Basketball

Dr James Naismith invented basketball in December 1891 at the YMCA Training School, Springfield, as an indoor game, with peach baskets 10 feet up; the first rules appeared on 15 January 1892. FIBA was founded in 1932; basketball became an official Olympic sport in 1936. In India, YMCA Calcutta started it around 1905; the BFI was formed in 1950 and its first nationals were at Ludhiana in 1951.

Court 28 m x 15 m with a free space of at least 2 m; boundary lines are not part of the court; centre circle 1.80 m radius; three-point line 6.75 m; ring 3.05 m high, inside diameter 450-459 mm; backboard 1.80 m x 1.05 m. Ball: size 7 (men) 749-780 mm, 567-650 g.

A team has up to 12 players, five on court. Four 10-minute periods, 15 minutes at half time, 5-minute extra periods. Baskets: 2 points inside the arc, 3 outside, 1 per free throw. Time-outs of 1 minute.

Violations: out of bounds, illegal dribble, 3 seconds in the restricted area, 5 seconds holding, 8 seconds to cross half way, 24 seconds to shoot, back-court. Fouls: personal, technical, unsportsmanlike, disqualifying; after four team fouls in a period every foul gives two free throws.

Skills: dribbling (low, high, crossover, behind the back), passing (chest, bounce, overhead), shooting (lay-up, jump shot, free throw, three-pointer), rebounding (offensive, defensive). Defences: man-to-man, zone, combination.