The concept of basketball was born from Dr.James
Naismith's school days in the area where he played a simple child's
game known as duck-on-a-rock outside his one-room schoolhouse the
game involved attempting to knock a "duck" off the top of a large
rock by tossing another rock at it. Dr. James Naismith is known
world-wide as the inventor of basketball. He was born in 1861 in
Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario, Canada.
After serving as an athletic Director, James Naismith moved on
to the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA in
1891, where the sport of basketball was born. In Springfield,
Naismith had the job of finding a sport that was suitable for
play inside during the winter for the students at the School
for Christian Workers.
He needed a game that could be played indoors in a
relatively small space. The first game was played with a soccer ball
and two peach baskets used as goals. Naismith wanted to create a
game of skill for the students instead of one that relied solely on
strength. James Naismith devised a set of thirteen rules 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,
but 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
running at good speed.
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, striking 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 goal 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, violations of Rules
3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.
7.If either side make three consecutive fouls it shall count as a
goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in
the meantime making a foul).
8.Goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the
ground into the basket and stays there, providing those defending
the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the
edge and the opponents move the basket, it shall count as a goal.
9.When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the
field 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 them.
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 the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
11.The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it 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
winners.
