Basketball
Explanation
Short History
Set of Simple Rules
What is basketball?
Basketball is a team sport.
It is played indoors.
Two teams of five players each try to score
points against one another by throwing a
ball through a 3 m high hoop.
Each hoop is placed at the end of a
rectangular court.
Basketball is one of the most popular
and widely viewed sports in the world.
History of Basketball
James Naismith,
a Canadian physical
education instructor
invented basketball in
1891. Back then the game
was played with an
ordinary soccer ball and
peach baskets between 2
teams of 9 players each.
There were 13 rules.
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Soon metal rims replaced the peach
baskets with netting underneath. Later
people cut the netting so that the ball
could go through.
Senda Abbott first introduced basketball
to woman in 1892.
Professional basketball started in 1869
in New Jersey, USA.
How basketball is played
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Basketball is played by two teams who
score points by throwing a ball into the
opposing team's basket. The team who
scores the most points are the winners.
Each team has a squad of 12 players to choose
from. Five of those players are allowed on the
court at any one time, with unlimited
substitutions.
Players can move the ball around the court
by passing, tapping, throwing, rolling or
dribbling.
Duration
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The game consists of four quarters of 10
minutes each, with a 15-minute break at halftime.
There are also two-minutes interval between the
first and second periods, and between the third
and fourth periods.
If the game is tied after the fourth period, it
continues with an extra period of five minutes,
then as many five-minute periods as are
necessary to break the tie.
Main Officials
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Main officials include one referee and one
umpire.
The court is divided between them and they
swap places after each foul involving a free
throw penalty, as well as after each jump ball
decision.
They use whistles and hand signals to make
and explain their decisions.
Each game begins with a jump ball.
The referee throws the ball into the air in the
centre circle and two opposing players leap up
and try to tap it away.
Each player is allowed two taps before the ball
hits the ground, a basket, a backboard or
another player.
Set of simple rules
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The ball may be thrown in any direction with
one or both hands.
A player cannot run with the ball.
A player must throw it from the spot on which
he catches it, or dribble the ball with one hand
while they are running.
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The ball must be held by the hands.
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Shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or
striking in any way a player of the other team is
allowed.
A foul is striking the ball with the fist.
A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or
batted from the grounds into the basket and
stays there, providing those defending the goal
do not touch or disturb the goal.
If the ball goes over the backboard, hits the side
or the top of the backboard, then the ball is
officially out of play.
SCORING
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Points are scored for shooting the
basketball through the hoop.
Two points for a goal inside the threepoint semi-circle, and three points for
goals scored from outside.
Free throws, taken from the free-throw
line and awarded after a foul, are worth
one point.
NBA BASKETBALL COURT
FIBA BASKETBALL COURT
SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM