The Sports Life

The Birth Of Basketball

Basketball has been around for ages. For sure it has existed as a formal sport way before the icons we look up to in this sport were even born.

Thanks to James Naismith, basketball's founder and inventor in 1891. Mr. Naismith was a Canadian instructor of physical education in 1887 at McGill University and at the Y.M.C.A Training School of Springfield College in Massachusetts during the 1890s. While backyard and street basketball games are now a fad, Mr. Naismith intended basketball to be an exclusively indoor sport.

It was in the year 1892 that formal rules in basketball were devised. Playing basketball constituted dribbling a soccer ball in a court that is of indefinite proportions. Players earned points by making the ball land in a certain basket. In 1893, hammock-style baskets and iron hoops were introduced. A decade later, the sport style underwent some innovative changes, incorporating nets that were open-ended. Gradually, this innovation spelled the end to the ball's manual retrieval from the basket every after a score is achieved.

Prior to the various conventions in the sport, Mr. Naismith wrote certain rules in basketball. Essentially, Mr. Naismith's rules allowed ball throwing in any and all directions either with one hand or both. The ball may also be batted using both hands in any direction, but without the use of the fist. The rules also disallowed a player from running with the ball. Instead, the player should throw the ball from where it is caught, allowing space for a man to run at a considerable speed. The body or arms must not be used to hold the ball but must instead be held only with the hands. Holding, shouldering, striking, tripping or pushing an opponent were not allowed and a foul would be counted against any player who infringed the rule. When a player disobeyed the rule for a second time, he could possibly be disqualified for a certain period. If an injury was caused due to the infringement of the policy, the disqualification might apply to the person for an entire game. No substitution was allowed by then.

When a ball was batted or thrown from the ground to the basket and stayed put there, it could be counted as long as the defense team did not disturb or touch the goal. Similarly, when thrown and rested on the edges of the basket and the opposing team touched or moved the basket, it would be counted as goal. In the case of an out of bounds, the ball would be thrown back to the field, to be played by the first person who had touched it.

In cases of disputes, the umpire would throw the ball straight to the field. If the thrower-in held the ball for more than the permissible five seconds, the opposing team would get the ball. The umpire would consider foul on a playing team that insisted with delaying the game. The umpire judged the men and noted the fouls. He also notified the referees after three fouls, one after another, were called. The umpire also was authorized to disqualify players who defied the rules of the sport.

Meanwhile, referees were the official timekeepers and judges who decided if the ball was already in play. He also called if a ball was in bounds, if it rightfully belonged to a side, and to which side it belonged. The referee decided if a goal was counted and kept account of these goals.

The game was to be played over two halves of fifteen minutes. To allow rest, five-minute breaks in between were part of the game. The side of the players who made the most goals at a given game was declared the official winner.

Because of his genius, James Naismith was inducted to the Hall of Fame in Basketball. The prestigious award-giving body was later named "Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame."

James Brown writes about http://www.nbagearshop.com

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