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The History of Basketball

The game was created in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith who worked as an instructor at YMCA Sports
School in Springfield, Massachusetts. James Naismith was born on November 6, 1861 in Almont, Canada.
In 1891, he was encouraged by the school principle, Dr. Luther Gulick, to design a new game which could
be played in a gym when the weather is bad. The result was the game of basketball which has become one
of the most popular games in the world over the next century. In 1936, basketball was included in the
program of Olympic Games in Berlin and Dr. Naismith was honored by tossing the initial jump ball. Thanks
to this, he was awarded the introduction to the Basketball Hall of Fame. James Naismith died on November
28, 1939 in Lawrence, Kansas (Vasilko, 2004). Naismith created this game to make it possible for the
students to play some sport both indoor in the winter and in the open air in the summer. The biggest
problem was the dimensions of the gym. Fortunately, Naismith came up with the idea to fasten two baskets
on the opposite walls of the gym in the height of 10 feet. He determined ball carriers, who were standing on
ladders by the baskets, and divided his students into two teams of nine members. The students took to the
game immediately and it became very much popular at the school (Vasilko, 2004).

Later, Naismith created five basic principles which he included in 13 basic rules:

 The game is played with a round ball and is played with hands.
 The player cannot run with the ball.
 Any player can take any position in the court at any time.
 There cannot be any physical contact among the players.
 The basket must be placed horizontally above the court ground. (Smith, 1998)

At the very beginning, the game was very slow and clumsy; it was nearly a static game. In the course of
time, as society developed, rules of the game developed as well and changed the game into a fast,
dynamic and technical sport. Later, this game conquered the world. Current rules of basketball make it a
very fast, offensive sport which, in respect of skills, is the most demanding of all ball games (Smith, 1998).
Over the time, basketball has become popular in the whole world; it is played by more than 300 million
people (Vasilko, 2004).

Rules of Basketball and their Changes since 2010

This chapter discusses a few basic rules and their changes since 2010. Basketball is played by two teams
of five members on each side. When the game is interrupted, players can arbitrarily change. The aim is to
throw the ball into the opponent team’s basket and prevent the opponent to control the ball or hit the
basket. During the game, the ball can be controlled only with a hand (or hands) and it can be passed,
thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled with restrictions stated by the rules. The player is allowed to move with
the ball only while continuously dribbling. If broken up by catching the ball with both hands, dribbling cannot
be resumed nor can the player move with the ball any further: the player must pass or shoot. The duration
of a match consists of 4 periods, each lasting 10 minutes of actual time. There are intervals between all
periods which last for 2 minutes. There is a 15-minute interval in the half of the match (between the second
and third periods). If the match ends in a tie, there is 5-minute overtime. The team which scores more
points in the opponent’s basket during the time interval is the winning team of the match (FIBA, 2004).
 The Court
Official dimensions of a basketball court are 20 m length and 15 m width. Minimum allowed dimensions of
the court are 26 m length and 14 m width. The basket board is either made of a transparent material or of
wood in which case it must be painted white. Dimensions of the board are 1.8 m horizontal and 1.05 m
vertical. The ball must be inflated with air in such a way that when dropped on the floor from 1.8 m bounces
and jumps 1.2-1.4 m high (FIBA, 2004).

Game
No player can block, push, hold, charge or trip the opponent, prevent another player from moving in any
way or play rough or violently. If a player commits any of the previous and if it is recognized by the referee
as such, it is called a personal foul.

Technical foul is a foul which has not been caused by interfering with the opponent. Any player who
commits five personal fouls within a match or manifests unsportsmanlike behavior is disqualified (FIBA,
2004).

Points and their value

The basket is hit when the ball falls through the basket or even when the smallest amount of its volume is
inside the ring.

A hit can be equal to a different number of points:

 A free throw is equal to one point.

 A hit from two-point lane counts for two points.
 A hit from three-point lane means three points (cabr.cbf.cz)

Changes in rules since 2010

In order to unite the rules with National Basketball Association (NBA), the dimensions of the court have
changed.

Fig. 1 shows original dimensions; new dimensions are illustrated on Fig. 2.

 According to Vyklický (2010), the rules have changed as follows.
Three-point area – the distance of three-point lane is 6.75 m (formerly 6.25 m).

Jump ball within the last two minutes of the match.

Two small lanes are marked outside the court opposite the timekeeper’s and team benches, their outer rim
being in the distance 8.325 m from the inner rims of boundary lines, in other words, at the level of the peak
of the three-point line.

Within the last two minutes of the match and within the last two minutes of each overtime following a time-
out of the team which was entitled to be in possession of the ball in its back part of the court, jump ball is
tossed on the tossing lane (at the level of the three-point lane), opposite the timekeeper’s (Vyklický, 2010).

Semi-circle in delineated area

Semi-circles against charging will be marked underneath both baskets on the court. The distance from the
inner rim of the semi-circle to the center of the rim (on the floor) shall be 1.25 m. Charging (offensive foul)
shall not be recognized if there is a contact between an offensive player and a defensive player who is
standing inside the semi-circle against charging (Vyklický, 2010).

Summary of the court changes

All courts with dimensions smaller than 28 x 15 must maintain the distance of the three-point line 0.6 m
from the boundary line up to the joint with the circle sector of three-point throw 6.75 m (i.e. the distance of
60 cm from the boundary line is kept). Two 15-centimeter lines must be marked on the side line in the
direction from the court towards the timekeepers and team benches in all halls in the distance of 8.325 m
from the inner end line. Semi-circle in the given area must be in the distance of 1.25 m from the center of
the basket on all courts disregarding their dimensions. Scoreboards must be adjusted in such a way so that
it is possible to set even 14 seconds at the timekeepers’. This provision must hold also in all halls which
host championships. According to the current rules of International Basketball Federation (FIBA), all lines
must be white. For National Basketball League (NBL) and for Women Basketball League (WBL), this rule
has been binding since October 1, 2010. For any other competitions, all lines must be of the same color,
preferably white (Vyklický, 2010).

24 seconds

If the inbound from outside the court is to take place in the rear part of the court and it is requested by the
respective section in the rules, another 24 seconds shall be set at the 24-second clock. If the tossing
should take place in the front part of the court and it is requested by the respective section in the rules, the
24-second clock must be set as follows:

1) If the 24-second clock displays 14 or more seconds at the time of stopping the game clock, the
second-clock will not be erased and it will not be changed.

2) If the 24-second clock displays 13 or fewer seconds at the time of stopping the game clock, the 24-
second device shall be erased and 14 seconds will be set (Vyklický, 2010)..

Game Activities of an Individual Player in Basketball

Activities of an individual player during the game can be described as specifically aimed movements or
movement units through which the player performs his/her game tasks in the match. Game activities of an
individual build up a framework for multiple-player activities (game combinations) as well as for whole-team
activities (game systems). Both combinations and systems cannot be replaced with anything else and their
effectiveness depends on the quality and the level of mastering game activities by an individual (Velenský,
1999).

Offensive Game Activities of an Individual Player

Game activities can be divided into offensive and defensive. Such a division results from the basic
descriptions of individual activities and fulfilling game tasks which are the basis of basketball (attack-
defense). Among offensive activities, there are: clearing with the ball, clearing without the ball, passing,
shooting, rebounding and screening (Janík a kol. 2005)

Clearing with the Ball

It is a game activity of an individual the aim of which is to get a convenient position for further activities with
the ball (passing, shooting).

Clearing without the Ball

It is an activity of an individual the aim of which is to get a convenient position for receiving a pass from a
team-mate. The aim to get the opponent’s attention and make space for activities of other team-mates is
also part of clearing.

Passing

It is an activity of an individual the aim of which is to throw, hand, roll or strike the ball in such a way to
make it possible for a team-mate to catch it. Among the basics of the technique, there is holding the ball
and positions and movements connected to holding the ball and the pass itself (Janík et al., 2005).

Shooting

It is an activity of an individual in the game the aim of which is to hit the basket. Shooting is one of the most
difficult movement structures among game activities. From the point of view of coordination, it is a very
complex movement which must be very precise. Even minor inaccuracies in technique affect the success.
An unquestionable duty of every coach is to see that all the rules are stuck to with a high level of precision.
Should a single mistake be forgiven during basic training, it will be very difficult to correct it in the future
(Pětivlas a kol., 2008).

Rebounding

It is an activity of an individual in the game the aim of which is to tap the ball into the basket, holding it in
both hands or tapping it in order to pass it to a play-mate. A successful offensive rebounding creates a new
possibility of shooting for the team. The presuppositions for successful rebounding include the ability to win
position for rebounding and timing the jump (Pětivlas a kol., 2008).

Screening

It is an activity of an individual in the game the aim of which is to stop the movement or anticipated
movement of the defense player without violating the rules. The rules of basketball define this activity
precisely (Velenský, 1999).

Defensive Activities of an Individual

It means training activities which do not require the skill to handle the ball or related offensive activities. The
main feature is to maintain correct positions, develop motor abilities, voluntary effort and the players’
motivation for defense. Among the defensive game activities of an individual, there are: guarding a player
without the ball, with the ball, guarding a player after shooting and defensive rebounding (Janík et al.,
2005).
Guarding a Player without the Ball

It is a defensive activity in the game with the aim to prevent the opponent from clearing to get the ball. The
most important aspects are the distance from the forward, position of legs, shoulders and arms of the
defense player and peripheral view of the player and the ball.

Guarding a Player with the Ball

It is a defensive activity with the aim to prevent the opponent from hitting the basket or passing the ball
towards the basket. The defense player attempts to control the ball in a convenient direction for the
defense. The most important aspects are low posture, maintain the correct position against the attacking
player and the ball and arm work.

Guarding a Player after Shooting and Defensive Rebounding

It is a defensive activity with the aim to prevent the opponent from rebounding and at the same time get
hold of the bounced ball and keep it safely in the hands of the defense player. The most important aspects
are body work during contact with the attacking player, visual contact with the ball, arm work and jump
timing.

How many people are on a basketball team?

5 people can play at a time for each basketball team or 10 players on the court. In NBA, each team is
allowed a maximum of 15 players on its roster during the season.

A traditional basketball team has 12 players, with five basketball players on the court at any given time.
Unlimited substitutions are allowed.

There are different leagues outside leagues, tournament teams, school teams, and professional teams.
Each league could have slightly amended rules based on the age group.

Good example is in college basketball mens games are split into 2 halves. While women's college
basketball games are split into quarters

What are the players on a basketball team and their roles?

Typical basketball team consists of five players on the court at a time, each with specific roles:
Point Guard: Often the team's primary ball-handler and playmaker, responsible for setting up the offense,
distributing the ball, and controlling the tempo of the game.
Shooting Guard: Typically a strong perimeter shooter and scorer, the shooting guard also plays a key role
in defending against the opposing team's guards.
Small Forward: A versatile player who can score from the perimeter and drive to the basket, the small
forward also contributes to rebounding and defense.
Power Forward: Often a strong inside scorer and rebounder, the power forward also plays a key role in
defending the paint and setting screens for teammates.
Center: Usually the tallest player on the team, the center is responsible for protecting the rim, grabbing
rebounds, and scoring in the paint.

These roles can vary based on the specific playing style of the team and the skills of individual players.