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Basketball
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Basketballisasportplayedbytwoteamsoffiveplayers
onarectangularcourt.Theobjectiveistoshootaball
throughahoop18inches(46cm)indiameterand10feet
(3.048m)highmountedtoabackboardateachend.
Basketballisoneoftheworld'smostpopularandwidely
viewedsports.[1]
Ateamcanscoreafieldgoalbyshootingtheball
throughthebasketduringregularplay.Afieldgoal
scoresthreepointsfortheshootingteamiftheplayer
shootsfrombehindthethreepointline,andtwopointsif
shotfrominfrontoftheline.Theteamwiththemost
pointsattheendofthegamewins,butadditionaltime
(overtime)isissuedwhenthegameendsinadraw.The
ballcanbeadvancedonthecourtbybouncingitwhile
walkingorrunningorthrowingittoateammate.Itisa
violationtoliftordragone'spivotfootwithoutdribbling
theball,tocarryit,ortoholdtheballwithbothhands
thenresumedribbling.
Aswellasmanytechniquesforshooting,passing,
dribblingandrebounding,basketballteamsgenerally
haveplayerpositionsandoffensiveanddefensive
structures(playerpositioning).Traditionally,thetallest
andstrongestmembersofateamarecalledacenteror
powerforward,whileslightlyshorterandmoreagile
playersarecalledsmallforward,andtheshortestplayers
orthosewhopossessthebestballhandlingskillsare
calledapointguardorshootingguard.

Contents

Basketball

MichaelJordangoesforaslamdunkattheold
BostonGarden
Highest
governingbody

FIBA

Firstplayed

1891,Springfield,
Massachusetts,U.S.
Characteristics

Contact

Yes

Teammembers

5perside

Mixedgender

Yes,separatecompetitions

Type

Teamsport,ballsport

Equipment

Basketball

Venue

Indoorcourt(mainly)or
outdoorcourt(Streetball)

1History
1.1Creation
1.2Collegebasketball
1.3Highschoolbasketball
1.4Professionalbasketball

Presence
Olympic

Demonstratedinthe1904and
1924SummerOlympics
PartoftheSummerOlympic
programsince1936

1.5Internationalbasketball
1.6Women'sbasketball
2Rulesandregulations
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2.1Playingregulations
2.2Equipment
2.3Violations
2.4Fouls
3Commontechniquesandpractices
3.1Positions
3.2Strategy
3.3Shooting
3.4Rebounding
3.5Passing
3.6Dribbling
3.7Blocking
4Height
5Variationsandsimilargames
6Socialformsofbasketball
7Fantasybasketball
8Seealso
9References
10Furtherreading
11Externallinks

History
Creation
InearlyDecember1891,CanadianDr.JamesNaismith,[2]aphysicaleducationprofessorandinstructorat
theInternationalYoungMen'sChristianAssociationTrainingSchool[3](YMCA)(today,Springfield
College)inSpringfield,Massachusettswastryingtokeephisgymclassactiveonarainyday.Hesoughta
vigorousindoorgametokeephisstudentsoccupiedandatproperlevelsoffitnessduringthelongNew
Englandwinters.Afterrejectingotherideasaseithertooroughorpoorlysuitedtowalledingymnasiums,
hewrotethebasicrulesandnailedapeachbasketontoa10foot(3.05m)elevatedtrack.Incontrastwith
modernbasketballnets,thispeachbasketretaineditsbottom,andballshadtoberetrievedmanuallyafter
each"basket"orpointscoredthisprovedinefficient,however,sothebottomofthebasketwasremoved,[4]
allowingtheballstobepokedoutwithalongdoweleachtime.
Basketballwasoriginallyplayedwithasoccerball.Thefirstballsmadespecificallyforbasketballwere
brown,anditwasonlyinthelate1950sthatTonyHinkle,searchingforaballthatwouldbemorevisibleto
playersandspectatorsalike,introducedtheorangeballthatisnowincommonuse.Dribblingwasnotpart
oftheoriginalgameexceptforthe"bouncepass"toteammates.Passingtheballwastheprimarymeansof
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ballmovement.Dribblingwaseventuallyintroducedbutlimitedbythe
asymmetricshapeofearlyballs.Dribblingonlybecameamajorpartofthe
gamearoundthe1950s,asmanufacturingimprovedtheballshape.
Thepeachbasketswereuseduntil1906whentheywerefinallyreplacedby
metalhoopswithbackboards.Afurtherchangewassoonmade,sotheball
merelypassedthrough.Wheneverapersongottheballinthebasket,his
teamwouldgainapoint.Whicheverteamgotthemostpointswonthe
game.[5]Thebasketswereoriginallynailedtothemezzaninebalconyofthe
playingcourt,butthisprovedimpracticalwhenspectatorsonthebalcony
begantointerferewithshots.Thebackboardwasintroducedtopreventthis
interferenceithadtheadditionaleffectofallowingreboundshots.[6]
Naismith'shandwrittendiaries,discoveredbyhisgranddaughterinearly
2006,indicatethathewasnervousaboutthenewgamehehadinvented,
Thefirstbasketballcourt:
whichincorporatedrulesfromachildren'sgamecalled"DuckonaRock",
SpringfieldCollege
[7]
asmanyhadfailedbeforeit.Naismithcalledthenewgame"BasketBall".
ThefirstofficialgamewasplayedintheYMCAgymnasiuminAlbany,
NewYork,onJanuary20,1892,withnineplayers.Thegameendedat10theshotwasmadefrom25feet
(7.6m),onacourtjusthalfthesizeofapresentdayStreetballorNationalBasketballAssociation(NBA)
court.By18971898teamsoffivebecamestandard.

Collegebasketball
Basketball'searlyadherentsweredispatchedtoYMCAsthroughout
theUnitedStates,anditquicklyspreadthroughtheUSAand
Canada.By1895,itwaswellestablishedatseveralwomen'shigh
schools.WhiletheYMCAwasresponsibleforinitiallydeveloping
andspreadingthegame,withinadecadeitdiscouragedthenew
sport,asroughplayandrowdycrowdsbegantodetractfromthe
YMCA'sprimarymission.However,otheramateursportsclubs,
colleges,andprofessionalclubsquicklyfilledthevoid.Intheyears
beforeWorldWarI,theAmateurAthleticUnionandthe
IntercollegiateAthleticAssociationoftheUnitedStates(forerunner
oftheNCAA)viedforcontrolovertherulesforthegame.Thefirst
proleague,theNationalBasketballLeague,wasformedin1898to
protectplayersfromexploitationandtopromotealessroughgame.
Thisleagueonlylastedfiveyears.

The1899UniversityofKansas
basketballteam,withJamesNaismith
attheback,right.

Dr.JamesNaismithwasinstrumentalinestablishingcollegebasketball.HiscolleagueC.O.Beamisfielded
thefirstcollegebasketballteamjustayearaftertheSpringfieldYMCAgameatthesuburbanPittsburgh
GenevaCollege.[8]NaismithhimselflatercoachedattheUniversityofKansasforsixyears,beforehanding
thereinstorenownedcoachForrest"Phog"Allen.Naismith'sdiscipleAmosAlonzoStaggbrought
basketballtotheUniversityofChicago,whileAdolphRupp,astudentofNaismith'satKansas,enjoyed
greatsuccessascoachattheUniversityofKentucky.OnFebruary9,1895,thefirstintercollegiate5on5
gamewasplayedatHamlineUniversitybetweenHamlineandtheSchoolofAgriculture,whichwas
affiliatedwiththeUniversityofMinnesota.[9][10]TheSchoolofAgriculturewonina93game.
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In1901,colleges,includingtheUniversityofChicago,ColumbiaUniversity,DartmouthCollege,the
UniversityofMinnesota,theU.S.NavalAcademy,theUniversityofColoradoandYaleUniversitybegan
sponsoringmen'sgames.In1905,frequentinjuriesonthefootballfieldpromptedPresidentTheodore
Roosevelttosuggestthatcollegesformagoverningbody,resultinginthecreationoftheIntercollegiate
AthleticAssociationoftheUnitedStates(IAAUS).In1910,thatbodywouldchangeitsnametothe
NationalCollegiateAthleticAssociation(NCAA).ThefirstCanadianinteruniversitybasketballgamewas
playedattheYMCAinKingston,OntarioonFebruary6,1904,whenMcGillUniversityvisitedQueen's
University.McGillwon97inovertimethescorewas77attheendofregulationplay,andatenminute
overtimeperiodsettledtheoutcome.Agoodturnoutofspectatorswatchedthegame.[11]
Thefirstmen'snationalchampionshiptournament,theNationalAssociationofIntercollegiateBasketball
tournament,whichstillexistsastheNationalAssociationofIntercollegiateAthletics(NAIA)tournament,
wasorganizedin1937.ThefirstnationalchampionshipforNCAAteams,theNationalInvitation
Tournament(NIT)inNewYork,wasorganizedin1938theNCAAnationaltournamentwouldbeginone
yearlater.Collegebasketballwasrockedbygamblingscandalsfrom1948to1951,whendozensofplayers
fromtopteamswereimplicatedinmatchfixingandpointshaving.Partiallyspurredbyanassociationwith
cheating,theNITlostsupporttotheNCAAtournament.

Highschoolbasketball
Beforewidespreadschooldistrictconsolidation,mostAmericanhigh
schoolswerefarsmallerthantheirpresentdaycounterparts.Duringthefirst
decadesofthe20thcentury,basketballquicklybecametheideal
interscholasticsportduetoitsmodestequipmentandpersonnel
requirements.Inthedaysbeforewidespreadtelevisioncoverageof
professionalandcollegesports,thepopularityofhighschoolbasketballwas
unrivaledinmanypartsofAmerica.Perhapsthemostlegendaryofhigh
schoolteamswasIndiana'sFranklinWonderFive,whichtookthenationby
stormduringthe1920s,dominatingIndianabasketballandearningnational
recognition.
TodayvirtuallyeveryhighschoolintheUnitedStatesfieldsabasketball
teaminvarsitycompetition.[12]Basketball'spopularityremainshigh,bothin
Abasketballgamebetween
ruralareaswheretheycarrytheidentificationoftheentirecommunity,as
theHeartMountainand
wellasatsomelargerschoolsknownfortheirbasketballteamswheremany
PowellHighSchoolgirls
playersgoontoparticipateathigherlevelsofcompetitionaftergraduation.
teams,Wyoming,March
Inthe200304season,1,002,797boysandgirlsrepresentedtheirschoolsin
1944
interscholasticbasketballcompetition,accordingtotheNationalFederation
ofStateHighSchoolAssociations.ThestatesofIllinois,Indianaand
Kentuckyareparticularlywellknownfortheirresidents'devotiontohighschoolbasketball,commonly
calledHoosierHysteriainIndianathecriticallyacclaimedfilmHoosiersshowshighschoolbasketball's
depthofmeaningtothesecommunities.
Thereiscurrentlynonationaltournamenttodetermineanationalhighschoolchampion.Themostserious
effortwastheNationalInterscholasticBasketballTournamentattheUniversityofChicagofrom1917to
1930.TheeventwasorganizedbyAmosAlonzoStaggandsentinvitationstostatechampionteams.The
tournamentstartedoutasamostlyMidwestaffairbutgrew.In1929ithad29statechampions.Facedwith
oppositionfromtheNationalFederationofStateHighSchoolAssociationsandNorthCentralAssociation
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ofCollegesandSchoolsthatboreathreatoftheschoolslosingtheiraccreditationthelasttournamentwas
in1930.Theorganizationssaidtheywereconcernedthatthetournamentwasbeingusedtorecruit
professionalplayersfromtheprepranks.[13]Thetournamentdidnotinviteminorityschoolsor
private/parochialschools.
TheNationalCatholicInterscholasticBasketballTournamentranfrom1924to1941atLoyola
University.[14]TheNationalCatholicInvitationalBasketballTournamentfrom1954to1978playedata
seriesofvenues,includingCatholicUniversity,GeorgetownandGeorgeMason.[15]TheNational
InterscholasticBasketballTournamentforBlackHighSchoolswasheldfrom1929to1942atHampton
Institute.[16]TheNationalInvitationalInterscholasticBasketballTournamentwasheldfrom1941to1967
startingoutatTuskegeeInstitute.FollowingapauseduringWorldWarIIitresumedatTennesseeState
CollegeinNashville.Thebasisforthechampiondwindledafter1954whenBrownv.BoardofEducation
begananintegrationofschools.ThelasttournamentswereheldatAlabamaStateCollegefrom1964to
1967.[17]

Professionalbasketball
Teamsaboundedthroughoutthe1920s.Therewerehundredsofmen's
professionalbasketballteamsintownsandcitiesallovertheUnitedStates,
andlittleorganizationoftheprofessionalgame.Playersjumpedfromteam
toteamandteamsplayedinarmoriesandsmokydancehalls.Leaguescame
andwent.BarnstormingsquadssuchastheOriginalCelticsandtwoall
AfricanAmericanteams,theNewYorkRenaissanceFive("Rens")andthe
(stillexisting)HarlemGlobetrottersplayeduptotwohundredgamesayear
ontheirnationaltours.
In1946,theBasketballAssociationofAmerica(BAA)wasformed.The
firstgamewasplayedinToronto,Ontario,CanadabetweentheToronto
HuskiesandNewYorkKnickerbockersonNovember1,1946.Three
seasonslater,in1949,theBAAmergedwiththeNationalBasketball
AdfromTheLiberator
LeaguetoformtheNationalBasketballAssociation(NBA).Bythe1950s,
magazinepromotingan
basketballhadbecomeamajorcollegesport,thuspavingthewayfora
exhibitioninHarlem,March
growthofinterestinprofessionalbasketball.In1959,abasketballhallof
1922.DrawingbyHugo
famewasfoundedinSpringfield,Massachusetts,siteofthefirstgame.Its
Gellert.
rostersincludethenamesofgreatplayers,coaches,refereesandpeoplewho
havecontributedsignificantlytothedevelopmentofthegame.Thehallof
famehaspeoplewhohaveaccomplishedmanygoalsintheircareerinbasketball.Anupstartorganization,
theAmericanBasketballAssociation,emergedin1967andbrieflythreatenedtheNBA'sdominanceuntil
theABANBAmergerin1976.TodaytheNBAisthetopprofessionalbasketballleagueintheworldin
termsofpopularity,salaries,talent,andlevelofcompetition.
TheNBAhasfeaturedmanyfamousplayers,includingGeorgeMikan,thefirstdominating"bigman"ball
handlingwizardBobCousyanddefensivegeniusBillRusselloftheBostonCelticsWiltChamberlain,
whooriginallyplayedforthebarnstormingHarlemGlobetrottersallaroundstarsOscarRobertsonand
JerryWestmorerecentbigmenKareemAbdulJabbar,ShaquilleO'NealandKarlMaloneplaymaker
JohnStocktoncrowdpleasingforwardJuliusErvingEuropeanstarsDirkNowitzkiandDraenPetrovi
morerecentstarsLeBronJames,KevinDurant,&KobeBryantandthethreeplayerswhomanycreditwith
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usheringtheprofessionalgametoitshighestlevelofpopularity:LarryBird,Earvin"Magic"Johnson,and
MichaelJordan.In2001,theNBAformedadevelopmentalleague,theNBDL.Asof2014,theleaguehas
18teams.

Internationalbasketball
TheInternationalBasketballFederationwasformedin1932by
eightfoundingnations:Argentina,Czechoslovakia,Greece,Italy,
Latvia,Portugal,RomaniaandSwitzerland.Atthistime,the
organizationonlyoversawamateurplayers.Itsacronym,derived
fromtheFrenchFdrationInternationaledeBasketballAmateur,
wasthus"FIBA".Men'sBasketballwasfirstincludedattheBerlin
1936SummerOlympics,althoughademonstrationtournamentwas
heldin1904.TheUnitedStatesdefeatedCanadainthefirstfinal,
playedoutdoors.Thiscompetitionhasusuallybeendominatedby
theUnitedStates,whoseteamhaswonallbutthreetitles.Thefirst
USAvsMexicoatthe2014FIBA
ofthesecameinacontroversialfinalgameinMunichin1972
WorldCup
againsttheSovietUnion,inwhichtheendingofthegamewas
replayedthreetimesuntiltheSovietUnionfinallycameouton
top.[18]In1950thefirstFIBAWorldChampionshipformenwasheldinArgentina.Threeyearslater,the
firstFIBAWorldChampionshipforWomenwasheldinChile.Women'sbasketballwasaddedtothe
Olympicsin1976,whichwereheldinMontreal,CanadawithteamssuchastheSovietUnion,Braziland
AustraliarivalingtheAmericansquads.
FIBAdroppedthedistinctionbetweenamateurandprofessionalplayersin1989,andin1992,professional
playersplayedforthefirsttimeintheOlympicGames.TheUnitedStates'dominancecontinuedwiththe
introductionoftheirDreamTeam.However,withdevelopingprogramselsewhere,othernationalteams
startedtobeattheUnitedStates.AteammadeentirelyofNBAplayersfinishedsixthinthe2002World
ChampionshipsinIndianapolis,behindYugoslavia,Argentina,Germany,NewZealandandSpain.Inthe
2004AthensOlympics,theUnitedStatessuffereditsfirstOlympiclosswhileusingprofessionalplayers,
fallingtoPuertoRico(ina19pointloss)andLithuaniaingroupgames,andbeingeliminatedinthe
semifinalsbyArgentina.IteventuallywonthebronzemedaldefeatingLithuania,finishingbehind
ArgentinaandItaly.In2006,intheWorldChampionshipofJapan,theUnitedStatesadvancedtothe
semifinalsbutweredefeatedbyGreeceby10195.InthebronzemedalgameitbeatteamArgentinaand
finished3rdbehindGreeceandSpain.Afterthedisappointmentsof2002through2006,theU.S.regrouped,
reestablishingthemselvesasthedominantinternationalteambehindthe"RedeemTeam",whichwongold
atthe2008Olympics,andthesocalled"BTeam",whichwongoldatthe2010FIBAWorldChampionship
inTurkeydespitefeaturingnoplayersfromthe2008squad.
Thealltournamentteamsatthe2002and2006FIBAWorldChampionships,respectivelyheldin
IndianapolisandJapan,demonstratetheglobalizationofthegameequallydramatically.Onlyonemember
ofeitherteamwasAmerican,namelyCarmeloAnthonyin2006.The2002teamfeaturedNowitzki,
Ginobili,Yao,PejaStojakovicofYugoslavia(nowofSerbia),andPeroCameronofNewZealand.Ginobili
alsomadethe2006teamtheothermemberswereAnthony,Gasol,hisSpanishteammateJorgeGarbajosa
andTheodorosPapaloukasofGreece.TheonlyplayersoneitherteamtoneverhavejoinedtheNBAare
CameronandPapaloukas.Thealltournamentteamfromthe2010editioninTurkeyfeaturedfourNBA
playersMVPKevinDurantofTeamUSAandtheOklahomaCityThunder,LinasKleizaofLithuaniaand
theTorontoRaptors,LuisScolaofArgentinaandtheHoustonRockets,andHedoTrkoluofTurkeyand
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thePhoenixSuns.TheonlynonNBAplayerwasSerbia'sMiloTeodosi.Thestrengthofinternational
BasketballisevidentinthefactthatTeamUSAwonnoneofthethreeworldchampionshipsheldbetween
1998and2006,withSerbia(thenknownasYugoslavia)winningin1998and2002andSpainin2006.
Worldwide,basketballtournamentsareheldforboysandgirlsofallagelevels.Theglobalpopularityofthe
sportisreflectedinthenationalitiesrepresentedintheNBA.Playersfromallsixinhabitedcontinents
currentlyplayintheNBA.TopinternationalplayersbegancomingintotheNBAinthemid1990s,
includingCroatiansDraenPetroviandToniKuko,SerbianVladeDivac,LithuaniansArvydasSabonis
andarnasMariulionisandGermanDetlefSchrempf.
InthePhilippines,thePhilippineBasketballAssociation'sfirstgamewasplayedonApril9,1975atthe
AranetaColiseuminCubao,QuezonCity.Philippines.Itwasfoundedasa"rebellion"ofseveralteams
fromthenowdefunctManilaIndustrialandCommercialAthleticAssociation,whichwastightlycontrolled
bytheBasketballAssociationofthePhilippines(nowdefunct),thethenFIBArecognizednational
association.NineteamsfromtheMICAAparticipatedintheleague'sfirstseasonthatopenedonApril9,
1975.TheNBLisAustralia'spreeminentmen'sprofessionalbasketballleague.Theleaguecommencedin
1979,playingawinterseason(AprilSeptember)anddidsountilthecompletionofthe20thseasonin
1998.The199899season,whichcommencedonlymonthslater,wasthefirstseasonaftertheshifttothe
currentsummerseasonformat(OctoberApril).Thisshiftwasanattempttoavoidcompetingdirectly
againstAustralia'svariousfootballcodes.Itfeatures8teamsfromaroundAustraliaandoneinNew
Zealand.AfewplayersincludingLucLongley,AndrewGaze,ShaneHeal,ChrisAnsteyandAndrew
Bogutmadeitbiginternationally,becomingposterfiguresforthesportinAustralia.TheWomen'sNational
BasketballLeaguebeganin1981.

Women'sbasketball
Women'sbasketballbeganin1892atSmithCollegewhenSenda
Berenson,aphysicaleducationteacher,modifiedNaismith'srules
forwomen.ShortlyaftershewashiredatSmith,shewentto
Naismithtolearnmoreaboutthegame.[19]Fascinatedbythenew
sportandthevaluesitcouldteach,she

WomenofMonterreyInstituteof
TechnologyandHigherEducation,
MexicoCityplayingagameatthe
campusgymnasium

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