Basketball

Basketball is a team game played on a court.  Each five-person team attempts to throw or dunk an inflated ball into the opponent's basket, which
is mounted on a backboard that is ten feet above the floor.  The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is the recognized governing body for
basketball world wide.  Founded in 2002, FIBA aims to create a worldwide basketball network to achieve a sustainable continuous growth of the
sport of basketball.  USA Basketball, a non-profit corporation, is the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United
States.

Basketball is a popular sport worldwide, played in professional leagues, school teams, recreational leagues, and on courts and driveways all over
America.  Early evidence of the game has been found in the archeological remains of the ancient civilizations of Central and South America, but
the game as we know it was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith of Pringles, Massachusetts.  He was commissioned to design an indoor team
game for the YMCA.  The YWCA requested a copy of the rules in 1895, and since then, both men and woman have been participating in the
sport of basketball.

The basketball court may be located indoors or outdoors, and is a rectangular hard surface.  The dimensions of the court vary according to the
level of play; NCAA courts are 50x90 feet, NBA and WNBA courts are 50x94 feet, and high school courts are 50x84 feet.  The court may be
constructed of a variety of materials, including wood for indoor gymnasium courts, or asphalt for outdoor courts, and must have clearly defined
lines which are 5 centimeters in width.

A basketball hoop is located at each end of the court.  This consists of a pole with an orange-painted iron ring of 45 centimeters in diameter and
bottomless net of white cord on a backboard which is ten feet above court level.  Backboards are made of hardwood painted white or transparent
material of comparable rigidity.  The backboard measures 6 feet horizontally and 4 feet vertically.  The basketball is round and made of either
leather, rubber, or molded nylon casing around a rubber inner bladder.  It is typically orange in color, with black panel markings.

Each college or professional basketball team wears matching sleeveless nylon shirts and shorts in team colors, and supportive basketball sneakers
which are usually high top and have adequate shock absorption.  Each member has a number on the front and back of his shirt for identification,
and no team mates may wear duplicate numbers.  Shirts may also feature the player's last name.

Each basketball team consists of five players, and up to five substitutes are allowed.  There is usually a center, two forwards, and two guards. 
The primary ball handler is the point guard, and the top scorer is the shooting guard.  The goal is to make the basketball pass through the hoop of
the opposing team, and therefore, score points.  A successful shot is worth two points; three if it is taken from behind the three-point arc which is
20 feet 6 inches from the basket in international games and 23 feet 9 inches in NBA games.  The basketball can be passed, thrown, tapped, or
dribbled toward the opposing goal, but it cannot be carried.

A basketball game is played in four quarters of ten or twelve minutes and begins with a "jump-ball."   This means that one player from each team
stands in the center circle while the referee tosses the ball in the air between them.   The players then jump upwards and attempt to tap the ball in
such a way that their own team members gain possession of the ball.  The players then dribble and pass toward the opposing goal.

Dribbling occurs when a player bounces the ball on the floor and touches it again, without assistance or intrusion of another player.   He may
continue dribbling as long as he is able, but once it comes to rest in his hand, or he catches it, he must pass it to another player, or attempt to shoot
it through the hoop.  Many beginners must practice dribbling so they are able to keep their eye on the basket and other players instead of the ball.

Passing and dribbling allows the team to reach a suitable shooting position.  Any player may take a shot from anywhere on the court, but the goal
is to increase the likelihood of a successful shot.  A shot may pass directly through the ring, or it may be bounced off the backboard into the
basket.  A missed shot is fair game for both teams, who will attempt to gain control of it.   The team gaining possession must attempt a shot at the
goal within 30 seconds or possession will be given to the opposite team.

It is tough at times to avoid personal contact on the court, and a "foul" may be charged if one player comes in contact with another.   If the player
fouled was in the act of shooting, that player is awarded two free throws (two unhindered shots from behind the free-throw line).  A free throw is
worth one point.  If the second throw is unsuccessful, both teams may vie for the ball.  A "technical foul" is considered an offense against
the spirit of the game.  A technical foul may be charged against a player, substitute, or coach, and is penalized by two free throws for a
technical foul by a player, and one for a technical foul by a coach.
 History Of Cricket

The game of cricket has become a rage across the globe, especially in countries like England, India, Australia, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, etc. Millions of cricket fans wait for four years to witness the next World Cup. With the start of the Twenty-Twenty Game and
the IPL series, the rage has just gone up a notch. However, there are so many cricket fans out there who don’t even know the origin
of the game, as to how it came into existence. Keeping in mind all such people, we have provided some interesting background
information on cricket.
 
History of Cricket
The exact time of the inception of cricket, as a game, is not known. However, it is believed that the game was initiated during Saxon
or Norman times, by children living in the Weald (southeast England). For the coming centuries, the game continued to be child’s
play and it was only around 17th century that adults developed an interest in it. The earliest reference dates back to the 1611, when
two men in Sussex were indicted for playing cricket on Sunday, instead of going to church. The same year, definition of cricket, as a
boys' game, was noted.
 
Till the English Civil War, numerous other references can be seen that point out towards the fact that cricket had indeed been taken
up as an adult sport. With the end of the war and the start of the Commonwealth period, the popularity of the game diminished a
little. After the ‘Restoration’, in 1660, the game gained more recognition and with time, also started attracting gamblers, making large
bets. By the end of the 17th century, gambling had entered the game big time. In fact, the game at Sussex, held in 1697, played for
high stakes of 50 guineas a side.
 
Eighteenth Century
With the growth of gambling in cricket, patronage also came to be seen. Gamblers started building up their own teams. Amongst the
early patrons, the most notable ones comprised of a group of aristocrats and businessmen, who were active from about 1725.
However, the first game using country names for teams was played in the year 1709. It was around this time only that cricket games
started receiving press coverage also.
 
Though cricket had been introduced to North America in 17th century only, it moved to other countries in the 18th century. The
colonists took the game, from England, to West Indies. As for India, the officials British East India Company brought it here in the
first half of 18th century. In Australia, the diffusion of the game started as early as 1788, just when colonization had begun. However,
countries like New Zealand and South Africa became acquainted with cricket only in the early years of the 19 th century.
 
Formation of Rules
It was in the 18th century only when the procedure of formation of cricket rules began. Though the basic rules, of bat, ball, pitch,
wicket, how out, etc had been there since ages, the year 1728 saw ‘Articles of Agreement’ being laid down. It was penned down to
establish the code of practice in a particular game, especially in relation to payment of stake money and distribution of gambling
winnings. ‘Laws of Cricket’ were formed for the first time in 1744 and saw an amendment 30 years later (1774). Finally, MCC was
found at Lord's, in 1787, becoming the custodian of the Laws.
 
Other Developments
Eighteenth century also witnessed other developments in context of cricket. Sometime after 1760, the original form of bowling gave
way to pitching of the ball. From 1772 onwards, the concept of scorecards came into existence. The first famous clubs of cricket
came up in England, namely London and Dartford. With time, Slindon (Sussex), Maidenhead, Hornchurch, Maidstone, Sevenoaks,
Bromley, Addington, Hadlow and Chertsey were formed. Amongst all these, the most notable one was Hambledon. Though the
game suffered setbacks, with Seven Years Wars and Napoleonic Wars, it managed to survive and prosper.
 
Nineteenth Century
Nineteenth century witnessed changes in the organization of the teams. William Clarke formed the traveling ‘All-England Eleven’ in
1846 and encouraged many other similar teams. With the development of the railway network, teams from long distances started
playing against each other and the game also started attracting spectators from distant places. In 1864, cricket witnessed
legalization of over-arm and the publishing of ‘Wisden Cricketers' Almanack’. W G Grace, the ‘Great Cricketer’, also made his debut
in the 19th century (1865).
 
Cricket Goes International and Tests Start
The first game of international cricket was played between USA and Canada, in 1844. The year 1850 saw the first overseas tour, by
a team of leading English professionals, to North America. The inaugural Test match is believed to have been played on 15 March
1877 at Melbourne Cricket Ground , when an England team went on a tour to Australia. South Africa became the third nation to play
test matches, in 1889. It was in 1890 that the first championship, County Cricket Championship, was formally constituted. Six-balls
over was also adopted during the 19th century only.
 
Twentieth Century
In the year 1909, the Imperial Cricket Conference (now International Cricket Conference) was formed, with England, Australia and
South Africa as members. With time, India, West Indies and New Zealand also became Test nations, followed by Sri Lanka,
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The ‘apartheid’ of South Africa became one of the greatest crises to hit the game of cricket. South
Africa was suspended from International Cricket Conference. It formed ‘rebel tours’, offering money to international players for
forming teams and tour South Africa. With the end of apartheid, things came back to normal.
 
One Day Cricket
It was in the 1960s that English county teams started playing a version of the today’s ‘one-day cricket’. It comprised on only one
innings each and a maximum number of overs per innings. With time, the popularity of this type of game grew and the formation of a
national league, in 1969, led to reduction in the number of matches in the County Championship. The first limited-overs international
match was played at Melbourne Cricket Ground, in 1971, as a trial. However, it became immensely popular and is today played
throughout the world.
 
World Cup
ICC organized the first Cricket World Cup in England, in 1975, with all the Test playing nations as participant teams. The matches
consisted of 60 six-ball overs per team, played during the daytime, in traditional form. Eight teams took part in the first tournament -
Australia, England, the West Indies, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and a composite team from East Africa. Australia and
West Indies reached the finals and the latter won the tournament. Since then, Cricket World Cup has been organized every four
years.
 
World Cups till Date
1975 (England) - Won by West Indies
1979 (England) - Won by West Indies
1983 (England) - Won by India
1987 (India, Pakistan) - Won by Australia
1992 (Australia, New Zealand) - Won by Pakistan
1996 (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka) - Won by Sri Lanka
1999 (England, Holland, Scotland, Ireland) - Won by Australia
2003 (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya) - Won by Australia
2007 (West Indies) - Won by Australia

Players and Field

According to the Laws of Cricket, you need 22 players and two umpires to play an official game. Games are played between two teams of 11
players on a field, the center of which is called the pitch. The pitch is a flat, grassy area that is 22 yards long and 10 feet wide.

Equipment

At either end of the pitch is a wicket, made of a line of three wood stumps covered by wood pieces called bails. The wickets are 28.5 inches high
and 9 inches wide. There are three creases, used for bowling, popping and returns: the bowling crease is 8 feet 8 inches long and the middle
stump is at its midpoint; the popping crease is parallel to and in front of the bowling crease and the return creases are 8 feet long and
perpendicular to the other two creases. These creases are used as boundaries for the the bowlers and batsmen.

Cricket is played using a hard leather ball that is 9 inches in circumference. It is hit with a wooden bat with a blade that is no wider than 4.25
inches and a handle no longer than 38 inches. The players wear protective equipment, such as a helmet, gloves, knee pads and shin guards,
since the ball is hard and is hit to speeds in excess of 90 mph.