Basketball
Basketball
History of Basketball
Basketball was invented in December 1891 by the Canadian clergyman, educator, and physician James
Naismith. Naismith introduced the game when he was an instructor at the Young Men's Christian
Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the request of his
superior, Dr. Luther H. Gulick, he organized a vigorous recreation suitable for indoor winter play. The
game involved elements of American football, soccer, and hockey, and the first ball used was a soccer
ball. Teams had nine players, and the goals were wooden peach baskets affixed to the walls. By 1897-
1898, teams of five became standard. The game rapidly spread nationwide and to Canada and other
parts of the world, played by both women and men; it also became a popular informal outdoor game.
U.S. servicemen in World War II (1939-1945) popularized the sport in many other countries.
A number of U.S. colleges adopted the game between about 1893 and 1895. In 1934 the first college
games were staged in New York City's Madison Square Garden, and college basketball began to attract
heightened interest. By the 1950s basketball had become a major college sport, thus paving the way for
a growth of interest in professional basketball.
The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from
exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years before disbanding; its
demise spawned a number of loosely organized leagues throughout the northeastern United States. One
of the first and greatest pro teams was the Original Celtics, organized about 1915 in New York City. They
played as many as 150 games a season and dominated basketball until 1936. The Harlem Globetrotters,
founded in 1927, a notable exhibition team, specializes in amusing court antics and expert ball handling.
In 1949 two subsequent professional leagues, the National Basketball League (formed in 1937) and the
Basketball Association of America (1946) merged to create the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Boston Celtics, led by their center Bill Russell, dominated the NBA from the late 1950s through the
1960s. By the 1960s, pro teams from coast to coast played before crowds of many millions annually.
Wilt Chamberlain, a center for the Los Angeles Lakers, was another leading player during the era, and his
battles with Russell were eagerly anticipated. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also a center, came to prominence
during the 1970s. Jabbar perfected his famed "sky hook" shot while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers
and dominated the opposition.
The NBA suffered a drop in popularity during the late 1970s, but was resuscitated, principally through
the growing popularity of its most prominent players. Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, and Magic
Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers are credited with injecting excitement into the league in the 1980s
through their superior skills and decade-long rivalry. During the late 1980s Michael Jordan of the
Chicago Bulls rose to stardom and helped the Bulls dominate the NBA during the early 1990s. A new
generation of basketball stars, including Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic and Larry Johnson of the
Charlotte Hornets, have sustained the NBA's growth in popularity.
In 1959 a Basketball Hall of Fame was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. Its rosters include the
names of great players, coaches, referees, and people who have contributed significantly to the
development of the game.
Equipment
Ball
The ball is round and the outer casing should be either leather, rubber or other suitable synthetic
material. Its circumference should be between 75 and 78cm (29.5 and 30.25 in) and its weight between
600 and 650gm (20 and 22oz). It should be inflated to a pressure so that when it is dropped from a
height of 1.8m (6ft) (measured from the floor to the bottom of the ball) on to the playing surface, it will
rebound to a height of between 1.2 and 1.4m (4ft and 4ft 7in), (measured to the top of the ball).
In addition to that equipment already mentioned, the home team is normally responsible for providing
the following: a clock, time-out watch, device for displaying to players and spectators how much time is
left on the 30-seconds rule, an official score sheet, scoreboard visible to spectators and players, markers
displaying the numbers 1 to 5 for use by the scorer to indicate how many fouls a player commits, and
two team-foul markers which are red and placed on the scorer’s table to indicate a seventh-player foul
by a team.
Clothing
Players of each team should wear the same outfits which must not clash with the opposing team. Each
player should wear a numbered shirt and no two players in the same team should wear the same
number. Players are numbered between 4 and 15. Loose-fitting shorts for mobility, and sleeveless vests
are the standard attire. Basketball shoes should be rubber-soled and with protected ankle supports,
although these are not necessary. Most important of all, make sure your clothing is comfortable. It is
important to wear toweled socks; and it is not a bad idea to buy a pair of shoes a little too big to enable
you to wear two pairs of socks which will reduce the risk of blistering.
The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents'
basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in
this way is called a shot. Two points are scored for a successful shot, three points for a successful long-
range shot (6.25 meters from the basket), and one point for each successful free throw.
Playing Regulations
At the professional level, games are played in four quarters of 10 (international) or 12 minutes (NBA)
each. Games take longer than this allotted game time, since the game clock only runs when the ball is in
play. This is called using a stop clock, as the clock stops when the ball is not in play, for example, when it
goes out of bounds or a foul is committed. Fifteen minutes are allowed at half-time, and two minutes
are allowed at other intervals. At lower levels, various time regulations exist.
Time-outs and substitutions are permitted during a game. A substitution is that of one player on the
court for another on the team bench. A time-out is a clock stoppage requested by the coach of either
team, in which he can discuss tactics etc. A time-out lasts one minute in international basketball and
either 100 seconds, 60 seconds or 20 seconds in NBA basketball. A limited number of time-outs is
allowed. (In international basketball, 2 time-outs are allowed in the first two periods, 3 in the last two
periods, and 1 in each extra period. In NBA basketball, six 100/60-second time-outs are allowed in the
entire game of which a maximum of three can be in the last quarter, and 3 100/60-second time-outs in
each extra period, as well as one 20-second time-out per half.)
Basketball Equipment
The only essential equipment in basketball is a court, two baskets with backboards and a basketball. At
competition level, clocks are necessary to regulate game time. Professional and international games
often call for more equipment, to assist in administration and officiating. This can include shot clocks,
scorer's tables, and whistle-operated stop-clock systems.
The men's ball's circumference ranges between 749 and 762 mm (29.48 and 30 in); its diameter 238 to
242 mm (9.3 to 9.5 in). Its mass is from 567 to 624 g (1.246 to 1.374 lb). The smaller women's ball's
circumference is between 724 and 737 mm (28.50 and 29.01 in), its diameter 230 to 235 mm (9.07 to
9.23 in), and its mass from 510 to 567 g (1.123 to 1.246 lb).
Running with the ball without bouncing it, or travelling is illegal; as is double dribbling, the act of
dribbling with two hands or starting a second dribble after having caught the ball after a first one. A
player's hand cannot pass the vertical while dribbling, so that his hand is partially below the ball; this is
known as carrying the ball. In higher levels of basketball time limits are imposed on advancing the ball
past halfway, remaining in the restricted area (also known as the "paint") and attempting a shot. Rules
with playing the ball are stricter in the NBA. Contrary to popular belief, there is no limit to the amount of
steps a player can take between bounces while dribbling.
To interfere with the ball while on its downward flight for a basket, or while it is bouncing on the basket,
is called goal tending and is a violation. Goal tending is one of the most complicated calls of basketball,
and is significantly different in international basketball.
Fouls
an attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent with personal contact is illegal and is called a foul.
These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by
offensive players as well. Normal fouls are called personal fouls. Players who are fouled either receive
the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive a free throw if they are fouled in the act of shooting. One
point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from a line 4.5 metres (15 feet) from the
basket.
If a team surpasses a preset limit of team fouls in a given period (4 in international and NBA games), the
opposing team is awarded free throws on all subsequent fouls for that period. Offensive fouls and
double fouls are not counted as team fouls in the NBA, but they are in international games.
A player or coach who shows poor sportsmanship such as arguing with a referee or fighting with another
player can be charged with a technical foul. A player or coach with two technical fouls is disqualified
from the game and is required to leave the stadium. Blatant fouls with excessive contact or that are not
an attempt to play the ball are called unsportsmanlike fouls (or flagrant fouls in the NBA) and incur a
harsher penalty; in some rare cases a disqualifying foul will require the player to leave the stadium.
If a player commits five fouls (including technical fouls) in one game (six in some professional leagues,
including the NBA) he is not allowed to participate for the rest of the game, and is described as having
"fouled out". If no substitutes are available, the team must forfeit the game. Some leagues, including the
NBA, allow disqualified players to re-enter the game at the cost of a technical foul on the team.
Basketball Players
A team consists of five players and up to seven substitutes, though in series where there are three
games or less, only five substitutes are allowed. Any number of player substitutions are allowed during
the game, although substitutes can only enter a game during a stoppage of play.
Male players generally wear shorts and a sleeveless top, and high-top sneakers that provide extra ankle
support. Female players have worn shirts and skirts in the past, but most female players now wear
uniforms identical to those worn by men.
Officials
A referee and one or two umpires control the game, these are the officials. On the scorebench, there are
table officials, responsible for the administration of the game. The table officials include the scorer, who
keeps track of the score and fouls by each player, the assistant scorer who controls the scoreboard, the
timekeeper and the shot clock operator.
Referees and umpires generally wear a grey shirt and black trousers. These officials call fouls, award
successful baskets, and so on.
The Court
Sources:
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http://www.newsdial.com/sports/basketball/basketball-rules.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10615/no-frames/basketball/history.html