Basketball Unit
Handout
The History of Basketball
James Naismith was the Canadian physical education instructor who invented basketball in 1891. He was the physical education teacher at McGill University (1887 to 1890) and at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts (1890 to 1895)..
The sport spread from the YMCA to colleges where the first basketball leagues were formed. As the sport gained popularity at the college level professional leagues were formed and, in 1936, basketball became an Olympic sport. Today the NBA (National Basketball Association) is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world.
Basketball has had a number of players that have help make basketball popular as a spectator sport including Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Oscar Robinson. Perhaps the most famous and arguably the greatest basketball player of all time is Michael Jordan.
Rules for the offense
The basketball team on offense is the team with the basketball. When a player has the basketball there are certain rules they must follow:
The player must bounce, or dribble, the ball with one hand while moving both feet. If, at any time, both hands touch the ball or the player stops dribbling, the player must only move one foot. The foot that is stationary is called the pivot foot.
The basketball player can only take one turn at dribbling. In other words, once a player has stopped dribbling they cannot start another dribble. A player who starts dribbling again is called for a double-dribbling violation and looses the basketball to the other team. A player can only start another dribble after another player from either team touches or gains control of the basketball. This is usually after a shot or pass.
The ball must stay in bounds. If the offensive team looses the ball out of bounds the other team gets control of the basketball.
The players hand must be on top of the ball while dribbling. If they touch the bottom of the basketball while dribbling and continue to dribble this is called carrying the ball and the player will lose the ball to the other team.
Once the offensive team crosses half court, they may not go back into the backcourt. This is called a backcourt violation. If the defensive team knocks the ball into the backcourt, then the offensive team can recover the ball legally.
Defensive Rules
The team on defense is the team without the basketball.
The main rule for the defensive player is not to foul. A foul is described as gaining an unfair advantage through physical contact. The defender should always give the offensive player time to move and a place to move to.
Rules for everyone
Basketball players cannot kick the ball or hit it with their fist.
No player can touch the basketball while it is traveling downward towards the basket or if it is on the rim. This is called goaltending. (touching the ball on the rim is legal in some games).
Size of the Basketball Court
- NCAA college and NBA - 94 feet long by 50 feet wide
- High School - 84 feet long by 50 feet wide
- Junior High - 74 feet long by 42 feet wide
- The height of the rim is 10 feet, the distance from the rim to the free throw line is 15’
BASKETBALL TECHNIQUES & TIPS
The set shot
When shooting the set shot, the feet must be square, the shoulders square to the rim, elbow in, the ball resting on the pads of the fingers above the eyes. The eyes should focus on the rim. On the release the wrist rotates downward creating a back spin on the ball.
Dribbling
When dribbling down court the ball is pushed towards the ground with the pads of the fingers, and never comes up higher than the waist. Most important, to protect the ball as well as your dribble. Your body should be between the ball and the defender.
Passing
The objectives of passing the ball using the bounce pass or chest pass are to move the ball down court to score, pass to another player who may be in scoring position, and to prevent being trapped. When passing, the bounce pass should bounce more than half way and behind the defender, and should be used when there is a defender in the passing lane.