1.

BASKETBALL

A. BRIEF HISTORY OF BASKETBALL

The only major sport strictly of U.S. origin, basketball was invented by James Naismith (1861–
1939) on or about December 1, 1891, at the International Young Men's Christian Association
(YMCA) Training School (now Springfield College), Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith
was an instructor in physical education. In the early years the number of players on a team
varied according to the number in the class and the size of the playing area. In 1894 teams
began to play with five on a side when the playing area was less than 1,800 square feet (167.2
square meters); the number rose to seven when the gymnasium measured from 1,800 to 3,600
square feet (334.5 square meters) and up to nine when the playing area exceeded that. In 1895
the number was occasionally set at five by mutual consent; the rules stipulated five players
two years later, and this number has remained ever since.

B. BASIC SKILLS OF BASKETBALL

The following are the five most important basketball fundamentals, in no specific order:

1. Dribbling
2. Shooting
3. Defense
4. Rebounding
5. Passing

To hit the upper stages of the game that most desire to play, the finest players in the world
have perfected each of these abilities or at least many of them.

Dribbling is the act of moving the ball across the floor by a player. If a player walks around the
court with the ball, it is considered a traveling violation.

The only attribute that primarily involves scoring points is shooting. Even if a player makes a
layup or a three-pointer, the act of shooting or trying to score the basketball is the same.

The aim of defense is to stop the opposing team from getting good shooting and scoring
opportunities. A team may never beat a basketball game if they don’t play excellent defense;
thus, it’s a quality that everyone should acquire.

On both the offensive and defensive ends, rebounding is the way of regulating shot attempts.
Managing the most missed shots results in more scoring chances and, in turn, more scores for
a team.
Outside of dribbling, passing is another way to move the ball around the court. A team with
strong passers may generate more scoring opportunities, allowing them to win more games
and score more points. Shooting is among the five fundamental basketball skills, and it is the
primary attribute that includes earning points, which is the game’s major goal. Shooting a
basketball may take the most specialized technique of any of the five fundamental skills and
the most training to become proficient at it. The further away from the hoop, the more talent is
required in the shooting process; that’s why only the finest shooters are capable of long-range
shooting. The finest shooters from greater ranges, like beyond the three-point line, have
traditionally come from the guard position, but in the latest days, shooting has become a talent
that even major players and forwards have mastered, completely changing the game. Shooting
is a highly crucial talent to have on the court since if the player you’re guarding can shoot,
you’ll have a much tougher time protecting them.

Even if each player’s jump shot appears distinct, everyone trains to shoot a basketball using
the same core concepts. Although each player must exercise and learn to “discover” his jumper
and the technique that enables them to become the strongest shooter they can be, the phases
of the process are the same in all situations

C. EQUIPMENTS

The only essential equipment in a basketball game is the ball and the court: a flat, rectangular
surface with baskets at opposite ends. Competitive levels require the use of more equipment
such as clocks, score sheets, scoreboard(s), alternating possession arrows, and whistle-
operated stop-clock systems.
An outdoor basketball nets
A regulation basketball court in international games is 28 meters (92 feet) long and 15 meters
(49 feet) wide. In the NBA and NCAA the court is 94 by 50 feet (29 by 15 meters). Most courts
have wood flooring, usually constructed from maple planks running in the same direction as
the longer court dimension. The name and logo of the home team is usually painted on or
around the center circle.
The basket is a steel rim 18 inches (46 cm) diameter with an attached net affixed to a
backboard that measures 6 by 3.5 feet (1.8 by 1.1 meters) and one basket is at each end of the
court. The white outlined box on the backboard is 18 inches (46 cm) high and 2 feet (61 cm)
wide. At almost all levels of competition, the top of the rim is exactly 10 feet (3.05 meters)
above the court and 4 feet (1.22 meters) inside the baseline. While variation is possible in the
dimensions of the court and backboard, it is considered important for the basket to be of the
correct height – a rim that is off by just a few inches can have an adverse effect on shooting.
The net must "check the ball momentarily as it passes through the basket" to aid the visual
confirmation that the ball went through. The act of checking the ball has the further advantage
of slowing down the ball so the rebound doesn't go as far.
The size of the basketball is also regulated. For men, the official ball is 29.5 inches (75 cm) in
circumference (size 7, or a "295 ball") and weighs 22 oz (620 g). If women are playing, the
official basketball size is 28.5 inches (72 cm) in circumference (size 6, or a "285 ball") with a
weight of 20 oz (570 g). In 3x3, a formalized version of the halfcourt 3-on-3 game, a dedicated
ball with the circumference of a size 6 ball but the weight of a size 7 ball is used in all
competitions (men's, women's, and mixed teams).
 D. RULES OF THE GAME

Measurements and time limits discussed in this section often vary among tournaments and
organizations; international and NBA rules are used in this section.
The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the
opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An
attempt to score in this way is called a shot. A successful shot is worth two points, or three
points if it is taken from beyond the three-point arc 6.75 metres (22 ft 2 in) from the basket in
international games and 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) in NBA games. A one-point shot can be
earned when shooting from the foul line after a foul is made. After a team has scored from a
field goal or free throw, play is resumed with a throw-in awarded to the non-scoring team
taken from a point beyond the endline of the court where the points(s) were scored.
Playing regulations
Games are played in four quarters of 10 (FIBA) or 12 minutes (NBA). College men's games use
two 20-minute halves, college women's games use 10-minute quarters, and most United States
high school varsity games use 8-minute quarters; however, this varies from state to state. 15
minutes are allowed for a half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules and 10 minutes in
United States high schools. Overtime periods are five minutes in length except for high school,
which is four minutes in length. Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed
is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games
generally take much longer to complete than the allotted game time, typically about two hours.
Five players from each team may be on the court at one time. Substitutions are unlimited but
can only be done when play is stopped. Teams also have a coach, who oversees the
development and strategies of the team, and other team personnel such as assistant coaches,
managers, statisticians, doctors, and trainers.
For both men's and women's teams, a standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and
a jersey with a clearly visible number, unique within the team, printed on both the front and
back. Players wear high-top sneakers that provide extra ankle support. Typically, team names,
players' names and, outside of North America, sponsors are printed on the uniforms.
A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated
in the NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer
than one minute (100 seconds in the NBA) unless, for televised games, a commercial break is
needed.
The game is controlled by the officials consisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the
NBA), one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. For
college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are a total of three referees on the court. The
table officials are responsible for keeping track of each team's scoring, timekeeping, individual
and team fouls, player substitutions, team possession arrow, and the shot clock.

E. HOW TO SCORE

The most common ways to score in basketball are the one point, two point, and three-point
shots. A one point shot usually occurs after a player is fouled in the act of shooting. The player
then stands behind the free throw line and each shot they make is worth one point.
F. GAME VIOLATIONS

In basketball, a common violation is the most minor class of illegal action. Most violations are
committed by the team with possession of the ball when a player mishandles the ball or makes
an illegal move. The typical penalty for a violation is loss of the ball to the other team.

G. PLAY AREA

The standard American basketball court is in the shape of a rectangle 50 feet (15.2 meters)
by 94 feet (28.7 meters); high school courts may be slightly smaller. There are various
markings on the court, including a center circle, free throw lanes, and a three-point line, that
help regulate play.

H. OFFICIATING OFFICIALS

The game officials shall be a Crew Chief, Referee, Umpire and Replay Center They will be
assisted by an official scorer, two trained timers, and courtside administrator. One timer will
operate the game clock and the other will operate the shot clock.

I. GADGETS USE IN BASKETBALL

By placing vibration sensors on the basketball rim or backboard, players can now study the
specific angles and trajectories of those makes and misses. The vibration sensors combined
with IoT technology can send real-time data to an app or smart device, where players can see
how they've performed and improve their shot.