i like the idea and certainly worth a trial.

the appeal is more baskets

the logistics will be huge - but rememeber it is a FIBA initiative - how many school / social courts are correct FIBA dimensions anyway.

very good comment re juniors -

u10/12 rings a certain height

u14/16s modified height

u18s new womens height

are my thoughts on adjustments for juior ring heights

I like it and hope we trial it here

Back in the olden days, the rings were at 8 foot 6 inches for under 12s boys. Cannot remember what age group girls used the lower height. I guess it got too hard to have sets of rings that could be adjusted to the two heights.

Cambridge and Jackson throwing dunks down. I would watch that. Low post move turns into a Shaq attack

That would get really confusing in mixed social basketball... :)

Women dunking/the ability for more to dunk would change their game alot, however as mentioned equality will certainly prevail.

Mixed bball will most certainly be interesting!

Do they need to be the same. At an elite level, mens game is played above the ring and womens are played below. Two different games but in my mind equally enjoyable for different reasons. I actually enjoy the guile or cunning involved as women "think" their way through traffic as apposed to a male with hops who gets away with "less ability?" by simply jumping over obstacles. That said, I enjoy watching one getting slammed down as much as the next person. I'm simply suggesting that while they are different games, they both have merit. In fact, as an A grade mens coach I often encouraged my less athletic players (ie the 80-90 % who cant dunk) to watch the women and learn how to get the job done without living above the ring. Might be showing my age but the poetic slow motion drive to the basket of Michelle Brogan was a joy to behold and I must admit that as age and gravity caught up with me I had her to thank for prolonging my career!! On the other hand i have a 15 year old daughter who can baby dunk who I am tipping will not share my views on this!

They should do it. As far keeping on changing the rules that's all that's happened for the past..well forever. New Keyways, three point lines, shot clocks, charging rules etc the list is endless.
If you don't evolve you get left behind.
If it sucks then revert.

This must be a joke? More appealing - bring back the lycra suits or bikinis, that will do it!!

Hey anon, some of us think the possession arrow is a good idea. some change make the game better some make it worse. I agree with the no charge, not fussed on the extended 3 point line.

And prisoner of gravity your description of Brogan is pretty much how I recall her - spot on!

Did anyone know that Women's professional game is the same as Under 14s boys in that the ball size is the same and same foul line. Now FIBA are thinking of making the rim lower than Under 12s which is the same as at professional level.

It's not so much the act of dunking the ball through the hoop that makes it impressive, it's more the hang time and the hops to get up there people like to watch. Lowering the ring for the womens game might lead to more dunks but IMO it would be like watching youtube videos of 14 year olds dunking on 8 foot rings set up on the street.

I'm disgusted

women cant jump anyway, this wont make any difference

Is it April 1 somewhere in the world?

Before people get out of hand use a bit of common sense. they are trying to make the game more entertaining. And im not a sexist but some people take these things far to literally. there are some things that women on average cant do compared to men, and im talking specifically on average! yes there are weight lifting women that can lift more than the average man. But the way some people are jumping on this makes it sound like the olypmics are sexist because we have men and women categories. its just plain and simple women can do things that men can do and they can do things men cant do, in saying that there are things men can do that women cant to. if you look at olympic records there are alot more held by men than women, its not sexist its just how it is. and i am on FIBA's side in this one i think it would be more entertaining.

i dont see how its so insulting when FIBA consulted with coaches, players and officials whom have obviously raised the issue. so some people i think personally need to grow up and stop seeing things in black and white, its more insulting the human race to do so and this is the reason this country is becoming over politically correct about bloody everything.

thats my 2 cents worth, awaiting grilling!

If some bloke didn't have the guts to experiment and nail a couple of peach baskets to a wall where would we be.

anon, your argument is way out of proportion. not only that why raise the hoop for men to make them play under? the women are doing this and we have found it not entertaining, so why would we want to lessen the entertainment in the male league?

all im trying to say is, the women in the sport arent crying out saying its outrageous, if they think it will improve the quality of basketball and make it more entertaining then so be it, im all for it. it seems to be people that arent the ones playing in the womens shoes making this out to be a sexist attack.

I would like to see our Aussie Male mens netball team wear skirts

Some food for thought.
1) The other game that i can think of that fosters height and jumping ability is Volleyball (spiking, blocking etc.) Men and women play with different net heights! The women's net height is 7.5 inches lower than the mens. I'm sure there are lots of readers who have never watched this sport but of the ones that have, how many can honestly say they thought the height of the net influenced how much you enjoyed the spectacle (or for that matter even realised that the net was lower during the womens game.) I am on record as saying I dont really support the change of height but if it goes ahead I wont lose sleep about it.
2) As expected, when I told my daughter they were contemplating lowering the rings I could see visions of Le bron and Michael flashing before her eyes and then the most telling comment, "hang on, I've just mastered shooting at a ten foot ring. What are the chances of them leaving it up when i shoot and then lowering it when i'm on the drive?) It then occured to me that this argument has missed the most important factor of the debate, the women!

regarding your second point prisoner of gravity, what do you mean the argument has missed the most important factor which is the women? i thought it covered it pretty well. it doesnt appear to be FIBA trying to do something out of thin air, it sounds like it has been raised over meetings with players coaches and officials, which includes the women, unless you mean something else which im missing?

"Look at that hot chick dunk?"
"Dude the ring is lowered, she can't really dunk."
"But she looks smoking hot in that bikini."

SRT070. Sorry. I was referring to the debate on this post. Little to no of the arguments seem centred on whether the women wanted it or not. As i said earlier I actually enjoy both the womens and mens games as they are. If FIBA have decided that a majority of women favour the change, so be it. Personally, I don't know of any who have been consulted and every female basketballer I have spoken to seem a bit bemused by the idea. Don't know, maybe i need to get out more!

yeh good point, one thing is for sure though, and thats even though some of the women will be for it there will be some opposed it to. there is no pleasing everyone.

Would be interesting what the girls (Stirling Cambage and the like) think about it .
I seem to recall (playing at St Clair one nite about 40 years ago) - the talk was about a news item from the USA - whereby Men run down and shoot a goal in a matter of seconds run down the other end for a goal and back agen. Too easy and the game would be better if the rims were shifted to 12feet.

Ineedmore - the reason Dr Naismith nailed the peach baskets up high was to remove height as an advantage from the game (see Camel 31's post above). The reason we're where we are today has more to do with the other good doctor - Dr J - and David Stern's understanding of the entertainment industry.

And Prisoner of Gravity - I think you mean "favours" height and jumping ability, rather than "fosters" it. You should add netball to your list. The interesting thing about that is that tall players seem not to have become as dominant as in basketball. Presumably that is because there are really only 2 positions on the court where height can be a dominant advantage (GS and GK). However, I find that netball is a very entertaining sport to watch. At the top level, the athleticism is a match for men's basketball, the passing is often better (it's more important as players can't hold the ball and can't move with the ball), and court movement is quicker - of players and the ball.

However, it doesn't attract the same viewing audiences as men's basketball. Somehow, I don't think the reasons for that are related to the entertainment value of the product. I'm pretty sure lowering the ring and allowing dunking would change that. So what makes people think it would change it for women's basketball (see Laurie's post above)?

Opals legends Robyn Maher and Michelle Timms, current Opal Liz Cambage, and Larry Sengstock have voiced their opinion, and have slammed the idea of lowering the rings...

Link: http://linky.com.au/cnu04

From the article:

Timms described the rings suggestion as "absolutely outrageous."

"I just find that ridiculous," Timms said. "I don't find any merit in that at all. I just feel like decisions are being made and possibly, in this case, by men, that just aren't going to be good for the game. It's not going to make it a better spectacle. I think our game is wonderful and it is different from the men's game because it's not so aerial. Ours is more of a technical game and I don't know why they want to (change) that."

Bulleen and Opals player Liz Cambage, who tops 203 centimetres, said it would be a "ridiculous" and unnecessary decision to lower the ring height. "I've just finally learnt to slam dunk so if they lower the rings that would have been a lot of hard work wasted."

Larry Sengstock, chief executive of Basketball Australia, which governs both the men's and women's game, and who attended the conference also questioned the need for the change. "It didn't get a lot of support."

Lizzy says it - so it must be so.

I'm not a big fan of players getting dragged around by the singlet, thereby getting called for travel and the like - either.

I just read this article which summarises the pathetic attempt by Fiba at the World Champs!


http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/columns/story?columnist=voepel_mechelle&id=5662243