Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796

Chapter 137 037 What kind of ball are we really going to play this time?

After Tsar Paul issued the letter of appointment, he also felt bored in Petersburg.

He himself doesn't like to participate in those social activities. Although he sometimes attends, he can't find his place in balls and banquets. It is better to train the army every day to make him happy physically and mentally.

However, he could not resist his two tall sons-in-law, who invited his father-in-law to watch competitive sports.

"William, what do you want to do?"

"A new sport has finally taken shape. Your Majesty, you must go and see it. I also invited my aunt."

"If it were in an ordinary family, you might have to call me uncle. Is this a sports project that you young people developed before?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Friedrich Ludwig added, "a five-on-five competition. It is conducive to cultivating team spirit. That's about it, Your Majesty."

Paul preferred William because of his kinship, but Frederick Ludwig was an honest man. Although his words were a little clumsy, what he said seemed to be more convincing.

"Then I will go tomorrow. You guys will have to play then, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, we have to compete in the gym. The weather is not suitable for outdoor competitions."

"Very good, very good. I will go tomorrow. You must behave well."

In Petersburg, they will have to wait until next year to return to their homes. Although the armistice agreement between France and Russia has been initially reached, it only stopped military operations and also lifted the occupation of Württemberg and Baden. , after all, these two countries are relatives of the Russian royal family.

When it comes to playing basketball, Solovyov actually carefully selects the players on both sides and uses a more accurate timing method, but the referees also need to be trained.

You need three referees, and they need to call fairly.

As for Solovyov himself, he also needs to play. Originally, he wanted to be the shooting guard at the No. 2 position, but he did not expect that among the officers of the Guards, he would find so many good players. Big guy.

"It seems unlikely that I just want to be a pitcher."

So he needs to practice his skills, review how basketball should be played, and teach everyone how to play, including all the rules.

In fact, just one thing, it would be good if the "pick and roll" is well practiced. He happens to be on the same team as William, which will be more conducive to the execution of this tactic.

On the next day, Tsar Paul personally came to the new gymnasium of the Guards, and there were also members of the royal family and many nobles from Petersburg, who also came here with their families.

According to the rules of the Roman Circuit, it should be divided into four teams, namely red, white and blue and green. The four teams are a general configuration.

Now both sides have chosen home and away jerseys respectively, which is a Roma tradition, and will have William and Friedrich Ludwig jumping in the midfield.

Solovyov is still relatively satisfied with the white jersey drawn, while the opponent is currently using a blue jersey.

William obviously had an advantage when it came to jumping the ball. The Württemberg family members were all tall. After he picked the ball to Solovyov, the game started.

As usual, the referee is still Prince Peter. He has almost become a professional referee in Petersburg, especially when the battle is relatively big.

On the white team's side, Solovyov is playing point guard, while William is the center. In addition, three officers from the 1st Battalion of the Prussian Regiment are playing, while the opposite blue team includes two brothers from Mecklenburg. , and three officers of the Grenadier Guards. The substitutes for both sides are also officers from their respective units.

Obviously the average height of the opponent is higher, which helps to expand the defensive area. Although the Guards are always selected soldiers, the Guards Grenadiers all have a greater advantage in height. That is to say, William is the tallest one on the court, so he can even the gap between the two sides.

The audience on the sidelines were all cheering for the side they supported. This was the first time for Alexandra and Elena to participate in an event after giving birth. After all, they were young and their bodies recovered quickly. Now they are here for their husbands. Cheer, but still sit together, after all, the two of them have always been close sisters together.

When playing, Solovyov paid more attention to observing the position of his own players on the court. Regarding the defensive posture of these tall guys, he had no choice but to call William for cover, and then used his huge body to stand still. After distracting a defender, he entered the penalty area and made a layup.

However, after his layup slid around the rim, it slipped out of the rim, which caused unanimous sighs from the audience on the sidelines. The action looked very beautiful, but he failed to succeed.

Then the two Mecklenburg brothers protected the rebound. It is now 1800, which is actually much earlier than the real invention of basketball in 1891. On the contrary, it is more perfect than Naismith's invention. After all, this project was born prematurely. "It will be more perfect in the future, that is, the timing method is not so perfect.

However, these grenadier guards of the blue team, although they are good at rebounding, they always miss their shots.

Such boos also made Solovyov want to laugh on the court. Although the two Mecklenburg brothers had a correct understanding of basketball, the ones they selected were all tall and "stupid" ", may not be able to throw the damn ball on the court.

In the past few days, Solovyov also taught William how to defend at the basket. At least under the interception of his size, the shooting percentage was not high, and the result was even more inaccurate.

When you can't make a shot, you can't score, especially if you miss several shots in a row. I said to you Mecklenburg people, why can't you think of a way?

The ball quickly fell into William's hands. He saw Solovyov and Fyodor standing on both sides, and considering that Count Tolstoy was running faster, he threw the ball away. .

After the ball fell into Fyodor's hands, he quickly dribbled across the frontcourt and completed a goal. This was considered the first score in basketball.

Later in the game, it was obvious that the white team had more methods, but the opponents were always taller and larger, and it would be more troublesome to enter a positional battle without fast breaks.

Solovyov controlled the ball and passed the frontcourt, and he could feel that the opponent's defense was under great pressure. It was as if they were wearing blue and any team whose defense dominated the basketball court appeared here. .

He still wanted to call for a screen, and he had to make full use of the rules of the game to rush into the penalty area and commit a foul. At least Prince Peter had no problem being the referee. His call was very accurate. This kind of shooting foul was not a ploy or a hand-off. To ask for a foul is to use the rules normally.

"Blue No. 5, blocking foul!"

It's a pity that Solovyov's shot was late, just an ordinary foul, and he failed to get the serve.

Of course, he wouldn't protest with Peter, that would be very dishonorable behavior.

He also pulled up the other team's players and expressed friendship to each other. In a simple and strong place like Russia, respecting the rules, respecting the opponent, and at the same time respecting oneself.

There were also people on the sidelines explaining to the audience what kind of whistle this was.

But then Solovyov passed the ball to the inside, and William was fouled during the layup. This time it was a free throw.

"Why didn't Mr. Major go there and shoot the ball last time when he went for a layup? Cousin William can do it this time?"

Yekaterina did have questions, and Maria nodded beside her.

"Your Highness, it's because of Major Solovyov that he didn't complete the shot before committing a foul."

"That's right."

Then, William only made one of these two free throws.

After all, these people have just started to get involved in basketball, especially since there is a three-point line, and there are not that many shooting trainings.

But William also has a way. He uses his height advantage to go in and grab rebounds, and then lays up.

If he could dunk, maybe he could ask his old father to help him lose 60 kilograms, and it would be easier to do it when he was younger.

And Solovyov doesn't know the quality of the baskets in this era. Anyway, William is not in a hurry. When he wants the ball in the inside, he just sends the ball to him.

He can be a little lazy and throw more balls instead of scoring himself, which is more conducive to winning.

It's just that the two sides still have more iron matches, and Solovyov himself often does three irons from four to four. His playing posture is different from others, which will also attract attention.

Among the audience, there were many young girls waiting to be married. In addition to the two married princes, they also paid more attention to the unmarried young officers, especially the handsome Count Tolstoy. Although he was still young, he He's very handsome, and he scored the most points today.

However, the young count was young and bohemian, and he did not necessarily like these little girls from Petersburg.

But it's also true that being on the court helps him shine.

It's just that opponents will find opportunities on the field, especially the Grenadiers, who are tall and powerful. After they take advantage of the inside, they will try their best to draw fouls.

When William was about to play, he had already accumulated many fouls and had to be taken off the court to rest.

"What to do, Misha, His Highness Württemberg is troubled by fouls. Why can't you set it to 6 fouls or 10 fouls and be sent off? The 5-foul rule is not very beneficial to us. You just rushed Two fouls were committed in the game, and there was not even a serve."

"Because I haven't had time to take a shot, and now it seems that I can't break through and score. Fedenka, in this way, you can also hold the ball. When you rush over, can you shoot like me?"

"You've been missing shots before, and it seems like you can't attack."

"But there are still people who can't pass or defend."

"That's right, then what are you going to do?"

"Now that the first half has passed, the score is 19 to 26, 7 points behind. I think it should be like this. The tactic is to find gaps at two 45° angles of the three-point line, and I will shoot from there."

"You made so many shots before and only made one!"

"It's still a little difficult to shoot a fade away, you better watch me!"

"Well, I always believe you. You are our battalion commander after all."

In the second half, without William, who was the tallest inside player, they could only use a lieutenant who was two meters taller on the bench as a screen, but he fouled the player by moving the screen first.

"What the hell."

After the opponent wants to get the ball, it is very troublesome now, after all, they have to defend it.

Solovyov made a gesture, which was to strengthen the defensive intensity on the court and give them a full-court pressure defense.

He is the most suitable person to execute this kind of pressure-control defense, and then he will defend the whole court, there will always be opportunities, and he has not committed a single personal foul now, which is the way to execute.

After all, what is more important on the basketball court is to win the game, not how many points you get.

After he committed two consecutive hand fouls, he had already figured out the opponent's ball control pattern before the number of defensive fouls was over. If he dropped the ball at this time, he would only be intercepted.

Then Fyodor passed the ball to Solovyov who was running at a 45° angle. No one had shot at this position outside the three-point line before. After all, no one has practiced stable outside shooting now, including the person who advocated the game here.

Then he really made a shot, and the hunter officers on the sidelines cheered.

After all, this kid went to the front line to fight, and he was always a hunter, and later he joined the Guards, and he shot quite accurately.

"Of course, his shooting is also very accurate. He is a 'sharpshooter', and he is like this on the shooting range!"

In the subsequent games, no one dared to leave him alone outside, which gave others the opportunity to break through.

The White Team was able to win in the end, relying on this tactic.

After watching it, the audience was very excited. After all, such a confrontation game is still relatively rare in St. Petersburg, but the rules are also more confusing to explain.

"That can't be helped! After all, they are all new things. This is the first 'handball' game in St. Petersburg."

"It is thrown into the basket, so it should be 'basketball'."