Basketball – History and How to Play

How to Play Basketball

Basketball is a game enjoyed by many different kinds of people. We see the sport played around the world. Any age group can get involved in the sport. It is not terribly difficult to understand. The basics of the game are easy, but people may find some of the rules challenging. I would first like to begin with a little bit of history on the sport of basketball. It was created in 1891 by Dr. James Niasmith. He was a Canadian born physical education teacher in Massachusetts. He came up with the idea on a rainy day. He was trying to keep his students active despite the weather. He decided to nail in a peach basket 10 feet off the ground. Students would then have to shoot a soccer ball into that peach basket. He also made up some of the basic rules that same day. The peach basket proved to be inefficient though because the bottom was still there. So, every time someone would make the ball in the basket you would have to retrieve the ball. A hole was drilled in the basket later on so that the ball could be easily retrieved. Peach baskets were used up until 1906 where then after metal hoops were used. The peach baskets were first nailed to the mezzanine balcony of the court, but that later proved to be trouble some because people would interfere with the shots. That is when the backboard was brought in to prevent such interference and it also provided a chance for rebounds. The first official basketball game was played at Naismith’s gym on January 20, 1892 with nine players. The final score of the game ended up being 1-0. Back then, you only got 1 point for each made basket. The court they played on was half the size of a regulation NBA court.

Now, I would like to go into further detail about how the game is played today. A modern day basketball game has two teams consisting of five players each. What this means is that there is a maximum of ten players allowed on the court at one time. There are substitutes that can come in on dead ball plays. Dead ball plays mean that the ball is not currently in use by a player. The game begins with a tip off. A tip off is where the referee or official will throw the ball straight up at the center of the court and the tallest player from each team will try to tip it to their teammates. Once a person comes into possession with the ball, he/she must dribble the ball. Dribbling is the motion of bouncing the ball up and down on the court with one hand. You can dribble while moving or standing still. Once you stop dribbling the ball, you must either pass it to another teammate or shoot. If you walk with the basketball that will be considered traveling and the other team will get the ball. The next item to be discussed is the proper technique for shooting the basketball. You generally want to be as close to the basket as possible because it will be easier to make the shot. There are two point shots which are inside an arch and there are three point shots which can be made from outside the arch. I have always been taught an acronym for shooting the basketball: BEEF. B stands for balance, E stands for eyes on the target (hoop), E stands for elbow, and F stands for follow through. In order to have an effective shot, you want to be well balanced with your knees bent. You also to make sure your eyes are always on the target so that you can aim the ball. Your elbow should be almost tucked into your side, so that it will remain straight. This will allow your shot to go where you want it to. Your follow through is also another key component to a good shot. A good follow through will be above your head and aimed toward the basket. The basketball should be released with a flick of the wrist. If all of these things are done correctly, you should have a decent shot. It does take a lot of practice before getting the hang of it.

The next important thing to discuss is fouling. Any disruptive physical contact will be penalized by a foul. In the NBA, if you receive six fouls in a single game then you are out for that game. If you foul person in the act of shooting the ball, that person will be awarded two free throws. Free throws are shot from a designated line 15 feet away from the basket. No person can contest the shot of a free throw. If a foul is committed and the person is not shooting, then you will inbound the ball from a designated spot. There are many different types of fouls and I will not go into all of them. The main four you should know are personal, offensive, technical, and flagrant. Personal and offensive are regular fouls that occur in a basketball game. Technical and flagrant fouls are serious fouls that usually result from doing something overly physical or saying something out of line.

When trying to learn the game of basketball, you need to know what kind of player you will be. There are five different positions on the floor. They are point guard, shooting guard, forward, power forward, and center. A point guard tends to have superior dribbling and passing skills. He also tends to have exceptional speed and control. Point guards run the whole offense. A shooting guard is just what it sounds like. Their job is to get open and be able to make a lot of shots. Both types of guards are usually shorter individuals. Forwards are generally taller people that can muscle their way to the basket and make short range shots and fight for rebounds. The center is normally the tallest player on the team. They are there to basically just place the ball in the basket and jump for rebounds.

Knowing all these things can help you play the game more effectively. I hope this information will help aid in your basketball playing abilities. It is important to understand the fundamentals before you get into the more advanced aspects of the game. Good luck to all who embark on becoming basketball players.