03/10/2024
HISTORY OF BASKETBALL IN THE WORLD:
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. Naismith was a 31-year-old graduate student when he created the indoor sport to keep athletes indoors during the winters. The game became established fairly quickly and grew very popular as the 20th century progressed, first in America and then in other parts of the world. After basketball became established in American colleges, the professional game followed. The American National Basketball Association (NBA), established in 1946, grew to a multibillion-dollar enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball became an integral part of American culture.
Basketball game is 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.
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 dribbling.
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 the player 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 center; also called a post player. A pivot player 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 the opponent’s 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.