History of basketball

In early December 1891, Canadian American Dr. James Naismith, a physical education professor and instructor at
the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (YMCA) (today, Springfield College) in
Springfield, Massachusetts, USA), was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous
indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters.
After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules
and nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot (3.05 m) elevated track. In contrast with modern basketball nets, this
peach basket retained its bottom, and balls had to be retrieved manually after each "basket" or point scored; this
proved inefficient, however, so the bottom of the basket was removed, allowing the balls to be poked out with a
long dowel each time.

Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball. The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and
it was only in the late 1950s that Tony Hinkle, searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and
spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Dribbling was not part of the original
game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement.
Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a
major part of the game around the 1950s, as manufacturing improved the ball shape.

The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by metal hoops with backboards. A
further change was soon made, so the ball merely passed through. Whenever a person got the ball in the basket,
his team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points won the game. The baskets were originally
nailed to the mezzanine balcony of the playing court, but this proved impractical when spectators on the balcony
began to interfere with shots. The backboard was introduced to prevent this interference; it had the additional
effect of allowing rebound shots. Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early 2006,
indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from a children's
game called "Duck on a Rock", as many had failed before it. Naismith called the new game "Basket Ball". The first
official game was played in the YMCA gymnasium in Albany, New York on January 20, 1892 with nine players. The
game ended at 1–0; the shot was made from 25 feet (7.6 m), on a court just half the size of a present-day Streetball
or National Basketball Association (NBA) court. By 1897–1898 teams of five became standard.
Equipment for Basketball
1. Court Equipment
a. Floor
The playing surface is made of either wood or maple and it has to be flat and rectangular in shape
b. Ball
Ball is the most visible equipment in the game of basketball. There are different types of basketball used
in different leagues. Usually it is made of leather, rubber or any synthetic material but it has to be inflated
properly.
c. Basket/Hoop
Basket consists of a round shaped metal rim with the covering of net around it. Baskets are mounted at a
certain height (10 feet above the floor).
d. Backboard
Backboard is a rectangular board on which the basket is attached.
e. Scoreboard
Scoreboard displays the time left in the period and running scores of the both team. A scoreboard can be
either digital or manual.
2. Officials Equipment
a. Uniform of Officials
Officials wear a uniform prescribed by their respective governing body. Usually, officials are dressed in
white and black stripped shirts, black pants and black shoes. NBA officials wear gray shirts, black pants
and black shoes.
b. Whistle
Basketball referee carries a whistle which he blows every time he needs to stop a play.
c. Score book
Score book is used by the scorekeeper who writes down scores and stats on it. Score book is something
where you find summary of the whole game, names of the players, their positions and jersey numbers,
details of each quarter and half etc.
d. Shot Clock and Game Clock
Shot clock and game clock are operated by timekeepers. Game clock records the overall time of the game
while shot clock counts down the 24 second shot clock.
3. Players Equipment
a. Players Uniform
Uniform consists of jersey (preferably sleeveless), short and shoes. All the teams wears their own specific
uniform. In NBA, all players wear a uniform prepared by league’s sponsored sportswear company. They
are not allowed to wear shorts which are too long. In NBA, players can be fined if their uniform does not
comply with the rules of the league.
b. Protective Gears and Accessories
Protective gears and accessories include goggles, face masks, mouth guards, knee pads or brace,
headbands, arm sleeves, wristbands etc. Not all players wear necessarily all these things. They use them
only when they required them.
Techniques Used in Basketball
1. Jump Shot
The jump shot is the most almost basic shot that there is in basketball, aside from the simple shot where you
just stand. Its all in the name, you jump and you shoot, hoping the ball slides into the net. The jump shot can
score all 3 type of points, the single-point, the basic two-point, and the three-pointer. The two-point, and
the three-pointer is scored while the game is in action. The three-pointer can only be counted if the ball
goes into the net from being released behind the three-point line. The single-point is only scored during
fouls, or free throws.
2. Lay-up
The lay-up is where you are close to the basket and basically "lay" up the ball so that it will just fall into the
basket. You don't even have to use the backboard, but it is definitely an option. More specifically, you run up
to the net, and then jump up to just lightly bump the ball so that, the basketball will hopefully go through
the net. You can only score two-points on this type of shot in basketball.
3. Slam Dunk
A slam dunk is an extremely awesome move, but to do this shot you have to be quite tall, or need to be able
to jump pretty high. Many players in the NBA can be seen scoring numerous points by dunking. To achieve
this, a player with the ball must jump up, have the ball above the rim of the net, and places the ball through
the hoop. Hardly ever do professional players bring it down gently; they do it with great force. And to top
that, some players even hold onto the rim after doing a tremendous dunk, to score 2 points. It may seem
easy, but it is never that easy to do.
4. Hook Shot
It’s all in the name; you shoot moving your hand in a hook motion. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the one that
help this shot become more popular. It was used to shoot over the defense men, being quite tall. To do this
shot, first, the player has his/her back to the net and only the outer hand is on the ball. Then, the player will
turn and swing his/her arm with the ball in a hook motion and will go over the players head, in hopes that
he/she will score. The quantity of the score given will depend on where you shoot from; two-points inside
the 3-point line, or three-points outside the three-point line.
5. Alley Hoop
The alley hoop is a well known shot but not part of the four basic shots in basketball. The alley hoop ties in
with the lay-up and the slam dunk. Basically, another player throws the ball up into the air, and a teammate
jumps into the air to catch the ball for a lay-up or a tremendous dunk. This is sometimes seen in basketball
games, but not very often. It always scores a single point as you will only get the chance during the game to
do any alley hoop within the three-point line.
6. Basic Dribbling Technique
The basic dribbling technique is a dribble that literally everyone knows. In this dribble, you just bounce the
ball, but to perfect this dribble, there are some small but extremely important things that you need to do to
have this dribble very well executed. First you need, to simple bounce the ball, but only with the tips of your
fingertips. If you bounce it with the palm of your hand, the ball will not bounce very well. Always have your
knees bent when you are dribbling; that way you can easily move and guard the ball, and also keep you head
up; you will be able to see the court more clearly, and you will not have the ball stolen from you that easily.
If you can maintain all these skills while doing the basic dribble, you will surely be a great dribbler, and it will
help you with harder dribbles like the "behind the back" or the "through-the-legs" dribble.
7. Crossover Dribble Technique
In this technique, it is basically dribbling the ball from one hand to the other. This is very useful when coming
up against a player that is trying to defend you. To do this you basically step forward with the foot in the
direction you are going; have the ball on the opposite sided hand. As you set forward with that foot,
"crossover," pass the ball to the same side that the foot is on with a firm wrist flick. This technique is the
most basic way to get past a defender and is very commonly used.
8. Spin Dribble Technique
The spin dribble is where you, as the name implies, spin around to get past a defender. You can get past a
defender really quickly, but you miss out on where your teammates are on the court. To do this dribble, first
dribble, but when you reach the defender, step forward with the opposite foot and pivot on that foot. The
best thing to do in this dribble is to try to keep your head up while spinning. It is important look around you
in any situation.
9. Change-of-Pace Dribble Technique
This dribble is a good technique for tricking your opponent. You appear to slow down, but you trick the
defender by rushing right past them before they get a chance to know that you have deceived them. It is
pretty simple to do this, but for those that are beginning to learn this trick, here are the instructions. First,
you dribble up the court but once you get about one metre away from and then "pretend" that you are
going to stop, by straightening your body a bit. Then, try to do this suddenly, drive forward as quick as you
can, and it would be a great idea for you to drive right to the net.
10. Behind the Back Dribble Technique
Most people cannot do this dribble very successfully, with out messing up. This dribble requires you to
literally dribble, or pass the ball between your hands, behind your back. This dribble requires a bit of skill to
execute nicely.
Basketball Facilities and Its Dimension
The Basketball Court

The basketball court is the next important thing for shooting balls in this game. The court is usually made of
wooden floorboard. The court size is about 28m x 17m according to the International standards. The National
Basketball Association (NBA) regulation states the floor dimension as 29m x 15m. The standard court is rectangular
in shape and has baskets placed on opposite ends.

The Whistle

The coach or referee uses a whistle to indicate the start or end of a game. S/he
can even use the whistle to stop the play in the middle of a game. Whistle also
helps to indicate fouls, timeout, or out of bound balls to the players. In order to
get the attention of the players, many times coaches use the whistle to gather
the players.
The Backboard and Net

The Ball
Fundamental Skills of Basketball
1. Shooting

In order to score points in basketball, you need to shoot the ball into the hoop. This requires the ability to properly
hold and throw the ball into the air toward the basket while avoiding defenders. A proper shot requires precise
aiming, arm extension and lift from the legs. There are different types of shots you need to learn, including jump
shots, layups and free throws.

2. Rebounding

Rebounding can come in two forms - offensive and defensive. Lots of newer player look at rebounding and
immediately think that it is a big mans area. Yet this is not so. Rebounding is more than just being big. It even
surpasses just jumping ability. To be good at rebounding you need skill and dedication. Skill is mainly the ability
to position yourself and read the shots - something that comes quickly with practice. Dedication is probably the
most important factor in rebounding. The person who gets the ball is the one with the most hunger for the ball
and who is willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

3. Passing

Passing is another skill that when mastered can help you become a complete basketball player. Basketball is a
team sport that involves finding a teammate who is open for a shot. The ability to pass the ball to this player can
make the difference between scoring and not scoring. Really great passers are an important part of a basketball
team and usually the ones who set up scoring plays.

4. Blocking

5. Dribbling

Dribbling is an important skill for all basketball players. This skill will allow you to move up and down the court,
maneuver past defenders and execute plays. Proper dribbling requires ball-handling skills and knowledge of how
to spread your fingers for ball control. It is also best if you know how to dribble equally well with both hands.