James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He originally used a soccer ball and peach basket, but later replaced the basket with an iron hoop. Basketball is played between two teams of five players who score points by shooting the ball through the hoop. The team with the most points at the end wins. Key aspects of basketball include dribbling, passing, shooting, rebounding, defense, fouls and violations. The regulation court is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide with a rim 10 feet high.

1. Basketball Study Sheet

2. History of Basketball
 Basketball was invented in Springfield, MA in 1891
by James Naismith.
 When James first invented the game he used a
soccer ball and a peach basket as the hoop to
create the sport.
 In 1893, he replaced the peach basket with iron
hoops and a hammock-style basket. Eventually the
net was made with a hole in it so you no longer had
to retrieve the ball.

3. Object and Rules of the Game
 Basketball is a game between two
teams of five players where the object
is to score points through your teams
hoop. The team with the most points
at the end of the game is the winner.
 Each game is started with a jump ball.
 SCORING: (2 point field goal-) a shot
or lay-up made from anywhere during
play inside the 3 pt arc. A lay-up is the
closest shot you can make. (3 point-)
a shot made from anywhere outside
the 3 pt arc. (Free throw- )1 point is
awarded to an unguarded shot taken
from behind the free throw line while
the clock is stopped.

4. Skills + Terminology …
 SKILLS:
 Dribbling- bouncing the ball with 1 hand using your fingertips instead of
your palm so that it rebounds back to yourself. If you bounce the ball with 2
hands or stop and re-start your dribble it is called a Double Dribble.
 Passing- moving the ball by throwing, bouncing, handing, or rolling it to
another player:
 3 passes (Chest, Bounce, baseball)
 Rebounding- The recovering of a shot that bounces off the backboard or
the rim.
 TERMINOLOGY:
 Man to Man- a defensive strategy where everyone guards a player.
 Zone defense- a defensive strategy where everyone guards an area
instead of a player.

5. Rules Continued…
 You cannot run with the ball without using a dribble - this is called traveling.
 During regular play, offensive players may remain in the lane or “paint” for
only three consecutive seconds.
 Under professional rules NBA a player must leave the game after
committing six fouls. In High School and College you are allowed 5 fouls.
 A regulation high school game lasts for 32 minutes with 4 quarters. Each
quarter will run for 8 minutes.
 When you are on offense, your team has 10 seconds to dribble the ball up
over half court once you play the ball in bounds.
 Over and Back: A violation on which a team has brought the ball into the
frontcourt and then lets it return to the backcourt. Therefore, anytime you
cross into the front court, you can not pass or dribble back over half.

6. Fouls
 Personal Foul: involving illegal player
contact with an opponent.
 Technical foul: involves players who are
displaying unsportsmanlike conduct
towards opposing players or teammates.

7. Basketball Court

8. Basketball Court Continued…
 Dimensions of the court: 94 feet long by 50 feet wide
 Backboard: Width: 6 feet Height: 3.5 feet
 Rim: The diameter of the rim is 18 inches
The top of the rim should be exactly 10 feet off the ground.

9. Vocabulary
Assist: A pass that immediately precedes and sets up a scored basket.
Backboard: The rectangular or fan-shaped board behind the basket.
Backcourt: The half of the court that is opposite a team’s offensive basket; the court a team is attempting to defend.
Bonus free throw: See “One-and-One.”
Bounce pass: A pass that strikes the floor before it reaches the receiver.
Carrying the ball: Also called “palming;” a violation committed by a dribbler that involves placing the dribbling hand under the ball and momentarily holding or carrying it while
dribbling.
Center: Also called the “pivot player;” an offensive position typically played by a tall player who plays mainly in the key areas (at the post).
Charging: A personal foul committed when an offensive player illegally contacts a defensive player who has established position or is stationary.
Chest pass: A two-handed pass thrown from the passer’s chest in a straight line to the chest area of the receiver.
Controlling the boards: Securing a majority of the rebounds.
Conversion: A made basket or free throw.
Crossover dribble: A dribble in which the ball is moved from one hand to the other while the dribbler changes directions.
Cut: A quick movement by an offensive player to elude an opponent or to receive the ball.
Dead ball: Occurs whenever the whistle blows to stop play and after a field goal, but before the opponent gains possession of the ball.
Defense: The team not in possession of the ball whose objective is to keep the opponent from scoring; also a specific pattern of play used by a defending team.
Double dribble: A violation that occurs when a player dribbles the ball with two hands simultaneously or stops dribbling and then dribbles again.
Double team: A defensive tactic in which two defenders temporarily guard one player.
Dribble: Process by which a player repeatedly bounces the ball off the floor so that it returns to his/her possession. It’s the only legal means by which a player may move the
ball across the court.
Drive: A quick dribble directly to the basket in an effort to score.
Elbow: Also called the “junction;” a term often used to indicate the area of the court where the free-throw line and side of the key meet.
Fastbreak: An offensive strategy in which a team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible so that the defense is outnumbered and
does not have time to set up.
Field goal: A basket scored on any shot other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. (See “Three-point field
goal” for qualification.)
Forward: An offensive position played to the sides of the basket near the key area and out toward the sideline along the baseline.
Foul: A violation resulting from illegal contact with an opposing player.
Foul line: See “Free-throw line.”
Free throw: An unguarded shot taken from behind the free-throw line after a foul. If successful, the shot counts one point.
Free-throw lane: Also called the “key” or “lane;” a 12-foot wide area extending from the baseline to the free-throw line. Players may not be in this area during a free-throw
attempt.
Free-throw line: A 12-foot-long line that is parallel to and 15 feet from the backboard.
Front court: The half of the court (divided by the center line) that contains the offensive team’s basket; the offensive half of the court.
Full–court press: A defensive tactic in which a team guards the opponents closely the full length of the court.
Guard: An offensive position played primarily at the perimeter, or away from the basket.

10. Vocabulary
Held ball: Formerly called a “jump ball.” When two players on opposite teams are in joint control of the ball.
Intentional foul: A personal foul that the official judges to be premeditated.
In the paint: In the “key” area, so named because this area of the floor is painted.
Jump ball: The procedure for starting play at the beginning of a game or an overtime period. The official tosses the ball into the air between the two opponents positioned at
the center-court circle; the two players jump up and try to tap the ball to a teammate.
Jump shot: A shot that is released after the shooter has jumped into the air.
Key: Also called the “free-throw lane” or “lane;” the area measuring 12 feet in width and extending from the free-throw line to the end line.
Layup: A shot taken close to the basket that is usually banked off the backboard towards the basket.
Man-to-man defense: See “Player-to-Player defense.”
Offense: The team that has possession of the basketball. Also, a structured pattern of play that a team uses while attempting to score.
One-and-one: The “bonus” free-throw situation awarded for non-shooting fouls after the opposing team exceeds a certain number of team fouls in a half. The person fouled
shoots one free throw; if successful, the shooter takes a second shot.
Over-and-back violation: A violation that occurs when the offensive team returns the ball into the backcourt once it has positioned itself in the front court.
Overhead pass: A two-handed pass thrown from above the forehead.
Overtime: An extra period played to break a tie score at the end of a regulation game.
Palming: See “Carrying the ball.”
Pass: An intentional throw to a teammate.
Pivot: A footwork technique in which a player keeps one foot in contact with a “spot” on the floor while moving the other foot to adjust the position of the body or to evade a
defensive player.
Player-to-player defense: Also “man-to-man defense;” a team defense in which each player is assigned to guard a particular opponent.
Point guard: An offensive position played by a guard who usually brings the ball up the court and initiates the offense.
Post: An offensive position played close to the basket along the key.
Press: An aggressive defense that attempts to force the opponents to make errors by guarding them closely from either half court, three-quarter court or full court.
Rebound: The act of gaining possession of the ball after a missed shot.
Scrimmage: An unofficial game between two teams, or five-on-five play between team members in a practice situation.
Technical foul: A foul that does not involve contact with an opponent; a foul that involves unsportsman-like conduct by a player, coach or non-player; or a contact foul
committed by a player while the ball is dead.
Ten-second line: The mid-court line over which the offensive team must advance the ball from the backcourt within 10 seconds to avoid a violation.
Three-point field goal: A made basket from a distance greater than 19 feet and nine inches during a high school or college game.
Three-on-two: A common fast break situation in which three offensive players attempt to score on two defenders.
Three seconds: A violation in which an offensive player remains within the key (free-throw lane) for more than three seconds at a time.
Traveling: A violation occurring when a player with the ball takes a step without dribbling (moving the established pivot foot).
Turnover: A loss of possession of the ball by means of an error or violation.
Violation: An infringement of the rules that's not a foul. The penalty for a violation is the awarding of the ball to the opponent.
Zone defense: A team defense in which each player is responsible for defending an area of the court and the opponents within that area.
Zone offense: An offensive pattern of play designed to attack (score against) a particular zone defense.

11. Worksheet
Who invented the game of basketball?
Where was basketball invented?
How high is the rim from the court-playing surface (floor)?
A regulation high school basketball game is played for how many total minutes?
What shot in basketball is worth 1 point?
A player on offense is allowed to be inside of the offensive key (lane) for how long?
How Long do does a team have to get the ball across the half court line?
Bouncing the ball with two hands at the same time is called what?
Gaining control of a missed shot is called what?
How many fouls is a high school player allowed to receive in a game?
List the types of passes you would use in the game of basketball?
About how long is a regulation basketball court used in high school?
The closest shot to make in basketball is what type of shot?
Any game, at any level, always begins with what?
Draw and label a regulation Basketball court, include the players by positions and all
important lines.
Define the following terms; Assist, Backcourt, Charging, Cut, Elbow, Field Goal, Free
Throw Line, Full-Court press, Jump Ball, Over and Back Violation, Post, Zone
Defense, Traveling, Layup, Key

12. Work cited Page
 Rules:
 http://www.betterbasketball.com/basketball-rules/
 http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3014786
 Skills:
 http://www.basketball-plays-and-tips.com/basketball-drills.html
 Photos:
 www.produnkhoops.com/.../court_dimensions.html
 www.basketball-balls.com/