How Was Basketball Invented?

Introduction

     Do you like basketball? Have you ever watched basketball on TV? Did you ever want to play basketball? 

     The sport of basketball has been around a long time, but somebody had to invent it and play the first game. How was basketball invented? Read on to find out. 

Who is James Naismith?

   Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education teacher named James Naismith while working at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. James Naismith was a Canadian-American physical education director who invented the game of basketball. Mr. Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, and graduated from McGill University in 1887.

Peach Baskets and Soccer Balls

     Before the game of basketball was invented, there was no such thing as a basketball and there was also no such thing as a basketball hoop and net. So what did they use instead?

    James Naismith used a soccer ball and two peach baskets as goals in the first game of basketball. Mr. Naismith develped a tossing game by putting a basket at either end of the gym. He approached the school janitor hoping he could find two square boxes for goals. When the janitor came back, he had two peach baskets instead. 

     So the first game of basketball had peach baskets. Mr. Naismith nailed two half bushel peach baskets onto the balcony in the gym, which happened to be 10 feet above the ground., This gave the sport its name. The students learned the rules that their gym teacher Mr. Naismith had written, and the game of basketball was born.    

Most Popular Indoor Sport

     James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 while at the YMCA school. Luther H. Gulick had asked his students to devise a game that could be played indoors in the winter. The first basketball game was played by Mr. Naismith's YMCA class on December 21, 1891 was a soccer ball and peach baskets.

     The first public basketball game took place on March 11, 1892 in Springfield, Massachusetts. People spread the new game, and many associations wrote to Mr. Naismith for a copy of the rules that were first published on January 15,1892. 

     Men started playing basketball at the college level in the early 1890s. The first women's basketball team started at Smith College in Massachusetts in 1892.

     Basketball became a popular sport throughout the United States, and today it is the world’s most popular sport played indoors. 

How Basketball Changed Over the Years

       Mr. Naismith invented 13 original rules for the game of "basket ball."  The first game of basketball used a soccer ball and peach baskets. Later, basketballs were made of leather like footballs. The real hoop was not invented until 1906. 

  The original rules did not say how many people were on a team. Today, there are two teams with five players on the court at one time. There are other players on the bench waiting to play. 

     James Naismith didn't create all of today's rules, but over the years the rules were modified.  Other rules were added such as being able to walk or run with the ball while dribbling it. Rebounds are balls that bounce off the backboard of a shot that has been missed.

    For many years, a basket made from any spot on the court was worth two points and a foul shot was worth one point. In 1979 the three-point shot started in the NBA for long shots that were about 23 feet away from the basket.

    Some of James Naismith's original rules are still part of the game. In 2010, James Nasismith's original rules were sold at an auction for $4.3 million.

Basketball can be played be all ages. Kids play basketball, too, because it is a fun sport to play.

James Naismith is holding a peach basket and a soccer ball.

Peach baskets were used for hoops. The hoop was not invented until 1906.

Here are some people playing basketball with peach baskets instead of the usual basketball hoops and nets we are used to seeing.

Many other sports in history started out as only to be played by men. Basketball is different because the first women's teams started in 1892, the same time that the men's teams started. 

Do you notice that these women are wearing dresses? Although women started playing on basketball teams startingback in 1892, they still had to dress in the traditional clothing of the times.

Today we use a basketball, but the first games of basketball were played using a soccer ball instead.

This picture shows what a modern basketball hoop and net looks like.

Visit these sources to find more information:

Books about Basketball:

Dr. James Naismith's Original 13 Rules of Basket Ball

This picture shows the original rules that were written by James Naismith in 1891. An original copy of the rules was sold at an auction in 2010 for $4,300,000.

James Naismith, the inventor of the sport of basketball

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.

2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist).

3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop.

4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.

5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed.

6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3,4, and such as described in Rule 5.

7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the mean time making a foul).

8. 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 rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.

9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on that side.

10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.

11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.

12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between.

13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.

Note: Basketball was originally two words: "basket ball." These original rules were published on January 15, 1892, in the Springfield College school newspaper, The Triangle.

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