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Table of Contents
Basketball is a sport played by two teams of five players on a rectangular court. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop that is 10 feet high, mounted to a backboard at each end.
See the fact file below for more information on the basketball or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Basketball worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
BASKETBALL HISTORY & EARLY YEARS
- In 1891, James Naismith, a teacher at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, is credited with inventing basketball. He was looking for an indoor recreational activity.
- The first basketball hoops were actually just peach baskets and the first backboards were made of wire.
- The backboard was added because the audience who watched the game from the balcony used to interfere in the game by handling the ball. The incorporation of the backboard prevented that from happening.
- In 1894, teams played with five on a side when the playing area was less than 1,800 square ft.
- The number rose to seven when the gymnasium measured from 1,800 to 3,600 square feet and up to nine when the playing area exceeded that.
- In 1895, the number was occasionally set at five and is still followed today.
- Originally, players wore one of three styles of uniforms: knee-length football trousers; jersey tights; or short padded pants, plus knee guards.
- The courts often were of irregular shape with occasional obstructions so in 1903, it was ruled that all boundary lines must be straight.
- In 1895–96 the points for making a basket were reduced from three to two, and the points for making a free throw were reduced from three to one.
- In 1894, the first basketball measured close to 32 inches (81 cm), or about 4 inches (10 cm) larger than the soccer ball, in circumference, and weighed less than 20 ounces (567 grams).
JAMES NAISMITH
- Canadian James Naismith (1861–1939) was a physical education teacher from Springfield, MA.
- He was born in 1861 in Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario, Canada.
- He invented basketball in 1891 when he was looking for ways to keep his gym class busy on rainy days.
- He devised the thirteen rules of basketball, some of which are still used today. Some include:
- The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
- The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.
- No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking, or tripping in any way of an opponent.
- When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it.
- The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
- The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners.
PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
- In the 1920’s, American basketball teams were formed, but it was in 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed.
- The first game was played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers on November 1, 1946.
- Three seasons later, in 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).
- Today, the NBA is the top professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition.
- At a professional level, most male players are above 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and most women above 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m).
- Guards, for whom physical coordination and ball-handling skills are crucial, tend to be the smallest players.
- Almost all forwards in the top men’s pro leagues are 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) or taller. Most centers are over 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) tall.
INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL
- FIBA (International Basketball Federation) was formed in 1932 by eight founding nations: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland.
- In 1950, the first FIBA World Championship for men, now known as the FIBA Basketball World Cup, was held in Argentina.
- At the 1992 Summer Olympics, only European and South American teams were allowed to field professionals in the basketball Olympics.
- Soon, NBA players were allowed and USA dream teams won several gold medals until 2016.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
- Women’s basketball began in 1892 at Smith College when Senda Berenson, a physical education teacher, modified Naismith’s rules for women.
- The International Women’s Sports Federation (1924) included a women’s basketball competition.
- In 1997, the NBA supported the establishment of Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Basketball Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the basketball across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use basketball worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the basketball which is a sport played by two teams of five players on a rectangular court. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop that is 10 feet high, mounted to a backboard at each end.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Evolution of Basketball
- Play Ball!
- Basic Skills
- Protecting your Goal
- Going Offensive
- Following Rules
- Game Set!
- NBA Legends
- NBA Moves
- The Basketball Man
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Link will appear as Basketball Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 22, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.