Niche No. 1: Semi-Pro

The Short AND Tall game faces a dilemma. It claims superiority in skill and playing style, yet it must operate below the sport's top level.
That is because varsity and professional basketball monopolize (understandably) the first choice in tall candidates.
Short AND Tall superiority is based on game quality. This stems from player ability (hoopability) apart from size. Game quality is the sum of players' hoopability.
Short AND Tall exploits ordinary-height availability. Evaluating candidates within height groups further raises quality.
Hence, the dilemma.
Fortunately, a niche - a unique quality source - offers some hoopability at all heights. It is Niche No. 1, semi-pro Short AND Tall.
Semi-pro players are ineligible for high school or college rosters. Yet they thrive in their level neatly below that of full professional. Hoopability and the scarce tall talent co-exist.
Challenge your area. Organize a Semi-Pro squad. Advertise locally to "all comers." Pass the hat to see your superior show.

Meanwhile, at the amateur level, municipal recreation maximizes quality with all-star squads. In this natural mix of tall and ordinary-size teammates, coaches value hoopability at tallness slots on squads.
A tournament, RecvsRec, exhibits talent and tallness.
"RecvsRec" grows to the next hoopability level. One elite squad is selected from all the All-Stars in each facility. One facility's squad is matched against another's.
Example: Lincoln vs. Hamilton in a Short AND Tall tourney. The Lincoln All-Stars represent the center's regular-basketball leagues or groups. Likewise, the Hamilton elite squad.
As the all-star debut gains notice, participation spreads. Recreation squads organize. Many may lack sufficient tallness to use the entire five-unit allowance, but all appreciate Short AND Tall's guarantee that they will never oppose a "Tall Team."

Various Heights
Of 10 on Squad

Short AND Tall, distributing tallness evenly to squads, creates "coaching the availability."

Candidates, either "tall" or of ordinary height, become available for a squad of 10 based upon their tallness "units" in levels marked at a wall for their age and gender.

Most heights, roughly 80% of the populace (Surveys of the National Center of Health Statistics of the U.S. Department of Welfare), fall beneath the lowest level, zero units.

The wall simulates natural height ranges. Tallest people (about 20% naturally) provide availability of 1, 2, 3 or 4 units. The squad maximum is five units.

Although a squad may total under 10 players, the format 10 is standard. Each subtraction from 10 costs two free throws at halftime

Fingers Depict
Wall Marks and Units

Extending your fingers can illustrate how Short AND Tall counts player Units.
Let each finger resemble a wall mark. View "0 Units" for all space below the TOP of the little finger.
Next, 1, 2 and 3 Units are below other finger tops, and 4 Units is above the index finger.
A maximum of five tallness Units is allocated to each squad.

BART the BARTENDER

TALL PLAYERS
WELCOME
TALL SQUADS
RULED OUT

Basketball for All
Short AND Tall

Tallness conquered basketball - at birth. It imposed two distinct impacts since Dr. Naismith invented the marvelous vertical game in 1891

For this review, neatly divide the sport's history of some 120 years into "old era vs. new era." Treat the two impacts as developments that began around the general midpoint of the eras, 1950.

The first impact (growing) is: Evolution of the Tall Team.

The second (simultaneous) is: Net Sacrifice of Skill.

Basketball never took official note of tallness, but height soon found a place.

In early lineups, teammates of ordinary height exhibited two-handed "long shots," chest passes and backboard lay-ups while a relatively tall center sank hook shots from the pivot area and jumped for ball possession at mid-court. Participation was natural.

Natural also was tallness. Before long, recruiters sought height for most positions.

The Tall Team replaced the lone center and teammates. Rosters began to omit ordinary-sized athletes.

The average height of a U.S. adult male is 5:10. A "six-footer" means tall. In that sense, about 83% of men (approximately 85 million including youths of at least age 18) are not "tall."

Tall Teams advanced the game style with much shot creativity, leaps, bounds and dunks.
Gradually, even the tallest positions demanded speed, grace and agility. Gone were the two-handed set shot, chest pass and uncontested lay-up.

Alas!

Gone too was the massive infusion of natural skill. Tallness meant ability.

Due to the comparative net loss in skill (hoopability), Tall Team basketball of today earns the "inferior" rating in game style.

Response in the New Era

Short AND Tall, a separate athletic activity, helps to fill the void. Played like, intended to complement and never replace, regular five-on-a-side basketball, it is offered for recreation departments, camps, and campus clubs and semi-pro leagues or tournaments.

Tall players share their natural advantage with teammates from about four-fifths of the populace.

All compete for selection on ability (hoopability). Tallness is welcome, but a tall team, collected tallness, is ruled out.

You can rescue outcasts and exploit their diverse skills. Allot the natural tallness advantage evenly on squads of up to 10 players by introducing the new, separate activity. Click below for rules, wall markings and guidelines. Click Suppose and Bart the Bartender for easy-to-follow procedures.

HOW TO START

3 Rules, 2 Essentials

Pound for Pound "Inch for Inch"

Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989) was, to the Associated Press, the greatest boxer of the last century. To RING Magazine, he was the all-time best "pound for pound."

Pound for pound is significant. It values Robinson's ability in the 141-to-160-class apart from size. The 200-pound heavyweight Muhammad Ali, named the "greatest athlete" by The Sporting News, called Sugar Ray "my king, the master, my idol."

Stars in basketball today are invariably tall, usually very tall. Short AND Tall evaluates size by size. As in "pound for pound," abilities can be compared "inch-for-inch."

While a coach always hopes to use the full five-unit distribution of allowed tallness, any squad under five units is appropriate. Safeguarded from collected tallness, it never opposes a "Tall Team."

Play October Madness

'The Wall' Ousts Measuring

Discard the yardstick, ruler and measuring tape - even the doctor's scale. You won't need them - that is, once you've marked your wall with the four height levels that simplify judging Tallness Units for a Short AND Tall squad.

Most players are "zero" Tallness Units. Merely by glancing, you sort out likely "ordinary height."

Once a season, judge your tall prospects (plus those very close) at the wall for Units 0 to 4. This creates availability for a squad of up to 10 players.

With most heights passing beneath the lowest level, the four-mark wall reflects the natural human height range. Sets of marks differentiate age and gender.

Short AND Tall assures an equal distribution of the tallness advantage. It allows up to five tallness units on a squad. Thus, a "Tall Team," exceeding five tallness units, is disallowed. A tall individual of any height is welcome.

Two special rules aid "ordinary height" - the 80% multitude with zero units.

A cost is imposed upon a squad under 10. For each vacancy, each subtraction from 10, the smaller squad grants two free throws at halftime.

Every non-starter (presumably "ordinary height") is automatically on a lineup opening the second half. Game starters may then re-enter one substitution at a time.

YOURS FOR THE ASKING

To administer a campus, camp, town or recreation league or tournament, click Admin and the other guidelines below.

Multiple Gain

A squad in Short AND Tall welcomes all heights (approximately 80% ordinary, 20% tall). The expanded availability improves game quality.

Steps to Campus Club

Affirmation

The coaches' Affirmation procedure precedes every Short AND Tall game.

With the squads aligned height facing height, the coaches affirm that they properly assigned Units, and that their squad tallness is within the allowance. Optionally, they may exchange Game Lists.

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Definition Of Hoopability

hoopability n. L -abilitas

Player talent regardless of height at any height.
 (AKA "pure" skill)

To the Site Visitor

FYI: Short AND Tall is a separate activity, apart from conventional basketball.