| Dr. James Naismith is known world-wide as the | | | | striking or tripping in any way of an opponent is |
| inventor of basketball. He was born in 1861 in | | | | permitted. The first infringement of this rule by |
| Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario, Canada. | | | | any person shall count as a foul; the second shall |
| The concept of basketball was born out of his | | | | disqualify him until the next goal is scored. |
| early school days when he played a simple game | | | | „« If either side make three |
| known as duck-on-a-rock outside his schoolhouse. | | | | consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the |
| The game involved attempting to knock a "duck" | | | | opponents (consecutive in these rules means |
| off the top of a large rock by tossing another | | | | without the opponents in the meantime making a |
| rock at it. This is the beginning of a brief history | | | | foul of their own). |
| of basketball as we know it. | | | | „« A goal is scored when the ball is |
| Naismith served as at the YMCA Training School | | | | thrown from the ground into the basket and |
| in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA in 1891, and this | | | | stays there. If the ball rests on the edge of the |
| is where the sport of basketball was born. | | | | basket and the opponents move the basket, it |
| Naismith was faced with the challenge of finding a | | | | shall also count as a goal. |
| sport that was suitable for play inside during the | | | | „« When the ball goes out of |
| winter for the students. Naismith wanted to | | | | bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played |
| create a game of skill that could be played indoors | | | | by the first person touching it. |
| in a relatively small space. The very first game of | | | | „« The umpire shall be judge and |
| basketball was played with a soccer ball and two | | | | have the power to disqualify or foul players as |
| peach baskets used as goals. The history of | | | | required. |
| basketball started right here. | | | | „« The referee shall be the judge |
| James Naismith devised a set rules for these | | | | of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, |
| early games as follows: | | | | to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. |
| „« The ball may be thrown in any | | | | „« The time shall be two 15-minute |
| direction with one or both hands. | | | | halves with five minutes' rest between. |
| „« A player cannot run with the | | | | „« The side scoring the most goals |
| ball, but instead the player must throw it from the | | | | in that time shall be declared the winners. |
| spot on which he catches it. | | | | Today basketball has grown to become one of |
| „« The ball must be held in or | | | | the world's most popular sports, all thanks to Dr |
| between the hands, not any other body parts. | | | | Naismith. |
| „« No shouldering, holding, pushing, | | | | |