For Kids
The history of basketball originates in 1891, when a physical education teacher at the College of the Youth Christian organization in Springfield, Massachusetts, whose name is James Naismith, a canadian by birth, decided to diversify his studies by inventing this sport. The rules at that time were simple: players are divided into two teams, and whoever scores more goals in the opponent’s basket (at that time they were playing with a soccer ball) wins. This helped to increase the interest in sports among students who at that time were engaged only in gymnastic exercises.
At that time, basketball was not much like the current game, but the essence remained the same. Already in 1892, the first rules for the new game were introduced, such as:
– to hit the ball to the floor only with hands;
– the player has no right to run across the field with the ball, throw only allowed from the situation in which the player or if the player runs at high speed;
– blows, pushes and detention of the opponent is not allowed;
– the ball is considered scored if it remains in the recycle bin;
– the game has 2 halves, each lasting 15 minutes.
These are just a few of the rules of those years, over time they became more and more every year.
The first “official” game took place in February 1892. The result of the match was 2: 2. after each match, the rules were adjusted. So there was a basketball shield, and the fruit basket has already turned into a ring with a grid, which remains unchanged to this day. Naismith’s creation was a resounding success, and within a year this sport was covered by the entire North-East of the United States.
Even before the beginning of the twentieth century, basketball covered not only the United States, but also neighboring Canada. James Naismith tried to promote the game at the level of University and College students, and the College where Naismith taught began to regulate the rules almost 10 years since the beginning of basketball. Two organizations took up the baton – the national Association of student sports and the Amateur sports Union. They promoted basketball throughout the United States. During 1898, they attempted to organize a national basketball League, the first large formation of teams in the country. The League did not last long, about 5 years, forming several smaller associations.
Since the twentieth century, basketball has been actively popularized in Japan, China, Europe and South America. In 1904, the St. Louis Olympics decided to hold an exhibition competition between several teams. Basketball competitions were held in Paris and Amsterdam at the Olympic games, but at that time the Olympic sports program did not include basketball. In 1932, after the conference of the national basketball associations, it was decided to create FIBA, at the same time the official rules of the organization were adopted, which extended to the whole world. Later, the rules were revised and changed.
1935 – an important milestone for the ball game, because then basketball was approved in the program of the Olympic games. A year later, the first basketball game of the Olympic games was held in Berlin. This was the only Olympics where basketball was played on an open-air court. The first Olympic champion was a team from the United States. But it should be added that women’s basketball as an Olympic sport took place much later, in 1976. Then the team from the USSR became the winners.
As for basketball under the patronage of FIBA, we can say that the first international competition was held in 1950 in Argentina, and 3 years later the first World Cup for women’s teams was held in Chile. FIBA refused to distinguish between professional players and Amateurs, so professionals from the United States went to the Olympics for the first time, until then, only students and Amateurs played at international tournaments.