BASKETBALL

Basketball was invented in the United States in 1891and quickly became popular. Basketball is the one of the major world sport developed in the United States. The official basketball rules for 1966-1967 describe the sport as follows: “Basketball is played by two teams of five players each. The purpose of each team is to throw the ball into it own basket and to prevent the other team from scoring. The ball may be thrown, rolled, dribbled in any direction, subject to restrictions laid down in… rules.” Basketball is usually played indoors but can be played level surfaces outdoors. More people watch basketball game than any other sport in the United States other than football. The Olympic games have included basketball since 1936. TERMS IN BASKETBALL: ~ Dribble means to bounce the ball on the floor. ~ Field Goal counts as two points when it scored in the basket before the 3-point line. ~ Foul is a violation mostly when a person pushes, holds, or charges into each other. ~ Free Throw is a shot toward a fouled player. The player must shoot before the free throw line. A good free throw counts as 1 point. No other player can enter inside the key while the player is shooting. ~ Jump ball happens when the referee tosses the ball in the air while two opposing players try to tap the ball to their teammates. ~ Press occurs when the opposing player guard offensive players closely. ~ Rebound means to grab the ball as soon as an unmade shot hits the rim or bounces off the backboard. ~ Traveling happens when a player takes 2 or more steps without dribbling. ~ Turnover happens when the offensive team loses possession without taking a shot. THE BALL The basketball measures about 30inches (76 centimeters) in circumference and weighs from 20 to 22 ounces for the NBA’s official ball. It is made of leather, plastic, or any other like material inflated with air.