The Game Goes Professional

 There were hundreds of men's professional teams in towns and cities all over the United States that started to come about in the 1920's. However there was  little organization of the professional game. There were some leagues put into place, but none of the leagues stayed for long. Finally in 1946, the BAA was formed, the Basketball Assosication of America. The first game was played in Toronto,Canada between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers on November 1, 1946. Later in 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Assocation(NBA). By the 1950s, basketball had become a major college sport which paved the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball. In 1959 a basketball hall of fame was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts, which is where the game was founded in.

I have never been to the hall of fame, have any of you? If you have, comment on how it was!





This is what the basketball hall of fame in springfield looks like today.

The 13 Original Rules of Basketball

Basketball rules over the course of years have changed a lot. When James Naismith invented the game he came up with 13 rules that players were to follow. Here they are!

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. You can't hit the ball with your fist.
3. A player cannot run with the ball.
4. The ball must be held by the hands.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. If anyone does this towards the opponent will recieve a foul. The second time someone does this results in taking the player out of the game until the next basket is scored.
6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it will result in a goal for the opponents.
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do no touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it will count as a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.




This is the original document that contains Dr. James Naismith's rules.


10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.

11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and will decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and will keep the time. He will decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals, with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12. The time will be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between.
13. The side making the most goals in that time will be declared the winner. 

 Do you think any of the rules should still be kept today? Do you think some of the rules today should be changed?

The Creation of Basketball



Dr. James Naismith

       Basketball was invented in December of 1891 by Dr. James Naismith. Mr. Naismith was a physical education teacher the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School in Springfield Massachusetts. One rainy day, Mr. Naismith was trying to think of an appropriate activity to do in doors to keep his classes active and still keep them safe. He tried and tried to think of a game that people could play indoors during the harsh New England winters. After lots of thinking, he came up with the idea of nailing a peach basket onto a 10-foot (3.05 m) elevated track. However, after every basket was scored the ball had to be retrieved which was inefficient so later the bottom of the peach basket was removed.
      Dribbling was not part of the original game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a major part of the game around the 1950s, as manufacturing improved the ball shape.
     Also as the game continued to be played, improvements were made. First of all the peach baskets were not used after 1906 and instead metal hoops were used.This way after a basket was made, someone didn't need to go get the ball; the ball would just fall through to the ground. Also a backboard was added to prevent the ball from hitting people in the crowd. The backboard also allowed for people to rebound shots that were missed.