BASKETBALL

Southland Times, Issue 22333, 26 May 1934, Page 15

BASKETBALL

LAST WEEK.

(By

Defence.)

After two rather indifferently fine weeks, last Saturday decided to do things properly and matches could not be played outside. As only two courts were available inside, all matches except first and second grade were postponed. The postponed matches will be played at the end of the season. Makarewa and Collegiate (first grade) both recorded wins, as was expected. Kiwi were most unfortunate in that R. Wilkes hurt her knee early in the game and her place was taken by a third grade girl. As R. Wilkes is a very fine defender, her team was considerably weakened. Makarewa are steadily improving and the younger players now taking part in first grade are handling well and learning to keep their eye on the' ball and so speed up the game. G. McClean is working steadily and consistently well in the defence third. L. Sheffelbein was not in the forward third in this game, possibly because she had no known of the changed plans for the matches. Bluff were definitely not up to the standard of Collegiate. As far as Southland is concerned Collegiate are in a grade by themselves. There is no team here who can beat them, although Rata with a stronger forward line would go very near to it. M. Godward hurt her knee in the first half of the game. Collegiate had no emergency. They elected to play short in the forward line until half time and the score was 5—5. Teams should discuss the possibility of emergencies such as these because obviously for the rest of that spell, the team were uncertain of themselves. After half-time they moved J. Anderson to the defence third and played two in the centre. Of course it’s a play I have never advocated, because it makes things very strenuous for the two centres who at all times get most of the play. However there are coaches who believe it is the best way and others consider being short in the forwards and others short in the defence as best. My idea has always been that if you are strong in the centre, play short in the defence and if weak in your centre, play short in the forward line. Collegiate had D. Deegan and E. Shepherd in the centre, a formidable pair, but. it was the defence line that saved the game. Evidently Collegiate playing short in the centre did not know it was unnecessary to guard at the centre; both Ditreen and Esme could have played in the wing positions. As it was from the “throw off,” the ball had to go to the Bluff forward line. Collegiate rescued it and then the centres got it through to the forwards. M. Wright played a brilliant game, and on the day’s showing she could be considered the best forward in Southland. M. Collett (last year’s Kia-ora defence) is now playing for Bluff. This was her first game for the season and it will be interesting to see how she shows up in first grade games. Great field work on the part of Collegiate gave them a well-deserved victory. In the second grade St. Mary’s defeated Kiwi by a big margin, but it is difficult to understand why. Kiwi have some most attractive players in their team. B. Ingram and E. Ferguson in the defence third show much promise as does R. Yeo in the centre. R. Yeo was a very good primary school player, who lost much of her speed when she joined the senior ranks, but who is once more playing the game I had expected of her. J. Deegan was not available for St. Mary’s and her place was taken by V. Tangney. Here is another player with a good idea of. the game who could well be playing in a higher grade. She watches the game closely and never gets fussed or rushes about needlessly.

Rata defeated S.G.H.S. who had fielded a weak team, R. Lopdell and J. Lamont, both being absent. However they did try and at times got in some fine work, but I do wish they would concentrate on catching the ball, and not keep on putting one hand up. The opposing side just run in and take it. Z. Smith, A. Mackrell and D. Swift were all playing in that way. The forward line are coming out to the ball better, but they are not shooting well. They don’t get enough force behind the ball and so it is easily deflected. It is also a good idea to learn to shoot from under the goal and irom some distance out. In a tight corner one has to take chances. M. Wright is a good example, she can shoot from anywhere. L. Sheffelbein is no good if she is caught right under the goal, neither is J. Tyrell, but M. McGrath excels there. The High School forwards are young and should try different methods, until they have a style they can master. Pirates and Collegiate A had an enjoyable game, but I don’t think it was very good basketball. Both teams made a great many mistakes, mostly in their passing movements. Time and time again ill-directed passes meant that the ball went out of play. Do use your brains girls in basketball, as in anything else. For instance on one occasion I noticed a forward who was not in a position to shoot, pass to space. That was all right, but it was to the space nearest her opponent and all chance of scoring was lost. Now what was the use of tactics like those.

I was interested to see how Kennington played and was impressed. This team are now in their third year, having played fourth, third (which competition it won last year) and now second. They are an example of what can be accomplished by playing together. If they would practise team games, and thus get more speed into their game, they should hold their own in the second grade easily. Collegiate B can play a better game than they did on this occasion. There were too many clumsy and ill-directed passes, but the team was disorganized. In fact both A and B team evidently were, as they had changed players round considerably. H. Ryan and B. Murray played for the A team and J. Hughes for the B team. I am surprised that Collegiate should have done this. If you have two teams in the same competition, you may not interchange those players without special permission from the executive. That is a hard and fast rule and allows of no exception.

Postponements.

I have been meaning to mention about postponements before this. Last season was so very fine that we didn't have to consider them and it is possible some of the newer players are not sure what to do if the weather is unsettled. No alteration is made until noon, so that it is quite useless ringing youi’ captain or anyone else before then. After that you may ring 1283, but please don’t waste time, just ask where the matches are to be played. Someone will be there to give you the information, but will not have time to discuss with you whether the president should have made some other arrangements about them. There are still a few players who will ring up about 11 a.m., and because they are told there is no information, think that you have quite made up your mind and are just being spiteful in not telling. Literally no one knows, not even the president, before then. A notice is always posted on Mr Doig’s noticeboard at mid-day and if you can you are asked to look for that. It will save the time of everyone if you can do that. The main thing is that you wait

until mid-day and then waste as little time as, possible at the telephone. Accidents. Each club has now received the recommendations adopted by the executive with regard to our first aid official, and you must realize that you must abide by them. They are framed to protect both Mrs Challis, you and us. I know that it seems hard not to . be able to go on playing, when you think you are quite fit, but if you did and were ill as a consequence, we should get the blame. There is a bell on each court and one in the main building of the Drill Hall. These are to be used by the referee to call the first aid official. There have been several accidents of a more or less serious nature this season. R. Wilkes, Q. Clark, M. Bissett, are all out of the game for the remainder of the season, as a result of knee injuries. Referees’ Association. The next meeting of referees will be held on Monday evening, and I hope you will all go with your rule books and armed with the problems you have met during the last month. Senior players who are interested in interpretations will be welcomed. Here are two points brought before my notice recently. They both come from country teams and may perhaps have been worrying other teams. Can the side centres move about before the whistle blows to commence the game? Any member of a teain may move in any way she likes so long as she is not interfering with any other player. I presume the question was asked because of the “cat-and-mouse” tactics of some wing centres. If the referee considers that a wing centre is being blocked by such tactics, he can penalize. The only member of the team who cannot move is the centre taking the throw off. She must toe the centre line. A game was in progress and the ball was in the centre third, while a forward was standing with her foot over the line. The referee penalized the player for being out of the court, e"cn though she didn’t have the ball. Certainly an infringement occurred. A player must be in the court throughout the game, but it was a case for the referee to use the advantage rule. Did the side who was in default of the opponents gain the advantage from giving an unguarded pass for this infringement? I don’t know the circumstances of this particular case. Evening Tournament. Another successful tournament was held on Wednesday evening when 41 girls’ teams and 18 men’s teams took part. The extraordinary part about the men’s section was their inability to shoot. The highest score for the evening was 4 goals and in several cases teams won by their handicap, neither side being able to score. In the senior finals between Cubs and St. Peter’s the game was extended quite 20 minutes awaiting a score, and the final between Woodlands and St. Peter’s took half an hour. Woodlands were definitely the better team, but in spite of having the ball most of the time they could not score. The standard of basketball has improved amongst the men to such an extent that the next tournament in the middle of June will be between men’s and girls’ teams. The idea at present is to limit the girls’ entries to first and second grade and country senior teams and in the first round play. men against girls. It will be interesting to see whether our first grade team can beat men’s teams. The men’s teams must, however, get a further knowledge of the rules and realize that any form of tackling is an infringement. It has been brought -to my notice that sometimes the men enter two teams under different names and play the

same nine players in each; again that some players are playing for more than one team. In future therefore we will have to have the names of players and be as strict with the men as we are with the girls. I don’t know who the guilty ones are, but they can understand this won’t be allowed again. There is great discrepancy in the play of the junior section. Rovers and Ryal Bush should really have played in the senior section. They are both in the senior grade in Central District. We forgot that when we made out the draw. Both played well, but not so much better than our third and fourth grades. Certainly Ryal Bush defeated three of our third grade teams, St. Peter’s, Pirates and St. Mary’s and then lost to Browns, a junior team. Browns were most surprising. They defeated Greenhills (a fifth grade team) by a small margin, Rata B (fourth grade) , B—l, and then simply walked over Collegiate A (third grade). Evidently they improved as they went. In the final they lost to Makarewa A (third grade) B—s, Makarewa giving them 4 goals. Makarewa were a splendid team, ■ and should be a splendid first grade in a couple of years. They have a better idea of position than many first grades and are at present handicapped by youth and size. I shall be surprised if they are beaten this season. Rimu, who drew with Makarewa in the final last time, lost to them in the second round. Rimu have not yet got the speed, or court work of the Makarewa combination. This is the first time I have seen Woodlands, who defeated two Riverton teams and were then outclassed by Makarewa. They will never get anywhere much in a town competition until they stop heaving the ball as far as they can. In the first couple of minutes, every one of their passes went over a complete third or was just tipped. Makarewa simply jumped and intercepted everything, once they knew what was happening. Woodlands would be greatly improved if it practised some team games which develop passing.

In the senior section, there was more rough and clumsy play than I seem to have noticed for a long time. Representative players and others all became so speedy and anxious, that they held and pushed and elbowed in a way which spoiled the game. All the first grade teams had emergency players, which may have been partly the cause. Kiwi (first grade) and St. Mary’s (second grade) played really the best basketball. Bluff shone here and there but did not get the fine passing movements they put up last time. E. Crockett’s handling is delightful, but she will need to work a bit harder for the ball. Winton, after having played a strenuous game against Limehills, did well to hold their own against Kiwi, (second grade). Bluff and Collegiate (first grade). With no handicap Winton would have been down one goal to Collegiate, a most meritorious performance. This team will play first grade on June 4th and I feel that they are equal at least to Bluff and Kiwi. I feel that at last Central has at least one first-grade team. The win was both popular and well deserved. June 4th Tournament. A record number of 80 entries has been received and the draw will probably be ready before next Wednesday. This is due to the fact that as usual some teams had to be chased for their entries, and. nothing could be done till they were all in. I publish the following rules in connection with the tournament. Please cut them out and keep them carefully. It might save the ground steward being asked some unnecessary questions. Woolworth’s have a stall on that day and you may get drinks and fruit from them. Arrangements have been made for a light lunch etc., which may be obtained at any time from 10.30 a.m.

The following are the conditions for the June 4th tournament:— (1) Teams shall consist of nine players, all of whom must be registered members of the club they represent. (2) Each team must play the same nine girls all day except in the event of an accident when a substitute may be permitted if the referee gives consent. A substitute used in this way must play for the remainder of the day. No girl may play for more than one team. (3) The First Aid Official, Mrs B. Challis, shall have power to prevent any girl from continuing to play after an injury if in her opinion it would be harmful for the player to do so. (4) No 'girl may play in a grade lower that that in which she is registered. Anyone playing in a higher grade will not .have her grading for ordinary competition games affected. (5) A knock-out tournament in the Drill Hall will be played commencing at 9 a.m. if the weather is wet. (G) The decisions of the referees shall be final and the official score shall be accepted. (7) Any protest regarding any other point must be made in writing immediately after the match by the captain of the team concerned and handed to the Ground Steward. The protest committee consists of Mrs Mclnnes, Miss Pay and Mr Kinross. (8) All players must -wear registed costumes. (9) Each team shall be ready to take the field at the time appointed. (10) Any team not ready may be called upon to default the match. (11) The team mentioned first takes the north goal; the opposing side has the “throw-off.” (12) Teams are requested not to give cheers at the end of each game. They may cheer the winners at the end of the tournament. (13) Each game shall consist of two spells of 7 minutes each. Goals are changed at half-time, but the game commences again at once. (14) Each club shall provide a ball and this must be branded with the name of the club. (15) Games will not be discontinued for lunch but each team will have at least half an hour between 12 o’clock and 2 o’clock. (16) The captain of each team shall notify the ground steward as soon as her team has assembled and at the same time hand in the names of the players assembled for the day, also any emergencies. (17) For information apply to the ground steward. (18) Scorers after each game will put the score of the completed game on the forms supplied and these will be colected and handed to the ground steward who, alone, may operate' on the score sheet. (19) The score sheets with the draw' will lie in the pavilion. (20) The match committee shall decide in what sections the tournament shall be played and shall decide in which grades country teams shall play. (21) Boxes for papers, rubbish, etc., are provided in the pavilion and at various places on the courts. Please see that .these are used and that nothing is left about.