PE

• Naismith was inspired to invent a new indoor game after Gulick stressed the need for one that would be interesting, easy to learn, and play in the winter and by artificial light
• The gymnasium class offered activities like marching, calisthenics, and apparatus work, but these were pale substitutes for the more exciting games of football and lacrosse played in warmer seasons
• James Naismith, a 31-year-old graduate student, embraced his love of athletics and studied physical education under Luther Halsey Gulick at Springfield College
• James Naismith was the instructor of the class where basketball was invented
• Inside a gymnasium at Springfield College (then known as the International YMCA Training School) in Springfield, Mass., a group of restless college students were required to participate in indoor activities to burn off energy
• Basketball originated


  Winter of 1891
• The game of basketball has not changed drastically since Naismith's original list of "Thirteen Rules" was tacked up on a bulletin board at Springfield College
• Students introduced the game at their own YMCAs and the rules were printed in a College magazine and mailed to YMCAs around the country
• Dr. James Naismith's Original 13 Rules of Basketball

  • The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands
  • The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist)
  • A player cannot run with the ball
  • The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it
  • No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul
• By 1905, basketball was officially recognized as a permanent winter sport
• Word of the new game of basketball spread quickly and was an instant success
• Due to the College's international student body, basketball was introduced to many foreign nations in a relatively short period of time
• James Naismith is credited as the founder of basketball
• String baskets were introduced to basketball in 1900
• James Naismith was asked in 1891 to invent an indoor winter activity by his boss at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts
• Basketball rules


  1. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it

  2. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed

  3. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3,4, and such as described in Rule 5

  4. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents

  5. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there

  6. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it

  7. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made

  8. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time

  9. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between

  10. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner
• Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and peach baskets
• Interesting facts about basketball

  • James Naismith invented basketball
  • Basketball was played with a different ball
  • Dribbling wasn't allowed
• James Naismith wrote the original basketball rule book and founded the University of Kansas basketball program
• Basketball takes endurance, team spirit, and great skills to outscore opponents and win the game
• The first team credited with advancing the ball by dribbling it played at Yale in 1897
• Players were not allowed to dribble in early basketball games
• Backboards were attached to basketball hoops to prevent spectators from blocking a shot
• The first team credited with advancing the ball by dribbling played at Yale in 1897
• Dribbling wasn't allowed initially
• The slam dunk was banned just before the 1967-1968 season until the 1976-1977 season
• Backboards were attached to prevent spectators from blocking a shot
• The number of players per side in basketball was never specified initially
• A rule disqualifying a player for committing four fouls was introduced in 1910
• The 24-second shot clock was instituted in 1954 to combat stalling tactics
• The total fouls required for disqualification was raised to five in 1946 and to six the next year
• Referees used watches for timekeeping in early basketball games
• Shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking an opponent were never allowed initially
• The official allowance for dribbling, just one per possession at first, was adopted four years later
• Offenses like shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking an opponent were not considered fouls until 1910
• Naismith proposed two 15-minute halves with five minutes of rest in between
• Prior to 1913, possession of an out-of-bounds ball was given to the first player to touch it after a referee threw it down the court
• The possession rules in basketball changed in 1913
• The 1979 NCAA tournament marked the beginning of basketball greats and NBA stars
• Michael Jordan paid fines for wearing his Air Jordans as they were against NBA dress code initially