History & Nature of the Game

HISTORY & NATURE OF THE GAME Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith; a Canadian teacher. It was ? rst played with a soccer-style ball and peach baskets as the goals. Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of ? ve players on the court (usually 2 guards, 2 forwards and 1 centre) each try to score points against one another by forcing a ball through a 10 feet (3m) high hoop. The ball can be advanced on the court by dribbling or passing it between teammates. Disruptive physical contact (fouls) is not permitted and there are restrictions on how the ball can be handled (violations). Basketball Game Rule Basketball Games are a test to player's agility and endurance, and require remarkable hand-eye coordination on the players' behalf. The simple  rule of basketball game  play on a rule- Get your team's basketball through the opposing team's basket as many times as possible while preventing your opposing team from doing the same (i. e. , taking a Shot in to your basket). The team having the ball plays in offence and the other team plays in defense (trying to stop the offence team from scoring a Shot). Official basketball games are played for a predetermined period of time and the team that scores maximum points within the stipulated time is declared as winner. Basketball Scores are determined depending on the type of shot made: *One point for every successful free throw (Foul Shot) *Two points for one Shot *Three points for a Long-range Shot (6. 25 meters from the basket) In every basketball match there will also be one referee and one or two umpires in order to control the game. Basketball Rules Take a look at few  basketball rules  that every player is required to adhere to while playing an official basketball match: -The offensive team cannot permit the basketball to go behind the midcourt line and touch it before the opposing team touches it. This is called a backcourt violation and the ball will be awarded to the opposing team. -Every player is required to bounce the ball while moving around the court. This is called dribbling. A player can take utmost two steps after he stops dribbling in order to avoid committing a double-dribble violation, in which case the opposing team gains possession of the ball. Basketball Foul occurs when one player tries to take unfair advantage over another player (or attempts in anyway to disadvantage the game of the opponent player). If a player commits more than five fouls in a game (six fouls for NBA and few other professional leagues) then the player will be ‘fouled out' and will be removed from the game. If no substitute player is present to take his place then the entire team will have to forfeit the match. Take a look at common Fouls committed by  basketball game players  : *Personal Foul – Denotes all normal fouls. In the event of a personal foul the players who are fouled will receive a free throw or will receive the ball to pass inbounds again *Technical Foul – Occurs when a player or coach displays poor sportsmanship by arguing / fighting with another player or the referee. The player (or coach) committing the foul will be disqualified from the match. *Unsportsmanlike Foul – These are blatant fouls often involving excessive contact and call for harsh penalties. The Fundamental Skills of Basketball To get better skills in basketball players need to first understand and master the basics of the game. In basketball, there are 6 different fundamental skill areas that players should concentrate on in training. Dribbling Dribbling the basketball is done to move the ball around only when a passing isn't a better option and a lane isn't available. Both new and experienced players make the mistake of dribbling the ball when it isn't needed. Ask any collage or professional basketball coach – they will all tell you the same thing. Dribbling should be done when the player (you) have some purpose to forfill. Dribbling while looking for an offensive option is a good way to lose the ball. When you are looking for that option, take the ball in a firm grip and put your body between you and the defender. Regardless of how good you are at dribbling, the defense will always have a greater chance for a steal if you are dribbling the ball instead of gripping it in both hands. Passing Passing is the number 1 option for moving the ball around the court on offense. Passing is quicker than dribbling and so it is a deadly offensive tool for reaching that open man so they can have the shot. Good passes are the hallmark of good teams because most offensive plays are set up by good passes. Shooting Shooting is probably the most practiced skill for new and experienced players. Yet so many people still practice it wrong. In practice all drills should be done at game speed and done as you would under pressure. Players are usually too lazy to do this and instead of practicing the sweet jump shot that they are constantly doing in the game they lazy-it-down to a hop-shot. Instead of jumping to give power they use their arms for the power and the legs give the rest. Practicing the wrong way to shoot is something that players do all the time yet they do not understand why they miss all their jump shots during the game†¦ Rebounding Rebounding can come in two forms – offensive and defensive. Lots of newer player look at rebounding and immediately think that it is a big mans area. Yet this is not so. Rebounding is more than just being big. It even surpasses just jumping ability. To be good at rebounding you need skill and dedication. Skill is mainly the ability to position yourself and read the shots – something that comes quickly with practice. Dedication is probably the most important factor in rebounding. The person who gets the ball is the one with the most hunger for the ball and who is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Offense Offense is a fundamental which encompasses all aspects of the offensive court. Shooting has already been covered (and is covered more in the basketball website listed below). Yet moving off the ball to give offensive options to the player with the ball is another thing that is essential for good offense. Supporting your team mates with screens and being able to locate the best offensive option and get the ball to them are also essential things on offense. These skills are often overlooked. Defense The best defensive teams in the NBA are often the ones that make it into the playoffs. This is seen year after year so a simple conclusion can be made here – defense is key to victory. Defense is not only about getting the steal or block but also about intimidation of the opponents. Drills and Practice Activities to learn basketball Why use games instead of drills? The skill building games are meant to make sure the kids enjoy practice, but there are many benefits to using   game based drills. The players will not only have more fun but they will play at higher intensity and at game   pace. The games should allow them to have fun and appreciate the sport while learning and practicing the   skills they need to master their sport. Practice Game Guidelines: * Have  every player touching the ball as  much as possible. * Use games that keep all kids playing until the end. Don't have the weak players  get knocked out  and   watch the  stronger players get more touches. * Avoid  rewarding â€Å"winners† and punishing â€Å"losers† (push ups, laps, etc). The games must replicate true game skills to be effective. * Shorten or ideally eliminate lines. * Keep it simple. The games should be easy to explain and to set up. * Don't have too many different games. Find a few games that the kids love and just expand the  game   as they need  more challenges. Let them play without worrying about proper execution of the skill. After a couple of times thro ugh the game   ask them what they need to do well to win the game. When you hear answers like â€Å"dribble in control† or   â€Å"make good passes† you can then make suggestions for how to achieve that. With a little creativity you can   probably turn many of the drills you are currently using into games. Have fun. If you have a game to share,   please send it to us to add to the site. Basketball Games Young basketball players can improve their skills by simply increasing their touches on the ball. Spend as   much time as possible having them dribble, pass, catch and shoot. It’s great to teach a screen, or a pick and   role, or the give and go, but if they can’t make the bounce pass or dribble under control, then they will not be   able to execute these plays. Basketball is fundamentals. As the players improve on their individual   fundamental skills, both offensive and defensive, begin to add some team fundamentals like blocking out for   rebounds, off ball screens, and the give and go play. Red Light, Green Light or Stop and Go Dribble  (dribbling) Skills taught:  This develops dribbling skills. How the game works:  Have all the players line up on the base line with a ball. Coach yells â€Å"green light† and   players move forward as quickly as possible while dribbling the ball. When the coach yells â€Å"red light†, the   players must stop and maintain their dribble. Send back to the start any player not dribbling in control. Tip:  In the ‘red light’ position have the players assume a position with the left foot forward, left hand out   protecting the ball, right foot back with right hand dribbling the ball waist high just in front of the right foot. (For   an easy description, tell your players to â€Å"jump on their skateboards. †) Knees bent, with eyes on the coach. Change from using right hand only to left hand only. Mix it up to add right hand on red light, left hand on   green. Add more variations like through the legs to change from green to red as players skills advance. Have fun with this game. Passing Line Relay  (Passing, Pivot) Skills taught:  This game teaches passing, catching and how to use your pivot foot. How the game works:  Ã‚  Divide your players into 2 equal teams. Line them up about 5-7 feet apart. The first   player passes the ball to the second player in line. The second player must turn 180 degrees using a correct   pivot and pass to the next player. Continue to the end and then work the ball back to the front. Rotate players   in line so that everyone practices the passing off the pivot. Tip:  Use this drill to do chest passes, bounce passes and 2-hand overhead passes. Have the players vary   which foot they pivot on. Shuffle/Pass Relay  (passing and catching on the move, footwork, conditioning) Skills taught:  For players who have achieved some confidence in passing, the next step is to learn to pass   and catch on the move. Use this game to teach the players to shuffle (not cross their feet), to keep a target   for the passer and to stay low with knees bent. How this drill works:  Divide the players into two equal teams. Each team will then divide into 2 lines and set   up facing each other. The first pair in each line starts down the court throwing bounce (or chest) passes   while shuffling down the court as fast as possible. Have the players both touch the end line and then return,   passing the ball to the next pair in line. Tip:  Younger players will often travel with the ball before they can make the exchange from catching to   throwing, but work towards improving this skill with older players. If you have a team that needs to â€Å"talk† more   on the court, make them call out â€Å"ball† when they are ready to receive the pass. Shuffle/Pass Relay #2  (passing and catching on the move, footwork, conditioning) Skills taught:  Similar to the game above this teaches passing quickly on the move, footwork and fitness. How the drill works:  Divide your team into 2 or 3 groups depending on the number of players. Select one   player from each team to go first. The other players on each team line up roughly 5-7 feet apart (vary the   distance by age). This is similar to the game above, but this time only the one player who was selected to go   first will shuffle down the court passing to each player in line as they go. Have the player go down and back 2- 5 times racing the other team’s player. Change the shuffle passer and go again. Tip:  Break into at least 3 lines when you have 12 or more players to decrease standing time. Circle Block Out  (blocking out) Skills taught:  An essential part of rebounding is blocking out the opposing team. How the game works:  Pair your players up by size. Depending on the number of pairs, separate the group   into halves or thirds. Place a ball on the ground. Have the first group of pairs create a circle around the ball   and about 4 feet away. Have the first player in each pair set inside the circle turn and face his partner so that   his back is to the basketball. When you blow the whistle the inside player must turn and block out the   outside player who is trying to get by him and touch the ball on the circle. The inside player’s goal is to keep   the outside player off the ball for 10-30 seconds depending on age of players. Tip:  Teach your players to keep their arms out and bent up at the elbow and knees bent for balance. Have   them make contact with the outside players and use their bodies to keep the player's off the ball. This is a   great first drill to learn blocking out without having to also concentrate on making the rebound. War  (overall playing skills) Skills taught:  Ã‚  This drill helps with aggressive play to the ball and one-on-one skills. How the game works:  Divide your team into 2 groups. Use only one end of the court and have the two teams   line up on opposing side lines. Spread them out evenly to start. Have the players number off so each side   has a player 1, a player 2, etc. Place the ball at half court. The coach calls out a number â€Å"3! † and player 3   from each side sprints out to get the ball. The player that picks it up first is the offensive player and the other   player assumes the defensive role. The offensive player then tries to score and can use his teammates on   the sidelines for passing only. The sideline teammates cannot move once they have received the ball but   can move up and down the sideline without the ball to help with receiving a pass. If the defensive player   steals the ball or gets a rebound, he must ‘check’ the ball by passing it out to one of his teammates before   he can attempt to score. Game is over after a score or each players has had an offensive attempt. Tip:  Ã‚  Mix this game up by calling out multiple numbers so players play 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 etc. With younger   players, shrink the playing area by moving lines in several steps from the sidelines. Vital information which will lead to a better understanding basketball game Basketball is a recreation that is famous worldwide. There isn't any one around the world who doesn't know about basketball or even heard in regards to the game. And these days, there are totally different leagues and governing bodies for the sport; NBA being essentially the most famous league and FIBA as the very best governing body. With its popularity, basketball is now being played in most parts of the worlds. The game is even included in the Olympics. Although almost everyone knows the sport, not all knows in regards to the history of basketball. Maybe only a portion of basketball fans know how basketball really begun and where. To higher perceive basketball and its historical past, listed below are the few vital information about it; . James Naismith – he's the inventor of basketball. He's a Canadian educator as well as a sports recreationalist. . 1981 – this was the yr when James Naismith invented basketball. Springfield, Massachusetts – the place the sport was invented Did You Know? . That it took James Naismith and his crew about 14 days to kind the rules of basketball. . That basketball was initially performed using peach baskets as hoops. . That it was then played with 9 gamers on the court docket per team. .That the first ball use in basketball was really a soccer ball. Out of thos e developments, basketball evolved into the game that we all know today. This evolution will be attributed to the committees and governing our bodies of basketball. The Delivery of NBA The historical past of basketball will never be complete with out mentioning the introduction and improvement of the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation or NBA. It was mainly formed in 1946. Within the early days of the NBA, although there have been numerous great players, it does not benefit from the sophistication and popularity that it has today. This changed in the late 50s and early 60s when Bill Russell entered the league. With Russell and the Boston Celtics, NBA obtained a new shine in the limelight as the group collected eight successive championships. And within the 70s the Larry Chook-Magic Johnson matchup gave NBA a new height. Their crew's battle for an NBA reign fueled many peoples interest in the direction of the game. Nevertheless, the fame and glory that NBA has today is much attributed to Michael Jordan in the 1980s up to the 1990s. Basketball, Refined All through the years, basketball has been polished; the foundations had been modified that solely 5 gamers per team are now playing on the court. The peach baskets were additionally changed by iron rims with nylon nets beneath. The purpose system was also refined. The soccer ball was replaced with an official basketball. Long range shooting or the three-point shot have been also included within the game. This was not included in NBA games till 1979 and in NCAA till 1980. The American Basketball Association or ABA league was the first one to make use of this kind of shot. There are nonetheless lots of issues that you need to know relating to the history of basketball. What's written here is just primary information. Should you want an in-depth study of basketball's history, you possibly can all the time get a textbook discussing every part about basketball; from history to probably the most advance techniques.