HISTORY OF BASKETBALL
Basketball was invented in December 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor, while he was teaching at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith was tasked with creating an indoor sport to keep his students active during the cold winter months. He devised a game where players would try to throw a soccer ball into peach baskets nailed to an elevated track. The objective was to score by tossing the ball into the opponent's basket.
The original game had 13 basic rules, and it was played with nine players on each side. As the sport grew in popularity, several changes were made, such as replacing the peach baskets with open hoops and reducing the number of players to five per team.
Basketball quickly spread across the United States and beyond, becoming a popular sport in schools and colleges. The first professional basketball league, the National Basketball League (NBL), was established in 1898 but only lasted six years. However, other leagues formed over time, most notably the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946 and the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1937. In 1949, the BAA and NBL merged to form the National Basketball Association (NBA), which became the dominant professional basketball league globally.
The sport continued to evolve, with the introduction of the three-point line in the late 1970s, and it grew into a global phenomenon with leagues and teams all over the world. International competitions, such as the Olympics and the FIBA Basketball World Cup, further cemented basketball's status as a worldwide sport. Today, basketball is one of the most popular sports globally, with millions of fans and players.
THE ORIGINAL 13 RULES OF THE GAME
The original 13 Rules of Basketball were written by James Naismith in 1891. These rules formed the foundation of modern basketball. Here they are:
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 (but never with the fist).
A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot where they catch it, unless they were moving at a 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, striking, or tripping an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person counts as a foul; the second disqualifies them until the next goal is made.
A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violating rules 3, 4, or 5.
If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it counts as a goal for the opponents.
A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there,provided the defenders do not touch or disturb the goal.
When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. If there is a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field.
The umpire shall judge the players and note fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made.
The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and keep the time.
The game shall consist of two 15-minute halves with five minutes’ rest between.
The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner.
These rules have been adapted and expanded over time to fit the modern game of basketball, but they were the original guidelines for how the game was played.
The only known audio recording of basketball inventor James Naismith.