Right Down The Line (12-14-56)

Now that the basketball season is under way all over the state there are probably many questions which will pop-up during the season both by fans and players. With each year new rules are added or nullified, strengthened or weakened according to how the officials of the rules committe decide the cage sport can be bettered. This year there are only a few major changes which will be noticed that are outstanding. One is that now instead of each team having a man next to the basket on a foul shot the defensive team is awarded both sports. This is to eliminate the easy field goal via a tip-in by a tall player of the foul shooting team. Second whenever a ball is taken out after a foul shot or field goal is made the team throwing the ball in must not be directly under the basket. The lines marking the foul lane are extended imaginarily off the playing court. If a player throws the ball to one of his teammates from that restricted area the ball is awarded to the opposing team. Another rule which probably won't occur but once in 100 games is that if two teams are tied at the end of one overtime and a foul is committed after the ball is dead (as the overtime ends) the player who is fouled is awarded the foul shots. When he steps to the foul circle officials consider the sudden death overtime started. Should the foul shooter make both attempts the game is automatically over since a team has to be two points ahead before it is awarded the game. This could happen without any actual time elapsing into the sudden death quarter. There are probably several other rules which will come up during the season, but we will not go into them at this time.
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Friday, December 14, 1956
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio