girls six-on-six basketball - talk about a memory

[rurallib]

Someone had a thread here asking us to name something from our past that would get a truly quizzical look from those born in the 90s I believe.

Couldn't think of anything that hadn't been mentioned until the girls bball tournament started here in Iowa this week. That reminded me of the truly unique brand of basketball played only in Iowa and Oklahoma and only by the girls.

It wasn't really one game, but more like two 3 on 3 games being run simultaneously with the half court line acting as an invisible wall that couldn't be crossed. On one side was 3 players on Team As's offense going against 3 players from team B's defense. On the other side of the line the teams were reversed with Team A on defense and Team B on offense.

Girls were allowed to only dribble the ball twice when they handled the ball - two dribbles and then they had to pass or shoot. The ball would go from defense to offense via a pass over the half-court line.

This version of basketball was played mostly in the smaller towns and rural communities. The teams were true local heroes. most of the teams would have one star shooter who often averaged over 30 points a game.

Large schools in Iowa took up girls basketball in Iowa in the 80s but they played the more common 5 on 5 game. This eventually doomed the 6 on 6 game.

Here is a championship game from 1973. The game actually starts at the 11:00 minute mark. The big star of this game was a girl named Deb Coates who is still legendary in high school sports annals.

It was an interesting, quirky game played in Iowa from @ 1920 when Iowa was one of the few states that offered any sports for girls. In the small towns and rural communities when the girls played, everything else stopped - and if they made it to the state tournament which lasted a full week - the town simply moved to Des Moines for a week.

Hope a few of you will enjoy

[JEFF9K]

1. It would be fun to see other sports with variations of the rules. nt

[shenmue]

2. Thanks

[shraby]

3. That's how we played in Michigan also when I was in school. We were "too delicate" to

be able to play a full court, only we had 3/2 on each side of the court.

[rurallib]

6. 3 on 2 - that is a version I have never heard of

In the beginning the game was actually 3 courts (front, middle, back) with 2 on 2 going on in each one. Think it was 'updated in the '30s.
And yes - it was because the girls couldn't withstand the rigors of full court. What BS - many of these girls lived on farms and had to chore just like the boys.

The girls who played in the guard court (defense) never, ever got to shoot.

[shraby]

12. At half time we switched.

[k8conant]

10. We played that way in Dearborn, Michigan in the 1960s...

I guess that's why I never liked basketball.

Also, we girls had to play field hockey instead of soccer. Yuck.

[WheelWalker]

4. We still have a HS football association for small Oregon schools that fields 8 players per team.

[rurallib]

5. we have that here also because some schools are so small

[FuzzyRabbit]

7. Girls basketball in the 1960s in Washington state

I had forgotten about girls basketball in the early 1960s in Washington state. At our school, anyway.

There were no games between schools for the girls, only intramural basketball and PE.

The girls were always complaining about the restrictive rules. There was the two dribble only rule. Also, they were not allowed to shoot layups, or jump shots. Both feet had to be on the floor when they shot the ball. It was a slow, boring game both to watch and to play.

The girls always complained, but they were told that jump shots, layups and dribbling more than twice was necessary because running and jumping was unlady-like and could hurt their lady parts.

Now high school girls play basketball is just as well, and probably better, than we boys did 50 years ago. The college girls and women's pro basketball games are as exciting as any men's games.

[Rhiannon12866]

19. I was in HS in the '70s and what I remember were field hockey and soccer

Those were the girls' sports offered where I went and I attended both a public and a private school. I only played them in required PE, though. I was on the rifle team.

[Demit]

8. They played that in Philadelphia PA too, in the 60s.

It was more common to have the six players with two rovers (girls who could cross the center line) but we didn't play boys' rules until 1969.

[unc70]

9. That was the rule in NC unto 1960s

Three on three half court. Around 1964 or 1965 they began a transitional period with two forwards, two guards, and two "rovers" who could cross the center line and play in both half courts.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Yep, played that back in late 50's and early 60's.

[Fla Dem]

13. I think that style of Girl's Basketball was more widespread than you think. I grew up in Mass

and that's the way we played in the 60's. I was on the girl's team all 4 years of high school. You didn't specify whether you were referring to HS or college level b'ball.

Still have some pics of us in our uniforms, which were little one piece dresses.

[rurallib]

14. Here is what I vaguely remember

Iowa was one of the few states that had girls bball with teams competing in leagues and playing for a state championship from 1920 on. They played only a 6 player tournament until 1984. The 6 player game hung on for a few more years, but most girls no longer wanted to play it.

I don't know when other states started offering girls bball on a competitive level. Many had offered at least intramural for a long time or AAU ball which parents ran. Many started coming on in the 60s, most went to the 5 player game almost immediately. Some spent some time playing 6 player, but it was soon replaced from what I remember.

Iowa was a late convert to the 5 player game and IIRC Oklahoma was even later. Illinois - right next to us - went right to the 5 player game when they started in the 70s.

One of the death knells for the 6 player game was that Iowa girls, once a prized commodity for the colleges that suddenly were offering women's basketball because of Title 19 were no longer getting the scholarships they once got easily. As other states went to the 5 player, Iowa's girls that played 6 player were lacking in needed skills.

By the 60s most states had HS sports for girls but I am fairly sure Iowa and to some extent Oklahoma were leaders doing it in the 1920s.

I spent many a Friday and Saturday in March in the 50s when I was a kid watching the girl's state tourney games.

BTW - one of the most famous name players ever was once a very good Iowa HS player. Her name was Fonda Dicks from Moravia who as I recall was an all tournament player in the early 70s. I believe she went on to be a successful coach.

[Fla Dem]

15. You certainly are much more expert in this field than I am.

I was just recounting my own experiences and have absolutely no knowledge of the historical evolution of Women's B'Ball. However we did compete with other schools within our league (the one the men's teams competed in for league titles). But for the women as best I can remember there was never any title games.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. I Remember People Talking About That When I Was in HS

We knew lots of folks with relatives in Iowa, not too unusual for someone from Illinois. I was probably playing on the freshmen or sophomore team when i first heard about this.

Since you mention this was small town for a lot of the participation, it occurs to me that small schools might have preferred this because with less full court running you need a less deep bench, and the players on the other side of the court from the ball would actually be resting.

Then is a school could only get say 8 girls on the team, they could still participate, because you didn't have to field 10 or 12 players. (I know in Hoosiers they only have 6 boys, but that was movie making stuff.)

I know i wouldn't have wanted to play that game, but i guess now i can see the logic if some small co-op school with 60 students wanted to field a basketball team.

[rurallib]

17. you are right on the money about small schools and the number of players

often 4 year high schools may have had less than 40 total students and therefore probably @ 20 girls. So most every girl went out and with a JV team, most every girl played.

I actually only saw one 6 on 6 game in person. When my oldest daughter was small I took her to a game. Having watched all those years on TV I was used to the camera always focused on the the ball and therefore the offense. I wasn't ready to see half of the team lolling around in the backcourt. Fortunately, we switched to 5 on 5 the next year. I was bored to death watching that 6 on 6 game.

but boy was tournament time ever a hoot in the small towns.

Don't get me started on team names for the girls' teams. They were usually the school team name with and 'ette' added on. Ever heard of a "Bull-ette"?

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Way Better Than The Cows!!!

Good story, lib!

[Blue_Tires]

20. I thought some small places were still playing this?

I know 8-man football is still a thing in KS and OK

[rurallib]

21. not in Iowa that I know of. Maybe in other states

At least Iowa has no inter school 6 on 6 anymore that is sanctioned by the governing bodies.

Many schools have combined to form teams if they don't have enough themselves.

We do have 8 player football in the smaller schools.