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