Basketball

History
In December 1891, James Naismith, a Canadian professor of physical education and instructor at
the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College)
in Springfield, Massachusetts,[5] was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day
.[6] He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness
during the long New England winters. After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited
to walled-in gymnasiums, he invented a new game in which players would pass a ball to teammates
and try to score points by tossing the ball into a basket mounted on a wall. Naismith wrote the
basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto an elevated track. Naismith initially set up the peach
basket with its bottom intact, which meant that the ball had to be retrieved manually after each
"basket" or point scored. This quickly proved tedious, so Naismith removed the bottom of the basket
to allow the balls to be poked out with a long dowel after each scored basket. Basketball was
originally played with a soccer ball. These round balls from "association football" were made, at the
time, with a set of laces to close off the hole needed for inserting the inflatable bladder after the other
sewn-together segments of the ball's cover had been flipped outside-in. [7][8] These laces could cause
bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable.[9] Eventually a lace-free ball construction method
was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith (whereas in American
football, the lace construction proved to be advantageous for gripping and remains to this day).
The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it was only in the late 1950s
that Tony Hinkle, searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike,
introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Dribbling was not part of the original game
except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball
movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls.
[dubious – discuss]
Dribbling was common by 1896, with a rule against the double dribble by 1898. [10]
The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by metal hoops with
backboards. A further change was soon made, so the ball merely passed through. Whenever a
person got the ball in the basket, his team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points
won the game.[11] The baskets were originally nailed to the mezzanine balcony of the playing court,
but this proved impractical when spectators in the balcony began to interfere with shots. The
backboard was introduced to prevent this interference; it had the additional effect of allowing
rebound shots.[12] Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early 2006,
indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from a
children's game called duck on a rock, as many had failed before it.[13]
Frank Mahan, one of the players from the original first game, approached Naismith after the
Christmas break, in early 1892, asking him what he intended to call his new game. Naismith replied
that he hadn't thought of it because he had been focused on just getting the game started. Mahan
suggested that it be called "Naismith ball", at which he laughed, saying that a name like that would
kill any game. Mahan then said, "Why not call it basketball?" Naismith replied, "We have a basket
and a ball, and it seems to me that would be a good name for it."[14][15] The first official game was
played in the YMCA gymnasium in Albany, New York, on January 20, 1892, with nine players. The
game ended at 1–0; the shot was made from 25 feet (7.6 m), on a court just half the size of a
present-day Streetball or National Basketball Association (NBA) court.
At the time, soccer was being played with 10 to a team (which was increased to 11). When winter
weather got too icy to play soccer, teams were taken indoors, and it was convenient to have them
split in half and play basketball with five on each side. By 1897–1898 teams of five became
standard.
Regulations
Games are played in four quarters of 10 (FIBA)[39] or 12 minutes (NBA).[40] College men's games use
two 20-minute halves,[41] college women's games use 10-minute quarters,[42] and most United States
high school varsity games use 8-minute quarters; however, this varies from state to state. [43][44] 15
minutes are allowed for a half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules [41][45][46] and 10 minutes in
United States high schools.[43] Overtime periods are five minutes in length[41][47][48] except for high
school, which is four minutes in length.[43] 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.[49][50][51][52] 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.

Basic Skills
Shooting

Shooting is the act of attempting to score points by throwing the ball through the basket, methods
varying with players and situations.
Typically, a player faces the basket with both feet facing the basket. A player will rest the ball on the
fingertips of the dominant hand (the shooting arm) slightly above the head, with the other hand
supporting the side of the ball. The ball is usually shot by jumping (though not always) and extending
the shooting arm. The shooting arm, fully extended with the wrist fully bent, is held stationary for a
moment following the release of the ball, known as a follow-through. Players often try to put a steady
backspin on the ball to absorb its impact with the rim. The ideal trajectory of the shot is somewhat
controversial, but generally a proper arc is recommended. Players may shoot directly into the basket
or may use the backboard to redirect the ball into the basket.
The two most common shots that use the above described setup are the set shot and the jump shot.
Both are preceded by a crouching action which preloads the muscles and increases the power of the
shot. In a set shot, the shooter straightens up and throws from a standing position with neither foot
leaving the floor; this is typically used for free throws. For a jump shot, the throw is taken in mid-air
with the ball being released near the top of the jump. This provides much greater power and range,
and it also allows the player to elevate over the defender. Failure to release the ball before the feet
return to the floor is considered a traveling violation.
Another common shot is called the layup. This shot requires the player to be in motion toward the
basket, and to "lay" the ball "up" and into the basket, typically off the backboard (the backboard-free,
underhand version is called a finger roll). The most crowd-pleasing and typically highest-percentage
accuracy shot is the slam dunk, in which the player jumps very high and throws the ball downward,
through the basket while touching it.

Rebounding
the objective of rebounding is to successfully gain possession of the basketball after a missed field
goal or free throw, as it rebounds from the hoop or backboard. This plays a major role in the game,
as most possessions end when a team misses a shot. There are two categories of rebounds:
offensive rebounds, in which the ball is recovered by the offensive side and does not change
possession, and defensive rebounds, in which the defending team gains possession of the loose
ball. The majority of rebounds are defensive, as the team on defense tends to be in better position to
recover missed shots; for example, about 75% of rebounds in the NBA are defensive. [

Passing
pass is a method of moving the ball between players. Most passes are accompanied by a step
forward to increase power and are followed through with the hands to ensure accuracy.
A staple pass is the chest pass. The ball is passed directly from the passer's chest to the receiver's
chest. A proper chest pass involves an outward snap of the thumbs to add velocity and leaves the
defence little time to react.
Another type of pass is the bounce pass. Here, the passer bounces the ball crisply about two-thirds
of the way from his own chest to the receiver. The ball strikes the court and bounces up toward the
receiver. The bounce pass takes longer to complete than the chest pass, but it is also harder for the
opposing team to intercept (kicking the ball deliberately is a violation). Thus, players often use the
bounce pass in crowded moments, or to pass around a defender.
The overhead pass is used to pass the ball over a defender. The ball is released while over the
passer's head.
The outlet pass occurs after a team gets a defensive rebound. The next pass after the rebound is
the outlet pass.
The crucial aspect of any good pass is it being difficult to intercept. Good passers can pass the ball
with great accuracy and they know exactly where each of their other teammates prefers to receive
the ball. A special way of doing this is passing the ball without looking at the receiving teammate.
This is called a no-look pass.
Another advanced style of passing is the behind-the-back pass, which, as the description implies,
involves throwing the ball behind the passer's back to a teammate. Although some players can
perform such a pass effectively, many coaches discourage no-look or behind-the-back passes,
believing them to be difficult to control and more likely to result in turnovers or violations.

Dribbling
Dribbling is the act of bouncing the ball continuously with one hand and is a requirement for a player
to take steps with the ball. To dribble, a player pushes the ball down towards the ground with the
fingertips rather than patting it; this ensures greater control.
When dribbling past an opponent, the dribbler should dribble with the hand farthest from the
opponent, making it more difficult for the defensive player to get to the ball. It is therefore important
for a player to be able to dribble competently with both hands.
Good dribblers (or "ball handlers") tend to keep their dribbling hand low to the ground, reducing the
distance of travel of the ball from the floor to the hand, making it more difficult for the defender to
"steal" the ball. Good ball handlers frequently dribble behind their backs, between their legs, and
switch directions suddenly, making a less predictable dribbling pattern that is more difficult to defend
against. This is called a crossover, which is the most effective way to move past defenders while
dribbling.
A skilled player can dribble without watching the ball, using the dribbling motion or peripheral
vision to keep track of the ball's location. By not having to focus on the ball, a player can look for
teammates or scoring opportunities, as well as avoid the danger of having someone steal the ball
away from him/her.

Blocking
A block is performed when, after a shot is attempted, a defender succeeds in altering the shot by
touching the ball. In almost all variants of play, it is illegal to touch the ball after it is in the downward
path of its arc; this is known as goaltending. It is also illegal under NBA and Men's NCAA basketball
to block a shot after it has touched the backboard, or when any part of the ball is directly above the
rim. Under international rules it is illegal to block a shot that is in the downward path of its arc or one
that has touched the backboard until the ball has hit the rim. After the ball hits the rim, it is again
legal to touch it even though it is no longer considered as a block performed.
To block a shot, a player has to be able to reach a point higher than where the shot is released.
Thus, height can be an advantage in blocking. Players who are taller and playing the power forward
or center positions generally record more blocks than players who are shorter and playing the guard
positions. However, with good timing and a sufficiently high vertical leap, even shorter players can
be effective shot blockers.
Basketball Court