Basketball, 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.

(Read James Naismith’s 1929 Britannica essay on his invention of basketball.)

The only major sport strictly of U.S. origin, basketball was invented by James
Naismith (1861–1939) on or about December 1, 1891, at the International Young Men’s
Christian Association (YMCA) Training School (now Springfield
College), Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith was an instructor in physical
education.

For that first game of basketball in 1891, 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 made a
midcourt shot—the only score in that historic contest. Word spread about the
newly invented game, and numerous associations wrote Naismith for a copy of
the rules, which were published in the January 15, 1892, issue of the Triangle,
the YMCA Training School’s campus paper.

History
The early years

outdoor basketball game in 1892

In the early years the number of players on a team varied according to the number in the
class and the size of the playing area. In 1894 teams began to play with five on a side
when the playing area was less than 1,800 square feet (167.2 square metres); the
number rose to seven when the gymnasium measured from 1,800 to 3,600 square feet
(334.5 square metres) and up to nine when the playing area exceeded that. In 1895 the
number was occasionally set at five by mutual consent; the rules stipulated five players
two years later, and this number has remained ever since.

Since Naismith and five of his original players were Canadians, it is not
surprising that Canada was the first country outside the United States to play
the game. Basketball was introduced in France in 1893, in England in 1894,
in Australia, China, and India soon thereafter, and in Japan in 1900.
Since Naismith and five of his original players were Canadians, it is not
surprising that Canada was the first country outside the United States to play
the game. Basketball was introduced in France in 1893, in England in 1894,
in Australia, China, and India soon thereafter, and in Japan in 1900.

Growth of the game

Basketball grew steadily but slowly in popularity and importance in the United States
and internationally in the first three decades after World War II. Interest in the game
deepened as a result of television exposure, but with the advent of cable television,
especially during the 1980s, the game’s popularity exploded at all levels. Given a timely
mix of spectacular players—such as Earvin (“Magic”) Johnson, Julius Erving (“Dr.
J”), Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan—and the greatly increased exposure, basketball
moved quickly to the forefront of the American sporting scene, alongside such
traditional leaders as baseball and football. Four areas of the game developed during
this period: U.S. high school and college basketball, professional basketball, women’s
basketball, and international basketball.

Play of the game

Court and equipment
The standard American basketball court is in the shape of a rectangle 50 feet (15.2
metres) by 94 feet (28.7 metres); 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. A goal, or basket, 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter is
suspended from a backboard at each end of the court. The metal rim of the basket is 10
feet (3 metres) above the floor. In the professional game the backboard is a rectangle, 6
feet (1.8 metres) wide and 3.5 feet (1.1 metres) high, made of a transparent material,
usually glass; it may be 4 feet (1.2 metres) high in college. The international court varies
somewhat in size and markings. The spherical inflated ball measures 29.5 to 30 inches
(74.9 to 76 cm) 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 being
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 (two referees and a crew chief in NBA play), two
timers, and two scorekeepers. One player on each team acts as captain and speaks for
the team on all matters involving the officials, such as interpretation of rules.
Professional, international, and high school games are divided into four periods, college
games into two.

Since the 1895–96 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 made from outside
a boundary line set 25 feet (7.6 metres) from the basket. With varying distances, the
change was adopted officially by the NBA in 1979 and, in 1985, by colleges.

Basketball is a rough sport, although it is officially a noncontact game. A player may

pass or bounce (dribble) the ball to a position whereby he or a teammate may try for a
basket. A foul is committed whenever a player makes such contact with an opponent as
to put him at a disadvantage; for the 2001–02 season the NBA approved a rule change
that eliminated touch fouls, meaning brief contact initiated by a defensive player is
allowable if it does not impede the progress of the offensive player. If a player is fouled
while shooting and the shot is good, the basket counts and he is awarded one free throw
(an unhindered throw for a goal from behind the free throw, or foul, line, which is 15
feet [4.6 metres] from the backboard); if the shot misses, he gets a second free throw. If
a foul is committed against a player who is not shooting, then his team is awarded either
the possession of the ball or a free throw if the other team is in a penalty situation. A
team is in a penalty situation when it has been called for a set number of fouls in one
period (five in one quarter in professional and international play and seven in one half
in the college game). In college basketball, penalty free throws are “one-and-one” in
nature (consisting of one free throw that, if made, is followed by a second) until the
opposing team commits a 10th foul in a half, creating a “double bonus” situation where
all fouls automatically result in two free throws. A pair of penalty free throws are
immediately earned when teams enter the penalty situation in both the NBA and
international play. Infractions such as unsportsmanlike conduct or grasping the rim are
technical fouls, which award to the opposition a free throw and possession of the ball.
Overly violent fouls are called flagrant fouls and also result in free throws and
possession for the opposition. Players are allowed a set number of personal fouls per
game (six in the NBA, five in most other competitions) and are removed from the game
when the foul limit is reached.

Common terms used in basketball include the following:

Blocking
Any illegal personal contact that impedes the progress of an opponent who does not
have the ball.
Dribble
Ball movement by bouncing the ball. A dribble ends when a player touches the ball with
both hands simultaneously or does not continue his dribble.
Held ball
Called when two opponents have one or two hands so firmly upon the ball that neither
can gain possession without undue roughness. It also is called when a player in the
frontcourt is so closely guarded that he cannot pass or try for a goal or is obviously
withholding the ball from play.

Jump ball
A method of putting the ball into play. The referee tosses the ball up between two
opponents who try to tap it to a teammate. The jump ball is used to begin games and, in
the professional game, when the ball is possessed by two opposing players at the same
time.
Pass
Throwing, batting, or rolling the ball to another player. The main types are (1) the chest
pass, in which the ball is released from a position in front of the chest, (2) the bounce
pass, in which the ball is bounced on the floor to get it past a defensive opponent, (3) the
roll pass on the floor, (4) the hook pass (side or overhead), and (5) the baseball pass, in
which the ball is thrown a longer distance with one hand in a manner similar to a
baseball throw.
Pivot
A movement in which a player with the ball steps once or more in any direction with the
same foot while the other foot (pivot foot) is kept at its point of contact with the floor.
Pivot player
Another term for centre; also called a post player. He may begin the offensive set from a
position just above the free throw line.
Rebounding
Both teams attempting to gain possession of the ball after any try for a basket that is
unsuccessful, but the ball does not go out-of-bounds and remains in play.
Screen, or pick
Legal action of a player who, without causing more than incidental contact, delays or
prevents an opponent from reaching his desired position.
Shots from the field
One of the main field shots is the layup, in which the shooter, while close to the basket,
jumps and lays the ball against the backboard so it will rebound into the basket or just
lays it over the rim. Away from the basket, players use a one-hand push shot from a
stride, jump, or standing position and a hook shot, which is overhead. Some players can
dunk or slam-dunk the ball, jamming the ball down into the basket.
Traveling (walking with the ball)
Progressing in any direction in excess of the prescribed limits, normally two steps, while
holding the ball.
Turnover
Loss of possession of the ball by a team through error or a rule violation.

Other special terms are discussed below.