Basketball: History, Equipment & Skills

Basketball History

• In 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian at Springfield College, Massachusetts, invented basketball.
• The International YMCA Training School sought an indoor activity for YMCA leaders, leading to the game's creation.
• Initially, peach baskets served as goals at each gymnasium end, giving rise to the name "basketball."

Basketball Facilities and Equipment

• Essential equipment includes a basketball court, backboard and rim, a ball, a game clock, manual and electronic scoreboards, a whistle, and possession arrows.
• Player attire should prioritize comfort and allow for free movement.

Basketball Skills and Movement

• Key movements involve sprinting, back pedaling, defensive slides, and pivoting with both feet in forward and backward directions.
• Stationary finger control drills are performed on the abdomen, chest and over the head.
• They are also performed rotating around the neck, waist and knees in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, including spiral movements.

Passing Technique

• Passing is a very important to quickly move the ball forward
• Chest Pass: Extending arms throws the ball from the chest area to a receiver.
• Bounce Pass: Throw the ball so it bounces about 2/3 of the distance to the receiver, useful for smaller players guarded by taller ones.
• Overhead Pass: A two-handed pass from above the head is effective when guarded by shorter players.
• Baseball/Outlet Pass: A one-handed pass used for longer distances, especially for fast breaks.

Dribbling Techniques

• Dribbling involves continuously bouncing the ball on the floor with one hand while moving.
• Dribbling variations include front, side, V-dribble, crossover, between the legs, behind the back, spin, and speed dribbles.
• Ball should be “touched” with fingertips, not the palm.

Protective Dribbling

• Maintain an athletic stance with bent knees and a low body position.
• Use the free hand to guard the ball and keep the head up to see teammates.
• Dribble on the outer part of the body.

Speed Dribbling

• Dribble from waist to chest height.
• Push the ball forward and catch up to it.

Shooting the ball

• Shooting involves throwing the ball toward the hoop and net.
• Shot types include spot shooting, lay-ups, free throws, jump shots, hook shots, and bank shots.

Shot Form

• Feet remain shoulder-width apart, nearly parallel with the shooting foot slightly forward.
• Keep toes pointed toward the target.
• Air hole of the ball located between the middle and index fingers.
• The palm doesn't touch the ball; use finger pads and spread fingers for grip.
• Use non-shooting hand for support and balance.
• Keep elbows away from the body.
• Place ball above the forehead with a flexed wrist.

Generating Shooting Power

• Keep eyes on the rim once you have established your stance and grip.
• Use bent knees to generate power, straightening the knee (or jumping).
• Extend elbow and wrist toward the basket, releasing the ball off the fingertips for backspin.
• Follow through, keeping the wrist relaxed and pointed toward the target after release.

Basketball positions

• Positions include center (position 5, tallest), forwards (positions 3 & 4, medium size), and guards (positions 1 & 2, shortest).

Fouls and Violations

• Violations occur when a player breaches a rule, awarding the ball to the opposing team such as travelling and double dribbling
• Fouls are illegal actions by one team against an opposing player, categorized as defensive or offensive.

Court Etiquette

• Wear appropriate attire: T-shirt, shorts, jogging pants, and rubber shoes.
• Warm-up with stretching to prevent injury.
• Hydrate and shake hands with opponents and officials as a sign of courtesy.

Volleyball origin

• In 1895, William G. Morgan created volleyball, then called Mintonette, at a YMCA in Holyoke, Mass.
• The first official game was in 1896 at Springfield College.
• In 1900, with a custom ball, volleyball spread to 211 countries.

Volleyball Gameplay

• Typically consists of two teams of six.
• Teams bat the ball over a net, preventing it from touching the ground.

Equipment Required for Volleyball

• Court, net, poles, antennas, cables, scoreboard, scorebook, whistle, side band, and kneepads.
• Net height for men is 2.43m, for women it's 2.24m.
• The ball's official size is between 25.6 and 26.4 inches in diameter, weighing between 9.1 and 9.8 ounces

Core Volleyball Skills

• Pass: used for handling serves and directing the ball to the setter.
• Set: directs the ball for a spike toward the opponent's court.
• Block: prevents or hinders an opponent's spike at the net, can be single, double, or triple.
• Dig: prevents the ball from touching the court after a spike, similar to passing.
• Serve: starts a rally, hit behind the baseline to land in opponent's court.

Passing Tips

• Assume a ready stance with feet apart and knees bent.
• Keep hands down with palms facing the ball.
• Create a "platform" on the forearms with thumbs parallel and elbows nearly touching.
• Extend knees as the ball approaches to "bounce" it off the platform.
• Avoid excessive swimming of the forearms.

Blocking Tips

• Do not keep arms straight up
• Keep fingers widespread and relaxed
• Keep hands from being too widespread
• Keep wrists rigid
• Maintain a safe distance from the net
• Jump high with arms and legs straight, angling the body forward.

Spiking Tips

• Use a four-step approach
• Jump with both feet
• Swing arm above head with the elbow joint at 90 degrees.
• Snap the wrist while directing the ball down into opponents court.
• Bend knees upon landing.

Underhand Serve

• Hold the ball at waist level.
• Lean forward while swinging the arm and making contact.
• Drop the ball before contact.
• Hit the ball underneath with the fist or heel of the hand, following through in the target direction.

Overhead Serve

• Place your left foot in front, with the ball held in the left hand.
• Pull the right arm back, aligning the right hand with the ear, palm forward, fingers extended (bow and arrow style).

Volleyball Serve Rules

• Serve from behind the end line before contact.
• Serve underhand or overhand.
• Let opponents see ball clearly before serving.
• Served ball contact with the net can still score a point.
• The first serve in a game is determined by a volley; subsequent games are served by the previous game loser.
• Serves must be returned by a bump only; no setting or attacking a serve.

Volleyball Scoring

• Rally scoring system is in use, the is a point on every rally.
• Offense scores on defense misses or out-of-bounds hits.
• Defense scores on offensive errors.
• Games are played to 25 points, winning by a 2 points margin.

Volleyball Gameplay Rules

• A maximum of three hits per side are allowed.
• Players are prohibited from hitting the ball twice successively; a block is not regarded as a hit.
• The ball can be recovered off the net during a volley.
• Contacting the ball must occur above the waist, preventing the ball from coming to a rest.
• If multiple players contact the ball at the same time, it counts as one play, and those players can’t participate in the next play.
• Back row players cannot block or spike the ball
• Switching among the front row is only allowed after the serve.
• Players must rotate clockwise each time they win a serve
• Teams consist of 4-6 players

Common Rule Violations

• Touching the net at any point during the game is a violation.
• It is a violation to step over the service line when you serve..
• Players cannot carry, palm, or throw the ball.
• Reaching under the net is a violation if it interferes with the ball or another player.