BASKETBALL

Southland Times, Issue 21997, 22 April 1933, Page 14

BASKETBALL

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“Defence.”)

The Western District opening tournament will be held at Nightcaps today. Some Invercargill teams, have entered, and if the weather is less boisterous than it has been the fixture should be full of interest. The Referees’ Association this year so far is a very small body, and the president (Miss E. B. Fay) would be glad of offers to help. It has always been difficult to arrange satisfactory meetings for this body. Nearly all the referees act in a dual capacity and one does not wish to multiply meetings for them. As an experiment this year therefore, meetings are to be held each week at 2 p.m. in the pavilion. The first is called for next Saturday and the committee hopes that all referees and intending referees will be present. After the match committee has been criticized for the manner in which the “draw” has been made out, or the time for which games are set down, the referee is next blamed. If she penalizes she most certainly shouldn’t, and if she remembers the advantage rule, the other side is disgruntled. A free discussion of rules and interpretations by the referees themselves should help. Before the season actually commences, it might be as well to remind the player that she has responsibilities equal if not greater than the referee, to keep the game attractive and to eliminate those doubtful tactics which so mar its beauty. I am referring chiefly to “body obstruction”—using arms, and legs to impede a player either in catching or in handling. The offenders are mostly in the defence line and make use of the habit so subtly that it is extremely difficult for a referee whose eye follows the ball to detect it. I have always followed the play in the first grade very closely and the ex-player who stands out most conspicuously is G. Basstia.n, who, I am sure, has never once in all the years she has played been guilty of a deliberate infringement of the rules. She has been accused of obstructing, but always by a forward who was herself guilty. There will, of course, be others of our past players, who have not played so consistently and whom I do not know so well, but under the greatest provocation I have never seen G. Basstian retaliate. Anyway if you do obstruct, don’t be surprised when the referee blows the whistle. The rule book has been re-printed and made quite up-to-date. A new edition will not be issued for three years, so it would be as well to get copies at once. Every referee, should own a copy and every captain also. The only actual difference in the rules is that dealing with a “throw-in” from the back line. Players must stand behind the 12ft line and the forward cannot jump in to the ball as was the case for the past season or two. M. McCurdy and P. Calder were adept at the art. However, it really gave no chance for the defender at all. Therefore everyone must remain behind the line until the ball has been caught, or touched by the girl defending the one throwing in. Competitions commence next Saturday. The first set is at 2.30 p.m., and the second at 3.30 p.m. Eor the first week all games will be played at Duke street and the match committee will decide then as to its wishes with regard to the rest of the first round. The match committee consists. of Misses E. B. Pay (convener), C. Glennie and K. Penny (playing members) and Mr A. Kinross. The duties include arrangement of draw, granting transfers, accepting registrations, etc, I

would once more mention that no business will be considered between meetings. The first meeting was held on Thursday, and the next will be Thursday week. For wet day timetable players will as usual ring 1283, but not before midday. New players should be told that no decision is arrived at until noon and that it is only a waste of time to ring anywhere for information before then. At an executive meeting it was decided that for all competitions and tournaments Mrs R. S. Mclnnes shall act as ground steward. All official information can be obtained from her. May 24 is the date of the combined tournament arranged- by Collegiate Club and the Collegiate Cricket Club. Entries close with the secretary on May 17, and will be received from other than registered teams. Knock-out Tournament As a curtain-raiser for the season, a knock-out handicap tournament was arranged for one evening recently. Considering that most clubs were only getting together their last season’s players, the form shown in the A section augurs well for the standard of play. Each year I feel we must have come to a stage where the play will not be so good as it has been in the past, and each year I am most agreeably disappointed. Rata firsts have been considerably depleted—M. Rodger, K. Macpherson, M. Royds, M. Basstian, G. Basstian and G. Bamford all being absent on this occasion. Still there are possibilities amongst the younger members, N. Basstian, N. Rodger, M. Anderson and K. Cutt, and for the second team, J. Thompson, S. Ross and S. Warden. For Collegiate, J. Hunter and E. McStay were absent, but I understand J. Hunter will be playing again in the competition. This makes this combination very formidable and the win registered by the team was thoroughly deserved. H. Ryan will be sadly missed from the seconds; we hope to see her with the referees this season until her arm can be used again. Kiwi show much promise, but they will never be first class while the centres persist in trying to send the ball straight to the forwards. Every defender will watch for that pass and be ready to intercept. In this tournament Bluff captured that pass each time. Bluff are a greatly improved team. M. Wares in the forward third should be a valuable member; her shooting is very accurate. High School, Pirates and Makarewa did not play. The second grade from the showing of this tournament should be much stronger than last year. St. Peter’s, St Mary’s, Kiwi, Collegiate and Rata all appear to have good teams for this grade. It is difficult to say anything adequate about the players for the third and fourth grades. Their play is so very inconsistent and one is never very sure exactly- what they intend to do with the ball, and I am rather forced ; to the conclusion that they don t know | themselves. One senior referee who ; helped with some junior referees on this occasion said she found the junior games very much hardei’ to control, because they were erratic. When all six girls in a third rush at a ball it is awkward to know who actually has it when an infringement has been made. There is something wrong with the coaching when the juniors who are so enthusiastic know so little of tactics. The junior should be as important to the coach as is the senior. In that way only will we keep her enthusiasm, and will we have strong senior teams for the future. nOo