What is Basketball – History, Rules, Equipment, Skills, Positions, Fun Facts

What is Basketball? Basketball is a game in which two teams compete with each other. There are five players in each team, and the ambition of all the players is to make more goals. The shape of the basketball court is rectangular, with the basketball hoops on both sides. 

The goal of all the basketball players is to hoop the basketball ball into the rim of the basketball system, which is attached at the front of the backboard at the height of 10 feetAt the same time, players of one team prevent the opponent from shooting into the hoop. 

The popularity of basketball sport is increasing same as the speed of rocket🚀. There are now 2.2 billion fan followers of basketball. Nowadays, you can’t find any home without a Basketball hoop, especially in the USA. 

There are many types of passing basketball that you should know before becoming a pro player. The primary skills that play an essential role while playing basketball are dribbling, running, jumping, shooting and passing. 


History of Basketball 

James Naismith is the inventor of basketballhe invented this fantastic game in 1891 at Springfield, Massachusetts. 

James Naismith was born on 9 November 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. He was a sports coach and Canadian-American physical teacher. 


Why did James Naismith invent basketball?

There is a lot of reason behind the invention of basketball. 

James Naismith was a teacher in college. Once, he had an issue that his students forced him to make an indoor game due to the winter season as it can be dangerous to play football or baseball inside. 

James Naismith also wants to keep away his students from boredom during winter. So, he thinks that what about the game in which players throw the ball into the basket. 

In short, he put two peach baskets at both ends of the gym at the height of 10 feet. And the task of the player is to throw the ball into that basket. At that time, a soccer ball is used to play this game. 

James Naismith also wrote 13 rules of basketball at that time, which we will discuss below. 


Rules of Basketball 

James Naismith wrote 13 rules and regulations of basketball in December 1861. Here we will discuss some essential rules from all of them. 

  • Players cannot dribble the basketball with the help of a fist or legs. 
  • When a player has a ball, he should have to dribble a ball. He can dribble the ball with one hand while moving both feet. 
  • Players cannot hold the basketball ball for more than 5 seconds without dribbling it.
  • While one player is defending the ball, other players cannot touch him in this way that makes him lose a ball – This is also called a foul.
  • The ball should be inside the marked area, in case the ball crosses the ending line of the court then, the team who touched the ball last time has to give an opportunity to their opponents to pass the ball. 
  • Players are not allowed to hold the ball from underneath; it is also called carrying the ball. 

Equipment Use in Basketball 

There is some vital equipment that is mainly use while playing basketball in different leagues like NBA, NCAA, or FIBA.

  • The basketball uniform contains the team’s shorts, jersey and basketball shoes. Both teams wear different uniforms so that that referee can distinguish between both teams. 
  • In-ground basketball hoop with tempered glass backboard and with the special breakaway rim.
  • Initially, when basketball was invented, the game was played with a soccer ball, but in the late 1950s, basketball ball became a part of a game. 

Some Skills of Basketball 

There are five basic skills of basketball that plays an essential role while playing basketball:

Dribbling

Dribbling is a crucial skill while playing basketball. In dribbling, the player has to use one hand and bounce the ball constantly while moving both feet. Dribbling of a basketball ultimately depends on the handling of the basketball ball and the movement of the fingers.

Running

Running is also a big part of a basketball game. There is a lot of running while playing basketball, and basketball players are extremely fit. In a game, players have to change their direction suddenly and keep defending the basketball.

Jumping

Jumping is an integral part of basketball and require a lot of practice. In basketball, players with more jumping skills can block opponents’ shots

Passing

There are a lot of different types of passing in basketball. Some types of passing basketball are easy for beginners, whereas some are complicated. You can learn many kinds of basketball passing by clicking on the link.

Shooting

Shooting is a fundamental skill that, you have to practice yourself. Once you have wholly understood the mechanism then, you will be able to shoot the ball, whether to your teammate or basket. A proper basketball shooting requires the perfect holding of basketball, aiming, arm extension and legs movement. 


Position In Basketball 

What is Basketball

There are five different positions in basketball from each team on a court. Here we also discuss all of those positions. 

The Point Guard

The point guard is an essential player on the basketball court, and point guard is also consider as the leader of the team. The point guard should have a high IQ about basketball, and the point guard play is often very quick and has excellent ball handling. 

The Shooting Guard

As the name implies, a shooting guard often select the best player, according to his shooting skills. The best shooter is the shooting guard, and he should also be capable of throwing the ball from a longer distance. 

The Power Forward

The power forward player is often the most energetic scorer in the team. Power forward is also known as the post players because they stand near the basketball court’s low post and high post. Typically, a power forward player is also suitable for offensive rebounding, and Antony Davis is the best power forward player. 

The Small Forward

Typically, the small forward player is a multitalented and multiskilled basketball player. Small forward plays against all players. A small forward is a player who can shoot, dribble, rebound, Pass or defend the basketball ball. 

The Center 

The center player is usually the tallest player in the team, and centre players are always be found for blocking shots. Nikola Jokic is the best center player in the NBA league. 

These five positions together help to make a successful and impressive team. 


Fun Facts of Basketball 

There are some fun facts related to a basketball game; you can also say that this is the evolution or development in the field of basketball. 

  • Initially, soccer balls were used to play basketball, but in the late 1900s, soccer balls were replaced with a basketball balls. 
  • In the late 1950s, it is illegal to play dunks because many of the players are seriously injure due to this. 
  • The very first person who performed the slam dunks was Bob Kurland. The height of Bob Kurland was 7 feet, which made it easy for him to play dunk.
  • At the start, peach baskets are use to hoop a basketball ball, but after a few years, peach baskets are replace with steel rims. 
  • At first, backboards were made with the help of wires, but with the advancement of technology, backboards also started making with the help of plastic, tempered glass or wood.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a skill of basketball?

Answer. There are a lot of skills that are essential for playing basketball. But the most important skills are dribbling, shooting, running and the types of passing a basketball. Jumping is also an important step of basketball because it helps the player to play dunks or layups. 

Q2. What is the first name of basketball?

Answer. In1891, when James Naismith invented this amazing game, he named it â€śBasket Ball”. But as time passed, its name was slightly modified, and now the name of this sport is basketball. 

Q3. What is passing basketball?

Answer. Passing a basketball is the most common and essential thing which will help you while playing basketball. There are different types of passing a basketball, such as bounce pass, chest pass, overhead pass, wrap-around pass, dribble pass etc.

Q4. What is the role of each player in basketball?

Answer. There are five players in each team. Each player has a specific role while playing basketball, and basketball players generally fall into five positions. 

  • The point guard
  • The shooting guard
  • Small forward
  • Power forward 
  • Center

Q5. Which is the most important position of basketball?

Answer. The point guard is the most necessary position of basketball. Point Guard has a high IQ about basketball, and he also has knowledge of each and everything about basketball.


Conclusion

In this article, we have talked about basketball. While learning basketball, beginners’ players should know what are the most common skills of basketball, which equipment are use in basketball, what are the position of basketball players and especially 13 rules and regulations of basketball. All these topics we have described above in detail.

We expect that you understand everything we have written in this article. If you still have any queries related to this topic, you can ask us without hesitation in the below comment section.


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