1.

Define Basketball
- can make a true claim to being the only major sport that is an American invention. From high television coverage of events like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) annual tournament and the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) playoffs. And it has also made American heroes out of its player and coach legends like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Sheryl Swoopes, and other great players. At the heart of the game is the playing space and the equipment. The space is a rectangular, indoor court. The principal pieces of equipment are the two elevated baskets, one at each end (in the long direction) of the court, and the basketball itself. The ball is spherical in shape and is inflated. Basket-balls range in size from 28.5-30 in (72-76 cm) in circumference, and in weight from 18-22 oz (510-624 g). For players below the high school level, a smaller ball is used, but the ball in men's games measures 29.5-30 in (75-76 cm) in circumference, and a women's ball is 28.5-29 in (72-74 cm) in circumference. The covering of the ball is leather, rubber, composition, or synthetic, although leather covers only are dictated by rules for college play, unless the teams agree otherwise. Orange is the regulation color. At all levels of play, the home team provides the ball.school to the professional level, basketball attracts a large following for live games as well as Inflation of the ball is based on the height of the ball's bounce. Inside the covering or casing, a rubber bladder holds air. The ball must be inflated to a pressure sufficient to make it rebound to a height (measured to the top of the ball) of 49-54 in (1.2-1.4 m) when it is dropped on a solid wooden floor from a starting height of 6 ft (1.80 m) measured from the bottom of the ball. The factory must test the balls, and the air pressure that makes the ball legal in keeping with the bounce test is stamped on the ball. During the intensity of high school and college tourneys and the professional playoffs, this inflated sphere commands considerable attention.

2.History of Basketball
Basketball is one of few sports with a known date of birth. On December 1, 1891, in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith hung two half-bushel peach baskets at the opposite ends of a gymnasium and out-lined 13 rules based on five principles to his students at the International Training School of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), which later became Springfield College. Naismith (18611939) was a physical education teacher who was seeking a team sport with limited physical contact but a lot of running, jumping, shooting, and the hand-eye coordination required in handling a ball. The peach baskets he hung as goals gave the sport the name of basketball. His students were excited about the game, and Christmas vacation gave them the chance to tell their friends and people at their local YMCAs about the game. The association leaders wrote to Naismith asking for copies of the rules, and they were published in the Triangle, the school newspaper, on January 15,1892.

Naismith's five basic principles center on the ball, which was described as "large, light, and handled with the hands." Players could not move the ball by running alone, and none of the players was restricted against handling the ball. The playing area was also open to all players, but there was to be no physical contact between players; the ball was the objective. To score, the ball had to be shot through a horizontal, elevated goal. The team with the most points at the end of an allotted time period wins. Early in the history of basketball, the local YMCAs provided the gymnasiums, and membership in the organization grew rapidly. The size of the local gym dictated the number of players; smaller gyms used five players on a side, and the larger gyms allowed seven to nine. The team size became generally established as five in 1895, and, in 1897, this was made formal in the rules. The YMCA lost interest in supporting the game because 10-20 basketball players monopolized a gymnasium previously used by many more in a variety of activities. YMCA membership dropped, and basketball enthusiasts played in local halls. This led to the building of basketball gymnasiums at schools and colleges and also to the formation of professional leagues.

Although basketball was born in the United States, five of Naismith's original players were Canadians, and the game spread to Canada immediately. It was played in France by 1893; England in 1894; Australia, China, and India between 1895 and 1900; and Japan in 1900. From 1891 through 1893, a soccer ball was used to play basketball. The first basketball was manufactured in 1894. It was 32 in (81 cm) in circumference, or about 4 in (10 cm) larger than a soccer ball. The dedicated basketball was made of laced leather and weighed less than 20 oz (567 g). The first molded ball that eliminated the need for laces was introduced in 1948; its construction and size of 30 in (76 cm) were ruled official in 1949. The rule-setters came from several groups early in the 1900s. Colleges and universities established their rules committees in 1905, the YMCA and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) created a set of rules jointly, state militia groups abided by a shared set of rules, and there were two professional sets of rules. A Joint Rules Committee for colleges, the AAU, and the YMCA was created in 1915, and, under the name the National Basketball Committee (NBC) made rules for amateur play until 1979. In that year, the National Federation of State High School Associations began governing the sport at the high school level, and the NCAA Rules Committee assumed rule-making responsibilities for junior colleges, colleges, and the Armed Forces, with a similar committee holding jurisdiction over women's basketball. Until World War II, basketball became increasingly popular in the United States especially at the high school and college levels. After World War II, its popularity grew around the world. In the 1980s, interest in the game truly exploded because of television exposure. Broadcast of the NCAA Championship Games began in 1963, and, by the 1980s, cable television was carrying regular season college games and even high school championships in some states. Players like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) became nationally famous at the college level and carried their fans along in their professional basketball careers. The women's game changed radically in 1971 when separate rules for women were modified to more closely resemble the men's game. Television interest followed the women as well with broadcast of NCAA championship tourneys

beginning in the early 1980s and the formation of the WNBA in 1997. Internationally, Italy has probably become the leading basketball nation outside of the United States, with national, corporate, and professional teams. The Olympics boosts basketball internationally and has also spurred the women's game by recognizing it as an Olympic event in 1976. Again, television coverage of the Olympics has been exceptionally important in drawing attention to international teams. The first professional men's basketball league in the United States was the National Basketball League (NBL), which debuted in 1898. Players were paid on a per-game basis, and this league and others were hurt by the poor quality of games and the ever-changing players on a team. After the Great Depression, a new NBL was organized in 1937, and the Basketball Association of America was organized in 1946. The two leagues came to agree that players had to be assigned to teams on a contract basis and that high standards had to govern the game; under these premises, the two joined to form the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949. A rival American Basketball Association (ABA) was inaugurated in 1967 and challenged the NBA for college talent and market share for almost ten years. In 1976, this league disbanded, but four of its teams remained as NBA teams. Unification came just in time for major television support. Several women's professional leagues were attempted and failed, including the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) and the Women's World Basketball Association, before the WNBA debuted in 1997 with the support of the NBA.

3.Facilities and Equipment

A. Playing court (Standard Dimension)
Court dimensions

The playing court is a flat, hard surface free from obstructions with dimensions of 28m long by 15m wide, measured from the inside edge of the boundary line.

A team's backcourt is the team's own basket, the inbounds part of the backboard and the part of the playing court limited by the endline behind the team's own basket, sidelines and centre line. A team's frontcourt consists of the opponents' basket, the inbounds part of the backboard and part of the playing court limited by the endline behind the opponents' basket, sidelines and inner edge of the centre line nearest to the opponents' basket. The height of the ceiling or the lowest obstruction above the playing floor is at least 7m. Lines All lines are drawn in the same colour (preferably white), 5cm in width and clearly visible. Boundary line The playing area is limited by the boundary line, consisting of endlines and sidelines. These lines are not part of the playing court. The minimum space around the court for run-off is 2m. Any obstruction, including seated team bench personnel, must be at least 2m from the playing court. All spectators must be seated at a distance of at least 5m from the outside edge of the boundary lines of the playing court.
The Key

Centre line, centre circle and free-throw semi-circles The centre line is marked parallel to the endlines from the mid-points of the sidelines and extend 0.15m beyond each sideline. Centre line is part of the backcourt. The centre circle is marked in the centre of the playing court and has a radius of 1.8m measured to the outer edge of the circumference. If the inside of the centre circle is painted, it must be the same colour as the restricted areas.

The free-throw semi-circles are marked on the playing court with court with a radius of 1.8m measured to the outer edge of the circumference and with their centres at the mid-points of the free-throw line (see diagram). Free-throw lines, restricted areas and free-throw rebound places The free-throw line is drawn parallel to each endline. It furthest edge is 5.80m from the inner edge of the endline and is 3.60m long. It's mid-point lies on the imaginary line joining the mid-points of the two end endlines. The restricted area ("the Key") has been changed to a rectangle 5.8m by 3.6m. For international competition the restricted area must be painted. Basketball Australia is not adopting that requirement. The restricted areas are the rectangular areas marked on the playing court limited by the endlines, the extended free-throw lines and the lines which originate at the endlines, their outer edges 2.45m from the mid-points of the endlines and terminating at the outer edge of the free-throw lines. These lines, excluding the endlines, are part of the restricted area. The inside of the restricted areas must be painted. Free-throw rebound places along the restricted area, reserved for players during free throws and are marked in the diagram to the right.

Three point field goal area and line The three point line has been extended from 6.25m to 6.75m. Basketball Australia recommends that the courts should be marked with both three point lines (6.25m and 6.75m). The new 6.75m three point line should be marked in white (or the same colour as the rest of the basketball court line) and the old 6.25m three point line marked in an alternate colour, ie yellow, red, green, blue or black.

The three point field goal area (see diagram on the next page) is the entire floor area of the playing court, except for the area near the opponents basket., limited by and including:

Two parallel lines extending from and perpendicular to the endlines, with the outer edge 0.90m from the inner edge of the sidelines. An arc of radium 6.75m measured from the point on the floor beneath the exact centre of the opponents' basket to the outer edge of arc. This distance of the point on the floor from the inner edge of the mid-point of the endline is 1.575m. The arc is joined to the parallel lines.

The three point line is not part of the three-point field goal area.
Throw-in lines

A throw-in line 15cm long, outside the playing court, will be marked 8.325m from the end line (at the top of the three point arc) on the sideline opposite the scorer's table. Previously this throw-in was administered at the half way line, opposite the scorer's table. No-charge semi-circle areas The no-charge semi-circle lines shall be marked on the playing courts, limited by:

A semi-cicle with a radius of 1.25m measured from the point on the floor beneath the exact centre of the basket to the inner edge of the semi-circle. The semi-circle is joined to: Two parallel lines perpendicular to the endlines, the inner edge 1.25m from the point on the floor beneath the exact centre of the basket, 0.375m in length and ending 1.20m from the inner edge of the endline. The no-charge semi-circle areas are completed by imaginary lines joining the ends of the parallel lines directly below the front edges of the backboards. The no-charge semi-circle lines are not part of the no-charge semi-circle areas.

Team Bench Areas The team bench areas are marked outside the playing court limited by two lines as shown on the diagram. There must be 14 seats available in the team bench area for coaches, assistant coaches and substitutes. Any other persons must be at least two metres behind the team bench.

B.Technical Equipment used in Basketball

There are quite a few important basketball equipment of interest, which are listed and explained below: The Basketball The basketball is an inflated sphere usually made out of leather. Leather basketballs are those which are recommended for indoor professional competitions. The rubber covered basketballs are the ones which are used for daily practices and play. A basketball usually weighs 600 to 650 grams and is 75 to 78 cm in circumference. The size and weight of the basketball depends on who plays the game. If women are playing, the official size of the basketball is 28.5 in circumference (which is size 6) and weighs 20 oz, as opposed to 29.5 circumference and 22 oz weight ball used for mens games. Prior to the commencement of a match, the referee will test the ball for suitability. The Basket The Basket is the Goal in the game, and is made up of a horizontal, circular metal rim with a net attached to it. This rim is mounted 10 feet (3.05 m) above the court and 4 feet (1.2 m) inside the baseline. The Backboard The Backboard is the firm rectangular board behind the rim. You would be able to see backboards made of glass, steel, aluminum and acrylic (clear and tinted). The heavier and thicker the backboards are, the better the rebound effect will be. The size of a backboard would usually be 1800mm horizontally and 1050mm vertically. The Uniform This is one important part in the game. Every team will have their own uniform, which includes a shirt (jersey) and a pair of shorts, which will be numbered on both the front and back sides (and sometimes with names printed on it) for quick and easy identification.

Shoes The shoes worn by basketball players are high-topped shoes made to facilitate higher ankle support than normal running shoes for extra comfort during play. The Shot Clock This is the clock that counts down the maximum 24 seconds the offence is allowed to have the ball in hand before shooting. If they fail to attempt a shoot that hits the rim within this time limit, they will lose possession of the ball. The Floor / Court The Floor / Court is a playing surface made of wooden floorboard. In international games, the regulation basketball court is 28m x 17m (approximately 92 ft x 49 ft), whereas it is 29m x 15m (approximately 94 ft x 50 ft) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Other Equipment Other important equipment includes Scoreboards, Score-sheets, Whistleoperated stop-clock systems, Alternate Possession Arrows / Indicators and Lighting. All of the above mentioned equipment comes into great use during play and hence the proper function of them is vital for the successful flow of the game. Any malfunction could affect the play adversely.