The History of Basketball

Study Notes

The first basketball game was played with two peach baskets hung on the balcony of a gym
The baskets were replaced with metal baskets with holes in the bottom in 1906
In 1913 a hoop with a net was invented so the ball could fall to the ground freely

The ball could be thrown in any direction with one or both hands
The ball could be batted in any direction with one or both hands
A player could not run with the ball. This is called "traveling" in modern basketball
The ball must be held in or between the hands
A foul was committed if a player struck the ball with their fist
No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking an opponent was allowed
The first infringement of this rule by a player counted as a foul, the second disqualified them for the rest of the game
If there was evident intent to injure, the player was disqualified for the whole game, no substitute allowed

Basketball was invented by Dr James Naismith on December 5, 1891, during the cold winter months in Massachusetts
The game was invented to keep students active during the winter months
Naismith separated his class into two teams and nailed two peach baskets to the balcony, about 10 feet above the floor, in the school gym
The students were given a soccer ball and told that it would count as a goal if they got it in the net
To keep the game fair, Naismith created the first 13 rules of basketball

The first team to be recorded dribbling was Yale University in 1897
Dribbling was introduced in the late 1800s
Before the word "dribbling" was coined, it was referred to as "passing to themselves"

Basketball became truly international during World War I
During the war the U.S. Army used basketball recreationally to release pent-up energy
The American Expeditionary Force spread basketball wherever it went