BASKETBALL

game played with an inflated ball between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court. Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent's goal, an elevated, horizontally mounted hoop and net called a basket. Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, a physical education instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Mass., U.S. The game caught on quickly in the United States, and in 1896 the first college basketball game with five team members on a side was played at the University of Iowa. During the 1930s several rules were changed to speed up the game; e.g., each team had 10 seconds in which to advance the ball beyond midcourt or lose possession of it, and a player could not stand inside the opposing team's foul area (in front of the basket) for more than three seconds. The centre jump was eliminated, and the adoption of the one-hand shot led to higher scoring games. The presentation of college games at large exhibition arenas in major cities contributed greatly to the popularity of basketball as a spectator sport. With the inclusion of basketball in the Olympic Games in 1936, the game gained worldwide attention. The Fdration Internationale de Basketball Amateur was organized in 1932 to govern the international game, establishing world championships for men in 1950 and for women in 1953. In the Olympic Games, the U.S. men's team has been dominant and from 1992 was composed of professional players. In women's Olympic competition, contested since 1976, the U.S. and Soviet teams have been most successful. Organized American professional basketball began in 1898 with the creation of the National Basketball League (NBL). After the original league foundered, a new NBL was formed in 1937. The Basketball Association of America, a second league, was organized in 1946, and in 1949 the two leagues were merged to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). A rival American Basketball Association (ABA) was set up in 1967 and was merged with the NBA in 1976. (Left) U.S. college basketball court and (right) international basketball court American basketball courts are slightly larger than international courts and measure 50 feet wide by 94 feet long (15 m by 28 m; see illustration). The ball is moved about the court by dribbling (i.e., bouncing it against the floor) or by passing (tossing) it to another player. A successful shot, or field goal, is worth two points or, when taken from beyond a specified distance (marked by a line) from the basket, three points. Fouls are caused by physical contact between players when one player puts another at a disadvantage. After certain fouls, play is momentarily interrupted and the fouled player is awarded one to three unhindered free throws, which are taken from beyond a line 15 feet (4.6 m) in front of the backboard to which the basket is attached; successful free throws are worth one point. A jump ball is held between two opposing players either to begin the game or when the possession of the ball is shared between two opposing players. After a team scores, the other team brings the ball into play. The major annual American basketball events are the NBA championship (for professionals), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship, and the National Invitation Tournament, a postseason college competition. game played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court, usually indoors. Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent's goal, an elevated horizontal hoop and net called a basket. The only major sport strictly of U.S. origin, basketball was invented by James Naismith (18611939) on or about Dec. 1, 1891, at the International Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) Training School (now Springfield College), Springfield, Mass., where Naismith was an instructor in physical education. Naismith prepared a set of 13 simple rules embodying five principles that still govern today's game: 1. There must be a balllarge, light, and handled with the hands. 2. There shall be no running with the ball. 3. No member of either team shall be restricted from getting the ball at any time it is in play. 4. Both teams are to occupy the same area, yet there is to be no personal contact. 5. The goal shall be horizontal and elevated. Naismith used as goals two half-bushel peach baskets, which gave the sport its name. The students were enthusiastic. After much running and shooting, William R. Chase chanced to connect on a mid-court shot and that historic contest ended in a 10 score. The Springfield students went home on Christmas vacation and told their friends and the local YMCA people about the newly invented game. Numerous associations wrote Naismith for a copy of the rules, which were published in the Jan. 15, 1892, issue of the Triangle, the campus paper. Additional reading Histories of the game of basketball include Bernice Larson Webb, The Basketball Man: James Naismith (1973), a comprehensive biography of the game's inventor; and Larry Fox, Illustrated History of Basketball (1974), a study of the game from Naismith to the Hall of Fame. Other histories include Neil D. Isaacs, All the Moves: A History of College Basketball, rev. ed. (1984); Stanley Cohen, The Game They Played (1977), a view of the gambling scandals that rocked college basketball in the 1950s; and Joe Gergen, The Final Four (1987), a history of the NCAA. Informative reference sources include Ronald L. Mendell, Who's Who in Basketball (1973), a listing of major names and their roles in the development of the game; and Zander Hollander (ed.), The Modern Encyclopedia of Basketball, 2nd rev. ed. (1979), and his NBA's Official Encyclopedia of Pro Basketball (1981), with general information and statistics.For further records and statistics, see The Official NBA Guide (annual), and NBA Register (annual), published by The Sporting News, which give the records for the preceding year and the career surveys of all players in that year; and The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Guide (annual), with U.S. college records, schedules, and statistics. Larry W. Donald Play of the game Court and equipment Figure 1: Basketball courts. The standard basketball court is in the shape of a rectangle 50 feet (15.24 metres) by 94 feet; high school courts may be slightly smaller. There are various markings on the court, including a centre circle, free-throw lanes, and a three-point line, that help regulate play. The international court varies somewhat in its markings. (See Figure 1.) A goal, or basket, 18 inches (45.7 centimetres) in diameter is suspended from a backboard at each end of the court. The metal rim of the basket is 10 feet above the floor. The backboard in professional and college play is a 6-foot-wide by 3 1/2- or (in college) 4-foot-high rectangle made of a transparent material, usually glass. A fan-shaped board is used in high school games. The spherical inflated ball measures 29 to 30 inches in circumference and weighs 20 to 22 ounces (567 to 624 grams). Its covering is leather or composition. Rules The rules governing play of the game are based on Naismith's five principles requiring a large, light ball, handled with the hands; no running with the ball; no player restricted from getting the ball when it is in play; no personal contact; and a horizontal, elevated goal. The rules are spelled out in specific detail by the governing bodies of the several branches of the sport and cover the playing court and equipment, officials, players, scoring and timing, fouls, violations, and other matters. The officials include a referee and two umpires in college play (one umpire and a crew chief in NBA play), two timers, and two scorekeepers. One player on each team acts as a captain and speaks for his team on all matters involving the officials, such as interpretation of rules. Professional and high school games are divided into four periods, college games into two. Since the 189596 season, a field goal has scored two points and a free throw one point. When the ABA was founded in 1967, it allowed three points for shots from outside a boundary line set at a maximum of 25 feet from the basket. With varying distances, the change was adopted officially by the NBA and, in 1985, by colleges. Basketball is a noncontact game. A player may pass or bounce (dribble) the ball to a position whereby he or a teammate may make a try for a basket. A foul is committed whenever a player makes such contact with an opponent so as to put him at a disadvantage. It provides the offended player with a free throw, an unhindered throw for a goal from behind the free-throw (foul) line, which is 15 feet from the backboard. If a player is fouled while shooting and the shot is good, the basket counts and he is awarded one free throw; if the shot misses, he gets two free throws. Infractions such as unsportsmanlike conduct or grasping the rim are technical fouls, which award a free throw to the opposition. In other rules changes designed to speed up college games, a team loses possession if it fails to advance the ball within five seconds while being closely guarded. Other common infractions occur when a player (with the ball) takes an excessive number of steps or slides; causes the ball to go out-of-bounds; steps over the foul line while tossing for a free throw; steps over the end line or sideline while tossing the ball in to a teammate, or fails to pass the ball in within five seconds; runs with, kicks, or strikes the ball with his fist; dribbles a second time after having once concluded his dribble (double dribble); remains more than three seconds in his free-throw lane while he or his team has the ball; causes the ball to go into the backcourt; retains the ball in the backcourt more than 10 seconds (30 seconds for women); or fails to shoot within 45 seconds of the time the ball is put into play (24 seconds in the professional game). Penalty is loss of the ballopponents throw in the ball from the side. Common terms used in basketball include the following: