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Women's Basketball: Modified Rules
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| Objective From the beginning of women's basketball in 1892, the rules have been modified in accordance with assumptions about physical capacities, propriety, and femininity. The purpose of this lesson is to look at some of the rules themselves and rule changes over time and to discuss the relationship of those rules to prevailing cultural goals. Method Students can work on this exercise either individually or in groups. Examine the diagrams provided for roughly three time periods. Even though there were official women's rules, different sets of rules continued to be used across the United States. So, while the official rules may have limited players to one or two dribbles, and some teams may have permitted unlimited dribbles, they reveal a general idea of the evolution of the game. Students will be asked to infer the reasons for the particular rules as they relate to the themes already suggested. For example, identify a reason for not allowing a player to run the length of the floor, or dribble more than two times, or snatch the ball out of an opponent's hands. Exercise for students Study the diagrams with rules for each general time period. Rules such as zone of play, number of dribbles allowed, amount and consequences of contact allowed, number of players, time of possession, and possibility of shooting the ball are described for each. For each diagram think about the possible reasons for these rules. For example, see Diagram I. At that time, men played the game using the entire court. The women's court was divided into three sections and players were restricted to their particular section. Why? What could be the reason behind that restriction? Are the reasons physical, cultural, or both? Why do you think only the forwards could shoot the ball for a basket? How do these rules illustrate the themes of physical capacities, propriety, and femininity? What do they say about the perceived nature of competition for women? After discussing the rules for each diagram, look at the changes in the game over time. How does today's women's game differ from the men's in terms of rules? If we only looked at the rules for women's basketball, what might we suppose about the change in attitudes in America from 1892 to 1992? |
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