Basic Rules of Basketball

A game played generally indoors by two opposing teams of five players each. Basketball was conceived in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a physical education instructor at the YMCA college in Springfield, Mass., as a way to condition outdoor athletes during the winter months. His original list of 13 rules has undergone a century of revision, leading to faster pacing and greater athleticism. At each end of the court—usually about 94 ft. long and 50 ft. wide—is a bottomless basket made of white cord net and suspended from a metal ring, 18 in. in diameter, which is attached 10 ft. above the floor to a backboard made of fiberglass, wood, or other material. Players may throw, dribble (bounce), or shoot the basketball but may not run with it or kick it. Teams try to advance the ball and shoot it through one basket (the ball must enter from above) and to keep the opposition from scoring through the other. Each field goal, or basket, scores two points, or three points if shot from beyond a specified distance (21 ft/6 m in U.S. colleges, slightly longer in international and professional play). Teams must shoot the ball within a prescribed time limit (24 sec in the National Basketball Association; 30 sec in international games and in most women's play; 45 sec in men's collegiate play). Any player making illegal body contact with an opposing player is assessed a foul; the opposing team may be given possession of the ball, or an opposing player awarded free throws at the basket from the foul line. Each made foul shot is worth one point. Players who exceed the foul limit (usually five, but six in the NBA) are disqualified from the game. International and collegiate basketball games have two 20-min halves, professionals play four 12-min quarters, and high schools play four 8-min quarters. The home team wears white jerseys and the visiting team wears dark.