BASKETBALL NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1935, Page 13

BASKETBALL NOTES

INSTRUCTIVE TOURNEY RETURN OF TARANAKI TEAM. DOMINION COUNCIL DECISIONS. The Taranaki basketball team returned on Monday night from Wellington where it took part in the New Zealand tournament. Although not successful in bringing home the shield, it put up a creditable performance, winning six out of eight matches played. Details of their scoring arc: Taranaki 23 v. Rotorua 6; Wellington Minor 21 v. Taranaki 17; Taranaki 13 v. Wairarapa 12; Taranaki 23 v. Nelson 6; South Canterbury 17 v. Taranaki 9; Taranaki 20 v. West Coast 7, Taranaki 22 v. Wanganui 12; Taranaki 10 v. Wairoa 9. On Saturday night the teams were guests of the Wellington association at a dinner when trophies were presented and musical items contributed. On Sunday the teams were taken for a motor drive and entertained at afternoon tea by the Hutt sub-association. Organisation by the Wellington association for the tournament was excellent and visiting teams spent an enjoyable week meeting basbetball players from all over the Dominion. All games were full time of 20 minutes each way, and were played at the Mt. Cook school courts. The meeting of the New Zealand Basketball Association council was held during the week. At the election of officers Mrs. Muir was re-elected president, and headquarters will continue at Wellington for another year.

Part of the council’s time was occupied with re-organisation, and division of the Dominion into 13 unions, each of which may contain more than one association. The Taranaki rmion will extend from just north of Mahoenui in the north across to Poro-otarao and the boundary will be east of the Main Trunk line to include Taumaranui, Ongarue, Okahukura, Ohura, and National Park. The southern boundary will be ’ the Rangitikei River so that Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville and Marton will also be included. REFEREES’ MEETING. One day was occupied by a meeting of the New Zealand Referees’ Association. Theory examinations had ibeen held during the year and arrangements were made to conduct practical tests, and several referees gained their New Zealand badge during tournament week. Some discussion took place about publicity for basketball. Some associations stated they were given ample space by the local Press, while others stated that in spite of every effort their newspapers gave them a poor hearing. It was also felt that results of senior matches should be broadcast.

Basketball is no being played by 10,000 girls in the Dominion. The president, on her recent Dominioii tour, expressed her surprise at finding the game being played even in the most outlying parts and often under the most difficult conditions. One action of the council was to reduce the price of rule books from 6d to 3d per copy. This would be made up possibly by a much larger order for printing. It was thought that every player should have a rule book of her own, and that the price should not deter her from obtaining one. Some discussion took place concerning the style of basketball played in some primary schools, and some criticism cf the variety of rulings, lack of knowledge of the game, and size of courts, was made. It was decided that when the new issue with revised rules comes out at the beginning of next season, that an advertisement should be inserted in the Teacher’s Gazette with addresses of basketball union secretaries from whom books may be obtained. It was hoped that all teachers would obtain copies for their schools. THE THROW-IN. There will not be any great changes in the rules, but some of the wording will be altered to avoid differences of interpretation. Following are rules which are often misinterpreted. The throw-in shall be taken by an opponent of the player who last touched the ball in play. If, however, the player who last touches the ball has a foot on the line, she has infringed before the ball touches her, and she shall be penalised as she would be if she stepped on a third line, and the penalty is an unguarded pass inside the line to an opponent. If, however, she jumps on the line after gaining possession, a throw-in is given to the opposing side. Frequently a defender under the goal treads on the line. Here as elsewhere the advantage rule must apply, but, if the defender who has infringed gains possession or hits the ball out of play, the penalty shall be an unguarded pass inside the line to the forward. Similarly if a forward shoots at goal while a defender has a foot on the line, the ball misses the ring and apparently goes out of play, this must be treated as an infringement and the forward shall be given an unguarded pass (not shot at goal) inside the line (not throw-in). These rulings by the New Zealand Referees’ Association are not new, but are some which have been grossly misinterpreted by a great many. If a player touches the line or something inside the line her team shall be penalised. This does not apply only to the girl who has the ball. A rather amusing incident to onlookers, but what might have proved a tragedy to the players concerned if the scoring had been even, occurred while a forward was taking aim at goal from a good position. One of her team-mates gave the dog mascot a push from the post. Imagine the surprise of the thrower when she was penalised for her team, being out of bounds. Another unrehearsed incident occurred when a forward with her feet inside the line but about to overbalance outwards with the ball, was given the necessary equilibrium by a tug from the back by one of her mates. A mascot is supposed to bring a team luck, but-was it good luck when the referee announced that the ball had touched something outside the line, and when that “something” was the nose of the mascot? A new rule will allow a player reentering the court more latitude than the cld ruling of coming in at right angles. She is now allowed 30 inches on either side of the spot where the ball crossed out.