Basketball is somewhat unusual in that it was invented, largely from scratch and quite close to its present form (in rules if not skill levels and tactics), by one individual.
It was invented at a Young Men's Christian Association YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, who wanted an indoor game of vigor and grace to keep young men occupied during the long New England winters.
Basketball is played with a large (approximately 20 cm(?) diameter), pressurized ball, slightly larger and heavier than a soccer ball, and designed to bounce well on a hard, artificial floor. Basketball is played on a flat court (dimensions?), with a basket (with a steel ring mounted parallel to the ground and a string net below, with a hole to allow the ball to fall through) mounted ten feet (approximately 3 metres) above the ground at each end. A popular social variant ("half-court") is played with just one basket.
The game is very accessible to fans. Whereas football is played outside, often in the rain or cold, by 22 players on a side, basketball is played indoors, with only ten players on the court. Where football and hockey are played by heavily padded and helmeted players, in basketball the uniforms are minimal, so it's easy to see the players' faces and bodies. Where a hockey puck is small, fast-moving and hard to follow, the basketball is large and easy to follow.
Players score two points for putting the ball in the basket, three points for certain long-range shots, and one point for foul shots.
Naturally, it's easier to score a basket when next to the basket than when farther away; but, unlike football, offensive players in basketball may not secure the ball under their arm as they advance. Instead, they must constantly bounce ("dribbble") the ball as they advance to the basket, and every dribble represents a chance for the ball to be mishandled or stolen.
To be sure, defensive players may not tackle an offensive player, and those who push, shove or impede their opponents in any way risk getting called for a foul. Players who are fouled get either the ball or -- if they're in the act of shooting -- "free throw" shots at the basket for one point each.
But savvy defensive players use a wide array of legal and extra-legal techniques to hamper and frustrate the players they guard. Officiating basketball well is quite an art, as too many calls break the flow of the game but too few calls inhibit the players' artistry and invite thuggery.
If a player commits five fouls in one game (six in the professional league, the NBA) he is disqualified from the rest of the game, and a bench player must take his place.
Arguing with a referee, fighting with another player, or interfering with a ball after it falls through the basket are grounds for a technical foul. Any player or coach with two technical fouls is disqualified from the game.
Being tall is clearly an advantage in basketball. Forwards and centers in the men's professional leagues are almost all 6'6" tall or more; many are over 7 feet tall. But as many oafish giants have learned to their chagrin, in basketball, quickness, hand-eye coordination, court sense, grace and mental toughness are more important than size.
Basketball reminds many spectators of jazz, and both art forms have been heavily influenced by African-American rhythms. Both require a series of fundamental skills but are improvisatory; each has about five players, playing together, with frequent solos by the star players.
See [National Basketball Association]?.
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