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C H A P T E R 4 • • • The Game Is Born A s Naismith arrived at his office the next morning, he picked up a football and soccer ball. He noticed how the football was shaped so it could be carried in the arms. Since running with the ball would not be allowed in his new game, Naismith chose to use the soccer ball. Next, he had to find a couple of goals. As he walked down the hall of the gymnasium, he approached the superintendent of the building, Pop Stebbins, and asked if Pop had a couple of boxes about 18 inches square that he could use. “No,” Stebbins said, hesitating for a moment, “but I’ll tell you what. I have a couple of peach baskets about that size down in the store room if that will do you any good.” In his handwritten notes about the first game, Naismith said, “I asked him to bring them up to the gym floor. I nailed them to the gallery, one at each end, and the equipment was ready.” The lower railing of the gallery happened to be 10 feet high. Naismith said later if the railing had been 11 feet high, that’s how high the goals would have been. Returning to his office, Naismith sat at his desk, pulled out a piece of paper, and drafted the original rules for his new game in The Game Is Born • 43 less than an hour. Specifying that the ball would be an ordinary Association football, he came up with 13 rules: 1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands. 2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist). 3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it; allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed. 4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it. 5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed. 6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of rules 3, 4 and such as described in rule 5. 7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul). 8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal. 9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five 44 • Chapter 4 seconds. If he holds it longer it shall go to the opponent . If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them. 10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to rule 5. 11. The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals, with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee. 12. The time shall be two fifteen minute halves, with five minutes rest in between. 13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made. Naismith gave the rules to Miss Lyons, the stenographer, who...

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