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{{Short description|Team sport}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox sport
| name = Basketball
| image = File:Steph Curry (51915116957).jpg
| imagesize = 275px
| caption = [[Stephen Curry]] attempting to score a [[field goal (basketball)|field goal]] at the [[2022 NBA All-Star Game]]
| union = [[FIBA]]
| nickname =
| first = {{Start date and years ago|1891|12|21}}. [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| registered =
| region = Worldwide
| contact = [[Contact sport#Limited-contact|Limited]]
| team = 5 per side:<br>[[point guard]]<br>[[shooting guard]]<br>[[small forward]]<br>[[power forward (basketball)|power forward]]<br>[[center (basketball)|center]]
| mgender = Yes, separate competitions
| type = Indoor/Outdoor
| category = [[Team sport]], [[Ball game|ball sport]]
| venue = Indoor court (mainly) or outdoor court ([[Streetball]])
| glossary = [[Glossary of basketball]]
| ball = [[Basketball (ball)|Basketball]]
| olympic = Yes, demonstrated in the 1904 and 1924 Summer Olympics<br>Part of the Summer Olympic program since 1936
| paralympic = Yes
}}
'''Basketball''' is a [[team sport]] in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular [[Basketball court|court]], compete with the primary objective of [[#Shooting|shoot]]ing a [[basketball (ball)|basketball]] (approximately {{convert|9.4|in|cm}} in diameter) through the defender's [[Basket (basketball)|hoop]] (a basket {{convert|18|in|cm}} in diameter mounted {{convert|10|ft|m|sigfig=3}} high to a [[Backboard (basketball)|backboard]] at each end of the court), while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. A [[Field goal (basketball)|field goal]] is worth two points, unless made from behind the [[3 point line|three-point line]], when it is worth three. After a foul, timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a [[technical foul]] is given one, two or three one-point [[free throw]]s. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but if regulation play expires with the score tied, an additional period of play ([[Overtime (sports)|overtime]]) is mandated. However, if the additional period still results in a tied score, yet another additional period is mandated. This goes on until the score is not tied anymore.
Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or by passing it to a teammate, both of which require considerable skill. On offense, players may use a variety of shots{{snd}}the [[layup]], the [[jump shot (basketball)|jump shot]], or a [[Slam dunk|dunk]]; on defense, they may [[Steal (basketball)|steal]] the ball from a dribbler, intercept passes, or [[block (basketball)|block]] shots; either offense or defense may collect a [[rebound (basketball)|rebound]], that is, a missed shot that bounces from rim or backboard. It is a violation to [[Traveling (basketball)|lift or drag one's pivot foot without dribbling the ball]], to [[Carrying (basketball)|carry]] it, or to [[double dribble|hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling]].
The five players on each side fall into five [[Basketball positions|playing positions]]. The tallest player is usually the [[Center (basketball)|center]], the second-tallest and strongest is the [[power forward]], a slightly shorter but more agile player is the [[small forward]], and the shortest players or the best ball handlers are the [[shooting guard]] and the [[point guard]], who implement the coach's game plan by managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays (player positioning). Informally, players may play three-on-three, two-on-two, and one-on-one.
Invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher [[James Naismith]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], in the United States, basketball has evolved to become one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11348053 |title=The Canadian who invented basketball |access-date=September 14, 2011 |date=September 20, 2010 |work=BBC News |first=Sian |last=Griffiths |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425025454/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11348053 |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ranking The Top 10 Most Popular Sports In The World in 2023 |last1=Maria |website=Sports Virsa |date=January 3, 2023 |url=https://sportsvirsa.com/most-popular-sports/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925040942/https://sportsvirsa.com/most-popular-sports/ |archive-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> The [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) is the most significant [[professional basketball]] league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Forbes |first1=Alicia |last1=Jessop |title=The Surge of the NBA's International Viewership and Popularity |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2012/06/14/the-surge-of-the-nbas-international-viewership-and-popularity/ |url-access=subscription |date=June 14, 2012 |access-date=June 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618104120/http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2012/06/14/the-surge-of-the-nbas-international-viewership-and-popularity/ |archive-date=June 18, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sporting Intelligence |first1=Nick |last1=Harris |title=REVEALED: The world's best paid teams, Man City close in on Barca and Real Madrid |url=http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2012/05/01/revealed-the-worlds-best-paid-teams-man-city-close-in-on-barca-and-real-madrid-010501/ |date=May 1, 2012 |access-date=June 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616192611/http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2012/05/01/revealed-the-worlds-best-paid-teams-man-city-close-in-on-barca-and-real-madrid-010501/ |archive-date=June 16, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> (drawing most of its talent from U.S. [[college basketball]]). Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the [[EuroLeague]] and the [[Basketball Champions League Americas]]. The [[FIBA Basketball World Cup]] and [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics#Men's tournament|Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament]] are the major international events of the sport and attract top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for national teams, like [[EuroBasket]] and [[FIBA AmeriCup]].
The [[FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup]] and [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics#Women's tournament|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 the strongest European clubs participate in the [[EuroLeague Women]].
==History==
{{Main|History of basketball}}
=== Early history ===
A game similar to basketball is mentioned in a 1591 book published in Frankfurt am Main that reports on the lifestyles and customs of coastal North American residents, {{lang|de|Wahrhafftige Abconterfaytung der Wilden}} (German; translates as ''Truthful Depictions of the Savages'':<ref>(sv) [[Nordisk familjeboks sportlexikon: uppslagsverk för sport, gymnastik och friluftsliv]], part 4, [https://runeberg.org/sportlex/4/0548.html korgboll], p. 939-940, edition 1938-1946, publisher Förlagsaktiebolaget A. Sohlman & Co, Stockholm (via Runeberg project)</ref> "Among other things, a game of skill is described in which balls must be thrown against a target woven from twigs, mounted high on a pole. There's a small reward for the player if the target is being hit."<ref>{{Cite book |last1=de Bry |first1=Theodor |url=https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/item/IJCLICQM5WA3KY6LRVCEGOOHSYWNDBNE |title=Wahrhafftige Abconterfaytung der Wilden |last2=Le Moyne de Morgues |first2=Jacques |publisher=J. Feyerabend & J. Wechel |year=1591 |___location=Frankfurt am Main |pages=85 |language=de |chapter=Illustrationen - 85 |quote=Darnach spielen sie auch mit dem Ballen auf nachfolgende weise: Mitten auf einem weiten Platz wirdt ihnen ein Baum auffgerichtet / acht oder neun Ehlen hoch / darauff ist etwas viereckichtes / aus Binzen geflochten / geleget / welcher sich nun brauchet / und dasselbige mit dem Ballen trifft / der bekompt etwas sonderlichs zu Lohn. |chapter-url=https://digital.wlb-stuttgart.de/sammlungen/sammlungsliste/werksansicht?id=6&tx_dlf%5Border%5D=title&tx_dlf%5Bid%5D=2484&tx_dlf%5Bpage%5D=85}}</ref>
===Creation===
[[File:James Naismith at Springfield College circa 1920.jpg|thumb|170px|[[James Naismith]] {{c.|1920}}]]
In December 1891, [[James Naismith]], a Canadian-American professor of [[physical education]] and instructor at the International [[YMCA|Young Men's Christian Association]] Training School (now [[Springfield College]]) in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ymca.int/who-we-are/history/basketball-a-ymca-invention/ |title=YMCA International – World Alliance of YMCAs: Basketball : a YMCA Invention |website=www.ymca.int |access-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314065438/http://www.ymca.int/who-we-are/history/basketball-a-ymca-invention/ |archive-date=March 14, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/inventions/inventions.html |title=The Greatest Canadian Invention |work=CBC News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203114542/http://www.cbc.ca/inventions/inventions.html |archive-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long [[New England]] winters. After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in [[gymnasiums]], he invented a new game in which players would pass a ball to teammates and try to score points by tossing the ball into a basket mounted on a wall.
[[File:Firstbasketball.jpg|thumb|left|170px|The first basketball court at [[Springfield College]]]]
Naismith wrote the basic [[rules of basketball|rules]] and nailed a [[peach]] basket onto an elevated track. Naismith initially set up the peach basket with its bottom intact, which meant that the ball had to be retrieved manually after each "basket" or point scored. This quickly proved tedious, so Naismith removed the bottom of the basket to allow the balls to be poked out with a long [[dowel]] after each scored basket.
Shortly after, [[Senda Berenson Abbott|Senda Berenson]], instructor of physical culture at the nearby [[Smith College]], went to Naismith to learn more about the game.<ref name="Pioneers in Physical Education" /> Fascinated by the new sport and the values it could teach, she started to organize games with her pupils, following adjusted rules.<ref name="Senda Berenson Papers" /> The first official women's interinstitutional game was played barely 11 months later, between the [[University of California, Berkeley|University of California]] and Miss Head's School.<ref name="Jenkins" /> In 1899, a committee was established at the Conference of Physical Training in Springfield to draw up general rules for women's basketball. Thus, the sport quickly spread throughout America's schools, colleges and universities with uniform rules for both sexes.<ref name="Berenson1901">{{Cite book |last=Berenson |first=Senda |url=https://archive.org/details/linebasketballor00bere |title=Basket Ball for Women |publisher=American Sports Publishing Company, New York |year=1901 |quote=}}</ref>
[[File:Basketball historic.tif|thumb|150px|The first basketballs used were association footballs]]
Basketball was originally played with a [[ball (association football)|soccer ball]]. These round balls from "[[association football]]" were made, at the time, with a set of laces to close off the hole needed for inserting the inflatable bladder after the other sewn-together segments of the ball's cover had been flipped outside-in.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/store/leather-head-naismith-style-lace-up-basketball-14320.html Leather Head Naismith Style Lace Up Basketball] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911090256/https://www.nytimes.com/store/leather-head-naismith-style-lace-up-basketball-14320.html |date=September 11, 2016 }} (The New York Times. Retrieved August 28, 2016)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKf4s9cOKRQ&t=104 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717093710/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKf4s9cOKRQ&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |title=Passion Drives Creation – Jeep® & USA Basketball |last=Jeep |date=July 16, 2012 |via=YouTube}}</ref> These laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable.<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/US1660378 Inflatable ball, Inventor: Frank Dieterle, Patent: US 1660378 A (1928)] The description in this patent explains problems caused by lacing on the cover of basketballs.</ref> Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith (whereas in [[American football]], the lace construction proved to be advantageous for gripping and remains to this day). The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it was only in the late 1950s that [[Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle|Tony Hinkle]], searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Dribbling was not part of the original game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls.{{dubious|date=January 2019}} Dribbling was common by 1896, with a rule against the double dribble by 1898.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Naismith |first1=James |title=Basketball : its origin and development |date=1941 |publisher=Association Press |___location=New York}}</ref>
The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by metal hoops with backboards. A further change was soon made, so the ball merely passed through. Whenever a person got the ball in the basket, their team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points won the game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naismithmuseum.com/naismith_drjamesnaismith/main_drjamesnaismith.htm |access-date=February 14, 2007 |date=February 14, 2007 |title=James Naismith Biography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205045627/http://www.naismithmuseum.com/naismith_drjamesnaismith/main_drjamesnaismith.htm |archive-date=February 5, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The baskets were originally nailed to the mezzanine balcony of the playing court, but this proved impractical when spectators in the balcony began to interfere with shots. The backboard was introduced to prevent this interference; it had the additional effect of allowing rebound shots.<ref>Thinkquest, [https://web.archive.org/web/20050318090722/http://library.thinkquest.org/10480/b-ball.html Basketball]. Retrieved January 20, 2009.</ref> Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early 2006, indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from a children's game called [[duck on a rock]], as many had failed before it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 14, 2006 |title=Newly found documents shed light on basketball's birth |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2660882 |access-date=July 29, 2022 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
Frank Mahan, one of the players from the original first game, approached Naismith after the Christmas break, in early 1892, asking him what he intended to call his new game. Naismith replied that he had not thought of it because he had been focused on just getting the [[game]] started. Mahan suggested that it be called "Naismith ball", at which he laughed, saying that a name like that would kill any game. Mahan then said, "Why not call it basketball?" Naismith replied, "We have a basket and a ball, and it seems to me that would be a good name for it."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/index_uk.asp?SportCode=BK |title=Basketball |website=olympic.org |date=June 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090920205645/http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/index_uk.asp?SportCode=BK |archive-date=September 20, 2009 |access-date=December 18, 2005}}{{dubious|date=January 2021|reason the accessdate & archivedate are before the publication date}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2660882 |title=Newly found documents shed light on basketball's birth |access-date=January 11, 2007 |date=November 13, 2006 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201225936/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2660882 |archive-date=December 1, 2007}}</ref> The first official game was played in the [[Young Men's Christian Association Building (Albany, New York)|YMCA gymnasium in Albany]], New York, on January 20, 1892, with nine players. The game ended at 1–0; the shot was made from {{convert|25|ft|m}}, on a court just half the size of a present-day [[Streetball]] or [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) court.
At the time, [[Association football|soccer]] was being played with 10 to a team (which was increased to 11). When winter weather got too icy to play soccer, teams were taken indoors, and it was convenient to have them split in half and play basketball with five on each side. By 1897–98, teams of five became standard.
===College basketball===
{{Main|College basketball}}
[[File:Kansas U team 1899.jpg|thumb|The 1899 University of Kansas basketball team, with James Naismith at the back, right]]
Basketball's early adherents were dispatched to YMCAs throughout the United States, and it quickly spread through the United States and Canada. By 1895, it was well established at several women's high schools. While YMCA was responsible for initially developing and spreading the game, within a decade it discouraged the new sport, as rough play and rowdy crowds began to detract from YMCA's primary mission. However, other amateur sports clubs, colleges, and professional clubs quickly filled the void. In the years before [[World War I]], the [[Amateur Athletic Union]] and the [[Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States]] (forerunner of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) vied for control over the rules for the game. The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years.
James Naismith was instrumental in establishing [[college basketball]]. His colleague C. O. Beamis fielded the first college basketball team just a year after the Springfield YMCA game at the suburban Pittsburgh [[Geneva College]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10105/1050305-57.stm |title=Grandson of basketball's inventor brings game's exhibit to Geneva College |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|Postgazette.com]] |date=April 15, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2011 |last=Fuoco |first=Linda |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011182132/http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10105/1050305-57.stm |archive-date=October 11, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Naismith himself later coached at the [[Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball|University of Kansas]] for six years, before handing the reins to renowned coach [[Phog Allen|Forrest "Phog" Allen]]. Naismith's disciple [[Amos Alonzo Stagg]] brought basketball to the [[University of Chicago]], while [[Adolph Rupp]], a student of Naismith's at Kansas, enjoyed great success as coach at the [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|University of Kentucky]]. On February 9, 1895, the first intercollegiate 5-on-5 game was played at [[Hamline University]] between Hamline and the School of Agriculture, which was affiliated with the [[University of Minnesota]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hamline.edu/hamline_info/athletics/facilities/hutton_arena.html |title=Hamline University Athletics: Hutton Arena |publisher=Hamline.edu |date=January 4, 1937 |access-date=July 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528055346/http://www.hamline.edu/hamline_info/athletics/facilities/hutton_arena.html |archive-date=May 28, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/206238 |title=1st Ever Public Basketball Game Played... |website=www.rarenewspapers.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320083548/http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/206238 |archive-date=March 20, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/206238 |title=1st Ever Public Basketball Game Played |date=March 12, 1892 |website=Rare & Early Newspapers |access-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320083548/http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/206238 |archive-date=March 20, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The School of Agriculture won in a 9–3 game.
In 1901, colleges, including the [[University of Chicago]], [[Columbia University]], [[Cornell University]], [[Dartmouth College]], the [[University of Minnesota]], the [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]], the [[University of Colorado Boulder|University of Colorado]] and [[Yale University]] began sponsoring men's games. In 1905, frequent injuries on the [[College football|football]] field prompted President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] to suggest that colleges form a governing body, resulting in the creation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS). In 1910, that body changed its name to the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA). The first Canadian interuniversity basketball game was played at [[YMCA]] in [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]], Ontario on February 6, 1904, when [[McGill University]]{{snd}}Naismith's alma mater{{snd}}visited [[Queen's University at Kingston|Queen's University]]. McGill won 9–7 in overtime; the score was 7–7 at the end of regulation play, and a ten-minute overtime period settled the outcome. A good turnout of spectators watched the game.<ref>''[[Queen's Journal]]'', vol. 31, no. 7, February 16, 1904; ''105 years of Canadian university basketball'', by Earl Zukerman, {{cite web |url=http://www.cisport.ca/e/m_basketball/story_detail.cfm?id%3D13618 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001193138/http://www.cisport.ca/e/m_basketball/story_detail.cfm?id%3D13618 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |title=broken link |access-date=February 6, 2009}}</ref>
The first men's national championship tournament, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball tournament, which still exists as the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA) [[NAIA national men's basketball championship|tournament]], was organized in 1937. The first national championship for NCAA teams, the [[National Invitation Tournament]] (NIT) in New York, was organized in 1938; the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA national tournament]] began one year later. College basketball was rocked by gambling scandals from 1948 to [[CCNY point shaving scandal|1951]], when dozens of players from top teams were implicated in [[match fixing|game-fixing]] and [[point shaving]]. Partially spurred by an association with cheating, the NIT lost support to the NCAA tournament.
===High school basketball===
[[File:Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Heart Mountain, Wyoming. A hotly contested interscholastic basket . . . - NARA - 539726.jpg|thumb|upright|A basketball game between the [[Heart Mountain Relocation Center|Heart Mountain]] and Powell High School girls teams, Wyoming, March 1944]]
[[File:HS Basketball 2024.jpg|thumb|A photo taken during a high school basketball game in 2024. Demonstrates the extreme disparities in terms of physical maturity that can be seen between opposing players. ]]
Before widespread [[school district]] consolidation, most American high schools were far smaller than their present-day counterparts. During the first decades of the 20th century, basketball quickly became the ideal interscholastic sport due to its modest equipment and personnel requirements. In the days before widespread television coverage of professional and college sports, the popularity of [[high school basketball]] was unrivaled in many parts of America. Perhaps the most legendary of high school teams was Indiana's [[Franklin Wonder Five]], which took the nation by storm during the 1920s, dominating Indiana basketball and earning national recognition.
Today virtually every high school in the United States fields a basketball team in [[Varsity team|varsity]] competition.<ref>[https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120424210910/http://www.nfhs.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=3506 2008–09 High School Athletics Participation Survey] NFHS.</ref> Basketball's popularity remains high, both in rural areas where they carry the identification of the entire community, as well as at some larger schools known for their basketball teams where many players go on to participate at higher levels of competition after graduation. In the 2016–17 season, 980,673 boys and girls represented their schools in interscholastic basketball competition, according to the [[National Federation of State High School Associations]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/PDF/2016-17_Participation_Survey_Results.pdf |title=2016–17 High School Athletics Participation Survey |publisher=National Federation of State High School Associations |access-date=February 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225223739/http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/PDF/2016-17_Participation_Survey_Results.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The states of [[Illinois]], [[Indiana]] and [[Kentucky]] are particularly well known for their residents' devotion to high school basketball, commonly called [[Hoosier Hysteria]] in Indiana; the critically acclaimed film ''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]'' shows high school basketball's depth of meaning to these communities.
[[File:The High School Magazine. Montreal, Canada (1916) (14779954132).jpg|thumb|[[High School of Montreal]] Girls Junior Basketball team, 1915–1916]]There is currently no tournament to determine a national high school champion. The most serious effort was the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament at the [[University of Chicago]] from 1917 to 1930. The event was organized by [[Amos Alonzo Stagg]] and sent invitations to state champion teams. The tournament started out as a mostly Midwest affair but grew. In 1929 it had 29 state champions. Faced with opposition from the [[National Federation of State High School Associations]] and [[North Central Association of Colleges and Schools]] that bore a threat of the schools losing their accreditation the last tournament was in 1930. The organizations said they were concerned that the tournament was being used to recruit professional players from the prep ranks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament |title=National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament – hoopedeia.nba.com – Retrieved September 13, 2009 |publisher=Hoopedia.nba.com |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810175316/http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The tournament did not invite minority schools or private/parochial schools.
The National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament ran from 1924 to 1941 at [[Loyola University Chicago|Loyola University]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Catholic_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament |title=National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament, 1924–1941 – hoopedia.nba.com – Retrieved September 13, 2009 |publisher=Hoopedia.nba.com |date=December 7, 1941 |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810174238/http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Catholic_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament from 1954 to 1978 played at a series of venues, including [[Catholic University of America|Catholic University]], [[Georgetown University|Georgetown]] and [[George Mason University|George Mason]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Catholic_Invitational_Basketball_Tournament |title=National Catholic Invitations Basketball Tournament – hoopedia.nba.com – Retrieved September 13, 2009 |publisher=Hoopedia.nba.com |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810182009/http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Catholic_Invitational_Basketball_Tournament |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools was held from 1929 to 1942 at [[Hampton University|Hampton Institute]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament_for_Black_Schools |title=– National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools, 1929–1942 – Retrieved September 13, 2009 |publisher=Hoopedia.nba.com |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810182014/http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament_for_Black_Schools |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was held from 1941 to 1967 starting out at [[Tuskegee University|Tuskegee Institute]]. Following a pause during [[World War II]] it resumed at [[Tennessee State University|Tennessee State College]] in Nashville. The basis for the champion dwindled after 1954 when ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' began an integration of schools. The last tournaments were held at [[Alabama State University|Alabama State College]] from 1964 to 1967.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Invitational_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament |title=National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament – hoopedia.nba.com – Retrieved September 13, 2009 |publisher=Hoopedia.nba.com |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810173531/http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=National_Invitational_Interscholastic_Basketball_Tournament |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Professional basketball===
[[File:Liberator-ad.jpg|thumb|upright|Ad from ''[[The Liberator (magazine)|The Liberator]]'' magazine promoting an exhibition in Harlem, March 1922. Drawing by [[Hugo Gellert]]]]
Teams abounded throughout the 1920s. There were hundreds of men's [[professional basketball]] teams in towns and cities all over the United States, and little organization of the professional game. Players jumped from team to team and teams played in armories and smoky dance halls. Leagues came and went. [[Barnstorm (sports)|Barnstorming]] squads such as the [[Original Celtics]] and two all-African American teams, the [[New York Renaissance|New York Renaissance Five]] ("Rens") and the (still existing) [[Harlem Globetrotters]] played up to two hundred games a year on their national tours.
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 Knicks|New York Knickerbockers]] on November 1, 1946. Three seasons later, in 1949, the BAA merged with the [[National Basketball League (United States)|National Basketball League]] (NBL) to form the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). By the 1950s, basketball had become a major college sport, thus paving the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball. In 1959, a [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|basketball hall of fame]] was founded in [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], Massachusetts, site of the first game. Its rosters include the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of the game. The hall of fame has people who have accomplished many goals in their career in basketball. An upstart organization, the [[American Basketball Association]], emerged in 1967 and briefly threatened the NBA's dominance until the [[ABA-NBA merger]] in 1976. Today the NBA is the top professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition.
[[File:Diamond DeShields (1) drives to the basket around Maya Moore (23) in the Minnesota Lynx vs Chicago Sky game.jpg|thumb|[[Diamond DeShields]] (#1) drives to the basket around [[Maya Moore]] (#23) in the Minnesota Lynx vs Chicago Sky game]]
The NBA has featured many famous players, including [[George Mikan]], the first dominating "big man"; ball-handling wizard [[Bob Cousy]] and defensive genius [[Bill Russell]] of the [[Boston Celtics]]; charismatic center [[Wilt Chamberlain]], who originally played for the barnstorming [[Harlem Globetrotters]]; all-around stars [[Oscar Robertson]] and [[Jerry West]]; more recent big men [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]], [[Shaquille O'Neal]], [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] and [[Karl Malone]]; playmakers [[John Stockton]], [[Isiah Thomas]] and [[Steve Nash]]; crowd-pleasing forwards [[Julius Erving]] and [[Charles Barkley]]; European stars [[Dirk Nowitzki]], [[Pau Gasol]], [[Nikola Jokić]] and [[Tony Parker]]; Latin American stars [[Manu Ginobili]], more recent superstars, [[Allen Iverson]], [[Kobe Bryant]], [[Tim Duncan]], [[LeBron James]], [[Stephen Curry]], [[Giannis Antetokounmpo]], etc.; and the three players who many credit with ushering the professional game to its highest level of popularity during the 1980s and 1990s: [[Larry Bird]], [[Magic Johnson|Earvin "Magic" Johnson]], and [[Michael Jordan]].
In 2001, the NBA formed a developmental league, the [[National Basketball Development League]] (later known as the NBA D-League and then the [[NBA G League]] after a branding deal with [[Gatorade]]). As of the 2023–24 season, the G League has 31 teams.
===International basketball===
[[File:Basketball World Cup 2014.jpg|thumb|The U.S. playing against Mexico at the [[2014 FIBA World Cup]]]]
[[FIBA]] (International Basketball Federation) was formed in 1932 by eight founding nations: [[Argentina]], [[Czechoslovakia]], [[Greece]], [[Italy]], [[Latvia]], [[Portugal]], [[Romania]] and [[Switzerland]]. At this time, the organization only oversaw amateur players. Its acronym, derived from the French ''Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball Amateur'', was thus "FIBA". Men's basketball was first [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|included]] at the Berlin [[1936 Summer Olympics]], although a demonstration tournament was held in 1904. The United States defeated Canada in the first final, played outdoors. This competition has usually been dominated by the United States, whose team has won all but three titles. The first of these came in a controversial final game in [[Munich]] in [[Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics|1972]] against the Soviet Union, in which the ending of the game was replayed three times until the Soviet Union finally came out on top.<ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite news |last1=Golden |first1=Daniel |title=Three Seconds at 1972 Olympics Haunt U.S. Basketball |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-23/three-seconds-at-1972-olympics-haunt-u-s-basketball.html |publisher=Bloomberg Business Week |access-date=November 18, 2014 |date=July 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109121347/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-23/three-seconds-at-1972-olympics-haunt-u-s-basketball.html |archive-date=January 9, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1950 the first FIBA World Championship for men, now known as the [[FIBA Basketball World Cup]], was held in Argentina. Three years later, the first FIBA World Championship for women, now known as the [[FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup]], was held in Chile. Women's basketball was added to the Olympics in 1976, which were held in [[Montreal]], Quebec, Canada with teams such as the [[Soviet Union]], [[Brazil women's national basketball team|Brazil]] and [[Australia women's national basketball team|Australia]] rivaling the [[United States women's national basketball team|American]] squads.
In 1989, [[FIBA]] allowed professional NBA players to participate in the [[Olympics]] for the first time. Prior to the [[1992 Summer Olympics]], only European and South American teams were allowed to field professionals in the Olympics. The United States' dominance continued with the introduction of the original [[1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Dream Team]]. In the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens Olympics]], the United States suffered its first Olympic loss while using professional players, falling to [[Puerto Rico national basketball team|Puerto Rico]] (in a 19-point loss) and [[Lithuania men's national basketball team|Lithuania]] in group games, and being eliminated in the semifinals by [[Argentina national basketball team|Argentina]]. It eventually won the bronze medal defeating Lithuania, finishing behind Argentina and [[Italy national basketball team|Italy]]. The [[2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Redeem Team]], won gold at the [[Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympics]], and the B-Team, won gold at the [[2010 FIBA World Championship]] in Turkey despite featuring no players from the 2008 squad. The United States continued its dominance as they won gold at the [[Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Olympics]], [[2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup|2014 FIBA World Cup]] and the [[Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Olympics]].
[[File:Матч ЦСКА – Реал Мадрид в ДС «Мегаспорт» 1 февраля 2018 года · 2.jpg|thumb|A [[EuroLeague]] game in [[Megasport Sport Palace|Moscow]] in 2018]]
Worldwide, basketball tournaments are held for boys and girls of all age levels. The global popularity of the sport is reflected in the nationalities represented in the NBA. Players from all six inhabited continents currently play in the NBA. Top international players began coming into the NBA in the mid-1990s, including Croatians [[Dražen Petrović]] and [[Toni Kukoč]], Serbian [[Vlade Divac]], Lithuanians [[Arvydas Sabonis]] and [[Šarūnas Marčiulionis]], Dutchman [[Rik Smits]] and German [[Detlef Schrempf]].
In the Philippines, the [[Philippine Basketball Association]]'s first game was played on April 9, 1975, at the [[Araneta Coliseum]] in [[Quezon City#Cubao|Cubao]], [[Quezon City]], Philippines. It was founded as a "rebellion" of several teams from the now-defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, which was tightly controlled by the Basketball Association of the Philippines (now defunct), the then-FIBA recognized national association. Nine teams from the MICAA participated in the league's first season that opened on April 9, 1975. The [[National Basketball League Australia|NBL]] is Australia's pre-eminent men's professional basketball league. The league commenced in [[1979 NBL Season|1979]], playing a winter season (April–September) and did so until the completion of the 20th season in [[1998 NBL Season|1998]]. The [[1998–99 NBL season|1998–99]] season, which commenced only months later, was the first season after the shift to the current summer season format (October–April). This shift was an attempt to avoid competing directly against [[Football in Australia|Australia's various football codes]]. It features 8 teams from around Australia and one in New Zealand. A few players including [[Luc Longley]], [[Andrew Gaze]], [[Shane Heal]], [[Chris Anstey]] and [[Andrew Bogut]] made it big internationally, becoming poster figures for the sport in Australia. The [[Women's National Basketball League]] began in 1981.
===Women's basketball===
{{see also|Women's basketball}}
[[File:Smith-College-Class-1902-basketball-team.jpg|thumb|The Smith College Class 1902 basketball team]]
[[File:2006 World Championship for Women Australia.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|The [[Australia women's national basketball team|Australian women's basketball team]] on winning the [[2006 FIBA World Championship for Women]]]]
Women began to play basketball in the fall of 1892 at [[Smith College]] through [[Senda Berenson Abbott|Senda Berenson]], substitute director of the newly opened gymnasium and physical education teacher, after having modified the rules for women. Shortly after Berenson was hired at Smith, she visited Naismith to learn more about the game.<ref name="Pioneers in Physical Education">{{cite web |url=http://clio.fivecolleges.edu/smith/berenson/1biog/19411000/index.shtml?page=4 |title=Pioneers in Physical Education |pages=661–662 |access-date=June 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620173552/http://clio.fivecolleges.edu/smith/berenson/1biog/19411000/index.shtml?page=4 |archive-date=June 20, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Fascinated by the new sport and the values it could teach, she instantly introduced the game as a class exercise and soon after teams were organized. The first women's collegiate basketball game was played on March 21, 1893, when her Smith freshmen and sophomores played against one another.<ref name="Senda Berenson Papers">{{cite web |url=http://clio.fivecolleges.edu/smith/berenson/ |title=Senda Berenson Papers |access-date=June 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203084349/http://clio.fivecolleges.edu/smith/berenson/ |archive-date=February 3, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smith.edu/newssmith/fall2003/100.php |title=You Come in as a Squirrel and Leave as an Owl |access-date=June 3, 2011 |last=Peacock-Broyles |first=Trinity |work=Smith.edu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615080005/http://www.smith.edu/newssmith/fall2003/100.php |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The first official women's interinstitutional game was played later that year between the [[University of California, Berkeley|University of California]] and the Miss Head's School.<ref name="Jenkins">{{cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Sally |title=History of Women's Basketball |url=http://www.wnba.com/about_us/jenkins_feature.html |work=WNBA.com |access-date=January 21, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106144210/http://www.wnba.com/about_us/jenkins_feature.html |archive-date=January 6, 2013}}</ref> In 1899, a committee was established at the Conference of Physical Training in Springfield to draw up general rules for women's basketball.<ref>The conference took place at the YMCA training school - see [https://web.archive.org/web/20160121231122/http://clio.fivecolleges.edu/smith/berenson/1biog/18990600/ newsclip] (archived)</ref> These rules, designed by Berenson, were published in 1899.<ref name="Berenson1901" /> In 1902 Berenson became the editor of [[Spalding (sports equipment)|A. G. Spalding]]'s first Women's Basketball Guide.<ref name="Senda Berenson Papers" /> The same year women of [[Mount Holyoke College|Mount Holyoke]] and [[H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College|Sophie Newcomb College]] (coached by [[Clara Gregory Baer]]), began playing basketball. By 1895, the game had spread to colleges across the country, including [[Wellesley College|Wellesley]], [[Vassar College|Vassar]], and [[Bryn Mawr College|Bryn Mawr]]. The first intercollegiate women's game was on April 4, 1896. [[Stanford Cardinal women's basketball|Stanford]] women played [[California Golden Bears women's basketball|Berkeley]], 9-on-9, ending in a 2–1 Stanford victory.
Women's basketball development was more structured than that for men in the early years. In 1905, the executive committee on Basket Ball Rules (National Women's Basketball Committee) was created by the [[American Physical Education Association]].<ref name="Historical Timeline">{{cite web |url=http://www.wbhof.com/timeline.html |title=Historical Timeline |access-date=June 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621024009/http://www.wbhof.com/timeline.html |archive-date=June 21, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> These rules called for six to nine players per team and 11 officials. The [[International Women's Sports Federation]] (1924) included a women's basketball competition. 37 women's high school varsity basketball or state tournaments were held by 1925. And in 1926, the Amateur Athletic Union backed the first [[NAIA national women's basketball championship|national women's basketball championship]], complete with men's rules.<ref name="Historical Timeline" /> The [[Edmonton Grads]], a touring Canadian women's team based in [[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton]], Alberta, operated between 1915 and 1940. The Grads toured all over North America, and were exceptionally successful. They posted a record of 522 wins and only 20 losses over that span, as they met any team that wanted to challenge them, funding their tours from gate receipts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.histori.ca/minutes/lp.do?id=13113 |title=The Great Teams |access-date=June 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812064236/http://www.histori.ca/minutes/lp.do?id=13113 |archive-date=August 12, 2010}}</ref> The Grads also shone on several exhibition trips to Europe, and won four consecutive exhibition Olympics tournaments, in 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936; however, women's basketball was not an official Olympic sport until 1976. The Grads' players were unpaid, and had to remain single. The Grads' style focused on team play, without overly emphasizing skills of individual players. The first women's [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] All-America team was chosen in 1929.<ref name="Historical Timeline" /> Women's industrial leagues sprang up throughout the United States, producing famous athletes, including [[Babe Zaharias|Babe Didrikson]] of the [[Golden Cyclones]], and the [[All American Red Heads Team]], which competed against men's teams, using men's rules. By 1938, the women's national championship changed from a three-court game to [[6 on 6 Basketball|two-court game with six players per team]].<ref name="Historical Timeline" />
[[File:Brittney Griner accepting Wade Trophy 2.jpg|thumb|left|[[Brittney Griner]] accepting an award]]
The NBA-backed [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA) began in 1997. Though it had shaky attendance figures, several marquee players ([[Lisa Leslie]], [[Diana Taurasi]], and [[Candace Parker]] among others) have helped the league's popularity and level of competition. Other [[women's professional sports|professional women's basketball]] leagues in the United States, such as the [[American Basketball League (1996–98)]], have folded in part because of the popularity of the WNBA. The WNBA has been looked at by many as a niche league. However, the league has recently taken steps forward. In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension with [[ESPN]]. The new television deal ran from 2009 to 2016. Along with this deal, came the first-ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. Over the eight years of the contract, "millions and millions of dollars" were "dispersed to the league's teams." In a March 12, 2009, article, [[NBA]] commissioner [[David Stern]] said that in the bad economy, "the NBA is far less profitable than the WNBA. We're losing a lot of money among a large number of teams. We're budgeting the WNBA to break even this year."<ref>''[[Television New Zealand]]'', [http://tvnz.co.nz/basketball-news/nba-getting-through-tough-times-2539976 BASKETBALL | NBA getting through tough times] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318010025/http://tvnz.co.nz/basketball-news/nba-getting-through-tough-times-2539976 |date=March 18, 2015 }}</ref>
==Rules and regulations==
[[File:Canasta y tablero - 0.00.jpg|thumb|upright|End of a game as the game clock shows no time left]]
[[File:Basketball terms.png|thumb|300px|Most important terms related to the basketball court]]
{{Main|Rules of basketball}}
<!-- Please do be careful not to include too much detail when editing this section; see talk page for more info. -->
Measurements and time limits discussed in this section often vary among tournaments and organizations; international and NBA rules are used in this section.
The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in this way is called a
===Playing regulations===
<!-- Please be careful not to include too much detail when editing this section; see talk page for more info. -->
Games are played in four quarters of 10 ([[FIBA]])<ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260 FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2010)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rule 4, Section 8.1 Retrieved July 26, 2010</ref> or 12 minutes (NBA).<ref>[http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf NBA Official Rules (2009–2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152818/http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf |date=January 11, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section II, a. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref> College men's games use two 20-minute halves,<ref name=college>[http://www.ncaapublications.com/DownloadPublication.aspx?download=BR11.pdf 2009–2011 Men's & Women's Basketball Rules] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806220855/http://www.ncaapublications.com/DownloadPublication.aspx?download=BR11.pdf |date=August 6, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section 6, Article 1. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref> college women's games use 10-minute quarters,<ref name="2015 NCAA women's changes">{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13038918/ncaa-approves-change-four-quarters-women-basketball |title=NCAA panel approves women's basketball rules changes |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=June 8, 2015 |access-date=June 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609063239/http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13038918/ncaa-approves-change-four-quarters-women-basketball |archive-date=June 9, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and most United States high school varsity games use 8-minute quarters; however, this varies from state to state.<ref name=highschool>{{cite book |editor1-first=Mary |editor1-last=Struckhoff |title=2009–2010 NFHS Basketball Rules |year=2009 |publisher=[[National Federation of State High School Associations|National Federation of High Schools]] |___location=Indianapolis, Indiana |page=41}} Rule 5, Section 5, Article 1</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Mark |title=Varsity basketball games will have two 18-minute halves next season |url=http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/preps/varsity-basketball-games-will-have-two-18-minute-halves-next-season-b99526786z1-309878981.html |access-date=July 11, 2018 |work=Journal Sentinel |date=June 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711191648/http://archive.jsonline.com/sports/preps/varsity-basketball-games-will-have-two-18-minute-halves-next-season-b99526786z1-309878981.html |archive-date=July 11, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> 15 minutes are allowed for a half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules<ref name=college /><ref>[http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf NBA Official Rules (2009–2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152818/http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf |date=January 11, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section II, c. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref><ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260 FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2010)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rule 4, Section 8.4 Retrieved July 26, 2010</ref> and 10 minutes in United States high schools.<ref name=highschool /> [[Overtime (sports)#Basketball|Overtime]] periods are five minutes in length<ref name=college /><ref>[http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf NBA Official Rules (2009–2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152818/http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/pdf/2.0/sect/officiating/Official_NBA_Rule_Rook_09-10.pdf |date=January 11, 2012 }} Rule 5, Section II, b. Retrieved July 26, 2010.</ref><ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260 FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2010)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rule 4, Section 8.7 Retrieved July 26, 2010</ref> except for high school, which is four minutes in length.<ref name=highschool /> Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games generally take much longer to complete than the allotted game time, typically about two hours.
Five players from each team may be on the court at one time.<ref>[https://archive.fiba.com/asp_scripts/downMana.asp?fileID=1260
For both men's and women's teams, a standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and a
A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated in the NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one minute (100 seconds in the NBA) unless, for televised games, a commercial break is needed.
The game is controlled by the [[Official (basketball)|officials]] consisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the NBA), one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. For college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are a total of three referees on the court. The table officials are responsible for keeping track of each
===Equipment===
{{Main|Basketball (ball)|Basketball court|Backboard (basketball)}}
<!-- Please be careful not to include too much detail when editing this section; see talk page for more info. -->
[[
The only essential equipment in a basketball game is the ball and the court: a flat, rectangular surface with baskets at opposite ends.
[[File:Basketball Goal.jpg|thumb|An outdoor basketball net]]
A regulation [[basketball court]] in international games is {{convert|28|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} long and {{convert|15|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} wide. In the [[NBA]] and [[NCAA]] the court is {{convert|94|by|50|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref name="NBA.com" /> Most courts have [[wood flooring]], usually constructed from [[maple]] planks running in the same direction as the longer court dimension.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/430186-what-are-the-different-types-of-basketball-court-surfaces/ |title=What Are the Different Types of Basketball Court Surfaces? |first=William |last=Lynch |access-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323094713/http://www.livestrong.com/article/430186-what-are-the-different-types-of-basketball-court-surfaces/ |archive-date=March 23, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/430186-what-are-the-different-types-of-basketball-court-surfaces/ |title=What Are the Different Types of Basketball Court Surfaces? |date=February 7, 2014 |website=LIVESTRONG |access-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323094713/http://www.livestrong.com/article/430186-what-are-the-different-types-of-basketball-court-surfaces/ |archive-date=March 23, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The name and logo of the home team is usually painted on or around the center circle.
The size of the basketball is also regulated. For men, the official ball is {{convert|29.5|in|cm}} in circumference (size 7, or a "295 ball") and weighs {{convert|22|oz|g|abbr=on}}. If women are playing, the official basketball size is {{convert|28.5|in|cm}} in circumference (size 6, or a "285 ball") with a weight of {{convert|20|oz|g|abbr=on}}. In [[3x3 (basketball)|3x3]], a formalized version of the halfcourt 3-on-3 game, a dedicated ball with the circumference of a size 6 ball but the weight of a size 7 ball is used in all competitions (men's, women's, and mixed teams).<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.amersports.com/newsroom/archive/news-article/2015/06/09/wilson-to-provide-the-official-game-ball-for-fiba |title=Wilson to provide the Official Game Ball for FIBA |publisher=[[Amer Sports]] |date=June 9, 2015 |access-date=August 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903211156/http://www.amersports.com/newsroom/archive/news-article/2015/06/09/wilson-to-provide-the-official-game-ball-for-fiba |archive-date=September 3, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Violations===
<!-- Please be careful not to include too much detail when editing this section; see talk page for more info. -->
{{Main|Violation (basketball)}}
The ball may be advanced toward the basket by being shot, passed between players, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled (bouncing the ball while running).
The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels [[out of bounds]] forfeits possession.
There are limits placed on the steps a player may take without dribbling, which commonly results in an infraction known as [[traveling (basketball)|traveling]]. Nor may a player stop their dribble and then resume dribbling. A dribble that touches both hands is considered stopping the dribble, giving this infraction the name [[double dribble]]. Within a dribble, the player cannot carry the ball by placing their hand on the bottom of the ball; doing so is known as [[Carrying (basketball)|carrying the ball]]. A team, once having established ball control in the front half of their court, may not return the ball to the backcourt and be the first to touch it. A violation of these rules results in loss of possession.
The ball may not be kicked, nor be struck with the fist. For the offense, a violation of these rules results in loss of possession; for the defense, most leagues reset the shot clock and the offensive team is given possession of the ball out of bounds.
There are limits imposed on the time taken before progressing the ball past halfway (8 seconds in
===Fouls===
<!-- Please be careful not to include too much detail when editing this section; see talk page for more info. -->
[[File:Basketball foul.jpg|thumb|upright|The referee signals that a foul has been committed.]]
{{Main|Personal foul (basketball)|Technical foul}}
An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through certain types of physical contact is illegal and is called a personal foul. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or more [[free throw]]s if they are fouled in the act of shooting, depending on whether the shot was successful. One point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from a line {{convert|15|ft|m}} from the basket.
The referee is responsible for judging whether contact is illegal, sometimes resulting in controversy. The calling of fouls can vary between games, leagues and referees.
There is a second category of fouls called [[technical foul]]s, which may be charged for various rules violations including failure to properly record a player in the scorebook, or for unsportsmanlike conduct. These infractions result in one or two free throws, which may be taken by any of the five players on the court at the time. Repeated incidents can result in [[ejection (sports)|disqualification]]. A blatant foul involving physical contact that is either excessive or unnecessary is called an intentional foul (flagrant foul in the NBA). In FIBA and NCAA women's basketball, a foul resulting in ejection is called a disqualifying foul, while in leagues other than the NBA, such a foul is referred to as flagrant.
If a team exceeds a certain limit of team fouls in a given period (quarter or half) – four for NBA, NCAA women's, and international games – the opposing team is awarded one or two free throws on all subsequent non-shooting fouls for that period, the number depending on the league. In the US college men's game and high school games for both sexes, if a team reaches 7 fouls in a half, the opposing team is awarded one free throw, along with a second shot if the first is made. This is called shooting "one-and-one". If a team exceeds 10 fouls in the half, the opposing team is awarded two free throws on all subsequent fouls for the half.
When a team shoots foul shots, the opponents may not interfere with the shooter, nor may they try to regain possession until the last or potentially last free throw is in the air.
After a team has committed a specified number of fouls, the other team is said to be "in the bonus". On scoreboards, this is usually signified with an indicator light reading "Bonus" or "Penalty" with an illuminated directional arrow or dot indicating that team is to receive free throws when fouled by the opposing team. (Some scoreboards also indicate the number of fouls committed.)
If a team misses the first shot of a two-shot situation, the opposing team must wait for the completion of the second shot before attempting to reclaim possession of the ball and continuing play.
If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is unsuccessful, the player is awarded a number of free throws equal to the value of the attempted shot. A player fouled while attempting a regular two-point shot thus receives two shots, and a player fouled while attempting a three-point shot receives three shots.
If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is successful, typically the player will be awarded one additional free throw for one point. In combination with a regular shot, this is called a "three-point play" or "four-point play" (or more colloquially, an "and one") because of the basket made at the time of the foul (2 or 3 points) and the additional free throw (1 point).
[[File:Foul plus basket.ogg|thumb|A foul committed during a shot attempt]]
==Common techniques and practices==
===Positions===
{{main|Basketball positions}}
[[File:Basketball positions.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|Basketball positions in the offensive zone]]
Although the rules do not specify any positions whatsoever, they have evolved as part of basketball. During the early years of basketball's evolution, two guards, two forwards, and one center were used. In more recent times specific positions evolved, but the current trend, advocated by many top coaches including [[Mike Krzyzewski]], is towards positionless basketball, where big players are free to shoot from outside and dribble if their skill allows it.<ref name="Positionless Basketball">{{cite web |last1=Marshall |first1=John |title=Positionless basketball taking hold in college |work=The Big Story |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/0af6adb8a9764142a1dae795bb22d6d3/positionless-basketball-taking-hold-college |access-date=November 18, 2014 |date=November 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129083230/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/0af6adb8a9764142a1dae795bb22d6d3/positionless-basketball-taking-hold-college |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> Popular descriptions of positions include:
[[Point guard]] (often called the "'''1'''") : usually the fastest player on the team, organizes the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time.
[[Shooting guard]] (the "'''2'''") : creates a high volume of shots on offense, mainly long-ranged; and guards the opponent's best perimeter player on defense.
[[Small forward]] (the "'''3'''") : often primarily responsible for scoring points via cuts to the basket and dribble penetration; on defense seeks rebounds and steals, but sometimes plays more actively.
[[Power forward]] (the "'''4'''"): plays offensively often with their back to the basket; on defense, plays under the basket (in a zone defense) or against the opposing power forward (in [[man-to-man defense]]).
[[Center (basketball)|Center]] (the "'''5'''"): uses height and size to score (on offense), to protect the basket closely (on defense), or to rebound.
The above descriptions are flexible. For
===Strategy===
{{main|Basketball playbook}}
There are two main defensive strategies: ''zone defense'' and ''man-to-man defense''. In a [[zone defense]], each player is assigned to guard a specific area of the court. Zone defenses often allow the defense to double team the ball, a manoeuver known as a '''trap'''. In a [[man-to-man defense]], each defensive player guards a specific opponent.
Offensive plays are more varied, normally involving planned passes and movement by players without the ball. A quick movement by an offensive player without the ball to gain an advantageous position is known as a ''cut''. A legal attempt by an offensive player to stop an opponent from guarding a teammate, by standing in the defender's way such that the teammate cuts next to him, is a ''[[screen (basketball)|screen]]'' or ''pick''. The two plays are combined in the ''[[pick and roll]]'', in which a player sets a pick and then "rolls" away from the pick towards the basket. Screens and cuts are very important in offensive plays; these allow the quick passes and teamwork, which can lead to a successful basket. Teams almost always have several offensive plays planned to ensure their movement is not predictable. On court, the point guard is usually responsible for indicating which play will occur.
===Shooting===
[[
Shooting is the act of attempting to score points by throwing the ball through the basket
[[File:Basketball through hoop.jpg|thumb|left|Basketball falling through hoop]]
The two most common shots that use the above described
Another common shot is called the ''[[layup]]''. This shot requires the player to be in motion toward the basket,
[[File:Dunk.gif|thumb|Slow-motion animation of a dunk]]
Another shot that is less common than the layup, is the "circus shot". The circus shot is a low-percentage shot that is flipped, heaved, scooped, or flung toward the hoop while the shooter is off-balance, airborne, falling down or facing away from the basket. A back-shot is a shot taken when the player is facing away from the basket, and may be shot with the dominant hand, or both; but there is a very low chance that the shot will be successful.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2016 |title=WATCH: Curry pulls off circus shot and gets a foul |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/17/16/watch-curry-pulls-off-circus-shot-and-gets-a-foul |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=ABS-CBN News |language=en}}</ref>
A shot that misses both the rim and the backboard completely is referred to as an ''[[air ball]]''. A particularly bad shot, or one that only hits the backboard, is jocularly called a [[brick (basketball)|brick]]. The ''hang time'' is the length of time a player stays in the air after jumping, either to make a slam dunk, layup or jump shot.
===Rebounding===
{{Main|Rebound (basketball)}}
[[File:20130103 Offensive Rebound Glenn Robinson III rebound.jpg|upright|thumb|A player making an offensive rebound]]
<!-- There should be at least a paragraph or two here, in addition to the main article link. -->
The objective of rebounding is to successfully gain possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw, as it rebounds from the hoop or backboard. This plays a major role in the game, as most possessions end when a team misses a shot. There are two categories of rebounds: offensive rebounds, in which the ball is recovered by the offensive side and does not change possession, and defensive rebounds, in which the defending team gains possession of the loose ball. The majority of rebounds are defensive, as the team on defense tends to be in better position to recover missed shots; for example, about 75% of rebounds in the NBA are defensive.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022–23 NBA Season Summary |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2023.html |access-date=April 18, 2023 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>
===Passing===
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[
{{See also|Assist (basketball)}}
A pass is a method of moving the ball between players. Most passes are accompanied by a step forward to increase power and are followed through with the hands to ensure accuracy.
Another type of pass is the ''bounce pass''.
The ''overhead pass'' is used to pass the ball over a defender. The ball is
The ''outlet pass'' occurs after a team gets a defensive rebound. The next pass after the rebound is the ''outlet pass''.
The crucial aspect of any good pass is it being difficult to intercept. Good passers can pass the ball with great accuracy and they know exactly where each of their other teammates prefers to receive the ball. A special way of doing this is passing the ball without looking at the receiving teammate. This is called a ''no-look pass''.
Another advanced style of passing is the ''behind-the-back pass'', which, as the description implies, involves throwing the ball behind the passer's back to a teammate. Although some players can perform such a pass effectively, many coaches discourage no-look or behind-the-back passes, believing them to be difficult to control and more likely to result in turnovers or violations.
===Dribbling===
[[
[[File:Army vs Navy Basketball game, 2004.jpg|thumb|upright|A U.S. Naval Academy ("Navy") player, left, posts up a U.S. Military Academy ("Army") defender.]]
{{Main|Dribble}}
Dribbling is the act of bouncing the ball continuously with one hand and is a requirement for a player to take steps with the ball. To dribble, a player pushes the ball down towards the ground with the fingertips rather than patting it; this ensures greater control.
When dribbling past an opponent, the dribbler should dribble with the hand farthest from the opponent, making it more difficult for the defensive player to get to the ball. It is therefore important for a player to be able to dribble competently with both hands.
Good dribblers (or "ball handlers") tend to
A skilled player can dribble without watching the ball, using the dribbling motion or [[peripheral vision]] to keep track of the ball's ___location. By not having to focus on the ball, a player can look for teammates or scoring opportunities, as well as avoid the danger of having someone
===
{{Main|Block (basketball)}}
A block is performed when, after a shot is attempted, a defender succeeds in altering the shot by touching the ball. In almost all variants of play, it is illegal to touch the ball after it is in the downward path of its arc; this is known as ''[[goaltending]]''. It is also illegal under NBA and Men's NCAA basketball to block a shot after it has touched the backboard, or when any part of the ball is directly above the rim. Under international rules it is illegal to block a shot that is in the downward path of its arc or one that has touched the backboard until the ball has hit the rim. After the ball hits the rim, it is again legal to touch it even though it is no longer considered as a block performed.
To block a shot, a player has to be able to reach a point higher than where the shot is released. Thus, height can be an advantage in blocking. Players who are taller and playing the power forward or center positions generally record more blocks than players who are shorter and playing the guard positions. However, with good timing and a sufficiently high vertical leap, even shorter players can be effective shot blockers.
==Height==
[[File:Joonas Suotamo.jpg|thumb|[[Joonas Suotamo]], a Finnish-American former professional center, is {{convert|6|ft|11|in|m|2}} tall. Many professional centers' heights exceed {{convert|7|ft|m|2}}.]]
At the professional level, most male players are above {{convert|6|ft|3|in|m|2}} and most women above {{convert|5|ft|7|in|m|2}}. 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 {{convert|6|ft|6|in|m|2}} or taller. Most centers are over {{convert|6|ft|10|in|m|2}} tall. According to a survey given to all NBA teams,{{when|date=July 2015}} the average height of all NBA players is just under {{convert|6|ft|7|in|m|2}}, with the average weight being close to {{convert|222|lb|kg}}. The tallest players ever in the NBA were [[Manute Bol]] and [[Gheorghe Mureșan]], who were both {{convert|7|ft|7|in|m|2}} tall. At {{convert|7|ft|2|in|m|2}}, [[Margo Dydek]] was the tallest player in the history of the WNBA.
The shortest player ever to play in the NBA is [[Muggsy Bogues]] at {{convert|5|ft|3|in|m|2}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/playerfile/muggsy_bogues/bio.html |title=Muggsy Bogues Bio |work=NBA.com |access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717083745/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/muggsy_bogues/bio.html |archive-date=July 17, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other average-height or relatively short players have thrived at the pro level, including [[Spud Webb|Anthony "Spud" Webb]], who was {{convert|5|ft|7|in|m}} tall, but had a {{convert|42|in|m|adj=on}} vertical leap, giving him significant height when jumping, and [[Temeka Johnson]], who won the [[WNBA Rookie of the Year Award]] and a championship with the [[Phoenix Mercury]] while standing only {{convert|5|ft|3|in|m}}. While shorter players are often at a disadvantage in certain aspects of the game, their ability to navigate quickly through crowded areas of the court and steal the ball by reaching low are strengths.
Players regularly inflate their height in high school or college. Many prospects exaggerate their height while in high school or college to make themselves more appealing to coaches and scouts, who prefer taller players. Charles Barkley stated; "I've been measured at 6–5, 6-{{frac|4|3|4}}. But I started in college at 6–6." Sam Smith, a former writer from the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', said: "We sort of know the heights, because after camp, the sheet comes out. But you use that height, and the player gets mad. And then you hear from his agent. Or you file your story with the right height, and the copy desk changes it because they have the 'official' N.B.A. media guide, which is wrong. So you sort of go along with the joke."<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |author=Noah Liberman |title=When Height Becomes a Tall Tale |work=The New York Times |date=June 22, 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/sports/basketball/22score.html |access-date=February 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613020602/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/sports/basketball/22score.html |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Since the [[2019–20 NBA season]] heights of NBA players are recorded definitively by measuring players with their shoes off.<ref>{{Cite news |title=For years, some NBA players lied about their height. They can't anymore. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/09/27/years-some-nba-players-lied-about-their-height-they-cant-anymore/ |access-date=August 8, 2021 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}}</ref>
==Variations and similar games==
{{
An earlier version of basketball, played primarily by women and girls, was [[six-on-six basketball]]. [[Horseball]] is a game played on horseback where a ball is handled and points are scored by shooting it through a high net (approximately 1.5m×1.5m). The sport is like a combination of [[polo]], [[rugby football|rugby]], and basketball. There is even a form played on donkeys known as [[Donkey basketball]], which has attracted criticism from animal rights groups.
=== Half-court ===
Perhaps the single most common variation of basketball is the half-court game, played in informal settings without referees or strict rules. Only one basket is used, and the ball must be "taken back" or "cleared" – passed or dribbled outside the three-point line each time possession of the ball changes from one team to the other. Half-court games require less [[cardiovascular]] stamina, since players need not run back and forth a full court. Half-court raises the number of players that can use a court or, conversely, can be played if there is an insufficient number to form full 5-on-5 teams.
[[File:Basketball pictogram.svg|thumb|120px|Olympic pictogram for basketball]]
Half-court basketball is usually played 1-on-1, 2-on-2 or 3-on-3. The last of these variations is gradually gaining official recognition as [[3x3 (basketball)|3x3]], originally known as FIBA 33. It was first tested at the [[2007 Asian Indoor Games]] in [[Macau]] and the first official tournaments were held at the [[2009 Asian Youth Games]] and the [[2010 Youth Olympics]], both in Singapore. The first FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championships<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rimini2011.fiba.com/ |title=2011 3x3 Youth World Championship |work=[[FIBA.com]] |date=September 11, 2011 |access-date=November 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113155323/http://rimini2011.fiba.com/ |archive-date=November 13, 2012}}</ref> were held in [[Rimini]], Italy in [[2011 FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championships|2011]], with the first [[FIBA 3x3 World Championships]] for senior teams following [[2012 FIBA 3x3 World Championships|a year later]] in [[Athens]]. The sport is highly tipped to become an [[Olympic sport]] as early as [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Vincent |title=3-on-3 basketball might become big time? |work=[[ESPN]] |access-date=January 11, 2011 |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/index?id=5587987 |publisher=[[ESPN Internet Ventures]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201123011/http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=5587987 |archive-date=February 1, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the summer of 2017, the [[BIG3]] basketball league, a professional 3x3 half court basketball league that features former NBA players, began. The BIG3 features several rule variants including a [[four-point field goal]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2017/06/25/big3-3-on-3-league-begins-with-a-game-winner-and-an-injury/103184926/ |title=Big3 begins: Ice Cube's new 3-on-3 league starts with a bang |publisher=[[Gannett]] |author=AP |author-link=Associated Press |date=June 26, 2017 |access-date=September 29, 2019 |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210151311/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2017/06/25/big3-3-on-3-league-begins-with-a-game-winner-and-an-injury/103184926/ |archive-date=December 10, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Other variations ===
Variations of basketball with their own page or subsection include:
{{colbegin|colwidth=15em}}
* '''[[Twenty-one (basketball)|21]]''' (also known as '''American''', '''cutthroat''' and '''roughhouse''')<ref>{{Cite book |title=Basketball and Baseball Games: For the Driveway, Field Or the Alleyway |author=Eric Shanburn |publisher=AuthorHouse |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-4343-8912-1 |access-date=June 29, 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Q7XhPnbT70C&q=basketball+cutthroat+21&pg=PA35}}
</ref>
* '''[[Variations of basketball#42|42]]'''
* '''[[Around the World (basketball)|Around the World]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#Bounce|Bounce]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#Firing Squad|Firing Squad]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#Fives|Fives]]'''
* '''[[H-O-R-S-E]]'''
* '''[[Hotshot (game)|Hotshot]]'''
* '''[[Knockout (game)|Knockout]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#One-shot conquer|One-shot conquer]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#Steal The Bacon|Steal The Bacon]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#Tip-it|Tip-it]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#Tips|Tips]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#"The One"|"The One"]]'''
* '''[[Variations of basketball#War|Basketball War]]'''
* '''[[Water basketball]]'''
* '''[[Beach basketball]]'''
* '''[[Streetball]]'''
{{colend}}
* '''One-on-one''' is a variation in which two players will use only a small section of the court (often no more than a half of a court) and compete to play the ball into a single hoop. Such games tend to emphasize individual dribbling and ball stealing skills over shooting and team play.
* '''Dunk Hoops''' is a variation played on basketball hoops with lowered (under basketball regulation 10 feet) rims. It originated when the popularity of the slam dunk grew and was developed to create better chances for dunks with lowered rims and using altered [[goaltending]] rules.
* '''Unicycle basketball''' is played using a regulation basketball on a regular basketball court with the same rules, for example, one must dribble the ball while riding. There are a number of rules that are particular to unicycle basketball as well, for example, a player must have at least one foot on a pedal when in-bounding the ball. Unicycle basketball is usually played using 24" or smaller unicycles, and using plastic pedals, both to preserve the court and the players' shins. Popular unicycle basketball games are organized in North America.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bayarea.comcastsportsnet.com/UncoveredVid.jsp?bcpid=1274025926&bclid=1313706243&bctid=1432781480 |title=Comcast SportsNet Feature about Berkeley Unicycle Basketball |access-date=April 7, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=February 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
[[Variations of basketball#More distantly related games|Spin-offs from basketball]] that are now separate sports include:
* '''[[Ringball]]''', a traditional South African sport that stems from basketball, has been played since 1907. The sport is now promoted in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, India, and Mauritius to establish Ringball as an international sport.
* '''[[Korfball]]''' (Dutch: Korfbal, ''korf'' meaning 'basket') started in the Netherlands and is now played worldwide as a mixed-gender team ball game, similar to mixed netball and basketball.
* '''[[Netball]]''' is a limited-contact team sport in which two teams of seven try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a high hoop. Australia New Zealand champions (so called ANZ Championship) is very famous in Australia and New Zealand as the premier netball league. Formerly played exclusively by women, netball today features mixed-gender competitions.
* '''[[Slamball]]''', invented by television writer Mason Gordon, is a full-contact sport featuring [[trampolines]]. The main difference from basketball is the court; below the padded rim and [[backboard (basketball)|backboard]] are four trampolines set into the floor, which serve to propel players to great heights for [[slam dunk]]s. The rules also permit some physical contact between the members of the four-player teams. Professional games of Slamball aired on [[Spike TV]] in 2002, and the sport has since expanded to China and other countries.
<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Dan Hadani collection (990044347560205171).jpg|A basketball player in Israel, 1969
File:Girls play basketball in Dharmsala, India.jpg|Schoolgirls shooting hoops among the [[Himalaya]]s in [[Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh|Dharamsala]], India.
File:Sân trường THPT Phan Đình Phùng, Hà Nội.JPG|A basketball training course at the Phan Đình Phùng High School, [[Hanoi]], Vietnam
File:MECVOLLEYBALL GROUND.JPG|A basketball court in [[Tamil Nadu]], India
File:Kevyen liikenteen väylä Baana - G8537 - hkm.HKMS000005-km0000n5j4.jpg|A basketball court on [[Baana]] - [[Helsinki]], Finland.
</gallery>
==Social forms of basketball==
[[File:BasketballHoop.jpg|thumb|Typical privately owned basketball hoop|alt=]]
Basketball as a social and communal sport features environments, rules and demographics different from those seen in professional and televised basketball.
=== Recreational basketball ===
Basketball is played widely as an extracurricular, intramural or amateur sport in schools and colleges. Notable institutions of recreational basketball include:
* '''Basketball schools and academies''', where students are trained in developing basketball fundamentals, undergo fitness and endurance exercises and learn various basketball skills. Basketball students learn proper ways of passing, ball handling, dribbling, shooting from various distances, rebounding, offensive moves, defense, [[layup]]s, screens, basketball rules and basketball ethics. Also popular are the basketball camps organized for various occasions, often to get prepared for basketball events, and basketball clinics for improving skills.
* '''College and university basketball''' played in educational institutions of higher learning. This includes [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) intercollegiate basketball.
=== Disabled basketball ===
* '''[[Deaf basketball]]''': One of several deaf sports, deaf basketball relies on signing for communication. Any deaf sporting event that happens, its purpose is to serve as a catalyst for the socialization of a low-incidence and geographically dispersed population.<ref>{{cite book |last=Stewart |first=David Alan |title=Deaf Sport: the Impact of Sports within the Deaf Community |publisher=[[Gallaudet University Press]] |year=1991 |url=https://archive.org/details/deafsportimpacto00stew |url-access=registration |pages=[https://archive.org/details/deafsportimpacto00stew/page/234 234] |isbn=9780930323745}}</ref>
* '''[[Wheelchair basketball]]''': A sport based on basketball but designed for [[disability|disabled]] people in [[wheelchair]]s and considered one of the major [[disabled sports]] practiced. There is a functional classification system that is used to help determine if the wheelchair basketball player classification system reflects the existing differences in the performance of elite female players. This system gives an analysis of the players' functional resources through field-testing and game observation. During this system's process, players are assigned a score of 1 to 4.5.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Relationship between Functional Potential and Field Performance in Elite Female Wheelchair Basketball Players |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |doi=10.1080/02640410310001655750 |first1=Yves C |last1=Vanlandewijck |first2=Christina |last2=Evaggelinou |first3=Daniel J |last3=Daly |first4=Joeri |last4=Verellen |first5=Siska |last5=Van Houtte |first6=Vanessa |last6=Aspeslagh |first7=Robby |last7=Hendrickx |first8=Tine |last8=Piessens |first9=Bjorn |last9=Zwakhoven |pages=668–675 |date=December 3, 2003 |oclc=23080411 |journal=[[Journal of Sports Sciences]] |volume=22 |issue=7 |pmid=15370498 |s2cid=27418917 |issn=0264-0414}}</ref>
=== Other forms ===
* '''[[Biddy basketball]]''' played by minors, sometimes in formal tournaments, around the globe.
* '''[[Midnight basketball]]''', an initiative to curb inner-city crime in the United States and elsewhere by engaging youth in urban areas with sports as an alternative to drugs and crime.
* '''[[Rezball]]''', short for reservation ball, is the avid [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] following of basketball, particularly a style of play particular to Native American teams of some areas.
==Fantasy basketball==
{{Main|Fantasy basketball}}
'''[[Fantasy basketball]]''' was popularized during the 1990s by [[ESPN]] Fantasy Sports, [[NBA.com]], and [[Yahoo!]] Fantasy Sports. On the model of [[fantasy baseball]] and [[Fantasy football (gridiron)|football]], players create fictional teams, select professional basketball players to "play" on these teams through a mock draft or trades, then calculate points based on the players' real-world performance.
=== Basics of fantasy basketball ===
# '''League Setup''':
#* You can join public leagues or create private leagues with friends.
#* Popular platforms include ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Sleeper, and Fantrax.
# '''Draft''':
#* A draft (snake or auction) is held at the beginning of the season.
#* Participants select NBA players to form their teams.
# '''Scoring Formats''':
#* '''Points League''': Players earn points based on specific stats (e.g., 2 points per rebound, 1.5 points per assist).
#* '''Categories League''': Teams compete in specific categories (e.g., best in assists, steals).
#* '''Rotisserie (Roto)''': Teams rank in each category, and rankings are combined to determine the overall score.
# '''Roster Management''':
#* Teams set lineups daily or weekly, determining which players' stats will count.
#* You can trade players, pick up free agents, or drop underperforming players.
# '''Playoffs''':
#* At the end of the regular NBA season, fantasy leagues often have playoffs to determine the champion.
==See also==
* [[Basketball
* [[Basketball National League]]
* [[Continental Basketball
* [[Glossary of basketball terms]]
* [[Index of basketball-related articles]]
* [[List of basketball films]]
* [[
* [[Timeline of women's basketball]]
* [[ULEB]], Union des Ligues Européennes de Basket, in English Union of European Leagues of Basketball
==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}
===General references===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web |author=National Basketball Association |year=2014 |url=https://turnernbahangtime.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/2014-15-nba-rule-book.pdf |title=Official Rules of the National Basketball Association |access-date=March 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402130744/https://turnernbahangtime.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/2014-15-nba-rule-book.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book |date=June 2004 |title=Official Basketball Rules |author=International Basketball Federation |url=http://www.fiba.com/asp_includes/download.asp?file_id=327 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051222011459/http://www.fiba.com/asp_includes/download.asp?file_id=327 |archive-date=December 22, 2005 }}
* {{cite journal |first=Anthony |last=Reimer |date=June 2005 |title=FIBA vs North American Rules Comparison |journal=FIBA Assist |issue=14 |pages=40–44 |url=http://www.fiba.com/asp_includes/download.asp?file_id=518 |access-date=January 11, 2006 |archive-date=January 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129161522/http://www.fiba.com/asp_includes/download.asp?file_id=518 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web |author=Bonsor, Kevin |url=http://health.howstuffworks.com/basketball2.htm |title=How Basketball Works: Who's Who |work=HowStuffWorks |date=March 10, 2003 |access-date=January 11, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060101034243/http://health.howstuffworks.com/basketball2.htm |archive-date=January 1, 2006 |url-status=live}}
{{refend}}
==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Adolph H |first=Grundman |year=2004 |title=The golden age of amateur basketball: the AAU Tournament, 1921–1968 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kHVGigFqcNkC&q=Basketball&pg=PP1 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=0-8032-7117-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Batchelor |first=Bob |year=2005 |title=Basketball in America: from the playgrounds to Jordan's game and beyond |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v8r__pvCopgC&q=history%20of%20Basketball&pg=PP1 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-7890-1613-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Donald H |year=2007 |title=A Basketball Handbook |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YJmsqtj-rh4C&q=history%20of%20Basketball&pg=PP1 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=978-1-4259-6190-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Coleman |first=Brian<!-- Author is per the title page of the book; Google Books seems to have gotten it wrong. --> |year=1991 |title=All You Wanted to Know About Basketball |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FMbE6oVIP-0C |publisher=Sterling publishing |isbn=81-207-2576-X}}
* {{Cite book |last=Grundy |first=Pamela |author2=Susan Shackelford |year=2005 |title=Shattering the glass: the remarkable history of women's basketball |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZfS_3MUPBXoC&q=history%20of%20Basketball&pg=PP1 |publisher=New Press |isbn=1-56584-822-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Herzog |first=Brad |year=2003 |title=Hoopmania: The Book of Basketball History and Trivia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oH8uK4Sn_BoC&q=history%20of%20Basketball&pg=PP1 |publisher=Rosen Pub. Group |isbn=0-8239-3697-X}}
* {{Cite book |last=Naismith |first=James |year=1941 |title=Basketball: its origin and development |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yDKtaGdhZncC&q=James%20Naismith&pg=PP1 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=0-8032-8370-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Simmons |first=Bill |year=2009 |title=The book of basketball: the NBA according to the sports guy |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofbasketball00simm |url-access=registration |quote=history of Basketball. |publisher=Ballantine/ESPN Books |isbn=978-0-345-51176-8}}
{{refend}}
==External links==
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===Historical===
* [http://www.hoophall.com/ Basketball Hall of Fame – Springfield, MA]
* [http://naismithbasketballfoundation.com/ National Basketball Foundation]{{snd}}runs the Naismith Museum in Ontario
* [http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories/pm_v2.php?id=story_line&lg=English&fl=0&ex=00000534&sl=4146&pos=1 Hometown Sports Heroes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402200708/http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories/pm_v2.php?id=story_line&lg=English&fl=0&ex=00000534&sl=4146&pos=1 |date=April 2, 2015 }}
===Organizations===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100626134909/http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/index_uk.asp?SportCode=BK Basketball at the Olympic Games]
* [https://www.fiba.basketball International Basketball Federation]
* [http://www.nba.com/ National Basketball Association]
* [http://www.wnba.com/ Women's National Basketball Association]
* [http://www.cbahoopsonline.com/ Continental Basketball Association (oldest professional basketball league in the world)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330211322/http://www.cbahoopsonline.com/ |date=March 30, 2019 }}
* [http://www.nwba.org/ National Wheelchair Basketball Association]
===Other sources===
* [https://www.britannica.com/sports/basketball "Basketball"]. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' Online.
* [http://www.eurobasket.com/ Eurobasket website]
* [https://www.basketball-reference.com/ Basketball-Reference.com: Basketball Statistics, Analysis and History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222214347/http://www.basketball-reference.com/ |date=February 22, 2011 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100902041518/http://www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques_JKL/Plaque_Lanark03.html Ontario's Historical Plaques – Dr. James Naismith (1861–1939)]
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