care of oneself. 
 Drugs are of very little value. Baking-soda is 
 useful, when taken, half a teaspoonful in half a 
 glass of water every half hour for six doses. 
 Medical treatment may be advisable but it 
 should be done by a physician. 
 
 There are numerous cough medicines and other 
 drugs widely advertised for colds, but most of 
 them are useless and some are harmful. If a man 
 is sick enough to use drugs, he is sick enough t 
 have the services of a physician. If the tempera- 
 ture is above normal, the patient should go to 
 bed. That is the best treatment for a bad cold. 
 And one should not go out until the second day 
 after his temperature has come back to normal.
 
 1 84 BASKET BALL 
 
 Colds are contagious, infectious diseases, which is 
 another reason why the sick man should stay at 
 home until the disease has subsided. Staying in 
 for a few days will often save time in the end. If 
 one is up and about, as most people are with a 
 cold, he should limit his activities and put as little 
 strain on the body as possible. Plenty of fresh 
 air should be breathed both day and night. Cold 
 air may irritate the throat. The body should be 
 kept warm so as to prevent chilling of the skin. 
 Overeating should be guarded against. We no 
 longer "stuff a cold" nor "starve a fever." The 
 food should be moderate in amount and easily 
 digested. There should be free elimination of 
 waste products through the kidneys and intes- 
 tines. If the body reacts favorably, cool or cold 
 baths are useful. Plenty of sleep is demanded. 
 Among athletes a popular way of treating a cold 
 is "working it off by exercise." Physical activity 
 carried to the point where it stimulates the circu- 
 lation and other physiological processes is of 
 distinct value. It aids the organs of elimination 
 and is a stimulant to the body. However, it 
 should be moderate and stopped short of the point 
 where fatigue begins to set in. How much we 
 should take depends upon how bad a cold we have 
 and how strong we are. Exercise to the extent 
 of causing excessive perspiration and fatigue is
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 185 
 
 distinctly harmful. The body's resistance is 
 already low and needs all the energy and strength 
 that it has, and severe exercise adds additional 
 strain and lowers its power of recuperation. Ath- 
 letes should not be worked hard when they have 
 colds. 
 
 TOBACCO, ALCOHOL, ETC. 
 
 The poisons which man voluntarily puts into 
 his body and which do him most harm include 
 alcohol, tobacco, and others found in drugs and 
 patent medicines. Although we have national 
 prohibition it is worthy of note, in passing, that 
 alcohol, used by many in the past as a beverage 
 and thought by others to be a stimulant, is in 
 reality a narcotic, the same as chloroform, which 
 not only destroys the higher powers of man 
 such as reasoning and judgment and causing him 
 to lose control of his sense of courtesy, politeness, 
 and scruples about the best things of life, but also 
 lowers his physical efficiency. Surely it is un- 
 necessary to say anything further about an evil 
 that has spoiled so many promising careen and 
 caused so much misery in the world. 
 
 There is much that might be said regaiding 
 drugs and patent medicines. It should be re- 
 membered that it is not the medicine that a man 
 takes that causes him to get well. "Most curable
 
 1 86 BASKET BALL 
 
 diseases get well of themselves." Sometimes the 
 drugs given are the main agents, but in most 
 cases we have to depend upon the body for the 
 restoration of health. It is a very unwholesome 
 habit to depend upon drugs to cure every ache 
 and pain. Going to the drug store is one of the 
 so-called "short-cut" procedures that we have 
 invented to meet the conditions of modern civili- 
 zation. It is surprising the amount of drugs 
 taken and the large sums of money paid to the 
 manufacturers of patent medicines. The whole 
 nostrum business is largely one of fraud. The 
 prices paid for the drugs are far in excess of that 
 which would have to be paid for the same thing 
 on the prescription of a physician. Not only 
 that, but the public is deceived not only as to 
 what the preparation contains, but also as to its 
 effects. The name patent medicine is a misno- 
 mer. The products are not patented. The laws 
 of this country would not allow it. Besides, the 
 manufacturers do not want them patented. The 
 most important thing to the individual about 
 taking drugs is that it is a dangerous procedure. 
 Unless taken on the advice of a physician, more 
 harm than good is apt to result. We are con- 
 tinually hearing and reading of cases where people 
 have been made very sick or killed as a result of 
 taking some medicine. Moreover, taking such
 
 THE HYGIENE OF TRAINING 187 
 
 drugs as morphine, cocaine, and others, some- 
 times results in a drug habit. The wise course to 
 follow is to let all drugs alone and depend upon 
 sane and wholesome living to keep well. When 
 that fails see a physician. 
 
 The use of tobacco by athletes is a question 
 that always comes up in the discussion of training. 
 There has been a great deal said and written con- 
 cerning it. While there are a good many who 
 defend its use in ordinary life, coaches are almost 
 unanimous in condemning it for athletes. The 
 physiological effects of tobacco are not entirely 
 understood; besides there are so many factors, 
 such as age and mode of using, which cause its 
 effects to vary. One cigarette is the least harm- 
 ful form in which to use tobacco; but the 
 trouble is, that one is so little satisfying that 
 another is taken, and then another, until a habit 
 is formed. An athlete should avoid them. Nico- 
 tine is the chief drug found in tobacco. There are 
 other substances such as ammonia and carbon 
 monoxide which have an injurious effect on the 
 body. Nicotine has a narcotic action upon 
 the nervous system. Common circulatory distur- 
 bances are an increased rate, palpitation, and 
 irregularity of the heart. Tobacco also has a 
 harmful effect on the digestion. The ammonia 
 is thought to irritate the mucous membrane of the
 
 1 88 BASKET BALL 
 
 nose and throat. In moderate amounts, in the 
 normal adult tobacco does not have any marked 
 detrimental effects, and that probably is the reason 
 why so many people smoke and uphold its use. 
 But that does not necessarily mean that there are 
 no detrimental changes taking place. We are cer- 
 tain there are no good or beneficial results coming 
 from it. Tobacco is distinctly harmful for growing 
 boys. All authorities are agreed upon this point. 
 During adolescence, when marked physical and 
 mental changes are taking place, marking the 
 growth from boyhood into adult life, serious injury 
 may result from the use of tobacco. Athletes 
 should refrain from its use. There can be no ques- 
 tion about that. No boy or man can do his best, 
 either for himself or the team, if he smokes or 
 chews. The claim that tobacco "takes your 
 wind" is true. Having "good wind" is a question 
 of having a good heart, and anything affecting 
 your heart as tobacco does, will "cut your wind."
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 In the preceding chapter we have discussed 
 the most important factors having to do with the 
 general health of the individual. We shall now 
 consider the special considerations necessary for 
 men training for basket ball. As hac been said 
 before, basket ball is a game requiring great en- 
 durance, but it is also a game of much speed and 
 great skill. To become a polished player, it re- 
 quires, in addition to a strong body and good 
 general health, much practice and attention to 
 the features which are particularly characteristic 
 of the game. 
 
 PLAN OF TRAINING 
 
 Before the beginning of the season the coach 
 should work out in more or less detail his plan 
 of training for the season. With basket ball, as 
 with anything else, one is more apt to succeed if 
 there is system to his work and if he has a definite 
 aim or goal in view. The same principles regard- 
 ing training and general plan of work may hold 
 true to a greater or less degree from year to year, 
 
 189
 
 190 BASKET BALL 
 
 but there are so many other considerations such 
 as the caliber of the men, the kind of a schedule, 
 injuries to players, and other conditions that have 
 to be met, that the coach cannot afford to be 
 content with working out his plans from day to 
 day. The big and most popular aim is to go 
 through the season and win as many games as 
 possible. To do this means keeping the men in 
 the best possible condition and up to the highest 
 point of efficiency. The aim is to begin before 
 the season opens and in a short time get the 
 players in condition for the opening game and 
 then by continued practice gradually increase 
 their ability until, at the end of the season when 
 the hardest games are usually played, the team 
 will represent the maximum efficiency in basket 
 ball. But the purpose, in addition to winning 
 games, should include affecting and giving the 
 benefit of playing this splendid game to as many 
 men as possible without lowering the effective- 
 ness of the team. Unfortunately, the number of 
 men on the team is small and the available courts 
 in most places so few that there is a limit to the 
 number that can be carried on the squad. The 
 object is to win on account of the superb condi- 
 tion of the men and not at the expense of their 
 health. It should be the aim, also, to carry on the 
 game in a fine sportsmanlike way so that the team
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 191 
 
 will be a credit and honor to the institution or 
 organization it represents. The greatest values 
 of athletic sports are not physical in character, 
 but are justified rather on account of the school 
 spirit, loyalty, and enthusiasm which they, more 
 than any other factor, help develop and main- 
 tain. A proper share of this responsibility should 
 fall upon basket ball. 
 
 It takes about six weeks for a man to get into 
 shape for any of the major athletic sports, pro- 
 viding he has been taking good care of himself 
 for some time previous and is in a good general 
 condition. If the men have not kept fit it may 
 take longer. Most school teams begin their 
 schedule right after the Christmas vacation and 
 therefore should begin practice about the middle 
 of November. It often happens that some of 
 the best basket-ball players are also playing on 
 the football team, which means that these men 
 cannot start practice until around Thanksgiving 
 time. Athletes should not try to participate in 
 two sports at the same time. Another reason for 
 the delay in beginning basket-ball practice is the 
 fact that many schools have but one man who 
 coaches all the teams and therefore no attention 
 can be given to basket ball until he is through with 
 football. But there is no reason why the men who 
 are not playing football should not start work-
 
 192 BASKET BALL 
 
 ing in the gymnasium, even though there is no 
 one to coach them for a week or two. They can 
 be told in a general way what to do, besides, there 
 will always be some one of more or less experience 
 who can take charge and supervise the work. 
 
 SYSTEMATIC PRACTICE 
 
 At the very beginning it is well for the coach to 
 get the men together and go over with them 
 his plans for the season and have an understand- 
 ing regarding what is expected of the players. 
 We refer now to such things as the amount of 
 required time for practice, the way the work is 
 to be carried out, and the conduct of the men in 
 regard to training and keeping in condition. 
 
 While it is most desirable that the men have a 
 good time and thoroughly enjoy every phase of 
 the work, it is essential to the greatest success of 
 the team that practice be conducted in a business- 
 like manner. It sometimes happens that what 
 appears to be very promising material, turns out 
 to be of very little value as the result of the care- 
 less way in which the men are allowed to practise. 
 Nothing is ever accomplished either in practice 
 or in a game by indifferent playing. Men get 
 into very bad habits by "just fooling around." 
 Everything done in practice should be given the 
 same amount of attention and done with the same
 
 FIG. 20. TWO POSITIONS ASSUMED IN JUMPING. PAGE 37.
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 193 
 
 care as would be given it in a game. For example, 
 the wild careless way in which a man sometimes 
 shoots in practice is a very poor habit to form. 
 If a player will imagine every time he shoots 
 that it is a very critical point in a championship 
 game, and do his very best to make the basket, he 
 will find that his shooting will improve not only 
 in practice but in the games as well. Another 
 thing that is apt to be done carelessly in practice 
 is passing the ball. The importance of passing 
 is not appreciated by the average person interested 
 in the game. It is known, of course, that good 
 passing is necessary to first-class team-work, and 
 in most cases it is the measure employed in bring- 
 ing the ball down the floor to within shooting 
 distance of the opponent's goal, but that is not 
 all to remember about this important part of the 
 game. Good passing is an art that requires as 
 much good judgment, quick thinking, and some- 
 times the same skill as shooting. It will not only 
 make possible the running up of a big score, but 
 it will do more than anything else to demoralize 
 the opposing team. In a play involving passing 
 the ball, the man who does the passing is just as 
 responsible as the player who is catching, al- 
 though it is the latter who usually gets the blame 
 if the ball is dropped and the play fails. We have 
 already spoken of the subject of passing the ball,
 
 194 BASKET BALL 
 
 but it is mentioned here again because of its im- 
 portance, the difficulty with which the ability to 
 do it well is acquired, and because it is so often 
 neglected. A team never becomes so good that 
 the passing cannot be improved. For that reason 
 coaches should be as careful about it as possible. 
 The "wild heaves" and "throwing the ball away" 
 which one so commonly sees in games is the re- 
 sult of having done the same thing in practice. 
 There is much truth in the statement that "a 
 man plays the way he practises." What has 
 been said about passing and shooting is true 
 with every other phase of the game. 
 
 The problem that the coach has at the be- 
 ginning of the season is to take a group of men or 
 boys, some of whom are in good condition and 
 some of whom are not, and by more or less inten- 
 sive work train them in the fundamentals of the 
 sport and at the same time whip the team into 
 shape for the opening or pre-season games. The 
 practice at first should be light and short. For 
 the first three or four days it should not be over 
 thirty or forty minutes. It is never advisable 
 to make practice too long. When a man becomes 
 fatigued he naturally slows down with the result 
 that in practice, when he does not have the stimu- 
 lation of the crowd and interest and competition 
 of a game, he not only plays poorly but is apt
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 195 
 
 to become careless, a fault which he should make 
 every effort to avoid. The time to stop is when 
 the players are going at top speed and just before 
 they begin to fall off in their work. The men will 
 often protest against this and want to play longer, 
 but it should not be allowed. That does not mean 
 that they should not have that "just one more 
 basket" but it should not mean another twenty 
 or thirty minutes. The men should come off the 
 floor tired but feeling good. If the practice is 
 snappy and hard as it should be, after the first 
 few weeks there is danger, if the men are worked 
 too long, that they will be "stale." Most teams 
 get too much rather than too little practice. The 
 coach should have a very definite idea before he 
 takes the men on the floor of what he is going to 
 do at each practice. If he does this and has sys- 
 tem in the work, an hour and a quarter or an hour 
 and a half should be long enough. The time, of 
 course, will vary according to the time of season, 
 the day of the week, number of men on the squad, 
 and so on; but usually it can be confined to an 
 hour and a half. It should seldom be necessary 
 to run it for two hours or over. For high school 
 players one hour should be sufficient, and for 
 boys in the grades a still shorter time. 
 
 The coaches of high school or other boys' teams 
 should adapt the game as nearly as possible to
 
 196 BASKET BALL 
 
 meet the physical condition of the boys, and they 
 should not make the common mistake of trying 
 to make the boys meet the requirements of the 
 game as it is supposed to be played by adults. 
 The official rules of basket ball are intended pri- 
 marily for full-grown men. For a long time girls 
 tried to play the game according to men's rules; 
 and very unfortunately, for the girls, it is still 
 done in some places. Finally, however, the mis- 
 take was discovered and now the girls have their 
 own rules. A modification of men's rules for the 
 boys would also be a good thing. During adoles- 
 cence, that stage of life when the boy is changing 
 from boyhood into manhood, he cannot stand the 
 strain of exercise that requires great endurance. 
 Basket ball demands all the reserve power of the 
 heart which at this time of life is weak. Much 
 can be done to obviate the condition by reducing 
 the length of halves to ten or twelve minutes. 
 If it is desirable to play longer, we suggest play- 
 ing the game in quarters of about eight minutes 
 each with five minutes intermission between each 
 quarter. 
 
 DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEAM 
 
 For the first few days the work should not only 
 be short but should also be light. It is a great 
 mistake to practise too long or too hard at the
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 197 
 
 beginning. The coach will accomplish more in 
 the end, in the way of getting the men into con- 
 dition, by increasing the work gradually. The 
 temptation is to go at it hard and the players will 
 want to do it. The harm from this procedure, 
 however, lies in impeding the progress of the 
 players by making them lame and stiff, and the 
 recovery from such a condition always means a 
 loss of time. The condition of each man will 
 vary, so the coach will have to use his judgment 
 regarding what each man can do. 
 
 We have discussed the subject and importance 
 of fundamentals in a preceding chapter. As the 
 success of the team depends upon the mastery 
 of shooting, passing, pivoting, dodging, dribbling, 
 etc., the coach should lose no time in getting the 
 men to work on these essentials. The two big 
 things that should always be kept in mind and al- 
 ways worked for are the mastery of the fundamen- 
 tals and the ability to work them out as a group in 
 the form of team-work. So the coach should begin 
 working on them the first day and keep hammering 
 away at them all season. The two things that men 
 want to do most at practice are shooting baskets 
 and scrimmaging. Both should be done, but not 
 to the exclusion of everything else. Scrimmaging 
 is apt to be overdone at the beginning of the sea- 
 son. The objects of scrimmaging are to keep the
 
 198 BASKET BALL 
 
 men happy and interested, to work up their en- 
 durance, to give the players a chance to try out in 
 a game what they have been taught regarding 
 pivoting, dribbling, etc., and to develop team-work. 
 There should be a short scrimmage practically 
 every day, but in the beginning it should be only 
 long enough to send the men home in a happy 
 frame of mind and to start developing their 
 "wind." The principle to follow is to practise 
 each part of the game a little each day, and then 
 try to put the parts together and form the whole. 
 After a thorough drill in passing, both while 
 standing still and in motion, shooting should be 
 practised, using the various kinds of shots and 
 placing emphasis upon proper form and methods. 
 First it is well to have the men try the close shots 
 and, as they become accurate, to move out and 
 shoot from a greater distance. Emphasis should 
 be laid on shooting close up to the basket. The 
 joy of seeing the ball drop into the basket when 
 thrown from a distance tempts many players to 
 neglect the "close-up " shots. To be able to shoot 
 from a distance is desirable and it sometimes wins 
 close games, but it is not to be depended upon too 
 much to run up the score. Most championship 
 teams are those that make their shots close. The 
 average player can become very accurate when 
 close to the basket, if he practises and gives the
 
 FIG. 21. THE START OF THE PIVOT. PAGE 38.
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 199 
 
 proper attention to his shooting. How often we 
 see shot after shot taken close to the goal and no 
 basket scored. This fault the coach should try to 
 correct in his team. The first practice or two 
 should be free shooting. Then the men can begin 
 to shoot under conditions similar to those they will 
 find in a game. They may dribble in and shoot or 
 shoot in turn, and, after each one has taken his 
 shot and is on his way back to his place in line, try 
 to guard and prevent the next man from shoot- 
 ing. The pivot and dodge can also be practised 
 in connection with shooting. A couple of players 
 who act as guards may be placed in front of the 
 basket. Before each man shoots he attempts to 
 dodge or, by pivoting, elude the guard and then 
 try for the basket. The men should also be taught 
 to follow up their shots. It is generally advisable 
 to run in after each shot, but to do it successfully 
 requires nerve and grit as well as speed and good 
 judgment; and there are not many players who 
 do it well. To be able to judge where the ball is 
 going to come down, when to start and get to the 
 right spot at the proper time, as well as to get by 
 two or three guards, requires a good deal of ability 
 and practice. Following up shots is good basket 
 ball and the coach should insist on it. The man 
 shooting knows better than any one else on the 
 floor just where the ball will fall, besides, he is
 
 200 BASKET BALL 
 
 usually under way and stands a better chance 
 than the other players of getting the ball. If 
 he does not get it himself he can prevent the other 
 team from securing it or at least make it impossi- 
 ble for the opponent to pass the ball after he gets 
 his hands on it. In practice the shots should be 
 followed in and a sufficient number of attempts 
 made to make a basket. The common practice 
 of shooting after passing the ball up and down the 
 floor is also very good. 
 
 One of the most valuable men on the team is a 
 good foul shooter. A basket made from a foul 
 shot counts one half as much as one from scrim- 
 mage, and it often happens that a team with a 
 man who can shoot fouls keeps "in the running" 
 when otherwise it would be entirely outclassed. 
 Early in the season the coach should try to find 
 a couple of good foul shooters. One is sufficient 
 while he is in the game, but he should have a good 
 substitute to take his place in case he is forced 
 to retire. It is well to try out several men until 
 the coach is sure of the most likely ones and then 
 work with them. These men should try from 
 twenty-five to fifty foul shots every day. After 
 they have acquired the proper form they should 
 do their shooting as nearly as possible under game 
 conditions, that is, instead of standing still on 
 the foul line and shooting shot after shot while
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY aoi 
 
 some one passes the ball back to them each time, 
 they should, after the first few tries, move about 
 the court after each shot for a few seconds, shoot- 
 ing, dribbling, etc., and then step up to the foul 
 line and shoot. Foul shooters have their off 
 days the same as any one else, and to know when 
 to change men and let another player do the 
 shooting is something that is very difficult for 
 the coach to determine. 
 
 As with shooting, so practice on the other pri- 
 mary essentials should be carefully carried out. 
 They should be practised in their simplest form 
 and then gradually worked in with the other 
 phases of the game, increasing their complexity 
 until they exactly simulate game conditions. 
 There are but very few special exercises or mea- 
 sures that are of any value in training men for 
 basket ball. Best results are obtained from prac- 
 tising the same things and in the same way as 
 one would be expected to do them in the game. 
 
 The habit which many teams have of playing 
 p re-season games is a good one. Such an arrange- 
 ment stimulates interest and does, without any 
 question, give the men good experience. It en- 
 ables the coach to find and strengthen certain 
 weaknesses which appear only when playing other 
 teams, and these weaknesses had better appear 
 in pre-season games than in a championship
 
 202 BASKET BALL 
 
 series. New men can be tried out and many other 
 experiments made. Most teams will not find it 
 advisable to play more than two or three pre- 
 season games. 
 
 CONDITIONING 
 
 After the season has started and the preliminary 
 problems, such as picking the team, are out of the 
 way, the work of the coach resolves itself into 
 taking the squad and, by wise regulation of prac- 
 tice and work, improve the playing of the first 
 team and get it into top-notch form for the decid- 
 ing games at the end of the season. There are 
 no particular new difficulties. The whole problem 
 confines itself to progressing along the funda- 
 mental lines which we consider so important in 
 the beginning. There can be no advancement 
 except that resulting from an improvement in 
 shooting, dribbling, and the other basic aspects 
 of the game. All through the season the work of 
 necessity must be that of mastering, as far as 
 possible, the fundamentals and working them out 
 in a polished way in the form of team-work. Where 
 the emphasis will be laid depends upon the caliber 
 of the team and what its weak spots are. This 
 is something that each individual coach must 
 decide. If the team cannot shoot, emphasize 
 shooting; if poor in passing, stress passing, and
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 203 
 
 so on. The coach should try to make his team 
 superior in the essentials and not depend upon 
 some fancy shooting or passing. There is not 
 much room for frills in basket ball. The oppo- 
 nents and their particular style of play will also 
 determine the course of training from week to 
 week. A team should be able to play more than 
 one style of game, or at least know enough about 
 the different styles of offense and defense so as 
 not to be altogether lost and helpless when some- 
 thing new or the unexpected is tried. 
 
 All through the season the coach should try 
 to keep the men feeling fine not only physically 
 but mentally. They should enjoy their playing. 
 Something more than just hard physical work is 
 necessary in training men for athletic contests. 
 The coach should know not only the kind of work 
 which is needed but also how much and when it 
 should be done. Sometimes it is just as important 
 to know when not to work as when to be busy. 
 It is impossible to keep the team at its very best 
 every day of the season, but by careful coaching 
 and skilful use of the time between games the 
 men should enter every contest in good spirits and 
 in the pink of condition. We are thinking now 
 of a schedule having but one game a week and 
 are, of course, barring accidents of any kind. 
 The idea is to have the team at its best at the
 
 204 BASKET BALL 
 
 right time and that is the day of the contest. 
 Each week should find the team in better condition 
 than it was the week before, until at the end of 
 the season it is at its maximum point. All coaches 
 should be on tlve lookout for, and try to prevent, 
 the common condition of staleness. Overtraining 
 or staleness is due to overwork and the persistence 
 of fatigue products in the system. When work is 
 too strenuous or the periods between activity too 
 short, the body is unable to maintain the proper 
 balance between the breaking-down and the build- 
 ing-up processes. As the process goes on there is 
 an accumulation of the fatigue products which 
 poison the body and lower the individual's re- 
 serve power. Finally a point is reached where the 
 body has nothing left to draw on and a break of 
 some kind follows. The athlete that has gone 
 stale lacks ambition, falls off in his playing; 
 his face loses its natural color, the eyes are sunken, 
 there may be loss of weight; he is nervous and 
 irritable and is apt to suffer from minor illnesses. 
 The best treatment is to lighten his work and 
 give him a chance to regain his strength. Some- 
 times a complete change of routine is desirable. 
 This with plenty of sleep, rest, a proper diet, and 
 something to keep his mind from worry of any 
 kind will usually enable him to regain his health 
 in a couple of weeks. But the important thing
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 205 
 
 is to prevent this condition, and it is done by not 
 overworking the men. 
 
 If the game is on Saturday the practice Mon- 
 day should be shorter than usual, most of the time 
 being spent on doing the things in which as a re- 
 sult of the last game the team was found to be 
 weak, and ending up with a short scrimmage. 
 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday should be 
 the days of longest scrimmage and when a good 
 deal of time should be spent on strengthening the 
 weak places, correcting mistakes of the past, or 
 practising some special play for the next game. 
 On Friday or the day before the game there should 
 be a very little scrimmaging and the practice 
 rather short. The players should shoot a few bas- 
 kets, run through the plays to be used the next 
 day, and then conclude with a five or ten minute 
 scrimmage. If possible, practice should be held 
 at the same time of the day as the games are 
 played. If the games are scheduled for the eve- 
 ning, it is better to have practice at that rime. 
 The obvious reason is to enable the players to be- 
 come accustomed to the light. 
 
 On the day of the game the players should go 
 about their work just as they are accustomed to 
 do on any other day. They will play a better 
 game if they carry out their regular routine of 
 life. The student's work is not so severe as to
 
 206 BASKET BALL 
 
 use up much of his reserve physical strength, 
 besides it keeps his mind off the game, which is 
 wise. If he has any time on his hands he is apt 
 to worry. The team should report at the gym- 
 nasium an hour before the game. Half of the re- 
 maining time will be consumed in getting dressed 
 and talking over anything the coach may want to 
 bring up before the men go on the floor. The 
 coach should not have a great deal to say. Suc- 
 cess in basket ball comes from being able to do 
 things from force of habit without having to stop 
 and think about it, and it does not do much good 
 to try to learn too many things just at the last 
 minute. The twenty or thirty minutes on the 
 floor before the game is called should be spent in 
 first shooting at rather a short distance from the 
 goal and then moving back for the average shot. 
 A few long shots should also be taken. If on a 
 foreign floor, it is important to notice the condi- 
 tion and size of the court as well as the back- 
 boards and baskets. In most cases they will be 
 different than the ones the team is accustomed to 
 and it will require some attention to get used to 
 them. All the important movements of the game, 
 such as pivoting and dribbling, should be prac- 
 tised before time for play is called. All of this 
 can be worked in with the shooting. The men 
 may dribble in and shoot, shoot after pivoting,
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 207 
 
 and so on. Just before the game is called, the 
 second-string men should leave the floor and allow 
 the five men who are going to start the game to 
 get thoroughly warmed up by passing the ball up 
 and down the floor. After a few minutes of 
 warming up, the men who will shoot the fouls 
 should practise several shots apiece, first taking 
 a few consecutive shots without moving from 
 the foul line and then taking turns, each man 
 moving about the floor a little before he shoots. 
 Living a hygienic life and playing basket ball 
 itself is all that is necessary. Running the men 
 around the track, giving calisthenic exercises and 
 the like are not only unnecessary but may do 
 more harm than good. Experience has shown that 
 the centre may improve and add several inches 
 to his jump by practising a few minutes each day 
 trying to touch a ring placed at a certain height. 
 There may be a few other exercises which, like 
 the one just mentioned, are similar to co-ordina- 
 tions used in a game and might therefore be of 
 value. 
 
 PICKING THE TEAM 
 
 One of the hardest problems of the coach is to 
 eliminate from the number that first report for 
 practice the men who are not good enough to 
 be of any value to the squad, and in the second
 
 208 BASKET BALL 
 
 place to choose the five best men for the first 
 team. Scrimmage is necessary to tell whether 
 or not a man is a real basket-ball player. It is a 
 common observation that men who show up well 
 in practice in shooting, dribbling, and other phases 
 of technic often are miserable failures in a game. 
 It is not how good a man looks in practice that 
 counts, but rather how he behaves in a game. 
 Ordinarily, the man showing good form will be the 
 better man in any branch of athletics, but this 
 does not always hold true. Even after he is in 
 the game, the class of a man is shown not by his 
 form, but by the number of baskets he makes, 
 and what he contributes to the success of his team. 
 In basket ball as much perhaps as in any other 
 game there is the opportunity to be selfish, to 
 "show off" and "play to the gallery." Unfortu- 
 nately for the game, this sort of procedure is not 
 uncommon. Such a man may succeed in making 
 the crowd believe he is a great player, while in 
 reality he is contributing very little. In deciding 
 who shall be on the team, there are a number 
 of factors to be considered. The ideal player is a 
 man who plays well, keeps himself in good condi- 
 tion, is willing to learn, co-operates with the other 
 members of the team and the coach, and, while 
 taking the game seriously, not only looks on the 
 bright side of life himself but tries to keep every-
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 109 
 
 body else happy. Every player should be required 
 to measure up to these requirements before being 
 allowed to play. It often happens that a school 
 does not have as good players as is desired, but 
 there can be no excuse for playing men of ques- 
 tionable character. School authorities are too 
 often inconsistent with the ideals they preach 
 and the type of men they permit to represent the 
 school on the athletic teams. A man as an indi- 
 vidual may be a good player, but if he will not 
 co-operate, if he goes around with a grouch on, 
 or in any other way lessens the efficiency of the 
 team, the coach should be sure his good points 
 more than offset his bad ones before he is given a 
 berth on the team. The team is all-important 
 and not the individual. The player's value is to 
 be considered not from the standpoint of the 
 individual but from the standpoint of the team. 
 This point cannot be too strongly emphasized. 
 The coach will be aided in picking his team if, 
 in addition to observing the men in a general way, 
 he gets some statistics and definite information 
 as to their playing. This can be done by having 
 some one keep account of the number of times a 
 man shoots for a basket during a game and how 
 many goals he makes, what proportion of his passes 
 are good, the number of passes he recovers and 
 how many he fails to catch, how many times he
 
 210 BASKET BALL 
 
 misses the signal, and so on with all the important 
 aspects of the game which can be measured quite 
 accurately. A summary of such a record may show 
 that the coach has been mistaken in his original 
 opinion regarding a certain man. Much valuable 
 information can be secured in only this way. If 
 the coach finds out that the record of a certain 
 player shows him to be the best shot on the team 
 he should make it possible for this man to shoot 
 more often, and at once, if all other factors are 
 the same as before, the team becomes stronger. 
 
 Every man should be given a fair chance, 
 especially the new men who are reporting for the 
 first time. The coach should be sure before elimi- 
 nating any one from the squad that he cannot 
 possibly make good. New men are apt to be a 
 little shy, and the veterans, having confidence 
 born of a year or more of experience, sometimes 
 make it hard for the youngsters to get in and get 
 started. Some one has said "It is not what you 
 are that counts, but what you are in the process of 
 becoming." New men may not be as good at the 
 start as the older players, but may, with perhaps 
 half the coaching given the veterans, make much 
 better players. It takes a little time to pick out 
 the best players if the squad is large, and espe- 
 cially if several of the men show more or less 
 equal ability. For that reason the coach should
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 211 
 
 be wary in making his choice; but he should 
 not wait too long. The more the same men play 
 together the better team they make, and hence 
 the five best players should begin practising and 
 playing together as soon as possible. In basket 
 ball there is a great deal in knowing one's team- 
 mates. After the same men have played together 
 for some time, they know just what each can do 
 and what is expected of each one. They learn to 
 "sense positions" unconsciously; and without 
 looking a player may pass the ball to a certain 
 place not because he sees any one there, but be- 
 cause he feels and knows from experience that a 
 team-mate will be there to receive it. The only 
 way this condition may be acquired is by working 
 together. For that reason, other things being 
 equal, the team should be kept intact. It is 
 impossible to get good team-work by constantly 
 changing players. It is not good policy to change 
 players too often in a game unless it is desired to 
 give the substitutes a chance to play. The best 
 rule is to start the first team and keep it in- 
 tact unless, through lack of endurance or injury, 
 some one may have to drop out. New men going 
 in break up the smoothness of the team-work 
 as it takes the team a few minutes to adjust it- 
 self to the change. Again, the new man must 
 learn, as did the player he is replacing, by ex-
 
 212 BASKET BALL 
 
 perience the tricks and methods of his opponents, 
 and the time lost in this way is sometimes disas- 
 trous. It occasionally happens that the second 
 team as a unit is stronger than the first team with 
 one or two of its regulars missing. 
 
 The plays in the beginning should be few and 
 simple. The aim is to give the men as much 
 opportunity to work out and practise the funda- 
 mentals of the game as possible and at the same 
 time not make the plays any more difficult than 
 necessary. It is not the elaborate or complex 
 plays, so much as the simple and fundamental 
 ones well learned and done well, that win in 
 basket ball. Although there is a difference in the 
 quality of plays, yet it is not so much their su- 
 periority as the way in which they are executed 
 that decides which is the better team. Therefore, 
 it is best to begin with the easy ones and learn 
 them well. If more difficult plays are desired 
 they may be added from time to time. Basket 
 ball is so fast and things happen and change so 
 quickly that a team easily becomes confused and 
 spoils a play that is too involved. 
 
 INJURIES 
 
 Injuries in basket ball are frequent. They do 
 not occur as often as in football, yet they are not 
 at all uncommon. They vary from a slight break
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 213 
 
 in the skin to a broken bone or something even 
 more serious. Few deaths following injuries 
 received in basket ball have been reported. The 
 important thing regarding injuries, as with every 
 aspect of ill health, is to prevent them if possible. 
 In most cases men get hurt as a result of bodily 
 contact, wearing clothing not suitable to the game, 
 falling on a slippery floor, or running into some 
 obstacle placed too near the court. It is impossi- 
 ble to prevent men running into each other while 
 playing basket ball, and it is to be expected that 
 injuries from bodily contact will continue to 
 happen as long as the game is played. The only 
 way to prevent such mishaps is for the athlete to 
 keep himself in as good condition as possible, 
 protect the parts liable to injury, and increase his 
 skill in dodging his opponent. The better and 
 more skilled the teams, the less likely are the men 
 to get hurt. It is in the scrub games that most 
 injuries occur. The coach should keep his good 
 men out of all such "free-for-all" affairs. 
 
 The problem of keeping the gymnasium in con- 
 dition to play basket ball or to take any form of 
 strenuous exercise is a puzzling one for many 
 coaches and directors of gymnasiums. This is 
 due to the popularity of social dancing among 
 students. In most schools the gymnasium is 
 the only place suitable for this form of recreation,
 
 214 BASKET BALL 
 
 and, naturally, there is a great demand for its use. 
 So throughout most of the school year there is 
 a constant conflict between the students who want 
 the floor waxed for dancing and those who are 
 responsible for athletics and gymnasium work. 
 Men cannot play basket ball on a waxed floor 
 without danger of getting hurt. Therefore, wax 
 should be kept off the basket-ball floor altogether. 
 On the other hand, one cannot dance on a rough 
 floor. Just the dancing alone, however, without 
 any special preparation, will make most hard- 
 wood floors quite satisfactory. The floor will not 
 be like that of a ballroom, but that is not neces- 
 sary. It is more important that the students have 
 a place to enjoy wholesome exercise every day in 
 the year with safety than it is to have some- 
 where to dance one or two hours a week or month. 
 Water should not be used to clean floors. Sweep- 
 ing with oiled sawdust is better. A mixture of 
 turpentine and linseed-oil may be used. 
 
 Accidents happen sometimes as a result of the 
 players running or being pushed into the bleachers, 
 some piece of apparatus, piano, or some other 
 obstacle near the court. Everything of this sort 
 should be kept well back out of the way. Some- 
 times the gymnasium is so small that the basket- 
 ball court takes up most of the space. In such a 
 case every dangerous article should be covered
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 215 
 
 with a mat or padded in some way. A little effort 
 in this direction may do a great deal of good in 
 preventing injuries to the players. 
 
 Scratches and cuts occur frequently and should 
 be treated like any wound in which the skin is 
 broken. Even the slightest and most trivial 
 wounds should not be neglected, the reason being 
 to prevent infection and a more serious condition. 
 Best results are obtained in treating open wounds 
 by not attempting to wash them out with water 
 or any antiseptic solution, but by simply apply- 
 ing tincture of iodine and covering them up with 
 a piece of sterile gauze. In trying to wash a 
 wound we are apt to put more germs in than we 
 take out. The iodine can be applied by a cotton 
 swab made by twisting a piece of cotton on the 
 end of a stick. Sterile gauze and not cotton should 
 be used to cover the wound. In most cases it is 
 best held in place by strips of adhesive plaster. 
 Plaster, collodion, and "new skin" preparations 
 should not be used as there is a danger of sealing 
 up an infected wound. Before handling or dress- 
 ing a wound the hands should be washed thor- 
 oughly. The severe cuts in the skin above the 
 eye or on the face usually result from contact 
 with another player's head. The treatment of 
 these cases differs from that described above in 
 that they may have to be sewed up. If the wound
 
 2i6 BASKET BALL 
 
 is so deep or long that the sides cannot be brought 
 together with adhesive tape, then sewing up is 
 advisable in order to prevent a bad scar. 
 
 Sprains are very common in basket ball. They 
 are injuries to the joints caused by a wrenching 
 and twisting of the part, resulting in a stretching 
 and breaking of the ligaments and rupture of 
 the blood-vessels, with more or less hemorrhage 
 in the tissues. In treating a sprain one should 
 first be sure that there is not an accompanying 
 fracture. In many cases it is very difficult and 
 sometimes impossible to tell whether or not the 
 bone is broken. When there is the slightest doubt 
 about it, an X-ray picture should be taken and 
 the graver condition given the benefit of the doubt. 
 This is important because of the vast difference 
 between the treatment of a sprain and a fracture 
 and also because of the permanent injury that may 
 result from a broken bone that is not treated 
 properly. More and more cases of sprains are 
 turning out to be fractures because of the more 
 extensive use of the X-ray. The symptoms of a 
 sprain are pain, which is increased by movement 
 of the joint, tenderness, swelling, and perhaps 
 redness and discoloration. There is no deformity. 
 In treating a sprain the best practical treatment 
 consists of applying cold or very hot water. Some 
 men recommend alternate applications of heat
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 217 
 
 and cold. A good rule to follow is this: If treat- 
 ment can be applied immediately, use cold; if 
 some time has elapsed since the injury, use heat. 
 The cold causes a constriction of the blood-vessels 
 and lessens the hemorrhage into the tissues. 
 Arnica or witch-hazel has the same effect. Heat, 
 when applied later and after the swelling has 
 occurred, is a valuable agent in helping remove the 
 effused material. Rest is the next important pro- 
 cedure in the treatment. The injured part should 
 not be used until the acute stage of the injury is 
 over. This important part of the treatment of 
 athletic injuries furnishes one of the trainer's 
 most difficult problems. The most valuable aid 
 to the athlete in recovery, namely, rest is just the 
 thing that the coach usually thinks the man can- 
 not have. The team needs his services and there- 
 fore it is insisted that the injured man play. Too 
 often this is done to the detriment of the player. 
 The player's physical welfare is sacrificed for the 
 reputation of the coach or team. After the pain 
 has subsided and the swelling starts to go down, 
 massage, using one part of bay rum and seven 
 parts oil of wintergreen as a lubricant is recom- 
 mended. How soon the joint can be used and how 
 much, depends upon the extent of the injury and 
 how fast the healing process takes place. During 
 recovery, and especially if there is to be any undue
 
 2i 8 BASKET BALL 
 
 strain on the joint, it should be supported in 
 some way. After a sprained ankle has been treated 
 as indicated above, it should be strapped up well 
 with adhesive plaster before the athlete attempts 
 to use it or to play again. He should be able to 
 bear some weight on it a day or two after the 
 injury. As the swelling goes down the cast or 
 support will become loose and a new one will have 
 to be put on. Some use of the ankle will aid re- 
 covery, but too much work only impedes it. 
 Therefore the coach should not be in too much of 
 a hurry to get the man back into the game. 
 Sprains sometimes leave the ankle weak, so that 
 some kind of a support is always necessary. It is 
 not desirable to strap up perfectly normal ankles. 
 A shoe that fits snugly about the foot and ankle is 
 all the support necessary. The best support for 
 weak arches is an adhesive cast. Every coach 
 should learn from a physician how to strap the 
 foot and ankle. It is an art practised by many 
 but done effectively by few. 
 
 Bruises are the commonest of all injuries. They 
 result from two players coming together in such a 
 way that the muscles, blood-vessels, and other 
 tissues under the skin are injured. Usually they 
 are minor in character but may be so severe as to 
 cause injury to the internal organs. The condi- 
 tion of "Charley Horse" is a bruise of the muscle.
 
 FIG. 23. THE DODGE. PAGE 39. 
 Evading a Charging Guard.
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 219 
 
 A bruise of any extent presents symptoms of 
 pain, redness, and swelling. Due to the hemor- 
 rhage in the tissues the part may turn black and 
 blue. The principle of treatment is the same as 
 with sprains, using cold applications first and 
 later on heat. Painting the part with the tinc- 
 ture of iodine may be tried, as sometimes it seems 
 to help. Massage is very good. It should be 
 done so as to aid the circulation of the injured 
 parts and not so severely as to add to the injury 
 already there. The rubbing should be toward the 
 body. A mixture of equal parts of alcohol, water, 
 and glycerine; cold-cream, bay rum, and oil of 
 wintergreen may be used with the massage. Any 
 lubricant will do, as it is not the material rubbed 
 on, so much as the rubbing itself, which does the 
 work. 
 
 Injuries to the knee are best treated by rest, 
 hot applications, and bandaging. An elastic knee 
 bandage or knee pad is valuable in protecting 
 a weak knee. 
 
 The following are suggested as a list of supplies 
 that should be kept on hand for the treatment of 
 injuries. 
 
 Alcohol i pint 
 
 Tincture of iodine 4 ounce* 
 
 Absorbent cotton i pound 
 
 Adhesive plaster i-half dozen 3-inch rolls
 
 220 BASKET BALL 
 
 Bandages 
 
 2 inch i dozen 
 
 3 inch i dozen 
 
 Unbleached muslin bandages 
 
 3 inch i dozen 
 
 Scissors 
 
 Forceps 
 
 Knife 
 
 Mixture of bay rum and oil of 
 
 wintergreen I quart 
 
 The points to be considered in equipping a 
 basket-ball team are the desirability of the cos- 
 tumes, as far as the playing of the men is con- 
 cerned, and also the durability and attractiveness 
 of the suits. The form-fitting, low-neck, and deep 
 armhole shirts are best. The pants should be 
 short, fitting snugly around the waist and not too 
 tight about the hips and thighs. They should be 
 padded over the hips or have a free-hanging hip 
 pad inside. Any good athletic stockings are satis- 
 factory. They should be footless. Socks should 
 fit the foot perfectly and be rather heavy. No 
 one shoe has given universal satisfaction. The 
 thick, suction-soled shoes with high canvas tops 
 are as popular as any. Most teams use their 
 school or club colors in choosing their suits. 
 Every player should have a jersey or sweater to 
 wear when for any reason during practice or in a 
 game he is not exercising enough to keep warm.
 
 SPECIAL TRAINING FOR PLAY 221 
 
 Knee and elbow pads, and the like, are not a nec- 
 essary part of the player's equipment unless, on 
 account of injury or for some other particular 
 reason, there is a special need for them.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 ADMINISTRATION 
 
 The work of the coach is greatly lessened if 
 he is fortunate enough to have a good manager 
 for his team. School teams practically always 
 have student managers. To be of greatest service 
 to the team the manager should be a man who 
 has had some experience in this kind of work 
 and who also knows something about the game. 
 Unfortunately, this is often not the case; so many 
 times the appointment or election of a manager 
 is simply that of filling a position with some 
 one who is popular rather than capable. In 
 schools it is well to have assistant managers 
 and always select the manager from one of them. 
 From the standpoint of the team it would be 
 better to do away altogether with the plan of 
 having student managers, and in their place have 
 some one who is paid to do the work and who 
 will hold the position more or less permanently. 
 Students come and go every year, and a manager 
 no more than learns the work and becomes of 
 some value when he is graduated and a new man 
 takes his place. This means inefficiency, and more
 
 ADMINISTRATION 223 
 
 cares and work for the coach. The position of 
 manager of a basket-ball team is an important 
 one and much care should be exercised in filling it. 
 A word regarding the selection of a coach seems 
 appropriate at this point. There are several 
 points that should be kept in mind by school 
 authorities in filling this position. In the first 
 place, the coach should be a man of good charac- 
 ter, a man who will have a wholesome influence 
 upon all of those with whom he comes in contact. 
 The coach has other responsibilities besides turn- 
 ing out winning teams. If successful, he often 
 becomes the idol not only of the team but of all 
 the boys in the school, and his influence on the 
 student body is very great. In his position he is 
 able to do more good or harm, whichever it may 
 be, than any teacher in the school, and it is exceed- 
 ingly important, therefore, that he be a thorough 
 gentleman. It is understood, of course, that the 
 man who is to have charge of the team should 
 understand and know the game well enough to 
 coach it. It is highly desirable also that the coach 
 be a regular member of the faculty and employed 
 for the entire school year rather than just for 
 the basket-ball season. The results of engaging 
 seasonal coaches are often very unsatisfactory, 
 as it is impossible for the man who comes into the 
 school just long enough to coach one particular
 
 224 BASKET BALL 
 
 sport to appreciate the aims and ideals of the 
 institution, and, as a result, we often find a com- 
 plete lack of harmony between the coach and the 
 other instructors of the school. 
 
 One of the most important duties of the mana- 
 ger is the arrangement of the schedule of games. 
 Usually school teams play their most important 
 games in some kind of a league, and it is the 
 scheduling of these contests that should receive 
 the greatest care. One thing to keep constantly 
 in mind is that, other things being equal, basket 
 ball is a game that is won on the home floor 
 and lost away from home. The visiting team 
 usually has to be from ten to thirty per cent better 
 than their opponents in order to win from the 
 home team. The obvious reason for this is the 
 difference found in the basket-ball courts. The 
 schedule, therefore, should contain as many home 
 games as possible, especially with the opponents 
 that the team is most anxious to defeat. If the 
 school has any particular rival it should be sched- 
 uled when the home team is most likely to be 
 playing in its best form, which is usually at the 
 end of the schedule. The easiest games should 
 come first and the hardest ones last, the final game 
 being one that will keep the players interested 
 and working hard right up to the final day. If 
 weak teams are scheduled toward the end of the
 
 ADMINISTRATION 225 
 
 season there is a tendency not only for the team 
 but also the crowd to lose its enthusiasm. 
 
 When arranging for a trip it is best not to 
 schedule more than three games. Coaches differ 
 in their opinion as to which of the days the team 
 will play the best ball when on the road. The 
 writers have observed that in most cases a team 
 plays best the first and third days. The schedule 
 should not be too long. Ten to fourteen cham- 
 pionship games are sufficient and the last game 
 should be over by early spring. Basket ball is 
 primarily an indoor sport and it loses its attrac- 
 tion and fascination when the weather begins to 
 grow warm. 
 
 The work involved in the local preparation for 
 basket-ball games is becoming more extensive 
 each year. This is true in all branches of school 
 sports. Formerly, it was a very simple matter to 
 arrange a schedule, secure officials, take care of 
 the crowd, and manage the game, but with basket 
 ball increasing in popularity, and more and more 
 interest being shown in the sport, the problem of 
 administration has become much more difficult. 
 Basket ball is our most popular indoor sport. 
 In many schools the interest is so great that the 
 gymnasium cannot accommodate the crowds. As 
 a result, more attention and care is being given 
 to the various phases of its management.
 
 226 BASKET BALL 
 
 The first step in preparation for a game is to 
 see that it is properly advertised. In some schools 
 there is a publicity department that handles all 
 this work, but usually it falls upon the manager 
 of the team. The most common method of ad- 
 vertising is through the use of the college and 
 town or city newspapers and the distribution of 
 posters. All of these are of value, but the best 
 way of insuring a good crowd is to create an in- 
 terest and work up enthusiasm among the stu- 
 dents through the various school organizations. 
 Try to have as many of the students as possible 
 feel a responsibility for the support of the team. 
 Feature the important games and make a drive 
 aiming at one hundred-per-cent attendance. 
 Turn the management of certain games over 
 entirely to the school and alumni organizations. 
 Make a certain group responsible for one game 
 and a second group for another, and so on. A 
 good way to get all the alumni interested is to 
 turn one or two games over to them. 
 
 The officials of a basket-ball game are a referee, 
 an umpire, two timekeepers, and two scorers. 
 Whether or not a game is run off satisfactorily 
 depends, to a large extent, upon their efficiency. 
 It is very important that they all know their 
 duties and are perfectly capable of handling any 
 situation that may arise during the game. Too
 
 ADMINISTRATION 227 
 
 much emphasis cannot be laid upon the importance 
 of getting competent and impartial officials. It 
 may be a little more expensive to get good men, 
 but it always pays and the investment is worth 
 while. It is a great mistake to engage incompetent 
 officials and thus spoil a good game in order to 
 save a little money. Arranging for the officials 
 should be taken up far enough ahead of the game, 
 so that the matter can be satisfactorily settled 
 with the visiting team. While the home team 
 assumes the responsibility of engaging the officials, 
 they should be mutually agreed upon. It is a 
 good policy to submit a list of officials to the visit- 
 ing team and choose the men from those accepta- 
 ble to your opponents. In many places there are 
 lists of officials who have been approved by the 
 particular organization in that section, and it is 
 well to choose men from that list. 
 
 It sometimes saves misunderstanding and trou- 
 ble if the officials, captains, and coaches of the 
 teams get together before the game and have a 
 short discussion on the interpretation of the rules. 
 This is of importance because the rules are so 
 differently interpreted by the various coaches and 
 officials. 
 
 The duty of the scorers is to record the goals 
 made, the fouls committed, and to notify the 
 referee as soon as the fourth personal foul has
 
 228 BASKET BALL 
 
 been called on any player. A satisfactory way to 
 do is to use one local man and some one who is 
 accompanying the visiting team. Each should 
 use his own score-book and compare scores after 
 each goal. 
 
 The timekeepers can be chosen the same way 
 as the scorers. Their duty is to keep a time record 
 of the game, noting when the game starts, deduct- 
 ing time taken out during the game and designat- 
 ing when each half is over. The suggestion of the 
 official Rules Committee that the timekeepers 
 use one watch placed where both can see it is a 
 good one. 
 
 There are several matters which sometimes 
 cannot be attended to until the day of the game. 
 Unfortunately, some of them are too often put 
 off until the game is ready to start. A great deal 
 of care should be used in getting the gymnasium 
 ready, in putting up seats to accommodate the 
 crowd, in seeing that there is good light and venti- 
 lation and making sure that the court, including 
 the baskets and backboards, meets the official 
 requirements. Another matter to be arranged is 
 the care of the visiting teams and officials. This 
 should mean having some one meet them at the 
 train, conduct them to their hotel, and entertain 
 them while they are in town. In the gymnasium 
 both the teams and officials should have good
 
 FIG. 24. INCORRECT GUARDING, FOUL.
 
 ADMINISTRATION 229 
 
 dressing-rooms and be supplied with everything 
 they need in preparation for the game. The im- 
 pression that a visiting team gets of a school de- 
 pends a great deal on the way they are received 
 and treated by those in charge. It is always 
 desirable to establish and maintain as pleasant 
 social relations between teams as possible, and 
 much can be done to accomplish this by just a 
 little care and attention to the ordinary courtesies 
 which we should be willing to extend to our visi- 
 tors.
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 Basket ball is a game which, through ignorance 
 of principles and purposes, may easily degenerate 
 into a rough-and-tumble affair in which not only 
 the spectators lose interest, but from which the 
 players themselves derive little or no benefit and 
 may be even worse off for having played the game. 
 On the other hand, when well organized, properly 
 supervised, and played, it is one of the best sports 
 to develop interest and enthusiasm on the part 
 of the spectators and for the player's physical, 
 mental, and social betterment. No game develops 
 to a greater extent qualities of virile manhood 
 and good citizenship than basket ball. The game 
 demands skill, speed, and endurance. The suc- 
 cessful player must be able to think quickly and 
 clearly. Situations change rapidly in basket ball 
 and but little time is given to size up the play 
 and determine the player's line of attack. Good 
 team-work is essential for the success of the team. 
 This means co-operation. Self has to be sacri- 
 ficed to the team as a whole. Due to the fact that 
 the game is so fast and played on such a small 
 court, situations are constantly arising which 
 demand self-control. Finally, the game calls for 
 
 130
 
 CONCLUSION 231 
 
 a fighting and courageous spirit. The man or boy 
 must not only keep himself fit and in good condi- 
 tion, but he must have that determination which 
 characterizes a fighter and which will carry him 
 through a long and strenuous basket-ball season.
 
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