BASKET BALL

Basketball is a fast, exciting and popular sport, played by over 300 million
people all over the world. It was invented in the United States in 1891. Today,. it is a
sport that is played in all types of schools all over the world. The best professional
players compete in teams of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Although basketball can be played almost everywhere it is mostly an indoor

game played on a court that is 29 meters long and 15 meters wide. The floor is
made of wood. At each end, there is a backboard and a basket which you must
shoot the ball through. The basket is about 3 meters from the floor. The official ball
is made out of leather and it has a circumference of 76 cm.

The court has many important lines drawn on the floor. The midcourt line and the
center circle are where the game starts. The referee throws the ball into the air and
two players jump up and try to push it to their team-mates. The three-point line is a
curved line on the floor. If a player shoots a basket from outside the line the team
gets three points. The free throw line is the place from which a player tries to score
a point after he is fouled. The sidelines and the baselines mark the boundaries of
the court.

Each team consists of five players who can be substituted at any time. Normally
a team has two guards, two forwards and a center. The guards are usually the
smallest and quickest players. They should be good dribblers and passers and they
play farther away from the basket. Most of them are good at three-point shots.
Forwards are taller and stronger than guards. They usually play near the basket and
are good rebounders. The center is the most important player on a team. He is very
tall and always watches out for balls that come off the backboard. He is a good
scorer and can dominate a game.