UNIVERSITATEA DIN CRAIOVA

FACULTATEA DE EDUCAȚIE FIZICĂ ȘI SPORT

Essay
History of basketball

Student: PREDA Darius-Costinel

Anul: I
History of basketball
The history of basketball began with its invention in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Canadian
physical education instructor James Naismith as a less injury-prone sport than football. Naismith was a 31
-year old graduate student when he created the indoor sport to keep athletes indoors during the winters.
The game became established fairly quickly and grew very popular as the 20th century progressed, first in
America and then in other parts of the world. After basketball became established in American colleges,
the professional game followed. The American National Basketball Association (NBA), established in
1946, grew to a multibillion-dollar enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball became an integral
part of American culture. The game of basketball as it is known today was created by Dr. James Naismith
in December 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to condition young athletes during cold months.
Naismith was a physical education instructor at YMCA International Training School (now known as
Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. Upon the request of his boss, Naismith was tasked to
create an indoor sports game to help athletes keep in shape in cold weather. It consisted of peach baskets
and a soccer style ball. He published 13 rules for the new game. He divided his class of eighteen into two
teams of nine players each and set about to teach them the basics of his new game. The objective of the
game was to throw the basketball into the fruit baskets nailed to the lower railing of the gym balcony.
Every time a point was scored, the game was halted so the janitor could bring out a ladder and retrieve the
ball. After a while, the bottoms of the fruit baskets were removed. The first public basketball game was
played in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 11, 1892.

Equipment and facilities of basketball

The size of the court depends on the playing level. The size of the court for NBA and College games is 94
feet long and 50 feet wide. It is smaller for High School and Junior High.

The Backboard and Rim

The regulation height above the ground for the rim (hoop) is 10 feet, and the rim is 18 inches in diameter.
Backboards are 6 feet wide (72 inches) by 42 inches tall, with the inner square being 24 inches wide by
18 inches tall.

The Foul Line

For all size courts the 'foul line' is 15 feet in front of the backboard.
The Key

The key is 12 feet wide, and is the same for all basketball courts. The backboard extends 4 feet out over
the baseline into the key. A half circle of diameter 6 foot extends from the foul line away from the basket
to complete the key

The 3 Point Line (Arc)

For NBA Basketball Courts the 3 point arc is 22 feet to the center of the rim on the sides with a straight
line extending out 16 feet 9 inches from the baseline. past those points the line extends out 23 feet 9
inches from the center of the rim

Line Markings

All line markings on the floor are 2 inches wide and can vary in color.

Rules and regulations of basketball

In January 15, 1892, James Naismith published his rules for the game of "Basket Ball" that he invented:

The original game played under these rules was quite different from the one played today as there was no
dribbling, dunking, three-pointers, or shot clock, and goal tending was legal.

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.

2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.

3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it,
allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop.

4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.

5. No shouldering, holding, striking, pushing, or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first
infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next
basket is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No
substitution shall be allowed

6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of rules three and four and such described in rule
five.

7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means
without the opponents in the mean time making a foul).

8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there
(without falling), providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on
the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.

9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play and played by the first person
touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed
five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game,
the umpire shall call a foul on that side.
10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three
consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify people according to Rule 5.

11. The referee shall be judge Of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which
side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of
the baskets, with any other duties that are usually performed by a scorekeeper.

12. The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between.

13. The side making the most points in that time is declared the winner.

14. Naismith's original 1892 manuscript of the rules of basketball, one of the most expensive manuscripts
in existence, is publicly displayed at the University of Kansas.

Learning how to play basketball is learning its fundamentals. Here are those:

1. Dribbling - is important to penetrate to the hoop, move the ball across the court, get away from the
defense, and find a good passing lane. There are

different types of dribbles:

change-of-pace, • crossover dribble, • behind the back, • pull back dribble, low dribble, • basic
dribble,•between the legs dribble

2. Passing - A good offensive attack requires good passing from players, This helps find an open man, to
find a good shooter or to get away from a defender. There are several types of passes you need to learn:

• Overhead Pass • Chest Pass • Push Pass • Baseball Pass • Off-the-Dribble Pass • Bounce Pass

3. Shooting - The object of the game is to win by scoring the most points. Therefore, improving the
team's shooting is important to win a game. There are several ways to score in the game:
Jump Shot • Dunk • Alley oop • Free throw • Layup • Three-Point Shot- Hook Shot

4. Rebounding - is essential to gain or regain possession after the shot. Usually, the team who has the
most number of rebounds after the game has more shot attempts and chances to score.

5. Offense - is the only chance that the team has a shot at the basket and scoring. Playing a good offense
requires coordination among players and individual skill to execute well plays.

6. Defense - To be able to get a chance to score and gain possession, the team should play good defense
and try to stop their opponent from scoring. As said,

"A good defense is a good offense."

8. Violations - Knowing the kinds of basketball violations improves your game.

9. Assist - is given to a teammate to help him score easily. Thus is it important to find an open man on the
court

10. Foul - is often an accidental contact made by the defender to his opponent or an aggressive move by
the ball-handler towards his defender. However, a foul is also used as a strategy to stop the clock or to
keep the shooting player from scoring easily. Learning how to use your fouls well is important in the
game.