Faulty Footwork Spoils Too Many Games Of Basketball

Southland Times, Issue 23828, 27 May 1939, Page 15

Faulty Footwork Spoils Too Many Games Of Basketball

By

FORWARD

Concentrate on clean foot-work this Saturday. This means, be strict about stepping with the ball. Faulty footwork has been spoiling many games lately and if referees are strict, players will soon realize that whenever they infringe they will be penalized. A player is considered to be running if, while in possesion of the ball, she takes a step in any direction. If standing still when catching the ball, she may take a step with one foot and then jump in the air but must get rid of the ball before she reaches the ground again. If moving when she catches the ball the foot that first reaches the ground after she has the ball cannot take a step. A slight shuffling of the feet, obviously to gain balance as distinct from gaining territorial advantage, should not be penalized. . Players should be courteous to their opponents. Basketball is a game and bad manners on.the court gives the team a bad name, and antagonize both the referee and spectators. On several occasions lately players who have been penalized have displayed their feelings in no uncertain manner. No referee penalizes unless he is justified in so doing. On other occasions _ players nearest the ball, have not picked up the ball, simply because it was not their turn to throw it in. Even though a match may be fast and exciting there is no necessity for any players being discourteous.

NEXT WEEK’S TOURNAMENT Entries, for the King’s Birthday tournament close with the secretary of the Southland Basketball Union on Saturday May 27. The tournament draw will be published early the next week. Because of the big entries expected, and the work involved in making the draw, no late entries can be > accepted. Clubs are also warned ■ against entering teams which may not be able to play as the withdrawal of a team at . the last ' minute inconveniences both. teams and. officials. The tournament will be played in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grades and all entries sent in must state the registered costume of the team or club, the grade of the teams entering, and in the case of country teams the time of arrival at the courts. All country teams are requested to be at the courts as early as possible as there will be a big programme and 1 play will be started at an early hour. If the weather is wet a knock-out and consolation tournament will be held in f the Drill Hall.

RULES FOR THE TOURNAMENT The following rules must be observed by all teams in the King’s Birthday tournament: —

Each team may consist of 12 players, any nine of whom may play in any game. The same players must play throughout the whole of any match. Each club must have a ball clearly marked with its name.

Teams mentioned first in the draw, take the north goal at Duke street and the east goal in the Drill Hall; other teams have the ball. In semi-finals and finals captains toss. Each game shall be of seven minutes each way with no interval. A game shall finish immediately the whistle sounds except when a penalty shot at goal has been awarded. In the case of injury no interval will be allowed. An emergency may be fielded for the remainder of the match or the team may play short until the injured player, is ready to play again. Any protest must be sent in to the ground steward in writing immediately after the match concerned. The protest committee shall be appointed by the executive and its decision will be final. There will be no adjournment for lunch but all teams will be allowed adequate time to obtain lunch on the grounds. Each captain shall report to the ground steward on arrival and fill in a team slip with the names of all players including emergencies. Teams should keep together and each player should make a note of times and courts when playing. INTERPRETATIONS OF RULES The bouncing of the ,ball seems to be a rule which always troubles both players and referees. One association asks “If a ball is thrown from player to player so that it is deliberately bounced between the two players, is the bounce to be penalized?” This must definitely be penalized by a free pass to the opposing side. A deliberate bounce after a player gains possession is always an infringement. On the other hand, a player may bounce the ball once to gain possession. Immediately the player bounces the ball twice a penalty must be awarded to the opposing player. A badly-directed pass may bounce before

being caught by another player, and this must not be penalized. In most cases when the ball bounces between two players it is simply a case of a poor pass or erratic positional Pjay of the girl receiving the pass. Deliberate bounces between players are very rare and referees _ should make quite certain that there is an infringement before penalizing. The following incident was quoted from a match. A player received the ball within shooting distance of the goal, took aim for goal and held the ball about four seconds before passing to a team-mate in a handier position. (Would the pass be interpreted as a shot at goal and a throw-in from the back line be awarded to the opposing team, or should the player be penalized for holding? The ruling in this case would be a held ball and a free pass would be given to the opponent of the player infringing. . ... In another case a girl was aiming at goal from sortie distance. Another girl who was an arm’s distance away and standing still when the shot was made, intercepted the ball. This would also be penalized because although the pass was taken within the specified time of three seconds, the player who intercepted the ball infringed. Rule 4f in

Section VII of the Rule Book, states that no player shall move so as to interfere with a shot at goal. The girl who intercepted the pass has definitely interfered with the shot at goal and must be penalized. The penalty is a free shot at goal to the goal thrower. The following questions were forwarded by the Waiau Association, and the interpretations given by the Southland Referees’ Association are as follow:— The first incident quoted is very similar to one forwarded by the New Zealand Association. “An attack has the ball inside the goal-circle and ‘shapes up’ to shoot but suddenly passes to another of the attacks who is in a better position or is a more accurate shoot. The ball is passed well within three seconds.” In this case the attack is quite within her rights as she passes i within three seconds. If, however, she held the ball for longer than three I seconds she should be penalized for :held ball.

The second question asked was about interrupted play. The rules state “In the event of a stoppage after an accident or other unforseen circumstances the game shall be recommenced at the spot where the ball was when play was stopped according to these rules.” This means that irrespective of where the accident occurs, the game is recommenced, after the stoppage at the place where the ball was when the accident occurred. Thus if Ain the defence third twisted her ankle and the game is stopped as B in the centre has the ball, the game will be recommenced in the centre third with B taking the pass. Similarly if a centre is injured just as a defender is going to throw in from the back-line, the game is recommenced after the stoppage with the throw-in from the back-line. The new rule is much fairei' than that of last year because the game continues after the accident just as if no stoppage had occurred and neither side is penalized. FIXTURES June 5: King’s Birthday Tournament. July 8: Country Day Tournament. July 15: Primary School’s Tournament.