History of basketball

• In December 1891, basketball was invented by James

Naismith, a Canadian clergyman, educator, and
physician.
• He was also an instructor at the Young Men’s
Christian Association Training School (new Springfield
College) in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• The sport is aimed at organizing a recreation for
indoor winter play. This game is patterned after
American football, soccer, and hockey.
• The soccer ball was first used nine players played in
each team, and wooden peach baskets have affixed to
the walls were the first goals used.
• Dr. James Naismith conceived the idea of attaching peach baskets at
opposite end of the gym on the track that encircled the playing floor. This is
where the height of 10 feet for the basket was arrived at.

• Basketball derives its name from the original ball and basket used in first
games.

• The game was introduced in YMCA’s across America and to foreign

countries. Basketball became part of the Olympic Games in 1936
• Under those first rules, a single point was scored for a made basket. The fist
game would have a final score of 1-0.

• The game of basketball grew very rapidly, with college teams forming
leagues within the first decade of the game’s invention. Naismith himself
would become a college coach for the game, joining the University of Kansas
in 1898.
• By 1898, professional leagues were forming, as were collegiate leagues. Six
teams took part in the first professional basketball league, but the league
was disbanded in 1904. between then and World War I, small
championships were created, and some teams played for money against
challengers. This include the original Celtics basketball team.

• By 1900, most major colleges were fielding a basketball team. In 1905,

formal collegiate rules were introduced for basketball and in 1909, the
NCAA would take over the game for good. The first NCAA tournament would
be held in 1939.
 THE EVOLUTION OF THE GAME

• Naismith, with all his imaginative planning, could not have dreamed his
“Peach Basket” game would develop into the world’s greatest indoor sport.
Although the original 13 rules have been expanded to over 100, the spirit
and principles of the original rules are still in effect in today.

• Major rule changes over the years addressed the number of players, the
court boundaries, dribbling, and the elimination of the center jump after
made baskets.
SUBSTITUTIONS

• Initially, players were not allowed to re-enter the game. The rule was
changed in 1920 to allow a player to re-enter the game one time.

• In 1934, the rule was expanded to allow players to re-enter the game twice,
and, in 1945 the rule was finally changed to permit players to return to the
game an unlimited number of times.
BASKETS

• Originally, the game was played with peach baskets or 18” square boxes
hung from the balconies of the running tracks of most indoor facilities. At
this time, the basket height was established at 10 feet, which still stands
today.
• Obviously, the peach baskets and boxes slowed the game down since the
ball had to be retrieved after every goal either by someone on the running
track or by ladder.
• The peach baskets were replaced first by heavy woven wire rims in 1892.
then a year later, in 1893 cast iron rims were used.
THE BALL

• The first basketball games were played with soccer balls. However, they
proved to be unsuitable for dribbling and ball handling.
• The first manufactured basketballs were produced in 1894 by a bicycle
manufacturing company
• In the late 1890’s Spalding took over as the official ball maker.
• In 1905, the choice of basketballs was left up to the teams. Because of their
inability to maintain their shape and their laces, these early brown leather
basketballs were hard to dribble.
THE BALL

• In 1929, basketball were re-designed for more bounce and with concealed
laces which eliminated erratic bounces. The ball were bigger, lighter and
easier to handle
• In 1967, the American Basketball Association (ABA) played with a red, white
and blue basketball.
• Today, the WNBA and FIBA use contrasting panels. The men’s ball is 30” in
circumference and the smaller women’s ball is 29” in circumference
SCORING

• Originally, a successful goal was counted as one point, and one point was
also given to a team anytime three consecutive fouls were called on the
opponent.
• Free throws were first introduced in 1894. both a made field goal and a
made free throw were counted as one goal.
• In 1896, rules were changed to count a made field goal as two points
• In 1967, the three-point shot was introduced into International basketball
by FIBA. The three-point shot was adopted by the National Basketball
Association (NBA) in 1977 and by the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) in 1980.
TIMING

• The first games were played in two fifteen-minute halves. Shortly later this
was increased to two 20-minute halves. There was no provision for
extending the game if the score was tied. In fact, the first game ever played
ended in a 2-2 tie. However, once leagues started to be formed, ties needed
to be broken.
• The first tie breakers were “Sudden Death” with the first team to score a
point, either a field goal or free throw, winning the game. Thus, games were
decided without one team having a single ball possession.
• In the 1960’s, in order to provide each team with an equal chance, sudden
death was replaced by overtime periods.
SHOT CLOCK

• In 1954, the NBA instituted a 24-second shot clock. This was another
milestone for basketball since it eliminated the common stalling tactics that
were being deployed, sometimes as early as the third period, by teams’
ahead in the game because there was no way for the team behind to catch
up other than to foul.
SHOT CLOCK

• The shot clock curtailed the end of game fouling and ensuing parade of free
throws which made for a dull game. A 30-second shot clock was deployed
internationally by FIBA in 1956. The NCAA 45-second shot clock was further
reduced to 35 seconds in 1993. women have used a 3—second shot clock
since going to a full court game in 1971.
FOULS

• Fouls were assessed for using a fist, traveling, and physical contact (holding,
pushing, tripping, or striking of an opponent).
• When a player committed two fouls they were disqualified until a goal was
scored.
• For flagrant fouls, just as today, player were disqualified for the whole game.
• In 1911, player fouls disqualification was increased from two to four, and
increased again in 1945 to five fouls. In 1922, traveling or running with the
ball was changed to a violation and no longer considered a foul.