Basketball – History and How to Play

how to play basketball

Basketball is a game that many different types of people enjoy. We see the sport played all over the world. Any age group can participate in the sport. It’s not terribly difficult to understand. The basics of the game are easy, but people may find some of the rules challenging. First I would like to start with a little background on the sport of basketball. It was created in 1891 by Dr. James Niasmith. He was a Canadian-born physical education teacher in Massachusetts. He came up with the idea on a rainy day. He was trying to keep his students active despite the weather. He decided to nail a basket of peaches 10 feet off the ground. Then the students would have to throw a soccer ball into that basket of peaches. He also invented some of the basic rules that same day. However, the basket of peaches turned out to be inefficient because the bottom was still there. So every time someone put the ball in the basket, you would have to retrieve the ball. A hole was later drilled in the basket so that the ball could be easily retrieved. Peach baskets were used until 1906, where metal hoops were then used. The peach baskets were first nailed to the field’s mezzanine balcony, but that later proved to be a problem because people interfered with the shots. That’s when the backboard was introduced to prevent such interference and also gave the opportunity for rebounds. The first official basketball game was played at Naismith Gymnasium on January 20, 1892 with nine players. The final score of the match ended up being 1-0. Back then, you only got 1 point for each basket made. The court they played on was half the size of a regulation NBA court.

Now, I’d like to go into more detail about how the game is played today. A modern basketball game has two teams of five players each. What this means is that there is a maximum of ten players allowed on the court at one time. There are substitutes who can get into dead ball plays. Dead ball plays mean that the ball is not currently being used by a player. The game starts with a warning. A tip off is where the referee or official will throw the ball directly towards the center of the field and the tallest player on each team will try to pass it to their teammates. Once a person has possession of the ball, he must bounce the ball. Dribbling is the movement of dribbling the ball up and down the court with one hand. You can dribble while moving or standing still. Once you stop dribbling the ball, you must pass it to another teammate or shoot. If you walk with the basketball, it will be considered as traveling and the other team will get the ball. The next topic to be discussed is the proper technique for shooting the basketball. You generally want to be as close to the basket as possible because it will be easier to make the shot. There are two-point shots that are inside an arc and there are three-point shots that can be made from outside the arc. I’ve always been taught an acronym for shooting the basketball: BEEF. B represents balance, E represents eyes on the target (hoop), E represents elbow, and F represents follow through. To have an effective shot, you must be well balanced with your knees bent. You also need to make sure your eyes are always on the target so you can love the ball. Your elbow should be almost tucked into your side, so it stays straight. This will allow your shot to go where you want it to go. Your tracking is also another key component to a good shot. A good follow-through will be above your head and pointed toward the basket. The basketball must be launched with a flick of the wrist. If all of these things are done correctly, you should have a decent chance. It takes a lot of practice before mastering it.

The next important thing to discuss is fouling. Any disruptive physical contact will be penalized with a foul. In the NBA, if you get six fouls in a single game, you’re out of that game. If you foul a person in the act of throwing the ball, that person will be awarded two free throws. Free throws are taken from a designated line 15 feet from the basket. No person may contest the shooting of a free throw. If a foul is committed and the person is not shooting, then they will serve the ball from a designated spot. There are many different types of fouls and I am not going to go into all of them. The main four you need to be aware of are personal, offensive, technical, and flagrant. Personal and offensive fouls are regular fouls that occur in a basketball game. Technical and flagrant fouls are serious fouls that usually result from doing something too physical or saying something out of character.

When you are trying to learn the game of basketball, you need to know what kind of player you will be. There are five different positions on the floor. They are point guard, shooting guard, forward, power forward and center. A point guard tends to have superior dribbling and passing skills. He also tends to have exceptional speed and control. Point guards run the entire offense. An escort is just what it sounds like. His job is to open up and be able to make a lot of shots. Both types of guards are usually shorter individuals. Forwards are generally taller people who can work their way to the basket and take short-range shots and fight for rebounds. The center is normally the tallest player on the team. Basically, they are there to put the ball in the basket and jump for rebounds.

Knowing all of these things can help you play the game more effectively. I hope this information helps you in your basketball playing skills. It is important to understand the basics before getting into the more advanced aspects of the game. Good luck to everyone who is starting to become a basketball player.