James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 as a winter activity for athletes. Basketball is a versatile game played indoors or out, and with many different numbers of players. The sport has some basic rules no matter if its played on the playground or in an organized league.
The Court
A court provides boundaries for playing basketball. NBA.com explains that the basket is 10 feet high at the center of each end line. The end and sidelines determine what is in bounds and out of bounds. When fouled, players will shoot free throws from the free-throw line, which is 15 feet from the basket. The area from the free-throw line to the nearest end line is called the lane. Offensive players may be inside the lane for no more than three seconds unless someone shoots. When a player shoots free throws, players will align down the sides of the lane, alternating by team, with the team not shooting closest to the basket. The three point line denotes where a made shot will earn three instead of two points. Different levels--pros, collegiate and scholastic, most notably-- place the three point line at different distances.
Scoring
A field goal, or made shot, earns a team two points. A field goal from beyond the three point line, known as a three point field goal, earns a team three points. A free throw, which a player shoots after certain types of fouls, earns his team one point. Shots can be blocked, but only on the way up. If the shot was on its way down when interfered with by either team, that is a goaltending violation. If the defense goal tends, the shot counts as made; if the offense goal tends, the ball goes to the other team.
Dribbling
Players with the ball move around the court by dribbling. A legal dribble is bouncing the ball off the floor with one hand. Use of two hands at the same time is a violation and results in the loss of the ball. A player can move one foot while not dribbling, but his other foot, now called his pivot foot, may not move until he dribbles. If a player's pivot foot moves without her bouncing the ball, she may be called for traveling. A player may not begin dribbling again once she has stopped. This violation is known as the double dribble. To dribble again, she must pass the ball and get it back. A player dribbling may not cup the ball in her hand or hold the ball from underneath. This violation is called a carry.
Fouls
Fouls are the result of illegal physical contact between players. NBA.com, states that the intent is as follows: "A player shall not hold, push, charge into, [or] impede the progress of an opponent by extending a hand, forearm, leg or knee or by bending the body into a position that is not normal. Contact that results in the rerouting of an opponent is a foul which must be called immediately."
In pickup games, players call their own fouls and the standard is often whether or not the foul affected the shot.
Players
International Basketball Federation says that basketball can be played by up to five players per team. At the competitive level, five starting players and five more players on the bench comprise the team. A team may substitute players during certain clock stoppages, and players can enter and leave the playing field more than once.per game.
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