NOTES.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 222, 13 May 1932, Page 3

NOTES.

"Centre."

By

Wednesday Clubs. Increased interest is being taken in the game this year. A meeting was held last Tuesday evening for those players proposing to form Wednesday clubs and nearly 40 members attended. If satisfactory arrangements can be made, every consid nation will be given the Wednesday players in an endeavour to give them the same privilegas as the Saturday afternoon clubs. A practice match was arranged for last Wednesday afternoon- but, unfortunately, had to be abandoned on account of the weather. It will be held next Wednesday. It is pleasing to note that the new executive is going about its duties in a businesslike manner. The offieers are keen and eapable, and already the game is showing increased progress. Miss Freda Bates promises to make a very efficient secretary-treasurer. Rules for the governing of the Association's aifairs are in course of compilation and will shortly be submitted to a meeting of the executive. This will fill a long felt want. Method of Play. The following extract fron; the rule book — the f oreword writben by Mr. S. G. MacFarlane, Otago — will prove of help to those new players and teams this season: — Basketball has of recent years made such progress in the Dominion that it bids fair to become New Zealand's national game for girls. Because of the many players each season commencing the game, and out of a desire to popularise and improve the sport, the following description of the game is presented. It is hoped that it may present a "pieture of the play" that rules alone cannot give. Each team of nine players takes the field as three forwards, three centres, and three defenders. The objective of the play is to put the ball, in the manner set out in the rules, through the goal towards which each team respectively plays. This is effected principally by the passing of the ball from the hands of one player to those of another, and in the organising and developing of this passing li'es much of the skill of the game. The attainment of accuracy, speed, anticipation, and resource in passing is the first requisite of sueccssful basketball. The game is begun by a centre player throwing the ball from tlie centre of the field to another of her team in that third. (It is the duty of each of these playere to be on the alert from the whistle; to attempt to take the pass given; and with the position of both friends and opponents in the mind's eye, to throw the ball to the point in the field to which it is reasonable to expect the best situated player on her side can get and take the pass. Similarly, each succeeding player getting the ball throws to the spot where the next can reasonably get it ,and so on till a forward is in a good shooting position, when she should try for a goal. If a goal is scored, the ball goes back to the centre to be thrown off again (by a centre of the side opposite to that which has just scored). If the ball goes out behind the back line, it is thrown into play by an opponent of the last player touching it. Her opponent "guards" just inside the line, the other four players being behind the twelve-foot line. The object of the player throwing in is to get the ball into the hands of one of her side, who immediately should pass it to her companion or to the best situated player in the centre third, who in turn attempts to transfer it to one of her companions, or to a forward, and so on until another httempt at goal. Similarly when the ball goes out of bounds across the side line it is thrown in from the line, the remaining players of -either side taking up positions designed to get the game again in motion to the advantage of their respeetive sides. Throughout the game, the team not in possession at any given time makes every effort, first, to intercept the ball, and so change the direction of play towards its goal, or, failing this, so to hamper those in possession that their inaccurate or ineffective passing causes a breakdown, which itself givcs possession of the ball to the defend-

ing team. Short of intercepting, the only legal means of putting an attacking team off its -play are guarding, and putting the ball out of bounds. Personal contact must be carefully avoided. Fixtures for To-morrow. Ngongotaha B v. Waratah, 1.45 p.m. — Mrs. Guy. Kowhai v. Ngongotaha A, 2.30 p.m. — Mrs. Shearer. High School Old Students A v. High School Old Students B, at 3.15 p.m. — Mrs. Walker. Teams. Waratah. — B. Newmarch, M. Dixon, Constant, M. Ford, K. Kingon, A. B. Vaughan, D. Davies, Q. Mau, K. Hawkins. Old Girls A team: V. Hale, F. Bates, J. Isdale, E. Clarlce, M. Ford, G. Jones, N. Devin, H. Dawson, W. Steele. B team: M. Williamson, J. Allen, J. Tucker, D. Kingon, S. Wilson, R. Manson, R. Johnstone, D. Hamilton, 0. Edwards.