One of the most popular sports in the United States, basketball is played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court. It is the only major sport that is completely American in origin. Playing area and equipmentThe standard size of a basketball court is 50 feet (15.24 meters) by 94 feet (28.65 meters). High school courts may be slightly smaller. There are various markings on the court to regulate play. These include a center circle, free throw lanes, and a three-point line. At each end of the court is a basket, or goal that is suspended from a backboard. The metal rim of the basket is 10 feet above the floor and 18 inches in diameter. The ball measures 29 1/2to 30 inches in circumference and weighs 20 to 22 ounces. The ball is spherical in shape and made of leather. RulesJames A. Naismith, a physical education instructor, framed the basic rules of the game. The game had to be played with a light ball that could only be touched with the hands. The player would not be allowed to run with the ball. Moreover, there would be no personal contact. Professional and high school games are divided into four periods. Professional teams play four 12-minute periods with a 20-minute rest between the second and third periods. High school teams play four eight-minute periods, with a ten-minute intermission at halftime. College teams play two 20-minute halves with a 15-minute rest between them. The five players on a basketball team are a center, two forwards, and two guards. The officials for the game are a referee and an umpire, along with two timekeepers and two scorers. The visiting team has the choice of baskets at the start of the game. Play begins when the referee tosses up the ball between two opposing players, who stand inside the center circle. Other players stand outside the six-foot outer circle until the ball is tapped. The player with possession of the ball must pass or bounce the ball to a position from where he or a teammate try to put it in the basket. Any player may shoot at the basket. Points ranging from one to three are awarded for successful throws. FoulsA foul is committed when a player makes any contact that puts the opponent at a disadvantage. It often provides the offended player with a free throw. This is an unobstructed throw for a goal from behind the free-throw line, which is 15 feet from the backboard. Technical fouls may be called for unsportsmanlike behavior, as well as for other infractions. OrganizationThe Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA) governs the international game. World championships began in 1950 for men and in 1953 for women. Men's basketball was included in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1936 and women's basketball in 1976. Basketball is played at different levels in the United States. State basketball champions are crowned after the top high school teams advance through a series of tournaments. The main college-level tournament is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. Many professional basketball players are former college stars. The first professional league was the National Basketball League (NBL), formed in 1898. Professional basketball assumed major league status with the organization of the new Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. The BAA and the NBL merged in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). Women's basketballWomen have been playing basketball for almost as long as men. The first women's college basketball game was played at Smith College in 1893. Later on other colleges followed. The first intercollegiate basketball game was played in 1896 between Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. Rules in women's basketball have changed over the years. Until 1971 there were six players on a team, and the court was divided so that the three forwards played in the forecourt and did all the scoring, while the three guards covered the backcourt. In 1971, women's rules were changed to reduce the number of players on a team from six to five. Women were also freed from the limits imposed by the halfcourt game. This quickly improved the standard of competition. In the early 1980s control of the women's game at the college level was shifted from the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) to the NCAA. Under NCAA rules, the size of the basketball used by women was reduced slightly, creating a higher-scoring game. In 1997 a professional league for women, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), played its first games. History - James A. Naismith holding a ball and a peach basket, the first basketball equipment.
James A. Naismith invented the game in the early 1890s. The game caught on quickly in the United States. At first it was played with nine players on a team and a peach basket for the goal. In 1896 the first college basketball game with five team members on a side was played at the University of Iowa. During the 1930s several rules were changed to speed up the game. Canada was the first country outside the United States to play the game. Basketball was introduced in France in 1893, in London in 1894, in Australia, China, and India soon thereafter, and in Japan in 1900. The metal hoop was not invented until 1906. Nets open at the bottom were adopted in 1912–13. A soccer ball was used initially, but by 1948–49 the standard size for the basketball had been set at 30 inches. The popularity of basketball grew steadily between the 1940s and 1970s. Television played an important role in this. Such great players as Earvin (“Magic”) Johnson, Julius Erving (“Dr. J”), Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan also contributed to the popularity of basketball. It soon became a sport that was played all over the world. |