Basketball

Basketball was invented in December 1891 by the Canadian clergyman, educator, and physician James Naismith. Naismith introduced the game when we was an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the request of his superior, Dr. Luther H. Gulick, he organized a vigorous recreation suitable for indoor winter play. The game involved elements of American football, soccer, and hockey, and the first ball used was a soccer ball. Teams had nine players, and the goals were wooden peach baskets affixed to the walls. By 1897-1898, teams of five became standard. The game rapidly spread nationwide and to Canada and other parts of the world, played by both women and men; it also became a popular informal outdoor game. U.S. servicemen in World War II (1939-1945) popularized the sport in many other countries. A number of U.S. colleges adopted the game between about 1893 and 1895. In 1934 the first college games were staged in New York City's Madison Square Garden, and college basketball began to attract heightened interest. By the 1950s basketball had become a major college sport, thus paving the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball. The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years before disbanding; its demise spawned a number of loosely organized leagues throughout the northeastern United States. One of the first and greatest pro teams was the Original Celtics, organized about 1915 in New York City. They played as many as 150 games a season and dominated basketball until 1936. The Harlem Globetrotters, founded in 1927, a notable exhibition team, specializes in amusing court antics and expert ball handling. In 1949 two subsequent professional leagues, the National Basketball League (formed in 1937) and the Basketball Association of America (1946) merged to create the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Boston Celtics, led by their center Bill Russell, dominated the NBA from the late 1950s through the 1960s. By the 1960s, pro teams from coast to coast played before crowds of many millions annually. Wilt Chamberlain, a center for the Los Angeles Lakers, was another leading player during the era, and his battles with Russell were eagerly anticipated. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also a center, came to prominence during the 1970s. Jabbar perfected his famed "sky hook" shot while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and dominated the opposition. The NBA suffered a drop in popularity during the late 1970s, but was resuscitated, principally through the growing popularity of its most prominent players. Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers are credited with injecting excitement into the league in the 1980s through their superior skills and decade-long rivalry. During the late 1980s Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls rose to stardom and helped the Bulls dominate the NBA during the early 1990s. A new generation of basketball stars, including

Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic and Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets, have sustained the NBA's growth in popularity. In 1959 a Basketball Hall of Fame was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. Its rosters include the names of great players, coaches, referees, and people who have contributed significantly to the development of the game. ______________________________________________________________________________

RULES
James Naismith published in 1891, his rules for the game of "Basket Ball" that he invented. The original game played under these rules was quite different than the one played today as there was no dribbling, dunking, or three pointers. 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. 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, striking, pushing, or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next basket is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed. 6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of rules three and four and such described in rule five 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 (without falling), 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 and played by the first person touching it. In case of 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 the 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 people 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 baskets, with any other duties that are usually performed by a scorekeeper. 12. The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between. 13. The side making the most points in that time is declared the winner.

EQUIPMENT
THE BALL The ball is round and the outer casing should be leather, rubber or other suitable synthetic material. Its circumference should be between 75 and 78cm (29.5 and 30.25 in) and its weight between 600 and 650gm (20 and 22oz). It should be inflated to a pressure so that when it is dropped from a height of 1.8m (6ft) (measured from the floor to the bottom of the ball) on to the playing surface, it will rebound to a height of between 1.2 and 1.4m (4ft and 4ft 7in), (measured to the top of the ball). In addition to that equipment already mentioned, the home team is normally responsible for providing the following: a clock, time-out watch, device for displaying to players and spectators how much time is left on the 30-seconds rule (see Game Guide), an official score sheet, scoreboard visible to spectators and players, markers displaying the numbers 1 to 5 for use by the scorer to indicate how many fouls a player commits, and two team-foul markers which are red and placed on the scorers table to indicate a seventh-player foul by a team. CLOTHING Players of each team should wear the same outfits which must not clash with the opposing team. Each player should wear a numbered shirt and no two players in the same team should wear the same number. Players are numbered between 4 and 15. Loose-fitting shorts for mobility, and sleeveless vests are the standard attire. Basketball shoes should be rubber-soled and with protected ankle supports, although these are not necessary. Most important of all, make sure your clothing is comfortable. It is important to wear toweled socks; and it is not a bad idea to buy a pair of shoes a little too big to enable you to wear two pairs of socks which will reduce the risk of blistering.

PLAYING COURT

Volleyball
William Morgan invented volleyball in 1895 at the Holyoke, Massachusetts, YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) where he served as Director of Physical Education. Morgan originally called his new game of Volleyball, Mintonette. The name Volleyball came about after a demonstration game of the sport, when a spectator commented that the game involved much "volleying" and game was renamed Volleyball. William Morgan was born in the state of New York and studied at Springfield College, Massachusetts. Ironically at Springfield, Morgan met James Naismith who invented basketball in 1891. Morgan was motivated by Naismith's game of basketball designed for younger students to invent a game suitable for the older members of the YMCA. William Morgan's basis for the new game of Volleyball was the then popular and similar German game of Faustball and a few other sports including: tennis (the net), basketball, baseball and handball. The Morgan Trophy Award is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female collegiate volleyball player in the United States. Established by the William G. Morgan Foundation in 1995 during the centennial year of volleyball, the trophy is named in honor of William Morgan. To learn more about the history of Volleyball as a sport read Scott Hammon's article entitled For The Love of Volleyball. Scott Hammon is our About Expert and guide to Volleyball. ______________________________________________________________________________

Volleyball Basic Rules

THE SERVE
( A ) Server must serve from behind the restraining line ( end line ) until after contact. ( B ) Ball may be served underhand or overhand. ( C ) Ball must be clearly visible to opponents before serve. ( D ) Served ball may graze the net and drop to the other side for point.

( E ) First game serve is determined by a volley, each subsequent game shall be served by the previous game loser. ( F ) Serve must be returned by a bump only. no setting or attacking a serve.

SCORING
A. B. C. D. E. F. Rally scoring will be used. There will be a point scored on every score of the ball. Offense will score on a defense miss or out of bounds hit. Defense will score on an offensive miss, out of bounds hit, or serve into the net. Game will be played to 25 pts. Must win by 2 points.

ROTATION
( A ) Team will rotate each time they win the serve. ( B ) Players shall rotate in a clockwise manner. ( C ) There shall be 4-6 players on each side.

PLAYING THE GAME ( VOLLEY )

( A ) Maximum of three hits per side. ( B ) Player may not hit the ball twice in succession ( A block is not considered a hit ). ( C ) Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on serve. ( D ) A ball touching a boundary line is good. ( E ) A legal hit is contact with the ball by a player body above and including the waist which does not allow the ball to visibly come to a rest. ( F ) If two or more players contact the ball simultaneously, it is considered one play and the players involved may not participate in the next play. ( G ) A player must not block or attack a serve. ( H ) Switching positions will be allowed only between front line players. ( After the serve only ).

BASIC VIOLATIONS

( A ) Stepping on or over the line on a serve. ( B ) Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully. ( C ) Hitting the ball illegally ( Carrying, Palming, Throwing, etc. ). ( D ) Touches of the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play. If the ball is driven into the net with such force that it causes the net to contact an opposing player, no foul will be called, and the ball shall continue to be in play. ( E ) Reaching over the net, except under these conditions: 1 - When executing a follow-through. 2 - When blocking a ball which is in the opponents court but is being returned ( the blocker must not contact the ball until after the opponent who is attempting to return the ball makes contact). Except to block the third play. ( F ) Reaches under the net ( if it interferes with the ball or opposing player ). ( G ) Failure to serve in the correct order. ( H ) Blocks or spikes from a position which is clearly not behind the 10-foot line while in a back row position.

EQUIPMENTS
Volleyball Court Dimensions The Volleyball court is 60 feet by 30 feet in total. The net in placed in the center of the court, making each side of the net 30 feet by 30 feet. Center Line A center line is marked at the center of the court dividing it equally into 30 feet squares, above which the net is placed. Attack Line An attack line is marked 10 feet of each side of the center line.

Service Line A service line, the area from which the server may serve the volleyball, is marked 10 feet inside the right sideline on each back line. The Net The net is placed directly above the center line, 7 feet 4 inches above the ground for women and 8 feet above the ground for men. Poles Volleyball poles should be set at 36 feet apart, 3 feet further out from the sidelines. Ceiling Height The minimum ceiling height should be 23 feet, though they should preferably be higher

Playing Court