Dana Isabelle A.

Alfaro
2BSA-3

HISTORY OF BASKETBALL

The Birthplace of Basketball

Basketball is built into the fabric of Springfield College. The game was
invented by Springfield College instructor and graduate student James Naismith in
1891, and has grown into the worldwide athletic phenomenon we know it to be
today.

Where Basketball Originated

It was the winter of 1891-1892. Inside a gymnasium at Springfield College (then known as the International
YMCA Training School), located in Springfield, Mass., was a group of restless college students. The young men had to be
there; they were required to participate in indoor activities to burn off the energy that had been building up since their
football season ended. The gymnasium class offered them activities such as marching, calisthenics, and apparatus work,
but these were pale substitutes for the more exciting games of football and lacrosse they played in warmer seasons.

The Year Basketball was Invented

Word of the new game spread like wildfire. It was an instant success. A few
weeks after the game was invented, students introduced the game at their own
YMCAs. The rules were printed in a College magazine, which was mailed to YMCAs
around the country. Because of the College’s well-represented international student
body, the game of basketball was introduced to many foreign nations in a relatively
short period of time. High schools and colleges began to introduce the new game,
and by 1905, basketball was officially recognized as a permanent winter sport.

The rules have been tinkered with, but by-and-large, the game of “basketball” has
not changed drastically since Naismith’s original list of “Thirteen Rules” was tacked up on a bulletin board at Springfield
College. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, was an instructor in physical education at the College. It was Luther
Halsey Gulick, Naismith’s supervisor and the College’s first physical education director, who challenged Naismith to
invent a new indoor game for the School’s students to play during the long New England winter. There is currently no
evidence to suggest that either man ever worked for the Armory Hill YMCA, per se.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The rules of basketball can vary slightly depending on the level of play (for example professional rules differ from
college rules) or where the game is played (international rules are different from USA professional rules). These rule
differences, however, are usually just variations on the basic game of basketball and the majority of the rules discussed
below can be applied to most any game of basketball played. The winner of a basketball game is the team with the most
points. You get points by throwing the basketball through the opponent's hoop or basket. In regular play a basket made
from within the three-point line is worth 2 points and a basket shot from outside the three point line is worth three
points. When shooting a free throw, each free throw is worth 1 point.
Rules for the offense

The basketball team on offense is the team with the basketball. When a player has the basketball there are certain rules
they must follow:

1) The player must bounce, or dribble, the ball with one hand while moving both feet. If, at any time, both hands touch
the ball or the player stops dribbling, the player must only move one foot. The foot that is stationary is called the pivot
foot.
2) The basketball player can only take one turn at dribbling. In other words, once a player has stopped dribbling they
cannot start another dribble. A player who starts dribbling again is called for a double-dribbling violation and looses the
basketball to the other team. A player can only start another dribble after another player from either team touches or
gains control of the basketball. This is usually after a shot or pass.
3) The ball must stay in bounds. If the offensive team looses the ball out of bounds the other team gets control of the
basketball.
4) The players hand must be on top of the ball while dribbling. If they touch the bottom of the basketball while dribbling
and continue to dribble this is called carrying the ball and the player will lose the ball to the other team.
5) Once the offensive team crosses half court, they may not go back into the backcourt. This is called a backcourt
violation. If the defensive team knocks the ball into the backcourt, then the offensive team can recover the ball legally.

Defensive Rules: The team on defense is the team without the basketball.

1) The main rule for the defensive player is not to foul. A foul is described as gaining an unfair advantage through
physical contact. There is some interpretation that has to be made by the referee, but, in general, the defensive player
may not touch the offensive player in a way that causes the offensive player to lose the ball or miss a shot.

Rules for everyone

1) Although the foul rule is described above as a defensive rule, it applies exactly the same to all players on the court
including offensive players.
2) Basketball players cannot kick the ball or hit it with their fist.
3) No player can touch the basketball while it is traveling downward towards the basket or if it is on the rim. This is
called goaltending. (touching the ball on the rim is legal in some games).

Every player on the court is subject to the same rules regardless of the position they play. The positions in basketball are
just for team basketball strategy and there are no positions in the rules.

EQUIPMENTS USED IN BASKETBALL

The Ball
Professional leagues such as the NBA have very precise parameters for the official
basketball they use. This includes color, material, size, air pressure, and bounce. The main
thing to know about the basketball is the size. There are different sizes for different ages as
well as for boys and for girls.

Standard Mens Basketball (Size 7) - This is the size used by the NCAA men, boys high school,
as well as the NBA. It has a circumference between 29.5 and 30 inches and weighs between 20 and 22 ounces.

Standard Womens Basketball (Size 6) - This is the basketball used by NCAA women, girls high school, and the WNBA. It
is between 28.5 and 29 inches in circumference and weighs 18-20 ounces.
Junior Basketball (Size 5) - The junior size basketball is for boys and girls between the ages of 8-12. It is between 27.25
to 27.75 inches in circumference and weighs 14-16 ounces.

Mini Basketball (Size 3) - For young children ages 5-8, the mini ball is 22 to 22.5 inches in circumference and weighs 10.5
to 11.25 ounces.

The Basket
The basket is made up of the backboard, rim, and net. The rim is 18 inches in diameter.
A regulation backboard is 72 inches wide by 48 inches tall, although you will find backboards can
vary in size. The rim should be 10 feet from the ground. Typically a 10 foot rim is used from ages
6th grade and older. For younger kids you can lower the goal so that they can take a proper shot
at the goal. For kindergarten through second grade children you can try a 6-foot goal. Then
move it up to 8 feet for 3rd and 4th grade. Try nine feet for 5th grade. Of course, this depends
on the size, strength, and skill of the player. The basketball net hooks onto eight rungs on the
bottom of the rim. It hangs down around 15 to 18 inches. The net helps to slow the ball coming
through the hoop and also to help see whether a basket was made or not.

The Uniform

The basketball uniform generally consists of a tank top and shorts. You also need socks and some good basketball type
sneakers. Basketball sneakers are good for all the starting and stopping required in the game. You can choose high tops,
low tops, or three quarter height shoes. If you play under the basket a lot you may want high tops to help protect you
from getting a twisted ankle. You should not wear a watch or a shirt with buttons while playing basketball. These can
scratch or get caught on other players. Also, you may want to wear a mouthpiece to protect your teeth.

BASIC SKILLS:
Dribbling is bouncing the ball continuously with one hand at a time without ever holding the ball. Dribbling is necessary
in order to take steps while possessing the ball. Once a player picks up their dribble (stops it by holding the ball), they
may not dribble again until they pass, shoot, or otherwise lose possession of the ball and the ball touches a different
player or the rim or backboard.

Passing in basketball has been defined as "The deliberate attempt to move a live ball between two teammates", [1] a
definition which might equally apply across other sports equally well, albeit with a change to the item being passed
where appropriate.

Shooting is the most important skill in basketball. The fundamental skills of passing, dribbling, defense, and rebounding
may enable you to get a high percentage shot, but you must still be able to make the shot. A large part of shooting is
mental attitude. In addition to shooting skill, you must have confidence in yourself to shoot well. The integration of the
mental and mechanical aspects of shooting fosters shooting success.