BRIEF HISTORY OF BASKETBALL

 Basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian Physical Education Instructor in Springfield,
Massachusetts. This sport was invented year 1891.
 Naismith was asked to come up with an indoor game that offered fewer injuries than classic American gridiron
football.
 The concept of basketball was born out of his early school days when he played a simple game known as duck-
on-a-rock outside his schoolhouse. The game involved attempting to knock a 'duck' off the top of a large rock by
tossing another rock at it.

EQUIPMENTS IN BASKETBALL
1. Ball - is the most visible equipment in the game of basketball.

There are different types of basketball used in different leagues.

 made of leather
 made of rubber
 made of any synthetic material but it has to be inflated properly.

However, there are some official rules about what equipment you need when playing competitively. The Ball
Professional leagues such as the NBA have very precise parameters for the official basketball they use.

This includes:

 colour  bounce
 material  size
 air pressure

Basketball size

 Basketball sizes vary by age, gender, and level of play.

 A men's size 7 ball is more than twice the weight of the size 3 mini! This extra weight makes it impossible for
young kids to shoot with proper technique.
 A size 7 basketball should be used once they hit 14-years-old and is the official size used at the high school,
college, and professional level.
 Size 6 Basketball: For boys, a size 6 basketball should be used between the ages of 12 and 13.
 Young kids compensate by dropping their shoulder, twisting, and slinging it up to the basket.
 The circumference of the basketball should be 29.5" and the weight 22 oz.
 For professional competitions, one needs to use an inflated ball made of leather. Official size of a basketball is
29.5 to 30 inches in circumference for men's game and 28.5 inches in circumference for women's game. It
should weigh 18 to 22 ounces.

2. Hoop or basket is a horizontal metallic rim, circular in shape. This rim is attached to a net and helps one score a
point. The rim is mounted about 4 feet inside the baseline and 10 feet above the court.

FACILITIES OF BASKETBALL
Basketball Court Dimensions

In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end.

Basketball court dimensions in practice vary in overall length, width, league and level of play. In many areas of the
country, older high school gymnasiums in particular have smaller overall size than regulation. Many of these same gyms
have varying backboard designs and measurements.

 For NBA court dimensions, as well as for WNBA and college, the court measures 94 feet long by 50 feet wide.
Note the paint area - the free throw lane - is 16 feet across.
 Under International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, the court is slightly smaller, measuring 28 by 15 meters
(91.9 by 49.2 ft). In amateur basketball, court sizes vary widely.

* Portable goal systems are mainly suitable for the kids. Basketball is a play where you've to dunk the ball through the
rim set in the hoop. If you want to build your own basketball system then you have to make a backboard, a rim, a net
and a pole.

Basketball coach areas

Setup: Players are set up in a stack formation on the ball-side edge of the key. 1. 2 immediately cuts to the corner calling
for the basketball to drag out the low wing defender (x3). 2. 5 steps towards the middle of the key and sets a screen on
the middle zone defender (x5).
Basketball free-throw

In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free throw
line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws
are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team.

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS IN BASKETBALL

The Five Basic Skills of Basketball

 Dribbling. Dribbling is an important skill for all basketball players. Top point guards dribble and control the ball
as if it were on a string.
 Shooting. In order to score points in basketball, you need to shoot the ball into the hoop.
 Running. Running is a big part of basketball.
 Passing. Great passers can see the whole court and anticipate where a teammate will go.
 Rebounding. Rebounds are given to a player who tips in a missed shot on his team's offensive end. A rebound
can be grabbed by either an offensive player or a defensive player.

Other fundamental skills are:

 Foul Shooting. Free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the
free throw line, a line situated at the end of the restricted area.
 Lay ups. A basketball shot made with one hand from a position under or beside the basket (and usually banked
off the backboard)
 Finishing moves. If you are penetrating with the basketball in your right hand then you should jump off our left
foot and vice versa. But the landing is the most important aspect of this finishing move. You must land with both
feet at the same time to avoid being called for a travel.
 Ballhandling. The control of the ball, as in basketball or soccer, by skillful dribbling and accurate passing.
 Footwork such jump stops, pivoting, jab steps.
 Defense. A team's defense really can make or break a game, and being a good individual defender can make you
a huge contributor on your team

POSITIONS OF BASKETBALL PLAYERS

The five basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams. The positions — which consist of two
guards, two forwards, and one center — call for different physical requirements and skills.

 Point Guard (PG): A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected
to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time.
Above all, the point guard must understand and accept their coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be
compared to a quarterback in American football or a playmaker in soccer. They must also be able to adapt to
what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game.
 Shooting Guard (SG): A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for their team and steal the ball on
defense. Some teams ask their shooting guards to bring up the ball as well; these players are known colloquially
as combo guards. A player who can switch between playing shooting guard and small forward is known as a
swingman. In the NBA, shooting guards usually range from 6' 2" to 6' 6" and 5' 8" to 5' 11" in the WNBA.
 Small Forward (SF): Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers,
but typically taller, larger and stronger than either of the guard positions. The small forward is considered to be
perhaps the most versatile of the five main basketball positions.
 Power Forward (PF): Power forwards play a role similar to that of center. They typically play offensively with
their backs towards the basket and position themselves defensively under the basket in a zone defense or
against the opposing power forward in man-to-man defense.
 Center (C): The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body
mass as well. One of the most important positions on the basketball court is the center. The center is
responsible for making close-up baskets on offense and stopping baskets on defense. The center is generally the
team's best shot blocker. Strong shot blocking from the center is important to keep smaller players from coming
into the lane to take easy shots. If the center keeps blocking their shots, they will stay away and try more
difficult shots from the perimeter.