ANALYSIS

Short AND Tall

   OBJECTIVE

         Hoops game for players of all heights

    BENEFITS

1. Ability alone determines player selection.
2. Range of heights corresponds to frequency in population.
3. Supply of talent broadened.
4. Never a tall team.
5. Game quality enhanced.

Hoops for All, Thanks to the Wall

   TERMINOLOGY
     Tallness - the tallest 20% of players.
     Height Unit -1, 2, 3, or 4 tallness
     Ordinary height - 0 Units, about 80% of the population
     Hoopability - talent regardless of height

How doesShort AND Talldistribute tallness evenly?

Research documented by the National Center for Health of Statistics of the U.S. Department of Health and Welfare reports consistency on tallness. The findings group men aged 18-24 standing 6:00 and above in the 80th percentile. Since we commonly term a man of six feet or more "tall," then one man in five is "tall" while 80% are "not tall." Short AND Tal adopts this 80-20 proportion in its age-gender tables.

The average of men's heights - 5:09.3 - is significant only by occupying the "not tall" range. The relative advantage of height on the court is minor within that 80%. Meanwhile, 6:00 - the critical 80-20 men's divider of "ordinary height" from tallness - is where the height asset begins its sharp upslope.

Short AND Tal distributes this rising tallness with a flexible currency of Units. It allots 20% tallness to squads. The simple numerals 0 to 4 then ease the math of height groupings. One tallness Unit for men approximates 2.5 inches. A Unit in other age-gender groups is slightly less than 2.5.

Selection by merit promises games of high quality.

Claiming the full tallness allowance in forming a squad is far from automatic. In the populace, people's height clusters near the minimum of tallness. Most tall people are "just tall," that is, one Unit. Commonly, a squad may possess one or two one-Unit players. An available "tall" player may lack hoopability. A totally under-sized team, with no tallness units, is nonetheless valid.

A squad can either concentrate or disperse the full tallness allowance in one of six combinations of the allowed maximum five, depending on the Availability of players in the respective Unit groups.

4-1
3-2
3-1-1
2-2-1
2-1-1-1
1-1-1-1-1

Squad formation should alway begin with tallness. After choosing players with Units, the coach adds ordinary-height players costing zero Units each. The standard format of 10 guarantees squads to be largely of zero-Unit players. Coaches are responsible for a pre-game affirmation on wall creation, judging, squad size and tallness allowance.

The referee has no responsibilty on Units or tallness validity, noting only whether a squad is 10 players. If fewer than 10, each reduction from 10 costs payment of two free throws at halftime.

Supporting the principle of an "ordinaries" majority, every non-starter of the game is automatically named to a second-half opening lineup.The starters may then re-enter one substitution at a time. A strategic coach can bench a key player for a few minutes at the start. Then the non-starter is eligible to open the second half.