Summary
Highlights
Basketball was invented in 1891 by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith at the YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. He created an indoor game for students during winter, initially using a peach basket. Naismith established 13 basic rules for 18 players (two teams of nine), forming the foundation of the sport. The sport is now governed internationally by FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball).
Basketball requires specific facilities and equipment for fair and safe play. The court is a flat, hard surface, 28m long and 15m wide according to FIBA (94x50 ft or 28.7m by 15.2m for NBA courts). All court lines must be 5cm wide, visible, and of the same color, helping officials determine scoring, fouls, and violations.
Important court markings include the center circle, center line, free-throw line, three-point line, key (paint area), baselines/end lines, and sidelines. The center line divides the court into front court (offensive) and back court (defensive); a team must move the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt within 8 seconds to avoid an 8-second violation. The center circle is used for the tip-off at the start of the game. The free-throw line, 5.8m from the backboard, is where free throws are shot after fouls. The three-point line is an arc; shots from outside it are worth three points, inside worth two. The key area, or painted area, is a rectangular space under the basket where offensive players cannot stay for more than three seconds, to avoid a 3-second violation. Baselines and sidelines define the boundaries of play; stepping on or outside them results in an out-of-bounds violation.
The backboard is a rectangular board (1.8m wide, 1.5m tall) made of tempered glass, acrylic, or other durable materials, to which the basket ring (rim) is attached. The rim has a spring mechanism to allow for dunks without breaking the backboard. The basketball is the main equipment, with a circumference of 74.9-78 cm and weighing 567-650 grams. Ball sizes vary: size 7 for men, size 6 for women, and size 5 for kids.
Basketball terminologies are common words used by players, coaches, and referees. Dribbling is continuously bouncing the ball with one hand while moving, a crucial skill as players cannot run or walk with the ball without dribbling; doing so is a 'traveling' violation. Passing is throwing the ball to a teammate to move it around the court and create scoring opportunities. Types of passes include the chest pass (most basic, thrown from the chest), bounce pass (bounces before reaching the teammate, useful against defenders), and overhead pass (thrown from above the head, often for long distances or inbound plays).
Shooting is throwing the ball towards the basket to score points, the main objective of the game. Different shots include layups, jump shots, and free throws. Rebounding occurs when a player catches the ball after a missed shot. There are two types: offensive rebound (recovering a missed shot by a teammate for another scoring chance) and defensive rebound (recovering an opponent's missed shot to gain possession). Rebounding is vital for creating or preventing scoring opportunities.
An assist happens when a player passes the ball to a teammate, directly leading to a successful basket. A turnover occurs when a team loses possession of the ball to the opponent, due to reasons like a bad pass, committing a violation, or a defender stealing the ball.