The beginning of everything

The history of basketball began with its invention in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith as a less injury-prone sport than football. The game became established fairly quickly and grew very popular as the 20th century progressed, first in America and then throughout the world. After basketball became established in American colleges, the professional game followed.

There were only thirteen rules of “basket ball”:

  • The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
  • The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.
  • A player cannot run with the ball, the player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at good speed.
  • The ball must be held in or between the hands, the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
  • No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute.
  • A foul is striking the ball with the fist, violation of rules 3 and 4, and such as described in rule 5.
  • If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count a goal for opponents.
  • A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from grounds into the basket and stays there. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket it shall count as a goal.
  • When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field and played by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The “thrower-in” is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
  • The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls, and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made.
  • The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in-bounds, and to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
  • The time shall be fifteen-minute halves, with five-minute rests between.
  • The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In the case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.

On December 21, 1891, James Naismith published rules for a new game using five basic ideas and thirteen rules. That day, he asked his class to play a match in the Armory Street court: 9 versus 9, using a soccer ball and two peach baskets. Frank Mahan, one of his students, wasn’t so happy. He just said: “Harrumph. Another new game”. However, Naismith was the inventor of the new game. Someone proposed to call it “Naismith Game”, but he suggested “We have a ball and a basket: why don’t we call it basketball?” The goal was scored by Chase. There were other differences between Naismith’s first idea and the game played today. The peach baskets were closed, and balls had to be retrieved manually, until a small hole was put in the bottom of the peach basket to poke the ball out using a stick. Only in 1906 were metal hoops, nets and backboards introduced. Moreover, earlier the soccer ball was replaced by a Spalding ball, similar to the one used today.

ddssThe first professional league was founded in 1898. Six teams took part in the National Basketball League, and the first champions were the Trenton Nationals, followed by the New York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile Drivers and the Camden Electrics. The league was abandoned in 1904.Then, many small championships were organized, but most of them were not as important as some teams who played for money against challengers.

College Basketball

The greatest level of early basketball activity outside of YMCAs was seen in American colleges. The first known U.S. college to field a basketball team against an outside opponent was Vanderbilt University, which played against the local YMCA in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 7, 1893. The second recorded instance of an organized college basketball game was Geneva College’s game against the New Brighton YMCA on April 8, 1893, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which Geneva won 3–0.The first recorded game between two college teams occurred on February 9, 1895, when Hamline University faced Minnesota A&M (which later became a part of the University of Minnesota). Minnesota A&M won the game, which was played under rules allowing nine players per side, 9–3. The first intercollegiate match using the modern rule of five players per side is often credited as a game between the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Iowa, on January 18, 1896. The Chicago team, which was organized by Amos Alonzo Stagg, who had learned the game from James Naismith at the Springfield YMCA, won the game 15–12. (Some sources state the first “true” five-on-five intercollegiate match was a game in 1897 between Yale and Penn, because the Iowa team, that played Chicago in 1896, was composed of University of Iowa students, but did not officially represent the University of Iowa – rather being organized through a YMCA.)By 1900 the game of basketball had spread to colleges across the country .By 1897 the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) had taken over oversight of basketball activity from the YMCA. In April 1905, representatives of fifteen colleges separately took over control of the college game, creating the collegiate “Basket Ball Rule Committee.” The Committee was in turn absorbed into the predecessor of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1909. The extremely popular NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was started in 1939.

Women’s basketball

Women’s basketball began in the winter of 1892 at Smith College. Senda Berenson, an instructor at Smith, taught basketball to her students, hoping the activity would improve their physical health. Basketball’s early adherents were affiliated with YMCAs and colleges throughout the United States, and the game quickly spread throughout the country.However, Berenson was taking risks simply in teaching the game to women. She worried a little about the women suffering from “nervous fatigue” if games were too strenuous for them. And, in order to keep it “acceptable” for women to play at all, she taught modified rules. These included a court divided into three areas and nine players per team. Three players were assigned to each area (guard, center, forward) and could not cross the line into another area. The ball was moved from section to section by passing or dribbling. Players were limited to three dribbles and could hold the ball for three seconds. No snatching or batting the ball away from a player was allowed. A center jump was required after each score. Peach baskets and the soccer ball were the equipment. Variations of Berenson’s rules spread across the country via YMCAs and colleges.

WNBA Formation

ap_9701220916-1The popularity of women’s basketball grew steadily around the world for decades. By the 1970s the sport had attracted the notice the International Olympic Committee, which added women’s basketball as an official sport of the Olympic Games in 1976, the men debuted in 1936. The sport was also gaining attention at the collegiate level, under the auspices of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). A major development in women’s basketball occurred in 1982 when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began to sponsor the sport.. After several failed attempts at women’s professional leagues in the U.S., the NBA founded the WNBA in 1996.The WNBA began with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference; and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference.

NBA Formation

The Basketball league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). As of the early 21st century, the NBA is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition.                         Read more about NBA…

American Basketball Association

The American Basketball Association (ABA) was founded as an alternative to the NBA in 1967  at a time when the NBA was experiencing a lot of popularity. The ABA offered an alternative ethos and game style as well as some changes in the rules. Julius Erving was the leading player in the league, and helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim. The league emphasized excitement and liveliness, be it in the color of the ball (red, white and blue), the manner of play, wild promotions, or the three-point shot. National recognition and earnings were low, leading the league to look for a way out of its problems. Merger with the more established and very successful NBA was seen as a solution. The ABA was folded into the NBA in the summer of 1976, its four most successful franchises (the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs) being incorporated into the older league.The aggressive, loose style of play and the three-point shot were taken up by the NBA.

FIBA Formation

fiba.jpgWorld basketball was growing, but it was on June 18, 1932 that a real international organization was formed, to coordinate tournaments and teams: that day, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland founded the International Basketball Federation (Fédération internationale de basketball amateur, FIBA) in Geneva. Its work was fundamental for the first inclusion of basketball in the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. The first Olympic title was won by the U.S. national team: Sam Balter, Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, Tex Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Carl Knowles, Frank Lubin, Art Mollner, Donald Piper, Jack Ragland, Willard Schmidt, Carl Shy, Duane Swanson, Bill Wheatley and the trainer James Needles. Canada was runner-up; the games were played on an outdoor clay court. The first World Championship was held in Argentina in 1950.

Basketball Court

85cBasketball courts come in different sizes and colors. In the NBA, the court is 94 by 50 feet (29 by 15 m). Under International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, the court is minutely smaller, measuring exactly 28 by 15 metres (92 by 49 ft). A high school court is slightly smaller, at 84 by 50 feet (26 by 15 m). In amateur basketball, court sizes vary widely. The baskets are always 10 feet (3.0 m) above the floor (except possibly in youth competition). Basketball courts have a three-point arc at both baskets. A basket made from behind this arc is worth three points; a basket made from within this line, or with a player’s foot touching the line, is worth 2 points. The free-throw line, where one stands while taking a foul shot, is located within the three-point arc at 15 feet from the basket. A foul shot is worth 1 point, but if a shot is made from the foul line while in play it is still worth 2 points.The height of the underside of the roof structure, or the ceiling if there is one, above the floor is specified by each sport’s governing body, and this is a critical design factor. Badminton, tennis and trampolining require an unrestricted height of 9.1m for international competition, while 7.6m is necessary at C level in all sports except those for which height is not critical. In general a basketball court should have a minimum clearance of 25 feet (7.7m), although a ceiling height of at least 27 feet (8.23m) is recommended.

The Rules

Basketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a hoop at each end. The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line.Read more…