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JAMES NAISMITH

The history of basketball began with its invention in


1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Canadian physical
education instructor James Naismith as a less injury-
prone sport than football. The game became established
fairly quickly and grew very popular as the 20th century
progressed, first in America and then throughout the
world. After basketball became established in American
colleges, the professional game followed. The
American National Basketball Association (NBA),
established in 1946, grew to a multibillion-dollar
enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball
became an integral part of American culture.
EARLY HISTORY
Invention of the game
The game of basketball as it is known today was created by
Dr. James Naismith in December 1891 in Springfield,
Massachusetts, to condition young athletes during cold
months. It consisted of peach baskets and a soccer style ball.
He published 13 rules for the new game. He divided his class
of eighteen into two teams of nine players each and set about
to teach them the basics of his new game. The objective of the
game was to throw the basketball into the fruit baskets nailed
to the lower railing of the gym balcony. Every time a point
was scored, the game was halted so the janitor could bring out
a ladder and retrieve the ball. After a while, the bottoms of the
fruit baskets were removed. The first public basketball game
was played in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 11, 1892.
The first basketball game
The First Basketball Court: Springfield College
On December 21, 1891, James Naismith published rules for a
new game using five basic ideas and thirteen rules. That day,
he asked his class to play a match in the Armory Street court:
9 versus 9, using a soccer ball and two peach baskets. Frank
Mahan, one of his students, wasn’t so happy. He just said:
"Harrumph. Another new game". However, Naismith was the
inventor of the new game. Someone proposed to call it
"Naismith Game", but he suggested "We have a ball and a
basket: why don’t we call it basketball?"The eighteen players
were John G. Thompson, Eugene S. Libby, Edwin P. Ruggles,
William R. Chase, T. Duncan Patton, Frank Mahan, Finlay G.
MacDonald, William H. Davis and Lyman Archibald, who
defeated George Weller, Wilbert Carey, Ernest Hildner,
Raymond Kaighn, Genzabaro Ishikawa, Benjamin S. French,
Franklin Barnes, George Day and Henry Gelan 1–0. The goal
was scored by Chase.There were other differences between
Naismith’s first idea and the game played today. The peach
baskets were closed, and balls had to be retrieved manually,
until a small hole was put in the bottom of the peach basket to
poke the ball out using a stick. Only in 1906 were metal
hoops, nets and backboards introduced. Moreover, earlier the
soccer ball was replaced by a Spalding ball, similar to the one
used today.

YMCA, U.S. Army Spread Development


The YMCA had a major role in spreading basketball
throughout the United States, Canada, and the world. In 1893,
Mel Rideout arranged the first European match in Paris,
in Montmartre. At the same time, Bob Gailey went
to Tientsin, China, Duncan Patton to India, Genzabaro
Ishikawa to Japan, and C. Hareek to Persia.

The First World War broke out in 1914, and the U.S.
Army started fighting in Europe in 1917. During World War I,
the American Expeditionary Force took basketball wherever it
went. Together with the troops, there were hundreds of
physical education teachers who knew basketball. Naismith
also spent two years with the YMCA in France in that period
for money against challengers.
The Original Celtics, for instance, are considered the "fathers
of basketball" and were presented as "World’s Basketball
Champions"the players had to sign a contract to play with
them, and Jim Furey organized matches as a circus, moving
daily from town to town. The Celtics became the strongest
team, and their successes lasted from 1922 until 1928, when
the team disbanded due to ownership problems. The Original
Celtics are sometimes incorrectly thought of as forebears of
the current Boston Celtics of the NBA; in reality, they share
only a name, as today's Celtics were not founded until 1946,
nearly two decades after the demise of the Original Celtics. In
1922, the first all-African American professional team was
founded: the Rens (also known as New York Renaissance or
Harlem Renaissance).The Rens were the Original Celtics’
usual opponent, and for their matches a ticket cost $1. They
took part in some official championships and won the
first World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1939. The
team disbanded in 1949.
Professional leagues, teams, and organizations
The first professional league was founded in 1898. Six teams
took part in the National Basketball League, and the first
champions were the Trenton Nationals, followed by the New
York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile Drivers and the Camden
Electrics. The league was abandoned in 1904. Then, many
small championships were organized, but most of them were
not as important as some teams who played

In the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Basket Ball League (founded


in 1909) Metropolitan Basketball League (founded in 1921
and American Basketball League (founded in 1925) were the
most important leagues.

Basketball in American colleges


The greatest level of early basketball activity outside of
YMCAs was seen in American colleges. The first known U.S.
college to field a basketball team against an outside opponent
was Vanderbilt University, which played against the local
YMCA in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 7, 1893.The
second recorded instance of an organized college basketball
game was Geneva College's game against the New Brighton
YMCA on April 8, 1893, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,
which Geneva won 3–0.

The first recorded game between two college teams occurred


on February 9, 1895, when Hamline University faced
Minnesota A&M (which later became a part of the University
of Minnesoter Minnesota A&M won the game, which was
played under rules allowing nine players per side, 9–3. The
first intercollegiate match using the modern rule of five
players per side is often credited as a game between
the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa, in Iowa
City, Iowa, on January 18, 1896. The Chicago team, which
was organized by Amos Alonzo Stagg, who had learned the
game from James Naismith at the Springfield YMCA, won
the game 15–12.(Some sources state the first "true" five-on-
five intercollegiate match was a game in 1897
between Yale and Penn, because the Iowa team, that played
Chicago in 1896, was composed of University of Iowa
students, but did not officially represent the University of
Iowa – rather being organized through a YMCA.) By 1900 the
game of basketball had spread to colleges across the country .

By 1897 the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) had taken


over oversight of basketball activity from the YMCA.In April
1905, representatives of fifteen colleges separately took over
control of the college game, creating the collegiate "Basket
Ball Rule Committee.The Committee was in turn absorbed
into the predecessor of the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) in 1909.] The extremely popular NCAA
Men's Basketball Tournament was started in 1939.

First international games

After its arrival in Europe, basketball developed very quickly.


In 1909 the first international match was held in Saint
Petersburg: Mayak Saint Petersburg beat a YMCA American
team.The first great European event was held in 1919
in Joinville-le-Pont, near Paris, during the Inter-Allied Games.
United States, led by future Hall of Fame player Max
Friedman, won against Italy and France, and then Italy beat
France. Basketball soon became popular among French and
Italians. The Italian team had a white shirt with the House of
Savoy shield and the players were: Arrigo and Marco
Muggiani, Baccarini, Giuseppe Sessa, Palestra, Pecollo and
Bagnoli.

Formation of FIBA

World basketball was growing, but it was on June 18, 1932


that a real international organization was formed, to
coordinate tournaments and teams: that day, Argentina,
Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and
Switzerland founded the International Basketball
Federation (Fédération internationale de basketball
amateur, FIBA) in Geneva. Its work was fundamental for the
first inclusion of basketball in the Berlin Olympic Games in
1936. The first Olympic title was won by the U.S. national
team: Sam Balter, Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, Tex
Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Carl Knowles, Frank Lubin, Art
Mollner, Donald Piper, Jack Ragland, Willard Schmidt, Carl
Shy, Duane Swanson, Bill Wheatley and the trainer James
Needles. Canada was runner-up; the games were played on an
outdoor clay court. The first World Championship was held in
Argentina in 1950.
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was founded as
an alternative to the NBA in 1967 at a time when the NBA
was experiencing a lot of popularity. The ABA offered an
alternative ethos and game style as well as some changes in
the rules. Julius Erving was the leading player in the league,
and helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes
leaping and play above the rim. His playing strength helped
legitimize the American Basketball Association. The league
emphasized excitement and liveliness, be it in the color of the
ball (red, white and blue), the manner of play, wild
promotions, or the three-point shot. National recognition and
earnings were low, leading the league to look for a way out of
its problems. Merger with the more established and very
successful NBA was seen as a solution. The ABA was folded
into the NBA in the summer of 1976, its four most successful
franchises (the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana
Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs) being incorporated into the
older league. The aggressive, loose style of play and the three-
point shot were taken up by the NBA.
African Americans in basketball
The Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn and the St.
Christopher Club of New York City were established as the
first fully organized independent all-black basketball teams in
1906. These teams were amateur.

In 1907 the amateur, all-black Olympian Athletic League was


formed in New York City consisting of the Smart Set Athletic
Club, St. Christopher Club, Marathon Athletic Club, Alpha
Physical Culture Club, and the Jersey City Colored YMCA.
The first inter-city basketball game between two black teams
was played in 1907 when the Smart Set Athletic Club of
Brooklyn travelled to Washington, DC to play the Crescent
Athletic Club.

In 1908 Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn, a member of the


Olympian Athletic League, was named the first Colored
Basketball World's Champion.

In 1910 Howard University’s first varsity basketball team


began.
In 1922 the Commonwealth Five, the first all-
black professional team was founded. The New York
Renaissance was founded in 1923.

In 1939 the all-black New York Renaissance beat the all-


white Oshkosh All-Stars in the World Pro Basketball
Tournament.

From the late 1920s the African American Harlem


Globetrotters were a successful touring team, winning the
WPBT in 1940.

The all-white National Basketball League began to


racially integrate in 1942 with 10 black players joining two
teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets, and the Chicago
Studebakers. The NBA integrated in 1950–51 seasons, just
two years after its founding, with three black players each
achieving a separate milestone in that process. In the draft
held immediately prior to that season, Chuck Cooper became
the first black player drafted by an NBA team. Shortly after
the draft, Nat Clifton became the first black player to sign an
NBA contract. Finally, Earl Lloyd became the first black
player to appear in an NBA game as his team started its
season before either Cooper's or Clifton's.
After the integration of the NBA, the Harlem Globetrotters
started to focus on international touring and exhibition
performances, including comic routines. These tours helped to
popularize basketball internationally, and gave the
Globetrotters the reputation as Basketball's goodwill
ambassadors.

Modern-day NBA
The NBA has helped popularize basketball all over the world.
A large part of this is due to the transcendent stars that have
played the game through the years. It was because of the play
of Michael Jordan that basketball started to reach international
audiences, especially on the 1992 United States men's
Olympic basketball team, known as the Dream Team.

After his final championship and second retirement in 1998,


there was a void as in who would be the face of basketball.
Soon after with the help of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe
Bryantwould go on to win three straight championships from
2000–2002 with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping make
basketball more popular in many places around the world,
most noticeably China. Further championships in 2009 and
2010 helped raise his popularity.In 2015, he announced the
following season would be his last. He would have played in
20 seasons by then.

Another player who revolutionized the game of basketball


was LeBron James. He was taken as the first overall pick in
the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and has
worked his way to become the face of the NBA and basketball
around the world. He left the Cavaliers in 2010 to join the
Miami Heat along with fellow stars Dwyane Wade and Chris
Bosh in what become known as the controversial
decision, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and
2013 before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014 where he won
a third championship in 2016. He joined the Los Angeles
Lakers on July 1, 2018.

There have been many international players who helped


globalize the game. The most noticeable would be Yao Ming.
He was the first ever Chinese player to be selected with the
number one overall pick in 2002 by the Houston Rockets. His
play and presence in the NBA brought attention to basketball
in Asian countries.
The style of basketball has evolved over time as well.
Basketball, especially in the 90's and 2000's, used to give
importance to big men. Games were slow-paced and very
defense-oriented. Now because of teams like the San Antonio
Spurs and the Golden State Warriors, ball movement and team
play is more common. The game has slowly moved away
from this type of play. The game now is up-tempo and teams
are starting to involve a lot more three point shooting in their
offenses. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors has
been a trendsetter with his shooting abilities. In a way he has
popularized and re-energized the notion of shooting among
the youth.
Women's basketball
Women's basketball

Highest governing body International Basketball Federation

Characteristics

Contact Limited

Team members Five on-court players per team

Type Team sport, ball sport

Equipment Basketball

Venue Basketball court


A player from Webber International(black jersey) attempts a free throw
against Stetson University (white jerseys). November 30, 2018.

[citation needed]
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports
that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became
popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to
the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. From 1895
until 1970, the term "women's basketball" was also used to
refer to netball, which evolved in parallel with modern
women's basketball. It is mostly popular in America

The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and Women's


Olympic Basketball Tournament feature top national teams
from continental championships. The main North American
league is the WNBA (NCAA Women's Division I Basketball
Championship is also popular), whereas strongest European
clubs participate in the EuroLeague Women.
University of California-Berkeley women's basketball team, photographed in 1899

Women's basketball began in the winter of 1892 at Smith


College. Senda Berenson, an instructor at Smith, taught
basketball to her students, hoping the activity would improve
their physical health.[1] Basketball's early adherents were
affiliated with YMCAs and colleges throughout the United
States, and the game quickly spread throughout the counted.

However, Berenson was taking risks simply in teaching the


game to women. She worried a little about the women
suffering from "nervous fatigue" if games were too strenuous
for them. And, in order to keep it "acceptable" for women to
play at all, she taught modified rules. These included a court
divided into three areas and nine players per team. Three
players were assigned to each area (guard, center, forward)
and could not cross the line into another area. The ball was
moved from section to section by passing or dribbling. Players
were limited to three dribbles and could hold the ball for three
seconds. No snatching or batting the ball away from a player
was allowed. A center jump was required after each score.
Peach baskets and the soccer ball were the equipment.
Uniforms consisted of attire similar to school uniforms,
including long baggy shorts (current women's basketball
uniforms consist of a jersey and gym shorts). Variations of
Berenson's rules spread across the country via YMCAs and
colleges. first intercollegiate women's basketball game was
played between teams from Stanford University and
the University of California, Berkeley, in 1896.

Australia women's national basketball team on winning the 2006 FIBA World
Championship

The popularity of women's basketball grew steadily around


the world for decades. By the 1970s the sport had attracted the
notice the International Olympic Committee, which added
women's basketball as an official sport of the Olympic Games
in 1976, the men debuted in 1936. Throughout the 1970s,
funding for (and interest in) women's basketball began to
dramatically increase as schools receiving federal funding

began to come into compliance with new laws mandating a


lack of discrimination based on sex. The sport was also
gaining attention at the collegiate level, under the auspices of
the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for
Women (AIAW). A major development in women's
basketball occurred in 1982 when the National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) began to sponsor the sport].
After several failed attempts at women's professional leagues
in the U.S., the NBA founded the WNBA in 1996.

Rules and equipment


Rules for women's basketball are nearly the same as the rules
for men's basketball. The most noticeable difference is that the
circumference of the women's basketball is one inch (2.5 cm)
less than the circumference of the size of the men's basketball.
Also, in American professional basketball, the women's three-
point line is 1 foot closer to the basket than men's.

Basketball size

The regulation WNBA ball is a minimum 28.5 inches


(72.4 cm) in circumference, which is 1.00 inch (2.54 cm)
smaller than the NBA ball. This is a standard size 6 ball. As of
2008, this size is used for all senior-level women's
competitions worldwide.

Court dimensions
The standard court size in U.S. college and WNBA play is 94
feet long by 50 feet wide. The FIBA standard court is slightly
smaller at 28 metres long by 15 metres wide (91 ft 10.4 in by
49 ft 2.6 in). For most of its distance, the three-point line is
6.75 m (22 ft 2 in) from the middle of the basket under both
FIBA and WNBA rules. Near the sidelines, the three-point
line runs parallel to the.sideline, at a distance of exactly 3 feet
in the WNBA and 0.9 m in FIBA play. Under NCAA rules,
the three-point distance is 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m) for most of the
width of the court, with a minimum distance of 4 ft 3 in
(1.30 m) from the sidelines. The WNBA, FIBA, and NCAA
all use a block/charge arc near each basket, with the WNBA
and NCAA distance at 4 ft (1.2 m) from the center of the
basket and FIBA using a marginally wider radius of exactly
1.25 m (4 ft 1 in).

Shot clock
The WNBA shot clock was changed from 30 to 24 seconds,
which has been in FIBA play since 2000, and has been used
by the NBA since the shot clock was first introduced. Both
men's and women's NCAA college basketball use a 30-second
shot clock; men used a 35-second shot clock until the 2015–
16 season, when they switched to 30 seconds as well.

Game clock
Most high school games are played with four 8-minute
quarters, while NCAA, WNBA, and FIBA games are played
in four 10 minute quarters. In 2015-2016 the NCAA changed
the rules to 10 minute quarters from 20 minute halves.[4]

Governance
Women's basketball is governed internationally by
the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Since 1953
FIBA has hosted a world championship tournament for
women, currently known as the FIBA Women's Basketball
World Cup. The event, renamed from "FIBA World
Championship for Women" after its 2014 edition, is currently
held in even-numbered non-Summer Olympic years. There
has been some concern about the reach of the sport after one
governing body disallowed Muslim women playing in hijabs.

Smith College's class of 1902 women's basketball team.

Berenson's freshmen played the sophomore class in the first


women's collegiate basketball game held on 22 March 1893.
University of California and Miss Head's School, had played
the first women's extramural game in 1892. Also in
1893, Mount Holyoke and Sophie Newcomb College,
coached by Clara Gregory Baer (the inventor of Newcomb
ball) women began playing basketball. By 1895, the game had
spread to colleges across the country,
including Wellesley, Vassar and Bryn Mawr. The first
intercollegiate women's game was on 4 April 1896. Stanford
women played California, 9-on-9, ending in a 2–1 Stanford
victory. Clara Gregory Baer published the first book of rules
for women's basketball in 1895 she first called the game
'Basquette', a name later dropped in her first revision of rules
called Newcomb College Basketball Rules published in
1908.[6] In 1971 five player, full court game was adopted
followed by women's sports foundation which was formed in
1974.[7]

Women's college basketball remains very popular throughout


North America, with the sports being sponsored by all of the
major college athletic associations: the NCAA, the NAIA,
the NJCAA, the NCCAA, the CCAA and the CIS. Division I of
the NCAA is considered the highest level of college
competition, with the winner of the annual NCAA Women's
Division I Basketball Championship game declared 'national
champion.' The University of Connecticut Huskies have won
the last four NCAA Division I national championships (2013–
2016).[8] Olympics[edit]
Women's basketball has been contested in the Summer
[11]
Olympics since 1976.
Gold medal game Bronze medal game

Year Host
Silver Bronze
Gold medalist Score Score Fourth place
medalist medalist

1976 No No
Montreal
details Soviet Union playoffs United States Bulgaria playoffs Poland

1980
Moscow 104–73 68–65
details Soviet Union Bulgaria Yugoslavia Hungary

1984 Los
85–55 63–57
details Angeles United States South Korea China Canada

1988
Seoul 77–70 68–53
details United States Yugoslavia Soviet Union Australia

1992
Barcelona 76–66 88–74
details Unified Team China United States Cuba

1996
Atlanta 111–87 66–56
details United States Brazil Australia Ukraine

2000
Sydney 76–54 84–73
details United States Australia Brazil South Korea
2004
Athens 74–63 71–62
details United States Australia Russia Brazil

2008
Beijing 92–65 94–81
details United States Australia Russia China

2012
London 86–50 83–74
details United States France Australia Russia

2016 Rio de
101–72 70–63
details Janeiro United States Spain Serbia France

Additional International Competitions


In addition to the Olympics and Women's World Cup,
women's basketball is also contested in the Pan American
Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Women's basketball made its first appearance at
the Commonwealth Games in 2006. Basketball (for both men
and women) is one of the sports that the host nation of
the Island Games may select for competition. Women also
compete in wheelchair basketball in the Paralympic Games.

Around the world


Africa

AfroBasket Women is the women's basketball continental


championship of Africa, played biennially under the auspices
of FIBA, the basketball sport governing body, and the African
zone thereof. The tournament also serves to qualify teams for
participation in the quadrennial FIBA Women's Basketball
World Cup and the Olympic basketball tournament.

Americas
United States
See also: Women's Pro Basketball League, American
Basketball League (1996-1998), Women's National Basketball
Association, and Women's American Basketball Association

One of the major important events in the development of


women's basketball in the United States was Title IX.

Title IX was passed in 1972 to end sexual discrimination and


stereotyping in admission to colleges and also in academic
subjects (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008). Therefore, Congress’
original goal was eliminating this discrimination in academic
and educational processes. “Title IX is today generally viewed
as having fixed the problem of gender inequality of sports, at
least in educational settings” (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008,
79). It started out as simply involving education but then
shifted in a debate to sports. Some groups such as the NCAA
fought to keep things the way they were in reference to men's
sports. The NCAA had built up the programs and earned
financial support and popularity and did not want to throw
that down the drain (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008). In 1974, the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare issued Title IX
regulations regarding intercollegiate athletics (McDonagh,
Pappano, 2008). Title IX implies that if a school has a specific
sport's team for boys then they must have a team in that same
sport for girls. This will occur unless the men's sport happens
to be a contact sport in which the rule will not necessarily
apply (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008). In 1978, colleges and
universities were forced to apply Title IX's rules and
regulations. Athletic departments had to adhere to one of three
requirements which were the proportionality rule, the gender
equity rule, or historical progress rule (McDonagh, Pappano,
2008). Each of these requirements addressed Title IX and its
regulations in a fair manner. To ensure that schools comply
with Title IX, they face the consequence of losing federal
funding for any violation (Sadker, 2001).

The proportionality rule entails that a school provides


opportunities proportional to its enrollment. As an example, if
a school is 55% male and 45% female then the athletic
participation should be 55:45 (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008).
Not only does the proportionality rule apply to athletic
participation, but it also addresses scholarships. “So if a
college is spending $400,000 per year on athletic scholarships
and half of the athletic participants are women then half of
that amount, $200,000, should be funding athletic
scholarships for women (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008, 299).
The gender equity rule entails that a school must prove that it
“meets the interest of the gender that is underrepresented”
(McDonagh, Pappano, 2008, 107) which happens to be
women. The historical progress rule entails that if a school is
unable to provide proportional opportunities then they must
put forth an effort to create more opportunities for the
underrepresented gender (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008).[12]

Between 1971 and 2000, Title IX has proven to have had a


huge impact on female collegiate sports. “Sports participation
among college women has risen from 372 percent over that
time, from 32,000 to more than 150,000 women (McDonagh,
Pappano, 2008, 108). Also now 33.5% of female students
participate in sports (McDonagh, Pappano, 2008). The issue
still remaining is that women’s sports beyond college do not
benefit from Title IX. As a whole, they make less income than
men in professional sports which Title IX cannot do much
about. However due to Title IX some women have gotten
recognition as a result of the debate. “Women athletes receive
greater respect today but relatively skimpy media attention.
Thank Title IX for…the growing visibility of women’s
college basketball that has USA Today producing a pullout
section for the women’s NCAA March Madness tournament”
(McDonagh, Pappano, 2008, 109).

Professional women's basketball has been played in the


United States. There have been several leagues, the most
recent of which is the WNBA. The first attempt was
the Women's Pro Basketball League. The league played three
seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981. The
league is generally considered to be the first American
professional women's basketball league to be founded.[he
second women's professional league to be created in the
United States was the WBA. The league played three seasons
from the summer of 1993 to the summer of 1995. The league
is considered to be the first American professional women's
basketball league to be successful as a summer league, like
the WNBA. The league played three full seasons with plans to
play as a 12-team league in 1997 but disbanded before 1997
season. WBA played a 15-game schedule and games were
broadcast on Liberty Sports of Dallas. When FOX Sports
purchased Liberty Sports and the WBA, they disbanded the
league.

In 1996, two professional women's leagues were started in the


United States. They were the American Basketball
League and the WNBA. The American Basketball League
was founded in 1996 during an increase in the interest in the
sport following the 1996 Summer Olympics. The league
played two full seasons (1996–97 and 1997–98) and started a
third (1998–99) before it folded on 22 December 1998.

WNBA
Main article: Women's National Basketball Association

The Women's National Basketball Association or WNBA is


an organization governing a professional basketball league for
women in the United States. The WNBA was formed in 1996
as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball
Association, and league play began in 1997. The regular
WNBA season is June to September (North American Spring
and Summer). Most WNBA teams play at the same venue as
their NBA counterparts. Most team names are also very
similar to those of NBA teams in the same market, such as
the Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics,
the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx.

Officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on 24


April 1996, the creation of the WNBA was first announced at
a press conference with Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl
Swoopes in attendance. While not the first major women's
professional basketball league in the United States (a
distinction held by the defunct WBL), the WNBA is the only
league to receive full backing of the NBA.

On the heels of a much-publicized gold medal run by the 1996


USA Basketball Women's National Team at the 1996 Summer
Olympic Games, the WNBA began its first season on 21 June
1997 to much fanfare. The league began with eight teams. The
first WNBA game featured the New York Liberty facing
the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles and was televised
nationally, in the United States, on the NBC television
network. At the start of the 1997 season, the WNBA had
television deals in place with NBC, ESPN and Lifetime
Television Network.

The league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern


Conference and the Western Conference. Each of the 12
teams plays a 34-game regular season schedule, beginning in
June and ending in mid September. Although the WNBA is
divided into conferences for scheduling purposes, it has used a
single table for purposes of playoff qualifying since the 2016
season. The eight teams with the best overall records,
regardless of conference affiliation, compete in the WNBA
Playoffs during September with the WNBA Finals in early
October.

An All-Star Game is typically held in the middle of July,


while regular play stops temporarily for it. In Olympic years,
there is no all-star game, but a break of about five weeks in
the middle of the WNBA season allows players to participate
in the Olympics as members of their national teams.

There have been a total of 18 teams in WNBA history. A total


of five teams have folded: the Charlotte Sting, the Cleveland
Rockers, Houston Comets, the Miami Sol and the Portland
Fire. Three other teams have moved, two of them twice and
the other once. The Utah Starzz have moved twice, first after
the 2002 season to San Antonio, where they were first known
as the Silver Stars and later as the Stars, and then after the
2017 season to Las Vegas as the Aces. At the same time the
Starzz moved to San Antonio, the Orlando Miraclemoved
to Uncasville, Connecticut, where they now play as
the Connecticut Sun. The Detroit Shock moved after the 2009
season to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they played as the Tulsa
Shock, and then moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth
Metroplex after the 2015 season, now playing as the Dallas
Wings.

Asia
The Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) is a
professional women's basketball league established in 2002.

The Women's Hong Kong Basketball Association is the


highest women's professional club basketball competition
in Hong Kong.

The Indian National Basketball Championship for Women is a


professional basketball tournament in India for women
The Women's Japan Basketball League is a premier women's
basketball league in Japan.[he Lebanese Basketball
League or FLB League is the top-tier professional basketball
league in Lebanon.

The Women's Philippine Basketball League was a women's


basketball league in the Philippines

The Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) is the


premier women's basketball league in South Korea

The Women's Super Basketball League is the highest women's


professional club basketball competition in Republic of China

Europe
The Russian Women's Basketball Premier League is the
dominant league in Europe (largely because it is the main
attraction of the WNBA players during the off-season). Other
notable leagues are the Italian Serie A1, the Spanish Liga
Femenina and the Turkish Women's Basketball League.

Professional basketball exists in England. Women's English


Basketball League is major professional competition. The
league has grown steadily over recent years, and has now
reached a level of thirty national league sides. The league is
split into two levels. Division 1 is as close to professional as
women's sport gets in the United Kingdom, with teams such
as Rhondda Rebels and Sheffield Hatters bringing in players
from the US and Europe. The Nottingham Wildcats make up
the trio of clubs that helped establish the women's league and
remain amongst the top three or four places. The gap between
these top teams and the rest of the league has remained, but
gradually as the women's game has developed, the gulf in
results has been reduced, and each year there have been more
competitive games.

Promotion from Division 2 has always reinforced the gap


between the two leagues, as the winner of the Division 2
promotion play-offs has found the step-up difficult. The
Division 2 play-offs take the top four teams from the North
and South of the Second Divisions, with the top playing the
bottom of the other pool. This year (2006/7) saw several new
teams join the second division, showing the continual growth
of the women's game. These included the SevenOaks Suns,
Enfield Phoenix, Taunton Tigers and Bristol Storm.
Oceania
Australia
Professional women's basketball exists in Australia in the
form of the Women's National Basketball League. The league
was founded in 1981 as a way for the best women's basketball
teams in the various Australian States to compete against each
other on a regular basis. Today the WNBL is the premier
women's basketball league in Australia.

Basketball terminology
Basket interference
In basketball, basket interference is the violation of (a)
touching the ball or any part of the basket while the ball is on
the rim of the basket, (b) touching the ball when it is within
the cylinder extending upwards from the rim, (c) reaching up
through the basket from below and touching the ball, whether
it is inside or outside the cylinder, or (d) pulling down on the
rim of the basket so that it contacts the ball before returning to
its original position. How the ball gets into the cylinder or
onto the basket is irrelevant under high school and NCAA
rules; e.g., a throw-in touched within the cylinder is basket
interference, even though such a play could not score a
goal. This similar play under NBA rules would not be basket
interference.

There is one exception to the above: if a player dunks the ball,


they may maintain contact with the ball into the cylinder or
grab the rim (momentarily) without penalty.

When a basket interference violation is called against the


defending team, the shooting team is awarded the points for
the field goal as if it had been made. When a basket
interference violation is called against the shooting team, no
points are scored and the ball is given to the defending team.

Basket interference and goaltending are the only violations in


basketball for which points are automatically awarded.

FIBA has rules on basket interference. FIBA Art.31.2.4


(2014)- Interference occurs under certain conditions when a
player touches the ball, basket, rim, or backboard in a motion
that "the ball has been prevented from entering the basket or
has been caused to enter the basket."]
Carrying (basketball)

Carrying, also colloquially referred to as palming, is a


violation in the game of basketball. It occurs when
the dribbling player continues to dribble after allowing the
ball to come to rest in one or both hands. Carrying is similar
to a double dribble because the player momentarily stops
dribbling and then resumes dribbling. If the player is in
motion while carrying the ball, then it is similar
to traveling (3+ steps). Players can avoid a carrying violation
to right and vice versa. So long as the ball does not come to
rest by keeping their palms facing the floor while dribbling.

Most basketball players slide their hand to one side of the ball
when dribbling to better control the ball, directing it from left,
not only this is legal, but it also allows more control and
easier ball-handling. The problem arises when the ball-handler
slides their hand too far down the side of the ball and has their
hand below it. A carrying violation is called once the player’s
hand is below the ball’s plane of 90° and the ball's motion
significantly stops.
Defensive three-second violation
A defensive three-second violation, also known as illegal
defense, is a basketball rules infraction in the National
Basketball Association (NBA) introduced in the 2001-2002
season. It is assessed when a member of the defending team
spends more than three seconds in the free throw lane (also
called the key, the 16-foot lane, or "in the paint") while not
actively guarding an opponent. To be considered actively
guarding, a defender must be within arm's length of an
opponent and in a guarding position. A three-second count is
suspended if:

 a player is in the act of shooting


 there is a loss of team control
 the defender is actively guarding an opponent
 the defender clears the painted area
 it is imminent the defender will become legal

In addition, a player guarding an opponent with the ball may


be in the paint without actively guarding the opponent.[3]
The team committing a defensive three-second violation is
assessed a team technical foul. The offense receives one free
throw and retains possession of the ball.

Prior to the 1983-1984 NBA season, any form of zone


defense was considered an illegal defense violation and
resulted in a warning on the first violation and then a technical
foul for any subsequent violations. However, the defensive
three-second violation makes it difficult for NBA defenses to
play zone, since zone defenses usually position a player in the
middle of the key to stop penetration. The Philippine
Basketball Association used to follow the illegal defense rule
until the 2003 PBA season when it was abolished. The high
school game does not use this rule, nor does European
basketball. The WNBA started using it in 2013.
Double Dribble

In basketball, an illegal dribble (colloquially called a dribbling


violation), occurs when a player ends his/her dribble by
catching or causing the ball to come to rest in one or both
hands and then dribbles it again with one hand or when a
player touches it twice before the ball hits the ground. The
dribble also ends when the dribbler palms/carries the ball by
allowing it to come to rest in one or both hands. This is a
palming/carrying the ball violation if the player continues with
another dribble.

There is an exception to the rule, however, and that is


the power dribble. It can only be used once and can only be
used after receiving a pass in the lane. The player (usually
a center and/or power forward) slams the ball quickly with
both hands and retrieves it. This is used to help big men back
defenders down and get a strong stance. It usually is used
in/near the paint (the lane).

There is no violation during the jump ball, a throw-in or free


throw.
Five-second rule (basketball)
In basketball, the five-second rule, or five-second violation, is
a rule that helps promote continuous play. There are multiple
situations where a five-second violation may occur.

Five-second throw-in violation


Under all basketball rule sets, a team attempting to throw a
ball in-bounds has a total of five seconds to release the ball
towards the court. The five second clock starts when the team
throwing it in has possession of the ball (usually bounced or
handed to a player while out of bounds by the official).

Penalty

Loss of ball. Possession will be awarded to the opponent at


the previous out of bounds spot.

Five-second closely guarded violation


A five-second closely guarded violation may be called against
an offensive player with the ball when that player is guarded
closely for five seconds or more, and does not pass, shoot, or
dribble within that time. Under NCAA men's rules, to be
considered "closely guarded", a defender must be guarding a
player who is located in the frontcourt and within six (6) feet
of the player.[2] The count applies to a player who is only
holding the ball. Prior to the 2015-16 season,[3] the rule
included those dribbling the ball as well. This allows for
multiple closely guarded counts to occur. NCAA women's
rules require the defender to be within three (3) feet and can
occur anywhere on the playing court, but only applies when
the offensive player is holding the ball. A count ends
whenever the player with the ball gets his head and shoulders
past the defender, the defender is no longer within the
required distance, the same defender does not continuously
closely guard the player in control of the ball, or another
opponent is between the defender and the ball.

High school rules mimic men's college basketball's closely


guarded rule. A defender must be guarding the player in
control of the ball, in the frontcourt, and must be within six
feet of the player. A player may be holding or dribbling the
ball. If defensive teammates switch, and both are within six
feet of the player in control of the ball, the same count is
continued.
Under FIBA rules, a defender must be within one meter of a
player holding the ball and must be in an active guarding
position.[6] This count can occur anywhere on the playing
court.

In the NBA this rule is applied only in a throw in scenario.[7]

A five-second count will begin if an offensive player with the


ball and not facing-up starts dribbling below the free throw
line extended while being closely guarded or starts dribbling
outside and then penetrates below the free throw line extended
while being closely guarded. (The five-second count
commences when the offensive player penetrates the free
throw line extended.) After five seconds, a violation will have
occurred and the offensive team will lose possession.
Penalty
The penalty for a five-second closely guarded violation is loss
of ball. The opposing team will throw-in the ball from the out-
of-bounds spot nearest the violation.

Five-second back to the basket violation


In the NBA, a player in the frontcourt, below the free throw
line extended, is not permitted to dribble the ball with his back
or side to the basket for more than five seconds. A count ends
when:

 Player picks up his dribbling


 Player dribbles above the free throw line extended
 The defense deflects the ball

Penalty
Loss of ball. The opponent is awarded the ball at the free Five-
second free throw violation

A free throw shooter, under FIBA rules, must throw the ball
towards the hoop within five seconds after an official places it
at his disposal.[9] (Under North American rule sets, the shooter
is allowed 10 seconds.)

Penalty
If the free throw is successful, then the point shall not count.
The ball is awarded to the opponent at the free throw line
extended unless another free throw is to follow or a
possession penalty is to follow.[10]

throw line extended.

Flagrant foul
In basketball, a flagrant foul is a personal foul that involves
excessive or violent contact that could injure the fouled
player. A flagrant foul may be unintentional or purposeful; the
latter type is also called an "intentional foul" in the NBA.
However, most intentional fouls are not considered flagrant
and fouling intentionally is an accepted tactic to regain
possession of the ball with minimal time off the game clock.

NBA
The NBA established the flagrant foul in the 1980-81 season
and enacted proper penalties for it in 1990-91,[1] to deter
contact which, in addition to being against the rules, puts an
opponent's safety or health at risk.

The NBA defines[2] two levels of flagrant fouls, "Flagrant 1"


and "Flagrant 2". Flagrant 2 has the additional element of
"excessive" violence and results in the immediate ejection of
the offender. Flagrant 1 does not result in the offender's
ejection unless the same player commits a second Flagrant 1
foul in the same game. Referees have discretion in
determining which level to call.

Fines
Flagrant fouls over the course of the season can result in
monetary fines and suspension, at the sole discretion of
the Commissioner of the NBA.

Game tactics
The flagrant foul rule deters undesired play by awarding
possession of the ball to the offended team as an extra penalty.
A simple personal foul may let the fouling team regain
possession of the ball (by rebound or by award after a made
free throw). However, a flagrant foul results in free
throws and possession afterwards.

Toward the end of a game, when a trailing team is committing


intentional fouls to regain the ball, it must be careful not to
use unnecessary or excessive contact, because a foul ruled
Flagrant gives no advantage to the team committing the foul.

FIBA
FIBA basketball rules have similar fouls but use different
terms.

 FIBA's unsportsmanlike foul is comparable to a Flagrant 1.


Two in one game by the same player result in automatic
ejection of that player. An unsportsmanlike foul can also be
called if a player fouls with no intention to play the ball
(including excessive holding or shirt grabbing), as well as if
a player fouls another player on a fast break from behind.
 FIBA's disqualifying foul is comparable to a Flagrant 2 and
results in immediate ejection of the offender.

The penalty for these fouls is two free throws and possession
at midcourt for the team that was fouled.
United States scholastic rules

U.S. college and high school rules define a flagrant foul as a


personal or technical foul that is extreme or severe.

NCAA
The NCAA's Playing Rules Oversight Panel adopted the
"flagrant" term before the 2011-12 season for both men's and
women's basketball.[3] However, the NCAA's women's rules
committee abandoned the term "flagrant", effective with the
2017–18 season, in favor of FIBA's "unsportsmanlike" and
"disqualifying" terms.[4] These fouls are counted as personal
fouls and technical fouls.

 A flagrant 1 foul (men's) or unsportsmanlike foul


(women's) involves excessive or severe contact during a
live ball, including especially when a player "swings an
elbow and makes illegal, non-excessive contact with an
opponent above the shoulders". This offense includes the
former "intentional foul" of fouling an opposing player to
prevent an easy breakaway score. In women's basketball
only, the unsportsmanlike foul also includes contact dead-
ball technical fouls. The penalty for a flagrant 1 or
unsportsmanlike foul is two free throws and a throw-in for
the opposing team at the out-of-bounds spot nearest the
foul.
 A flagrant 2 foul (men's) or disqualifying foul (women's)
involves unsportsmanlike conduct that is extreme in nature,
including "when a player swings an elbow excessively and
makes contact above the shoulders", or excessive or severe
contact during a dead ball (men only). Fighting is also a
flagrant 2 or disqualifying foul. The penalty for a flagrant 2
or disqualifying foul is immediate ejection of the offender,
plus two free throws and a throw-in for the opposing team
at the division line opposite the scorer's table.

Certain conduct constitutes a flagrant foul despite not being


malevolent or unsportsmanlike.[5]
Flop (basketball)
In basketball, a flop is an intentional fall by a player after little
or no physical contact by an opposing player in order to draw
a personal foul call by an official against the opponent.[1]The
move is sometimes called acting, as in "acting as if he was
fouled". Because it is inherently designed to deceive the
official, flopping is generally considered to
be unsportsmanlike. Nonetheless, it is widely practiced and
even perfected by many professional players. The player that
commits the act is referred to as a flopper.

Flopping effectively is not easy to do, primarily because


drawing contact can sometimes result in the opposite effect—
a foul called on the defensive player—when too much contact
is drawn or if the player has not positioned himself perfectly.
Additionally, even if no foul is called on either player, by
falling to the floor, the flopping defensive player will have
taken himself out of position to provide any further defensive
opposition on the play, thus potentially allowing the offense to
score easily. To consistently draw offensive fouls on
opponents takes good body control and a great deal of
practice.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) added a rule in
1997 to cut down on flopping near the basket, adding a 4-foot
(1.22 meter) "dotted line area" around the center of the basket
to help prevent flops. Such flops are charged as blocking fouls
or no-calls. In the 2012–13 season, the league began fining
guilty players.

In the NBA, the penalty for "flopping" is a technical foul if


caught in-game, and a fine if caught after the game in video
reviews. The technical foul is a non-unsportsmanlike conduct
technical foul (one of six fouls a player may be assessed
before disqualification; no ejection is possible). In FIBA play,
the penalty is a technical foul that counts as one of two
towards ejection.

2012–13 National Federation of State High School


Associations basketball rule 10.6.f specifically defines "faking
being fouled", in the judgment of an official, as
unsportsmanlike conduct subject to penalty of a technical
foul, but in practice this call is exceptionally rare.
Foul (basketball)

Tim Hardaway, Jr. of the 2012–13 Michigan Wolverine


men'sbasketball team (in blue), on a fast
break against Northwestern, draws a personal foulin the
Wolverines' January 3, 2013 2012-13 Big Ten Conference
seasonopener.

In basketball, a foul is an infraction of the rules more serious


than a violation. Most fouls occur as a result of illegal
personal contact with an opponent and/or unsportsmanlike
behavior. Fouls can result in one or more of the following
penalties:

 The team whose player committed the foul loses possession


of the ball to the other team.
 The fouled player is awarded one or more free throws.
 The player committing the foul "fouls out" of the game.
 The player committing the foul is suspended from some
number of subsequent games.

Some of the penalties listed above are assessed only if a


player or a team commits a number of fouls above a specified
limit.

Ordinary fouls are routine because of the constant motion


inherent in the sport and are not viewed as bad sportsmanship.
The penalty imposes a cost on violating the rules but does not
disparage the player committing the foul. A player intending
never to commit a foul might play so cautiously as to be
ineffective. More serious fouls are regarded as bad
sportsmanship, and the penalties are designed to be
disciplinary.

There are several classes of foul, each enumerated below and


covered in greater detail in its own article.

Classes of foul
Personal foul
A personal foul is the most common type of foul. It results
from personal contact between two opposing players.
Basketball features constant motion, and contact between
opposing players is unavoidable, but significant contact that is
the fault of illegal conduct by one opponent is a foul against
that player. Most personal fouls are called against a defensive
player. A personal foul that is committed by a player of the
team in possession of the ball is called an offensive foul.
When neither team is in clear possession of the ball, a foul is
called a loose-ball foul.

Flagrant foul
A flagrant foul is violent player contact that the official
believes is not a legitimate attempt to directly play the ball
within the rules.

 The NBA and NCAA define a Flagrant-1 foul as


unnecessary contact, and two such penalties leads to
ejection of the player. A Flagrant-2 foul is contact that is
both unnecessary and excessive, and requires ejection.
 FIBA penalizes excessive or unjustified contact between
opponents. Its terms for the respective levels of foul are
an unsportsmanlike foul and a disqualifying foul.

Technical foul
A technical foul is a foul unrelated to physical contact during
game play. The foul may be called on a player in the game,
another player, a coach, or against the team in general. This
class of foul applies to all of the following:

 Unsportsmanlike conduct outside the scope of the game,


such as taunting, profanity, or conduct toward an official.
 A personal foul committed by a player who has fouled out
of the game but is readmitted to the game because of the
lack of substitutes.
 Requesting a timeout when the team has already used their
last allotted timeout.
 Illegal gamesmanship, such as delay of game.
 A variety of other situations, such as arranging the players
in an illegal defense.
In the last two cases, the rules may call for the referee to give
a warning rather than assess a technical foul on the first
infraction.

Other terms
A player foul is any foul, but typically personal and flagrant
fouls, by reference to the count of fouls charged against a
given player. A team foul is any foul by reference to the count
against a given team.

Personal foul (basketball)

Zoran Dragić (right) contacts Carl Englishand commits foul.


In basketball, a personal foul is a breach of the rules that
concerns illegal personal contact with an opponent. It is the
most common type of foul in basketball. A player fouls out on
reaching a limit on personal fouls for the game and is
disqualified from participation in the remainder of the game.

Players routinely initiate illegal contact to purposely affect the


play, hoping it is seen as too minor to be ruled a foul. The
threshold is subjective and varies among officials and from
game to game. Most contact fouls are not regarded
as unsportsmanlike. However, excessive or unjustified contact
is penalized more severely. The NBA refers to these
as flagrant fouls; other rulebooks call
them unsportsmanlike or disqualifying fouls.
History

Max Bielfeldt of the 2012–13 Michigan Wolverines men's


basketballteam playingagainst Northwestern draws a foul with
a pump fake in the team's January 3 2012–13 Big Ten
Conference men's basketball season opener.

Basketball has always had the concept of fouls. In


1891, James Naismith's original 13 rules defined a foul as:

 running with the ball,


 holding the ball with the arms or body,
 striking the ball with the fist,
 shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any
way of an opponent.

Only the fourth definition remains. Running with the ball and
striking it with the fist are now violations. Holding the ball
with the arms or body is now rare but legal.

Originally, on a player's second foul, the player would be


removed without substitution until the next successful goal
(similar to a penalty in ice hockey). Before long, free
throws were introduced, originally worth three points each,
then one. Originally, any team member was allowed to shoot
free throws. In 1924, the rules were changed so that the fouled
player shot the free throws.

The victim of a contact foul used to be given three attempts at


a free throw, and the offense retained possession of the
basketball. Now, a player fouled in the act of shooting gets
from one to three shots and the other team tends to get
possession afterwards (see Penalties below).
Principles
Personal contact does not necessarily constitute a personal
foul, unless it gives a player an advantage or puts the
opponent at a disadvantage.

Cylinder

In FIBA, the cylinder principle gives each player exclusive


rights within an imaginary cylinder defined:

 in the front by the palms of the hands, when the arms are
bent at the elbows so that the forearms and hands are
raised, but no farther in front than the feet,
 in the rear by the buttocks,
 at the sides by the outside edge of the arms and legs.

The cylinder extends from the floor to the ceiling, allowing


the player to jump upward.

A player can occupy any cylinder not already occupied by the


opponent. No one else is allowed to step or reach into this
cylinder. A player must not extend his limbs or bend his body
in a way that is not normal. If there is a breach of this
principle that places the opponent at a disadvantage, the
official may penalise it.

The NBA does not use the cylinder principle to judge contact;
it only says that a player may not bend or reach in a position
that is not normal (nor push, hold, and so on).

Elements of time and distance


The elements of time and distance concern the reaction time
and distance of another person. They apply only to players
without the ball, not to the ball carrier. For example, a player
cannot suddenly step in front of a sprinting player, even
without invading the cylinder. Another example is when a
player sets a screen directly behind a player: the player would
not physically be able to react to the screen in enough time to
avoid it.

Justin Doellman, then a Valencia Basketplayer, is fouled in


a Eurocup match.
Charging And Blocking
"Offensive fouls" redirects here. For the Canadian play,
see Offensive Fouls.

When significant[n 1] illegal contact between the ball-carrier


and a defender occurs, it usually means that either —

 The defender committed a blocking foul, or


 The ball-carrier committed the offensive foul of charging.

Deciding between the two is complex, partly subjective, and


often controversial.

Generally, the ball-carrier committed a charge if all of the


following are true:

 The defender was still, or moving sideways or backward


but not forward, when contact occurred.
 The defender took a legal guarding position before the
contact, that is, one with both feet on the floor.
 The defender was hit on the torso (as opposed to the arm or
leg).

In the NBA, in contact during a move to the basket, officials


do not consider the position of the defender's feet, but decide
whether the defensive player's torso was set in position before
the offensive player began his upward motion.

A charging foul is usually not called if the ball-handler is


within a 4-foot (1.22 m) radius around the center of the basket
(known in the rules as the "restricted area" and sometimes
colloquially as the "smiley face"That is, if the ball-carrier is
under the basket, the defense usually cannot restrict his or her
movement by drawing a charge. An exception is made if the
offensive player receives the ball within an area close to the
basket known as the "lower defensive box."

A related call is the player control foul.

Strategy
Apart from using hands in neutral space to shield or deflect a
pass or a shot, the defender uses his or her body to impede the
ball-carrier's advance toward the basket. The defender's only
absolute way to achieve this is to stand directly in the ball-
carrier's path and "draw a charge." Short of this, the defender's
use of the body may make the ball-carrier hesitate or change
tactics. Both opponents are restrained by their desire not to
commit a foul.
It is not a foul to grab for the ball, or to touch a hand of the
ball-carrier that is on the ball, but the ball-carrier, especially in
the act of shooting, can easily cause greater contact that is a
blocking foul against the defender.

Once contact is made, the defender may fall to the ground to


exaggerate the force of the collision and induce a foul to be
called. (The ball-carrier rarely does so, as it would disrupt the
effort to score a goal.) Overt deception is disparagingly called
a "flop" and is penalized at every level of basketball.

Screening
A screen is an attempt by an offensive player to stop a
defender from guarding the ball-carrier. For example, John
Stockton and Karl Malone were well known for their pick and
roll(or screen and roll) play. The ball-carrier's teammate is the
screener; he stands in the path of the defender as the ball-
carrier dribbles past the screener. This at least costs the
defender time, and may induce a collision. Either leaves the
ball-carrier unguarded. However, if the screener moves
towards the ball-carrier when contact occurs, or does not
respect the elements of time and distance, or initiates contact,
he is charged with illegal screening or setting a moving pick.
These are blocking fouls.

Other fouls on the ball-carrier


In the NBA, the ball-carrier cannot attempt to dribble past a
defender where there is not enough space, such as dribbling
between a defender and either a boundary or another
defensive player. If the ball-carrier has space to put head and
shoulders past the defender, then the defender is responsible.

In FIBA, this rule is not codified, but contact caused by the


dribbler is still penalized.

Fouls away from the ball


The rules are symmetrical for contact between offensive and
defensive players not involving the ball-carrier. Any player
has the right to a position on the court legally acquired. A
player acquiring a position that will impede an opponent must
respect the elements of time and distance; that is, not take a
position so close, or so quickly, that the opponent cannot
avoid contact. This includes gradually slowing down after
running with the opponent, and situations where the opponent
is shielded from seeing the player's movement.

Other personal fouls


 Pushing — Contact that displaces an opponent (for
example, pushing a player away from the basket, or using
body weight to affect a player's movement).
 Holding — Contact that interferes with a player's freedom
of movement (for example, physically grabbing a player
driving to the basket).
 Illegal use of hands — Extending the hands outside
the cylinder and causing illegal contact (for example, going
for a steal but hitting the player's hand or arm, or hitting the
arm of a shooter).
 Hand-checking — Contact by the defense on a ball handler
that impedes a player's speed, quickness, rhythm, and/or
balance.
 Illegal use of elbow — Moving one's elbow outside
the cylinder to disadvantage an opponent. This mostly
occurs during a post-up play situation, where either offense
or defense attempt to gain a better position.
 Illegal use of legs or knees (on the dunk): Jumping up with
one knee forward as to intentionally hit the defender.

Non-foul
Referees who called every case of illegal player contact would
dominate the game to the exclusion of the athletes, but
reluctance to make calls would make the game excessively
violent. The rules direct referees to seek a balance between
these extremes, though they do not define it.[n 3]

When players are competing for a ball that goes out of


bounds, and one player commits illegal but minor contact,
referees often do not feel a foul is justified but resolve the
situation by simply awarding possession of the ball to the
other team.

The "reach-in foul" is a misnomer. Reaching toward a player


is not a foul, though physical contact may be a foul.

Penalties
The official scorer records the foul in two counts of fouls on
the scoresheet:
 As a player foul against the offending player during the
game. A player who accumulates too many fouls will foul
out (see below).
 As a team foul against the offending player's team during
the current quarter or half. A team that accumulates too
many fouls in that period enters the penalty situation and
puts the other team into the "bonus." In college basketball,
another, higher number of team fouls gives the other team a
"double bonus" (men only) regarding the number of free
throws. (See the article on free throws.)

On a foul committed by the defense (and on a loose-ball


foul when neither team is in possession of the ball), if the
team committing the foul is in the penalty situation or the
fouled player was in the act of shooting, the fouled player is
awarded free throws. Otherwise, and on offensive fouls, the
fouled player's team is awarded possession of the ball to pass
inbounds from the out-of-bounds point nearest to the foul.
The shot clock is reset.

In some rulebooks, such as that of FIBA, a technical foul is


included in the count of player fouls.
If the game goes to overtime, foul counts are not reset, but
continue as though overtime were a continuation of the final
regulation period. The NBA and WNBA are exceptions, in
that each overtime period has its own count of team fouls.

Free throws plus possession

The NBA awards the fouled player free throws followed by


possession of the ball in the following cases:
A flagrant foul.

 A defense foul when the ball carrier is in the frontcourt


with a "clear path" to the basket (no defender between the
ball carrier and the basket).[4]
 A foul "away from the ball" in the last two minutes of the
game.

Strategy

Sam Van Rossom scores a two-point shot and is fouled on the


same play.

Fans and commentators often call an infraction a "good foul,"


such as when the foul is against a player who would otherwise
have made a sure basket. By fouling the player and preventing
an easy two points, the defender forces the offensive player to
"earn" the two points from the free throw line. However, if the
foul does not prevent the player from scoring, the basket is
counted and the fouled player gets an additional free throw.
After the fouled player shoots free throws, the team that was
on defense is likely to gain possession of the ball. This is by
award, if the final free throw was made. Even if it is missed,
defensive players can occupy better positions at the side of the
lane to get the rebound.

Near the end of the game, a team that is losing may


purposefully foul offensive players to stop the clock and
regain possession of the ball, with the hope that the player will
miss his free throws. Coaches study free-throw percentages,
so that the defense will foul a ball carrier who is poor at free-
throw shooting. The "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy was famously
practiced against Shaquille O'Neal in view of his poor
percentage. The defense is not free to foul its choice of the
five offensive players, as a foul "away from the ball" results in
free throws plus possession. The use of intentional fouls to
prolong a game is unique to basketball; most other sports
consider such maneuvers a form of unsportsmanlike
conduct and impose stiffer penalties to teams that attempt
them (see the professional foul and unfair act in football
codes).
Foul to give
Near the end of the game, a team may have committed so few
fouls that it can commit one or more fouls without putting the
opponent in the bonus. It is said that the team has one or
more fouls to give. A player who is not close to fouling out
can foul an opponent with impunity to prevent a likely score.

To keep games from being bogged down with cheap fouls, the
NBA rules provide that the second foul in the final two
minutes of a half puts the fouled team in the bonus (enabling
free throws) regardless of the number of team fouls.

Fouling out
A player who commits five personal fouls over the course of a
40-minute game, or six in a 48-minute game, fouls out and is
disqualified for the remainder of the game. A player within
one or two fouls of fouling out is in "foul trouble." Players
who foul out are not ejected and may remain in the bench area
for the remainder of the game. Fouling out of a game is not a
disciplinary action.
In the NCAA and FIBA, if a team is reduced to five players
by injury or ejection, and one of them commits a fifth foul
(sixth in FIBA) or is ejected, play continues with that team
reduced to four players. A team automatically loses the game
by default if fewer than two players remain in the game.

This rule was invoked in an NCAA game between the


Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Alabama Crimson Tide
at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 25,
2017. With 13:39 remaining in the second half, a scuffle
broke out involving Minnesota players in the game and
Alabama players on the bench. Alabama's entire bench was
ejected, leaving the Crimson Tide with only 5 active men.
Alabama's Dazon Ingram fouled out at the 11:37 mark, and
John Petty left the game with a sprained ankle, forcing the
Tide to play the final 10:41 with three players.

In the NBA and WNBA, no team can be reduced to four


players, so such a player stays in the game. If another of the
five players is ejected or injured, the last player to foul out
rejoins the game. In these reinsertions, the team is assessed a
technical foul. In addition, any additional foul the player
commits draws another technical foul. This results in one or
an extra free throw for the opponents, even if the player's foul
would not normally result in free throws, including offensive
fouls, which are worth one free throw. (These technical fouls
are not for unsportsmanlike conduct, so they do not result in
ejections from the game.)

This rule let Don Otten set the NBA record for personal fouls
in a regular-season game. He had eight fouls while playing for
the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now the Atlanta Hawks) against
the Sheboygan Red Skins on November 24, 1949. The rule
was again invoked in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers
and Cleveland Cavaliers on February 5, 2014. With the
Lakers down to 5 players due to injuries, when Robert
Sacre fouled out, he remained in the game.

Screen (sports)
After Jarell Martin sets a pick on Anthony Barber for Nigel
Williams-Goss, that breaks Williams-Goss free for a drive
down the lane at the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys
Game

A screen is a blocking move by an offensive player, by


standing beside or behind a defender, to free a teammate to
shoot, receive a pass, or drive in to score.
In basketball and field lacrosse, it is also known as a pick.
Screens can be on-ball (when set for the ball-handler), or off-
ball (when set for a teammate moving without the ball to get
open for a pass). The two offensive players involved in setting
the screen are known as the screener (who blocks the
defender) and the cutter(who gets free from the defender).

Successfully "setting a screen" in team sports such


as basketball and water polo requires attention to position and
timing. An offensive player will first establish position so that
his teammate can move toward him. The teammate changes
pace and direction, and cuts (moves or dribbles quickly) very
close to the screening player. The defender who is covering
the cutter will have to push into the screening player, or divert
around, losing a few steps. In basketball and lacrosse, the
offensive player setting the pick must remain stationary at the
moment of contact with the defender, and allow the defensive
player a "reasonable opportunity" to avoid the screen; a screen
is illegal if the screener moves in order to make contact, and
obtains an advantage; the result is an offensive foul in
basketball and a technical foul in lacrosse. There must be
illegal contact for a moving screen to be a foul; no illegal
contact, no foul, no matter how much moving the screener
does. If the screener holds, leans or moves into the defender to
cause contact, this will result in a foul on the screener.

Isaiah Hicks screens Jarell Martin and Marcus Lee for Chris Walker at the 2013 McDonald's
All-American Boys Game.

After setting the screen, the screener is often open to roll to


the basket and receive a pass. This tactic is called pick and
roll in basketball. Another basketball tactic, called the pick
and pop, is for the ballhandler to drive to the basket while the
screener squares for a jumpshot.

Defensive moves to defeat a screen include sliding by the pick


if the screening player leaves space, fighting over the screen
(pushing the screener away, where allowed—this is not
allowed in basketball), if the defender is strong enough, or
switching defensive assignments with another defender, who
can pick up the cutter on the other side of the screen.

In the team sport Ultimate setting a screen is not


allowed.[1] The screened player can call "pick", whereupon the
play stops with all other players holding their current
positions. The screened player can now catch up to the
offensive player he or she was defending, then play continues

Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul (also colloquially known as a
"T" or a "Tech") is any infraction of the rules penalized as a
foul which does not involve physical contact during the
course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a
foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is
for unsportsmanlike conduct. Technical fouls can be assessed
against players, bench personnel, the entire team (often called
a bench technical), or even the crowd. These fouls, and their
penalties, are more serious than a personal foul, but not
necessarily as serious as a flagrant foul (an ejectable offense
in leagues below the NBA, and potentially so in the NBA).
Technical fouls are handled slightly differently
under international rules than under the rules used by the
various competitions in the United States. First, illegal contact
between players on the court is always a personal foul under
international rules, whereas in the USA, such contact is, with
some exceptions, a technical foul when the game clock is not
running and/or when the ball is dead. Second, in FIBA play
(except for the half-court 3x3 variant, in which individual
personal foul counts are not kept), players foul out after five
total fouls, technical and personal combined (since 2014, one
technical can be included towards the total; two technicals in a
game results in ejection). The latter rule is similar to that
in college, high school, and middle school basketball in
the United States. However, in leagues that play 48-minute
games such as the NBA, and in some leagues such as
the WNBA, players are allowed six personal fouls before
being disqualified, and technical fouls assessed against them
do not count toward this total. However, unsportsmanlike
technicals in the NBA carry a fine, its severity depending on
the number of technicals the player has already obtained, and
players are suspended for varying amounts of time after
accumulating sixteen technicals in the regular season or seven
in the playoffs.

In most American competitions, ejection of the offender, that


of the player, coach, or otherwise, is the penalty for being
assessed two technical fouls in a game, if charged directly to
him/her (some technicals committed by a player are charged
to the team only). In addition, any single flagrant technical
foul, or a disqualifying foul in FIBA, incurs ejection. FIBA
rules do not provide for ejection for any number of non-
flagrant technicals (known as unsportsmanlike fouls under that
body's rules) against a player, except in 3x3, in which two
unsportsmanlike fouls result in ejection. FIBA rules call for
ejection when a coach draws two technicals, or a third is
called on the bench.

Traveling (basketball)
In basketball, traveling is a violation of the rules that occurs
when a player holding the ball moves one or both of their feet
illegally. Traveling is also called, predominantly in a streetball
game, "walking" or "steps".
When a player has taken three or more steps without the ball
being dribbled, a traveling violation is called. A travel can
also be called via carrying or an unestablished pivot foot. If
the pivot foot of a player changes or moves, it is considered a
travel and the ball handler will be penalized. The only times
traveling is acceptable is during the NBA Slam Dunk Contest,
which isn’t a game, or if the defender fouls the ball carrier. In
the latter case, the ball carrier retains possession of the ball
and the opposing team gains a foul.

Zaza rule
The Zaza rule is the unofficial title for a rule change in
the 2017–18 NBA season concerning reckless closeouts
(defensive advancements toward a shooter intended to
disrupted a shot or prevent a pass). The namesake of the rule
is Zaza Pachulia, then a center for the Golden State
Warriors.[1]

Details and procedure


The Zaza Rule allows for referees to
call flagrant or technical fouls on reckless defensive closeouts.
After referees call a foul, they now possess the ability to
determine if the defender's foot placement was reckless,
allowing for an upgrade to flagrant, or to technical if there
was no intent to injure determined.

Reason for change


In the third quarter of Game 1 of the 2017 Western
Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors, San
Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard went up for a field goal
attempt, with Pachulia closing in and landing on Leonard's
foot, aggravating an ankle injury that Leonard suffered earlier
in the game. Leonard left the game and did not return for the
rest of the series, and the Spurs eventually lost the Western
Conference Finals, 0-4.

Reaction to Pachulia's play


Due to Pachulia's history of physical play, many around the
league condemned the play as dirty. Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich was one of the most vocal, who said, "‘[Pachulia]
didn’t have intent.’ Who gives a damn about what his intent
was? You ever heard of manslaughter? You still go to jail I
think if you’re Texan and you kill somebody. And you might
not have intended to do that. All I care is what I saw. All I
care about is what happened. And the history there
exacerbates the whole situation and makes me very, very
angry."

NBA senior vice president of replay and referee operations


Joe Borgia confirmed in a September 2017 interview with the
league that Pachulia's closeout would have been considered a
flagrant foul.
Goaltending

Noah Vonleh's goaltending violation gives Nigel Williams-Goss a layup at the 2013
McDonald's All-American Boys Game.

In basketball, goaltending is the violation of interfering with


the ball while it is on its way to the basket and it is (a) in a
downward flight, (b) entirely above the rim and has the
possibility of entering the basket, and (c) not touching the rim.
In NCAA basketball, (W)NBA basketball, goaltending is also
called if the ball has already touched the backboard while
being above the height of the rim in its flight, regardless of
whether it being in an upward or downward flight or whether
it is directly above the rim. Goaltending in this context defines
by exclusion what is considered a legal block of a field goal.
In high school and NCAA basketball, goaltending is also
called when a player interferes with a free throw at any time
in its flight towards the basket. If goaltending is called for
interference with a field goal, the shooting team is awarded
the points for the field goal as if it had been made. In high
school and NCAA basketball, if goaltending is called on a
free throw, the shooting team is awarded one point and
a technical foul is called against the offending player.

Goaltending is commonly confused with the related violation


of basket interference (also called offensive goaltending)
which occurs during an attempted field goal when a player
touches the basket, the rim, or the ball when it is on the rim or
directly above it. Like goaltending, basket interference when
committed by the defending team results in an award of points
to the shooting team as if the attempted field goal had been
made.

FIBA rules allow a defender to block any shot that is over the
rim and the ball is on its upward flight.

The prohibition against goaltending was adopted by the


NCAA in 1944 (and later by the NBL) specifically because
of George Mikan. Prior to the advent of the high-jumping 6 ft
10 in (2.08 m) Mikan, goaltending was not addressed because
it was thought physically impossible.

It is possible for a team to goaltend at the buzzer, although


this is very rare. This is because, according to (W)NBA rules,
once the shot is taken, the period will be over, so goaltending
rules would still apply even after the clock hits 0. It happened
in the 2012-13 season, when Jermaine O'Neal was called for a
goaltend against the Houston Rockets after time expired. This
happened in the 4th quarter, so the Phoenix Suns lost the
game 101-98
Rules of basketball

Most important terms related to the basketball court

The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that


govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures
of basketball. While many of the basic rules are uniform
throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or
governing bodies in North America, the most important of
which are the National Basketball Association and NCAA,
formulate their own rules. In addition, the Technical
Commission of the International Basketball
Federation (FIBA) determines rules for international play;
most leagues outside North America use the complete FIBA
rulese

Original rules
In January 15, 1892, James Naismith published his rules for
the game of "Basket Ball" that he invented:[1] The original
game played under these rules was quite different from the
one played today as there was no dribbling, dunking, three-
pointers, or shot clock, and goal tending was legal.

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.

The original manuscript of the rules of basketball, one of


the most expensive manuscripts in existence, is publicly
displayed at the University of Kansas.
Shot clock and limits
The first time restriction on possession of the ball was
introduced in 1933, where teams were required to advance the
ball over the center line within ten seconds of gaining
possession. This rule remained until 2000,
when FIBA reduced the requirement to eight seconds, the
NBA following suit in 2001. The NCAA retains the 10-
second rule for men's play, and adopted this rule for women's
play starting with the 2013–14 season.[2] U.S. high schools,
whose rules are drafted by NFHS, also use the 10-second rule
for both sexes.In 1936 the three-second rule was introduced.
This rule prohibits offensive players from remaining near their
opponents' basket for longer than three seconds (the
precise restricted area is also known as the lane or the key). A
game central to this rule's introduction was that between
the University of Kentucky and New York University.
Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp did not take one of his referees
with him, despite being warned of discrepancies in officiating
between the Midwest and East by Notre Dame coach George
Keogan, and the game became especially rough. Because of
this game and others, 6'5" (1.96 m) Kentucky All-American
center Leroy Edwards is generally recognized as the player
responsible for the 3 second rule.

While the rule was originally adopted to reduce roughness in


the area between big men, it is now considered to prevent tall
offensive players from gaining an advantage by waiting close
to the basket. When the NBA started to allow zone defense in
2001, a three-second rule for defensive players was also
introduced.

The shot clock was first introduced by the NBA in 1954, to


increase the speed of play. Teams were then required to
attempt a shot within 24 seconds of gaining possession, and
the shot clock would be reset when the ball touched the
basket's rim or the backboard, or the opponents gained
possession. FIBA adopted a 30-second shot clock two years
later, resetting the clock when a shot was attempted. Women's
basketball adopted a 30-second clock in 1971. The NCAA
adopted a 45-second shot clock for men while continuing with
the 30-second clock for women in 1985. The men's shot clock
was then reduced to 35 seconds in 1993, and further reduced
to 30 seconds in 2015. FIBA reduced the shot clock to 24
seconds in 2000, and changed the clock's resetting to when the
ball touched the rim of the basket. Originally, a missed shot
where the shot clock expired while the ball is in the air
constituted a violation. In 2003 the rule was changed so that
the ball remains live in this situation, as long as it touched the
rim. If the ball touches the rim and slightly bounces over the
basketball hoop it will be called as a loose ball.

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