The squad principles of Short AND Tall are easy to use, once understood.

Beneficial outcomes include (1) most players are like the human population -- "ordinary height" (2) tall teammates reflect natural proportions (3) opposinjg squads never exceed the squad tallness allowance (4) enlarging sources of "availability" raises the ability (hoopability) level and game quality (5) unique lineups invite novel styles and tactics.

For each game, a coach chooses a squad of up to 10 players to play basic five-on-a-side basketball. The squad format is 10 with no regard to the number of players or their heights. Record a V for vacancy on the Game List for each reduction from format 10. Settle at halftime by granting a pair of free throws for each V.

Assigning units establishes the "availability " of candidates. A wall is marked at four height levels measured from the floor. Tall players are judged once a season for Units 1 to 4 between the tops of marks. The next mark-top above the player's head determines 1, 2 or 3 units. Height above all marks is 4 units. Beneath the lowest mark-top is 0 units.

Most people (about 80% of the availability) are 0 Tallness Units. Few "ordinary-height" people require actual judging. A glance shows that most candidates obviously could stand beneath the lowest wall mark-top. Verify close calls. (The Regis tool may assist record-keeping..) Short AND Tall sets the level for minimum tallness above the large majority of natural heights.

Tallness Minimum Wall Marks
Inches		Competition Group
72		Men
71		Boys to Age 17 or Attending High School
70.5		Boys to Age 15
65.25		Boys to Age 13
66.75		Women
66.5		Girls to Age 17 or Attending High School
66		Girls to Age 15
65		Girls to Age 13

 

The major and first task is deciding tallness. Then, add ordinary-height teammates zero teammates for the format 10. Deciding tallness resembles stringing units 1 to 5. The maximum permitted five-unit tallness offers six possible stringings:

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

The tallness advantage is far from automatic. It clusters in populations near the minimum range, with most tall people who are tall "just tall" - one Tallness Unit. Judging at tthe wall may yield only one or two players with units, or the available talls may go unselected due to lesser hoopability. An "under-sized" squad, even with no units, is nonetheless valid. At campus, camp and recreation levels, low-unit squads compete fairly - while protected by the uniform five-unit tallness distrtibution assurance against "tall team" opposition.

Say you're a coach whose available tall men are Ray, the tallest, 4 Units; Bill and Sam. 2 each, and Fred, who measures barely above the minimum. The five-unit allowance keeps you from teaming Ray, 4, along with Bill, 2 or Sam, 2. You must decide for or against 4-1. Weighing abilities and unit, you choose 2-2-1. Why did you omit Ray? (Presumably less hoopability.)

You complete the squad. After evaluating ordinary-height abilities and availability, you favor a nine-player squad. You add six zero-unit players and a V for vacancy to your tall 2-2-1. The string of 2-2-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-V meets format 10 though your squad size is under 10.

You prepare a Game List to exchange with the next opponent. Your nine-player Game List certifies format 10, and your tallness units are withinh 5. Player ID's may be names, nicknames, uniform numbers, or initials.