BaloncestoBaloncesto

Indiana University vs. University of Illinois (1977).

Autoridad deportivaFIBA

Otros nombresBasketballBasquetbolBsquetbolBsquet

Primer partido1891,Springfield,Massachusetts

Caractersticas

ContactoDeporte de contacto fsico

Miembros por equipo5 por equipo en la cancha(12 a 15 por equipo,intercambiables)

CategoraAl aire libre oen espacios cerrados

PelotaCon formaesfrica

Lugar del encuentroCancha Internacional:Rectangular, 28 x 15 metros(aprox. 92 x 49 pies n n m)Cancha NBA:Rectangular, 29 x 15 metros(aprox. 94 x 50 pies)

Duracin del encuentroInternacionalyWNBA:4 cuartos de 10mins.NBA:4 cuartos de 12mins.NCAA:2 perodos de 20mins.

Formato del puntajeTiro libre: 1 punto.Tiro de campo: 2 puntos.Tiro triple: 3 puntos.

MetaAro de 45,7cm. de dimetro,ubicado a 3,05 metros de altura

OlmpicoS, desde1936.

[editar datos en Wikidata]

Elbaloncesto,basquetbolobsquetbol(delinglsbasketball; debasket, 'canasta', yball, 'pelota'),Nota 1o simplementebsquet,1es undeportede equipo que se puede desarrollar tanto en pista cubierta como en descubierta, en el que dos conjuntos de cinco jugadores cada uno, intentan anotar puntos, tambin llamados canastas o dobles y/o triples introduciendo un baln en un aro colocado a 3,05 metros del suelo del que cuelga unared, lo que le da un aspecto decestaocanasta.Las federaciones nacionales de los pases hispanohablantes delCaribeyCentroamrica,Mxico,Colombia,Venezuela,Per,EspaayGuinea Ecuatorial, lo denominanbaloncesto. Las federaciones nacionales de los dems pasessudamericanosde habla hispana lo denominanbsquetbol.2La Asociacin panamericana (FIBA) utiliza en espaol la denominacinbaloncesto, mientras que la Asociacin sudamericana (ABASU) utiliza la denominacinbsquetbol. Tambin es llamadobasquetbolNota 1obsquet, sobre todo en laArgentinayPer, por la castellanizacin de su nombre original eningls:basketball.3Fue inventado porJames Naismith, un profesor canadiense deeducacin fsica, en diciembre de1891en laYMCAdeSpringfield,Massachusetts,Estados Unidos. Se juega con dos equipos de cinco personas, durante 4 perodos o cuartos de 10 (FIBA)4o 12 (NBA) minutos cada uno. Al finalizar el segundo cuarto, se realiza un descanso, normalmente de 15 a 20minutossegn la reglamentacin propia delcampeonatoal cual el partido pertenezca.Tambin existe una modalidad, fundamentalmente para discapacitados, en la que se juega ensilla de ruedas(baloncesto en silla de ruedas), prcticamente con las mismas normas que el baloncesto habitual.ndice[ocultar] 1Historia del baloncesto 1.1Principales reglas del baloncesto 2Posiciones de un equipo de baloncesto 3Cmo se juega 4Reglas internacionales del baloncesto 4.1Arbitraje 4.2Violaciones 4.3Faltas 5Medidas del campo de juego, la canasta y la pelota 5.1La cancha 5.2El baln 5.3La canasta 6Equipamiento 7Puntuacin 8Fundamentos tcnicos 8.1Pase 8.2Tiro a canasta 8.3Bote o Drible 8.4Defensa 9Competiciones internacionales 10FIBA 11Variaciones del baloncesto 12Vase tambin 13Notas 14Referencias 15Enlaces externosHistoria del baloncestoEl baloncesto naci como una respuesta a la necesidad de realizar alguna actividad deportiva durante el invierno, en la escuela deYMCAen Massachusetts. Al profesor de laUniversidad de Illinois(Massachusetts)James Naismith, (un profesor de educacin fsica) le fue encargada la misin, en 1891, de idear un deporte que se pudiera jugar bajo techo, pues los inviernos en esa zona dificultaban la realizacin de alguna actividad al aire libre.Naismith analiz las actividades deportivas que se practicaban en la poca, cuya caracterstica predominante era la fuerza o el contacto fsico, y pens en algo suficientemente activo, que requiriese ms destreza que fuerza y que no tuviese mucho contacto fsico. Elcanadienserecord un antiguo juego de su infancia denominado "duck on a rock" (Elpatosobre una roca), que consista en intentar alcanzar un objeto colocado sobre una roca lanzndole una piedra. Naismith pidi al encargado del colegio unas cajas de 50cm. de longitud pero lo nico que le consigui fueron unas canastas de melocotones, que mand a colgar en las barandillas de la galera superior que rodeaba el gimnasio, a una altura determinada.Principales reglas del baloncestoJames Naismithdise un conjunto de trece reglas para el incipiente deporte. Estas eran:1. El baln puede ser lanzado en cualquier direccin con una o ambas manos.2. El baln puede ser golpeado en cualquier direccin con una o ambas manos, pero nunca con el puo.3. Un jugador no puede correr con el baln. El jugador debe lanzarlo desde el lugar donde lo toma.4. El baln debe ser sujetado con o entre las manos. Los brazos o el cuerpo no pueden usarse para sujetarlo.5. Faltas: no se permite cargar con el hombro, agarrar, empujar, golpear o zancadillear a un oponente.6. Si un equipo hace tres faltas consecutivas (sin que el oponente haya hecho ninguna en ese intervalo), se contar un punto para sus contrarios.7. Los puntos se conseguirn cuando el baln es lanzado o golpeado desde la pista, cae dentro de la canasta y se queda all. Si el baln se queda en el borde y un contrario mueve la cesta, contar como un punto.8. Cuando el baln sale fuera de banda, ser lanzado dentro del campo y jugado por la primera persona en tocarlo.9. El rbitro auxiliar, "umpire", sancionar a los jugadores y anotar las faltas, avisar adems al "referee" (rbitro principal, vase el siguiente punto) cuando un equipo cometa tres faltas consecutivas.10. El rbitro principal, "referee", jugar el baln y decide cuando est en juego, dentro del campo o fuera, a quin pertenece, y llevar el tiempo. Decidir cuando se consigue un punto, llevar el marcador y cualquier otra tarea propia de un rbitro.11. El tiempo ser de dos mitades de 15 minutos con un descanso de 5 minutos entre ambas.12. El equipo que consiga ms puntos ser el vencedor.El baloncesto femenino comenz en 1892, en elSmith College, cuando Senda Berenson, una profesora de educacin fsica, modific las reglas de Naismith para adaptarlas a las necesidades de las mujeres.Como Naismith tena 18 alumnos, decidi que los equipos estuviesen formados por 9 jugadores cada uno. Con el paso del tiempo, este nmero se redujo primero a 7, y luego al actual de 5 jugadores.El tablero surgi para evitar que los seguidores situados en la galera donde colgaban las cestas, pudieran entorpecer la entrada del baln. Con el paso del tiempo las cestas demelocotonesse convirtieron en aros metlicos con una red sin agujeros hasta evolucionar a la malla actual.El baloncesto fue un deporte de exhibicin en losJuegos Olmpicos de 1928yJuegos Olmpicos de 1932, alcanzando la categora olmpica en losJuegos Olmpicos de 1936. Aqu Naismith tuvo la oportunidad de ver como su creacin era convertida en categora olmpica, cuando fue acompaado porAdolf Hitleren el palco de honor, en Alemania. El baloncesto femenino debi esperar hasta 1976 para su admisin como deporte olmpico.El juego gust y se estableci pronto en Estados Unidos. Mxico, fue donde primero se introdujo por motivos geogrficos. A Europa, lleg de la mano de las sedes deYMCAaPars,Francia. Pero no fue hasta la primera guerra mundial que cogi gran impulso, sobre todo gracias a los soldados estadounidenses que jugaban en sus ratos libres.El baloncesto en la actualidad cuenta con una gran difusin en diferentes pases de todo el mundo, siendo uno de los deportes con ms participantes y competiciones regulares en distintas zonas y pases del mundo. En Estados Unidos, se disputa laNBA, considerada la competicin ms prestigiosa en el mundo del baloncesto de clubes.La lnea de tres puntos (triple), se prob en Estados Unidos en 1933. Sin embargo, no sera adoptada por laABAhasta el ao 1968, llegando a laNBAen latemporada 1979-80. En el baloncesto FIBA habra que esperar hasta 1984 para que formara parte de su reglamento.Posiciones de un equipo de baloncesto

Partido de baloncesto enInstituto Tecnolgico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Ciudad de Mxico.Dentro del juego de baloncesto, se poseen las siguientes posiciones para situar a los jugadores: "Base": Tambin llamado "playmaker" (Creador de juego, literalmente). Normalmente el jugador ms bajo del equipo. En ataque sube la pelota hasta el campo contrario y dirige el juego de ataque de su equipo, mandando el sistema de juego. Sus caractersticas recomendables son un buen manejo de baln, visin de juego, capacidad de dar buenos pases, buena velocidad y un acertado tiro exterior. En los bases son apreciadas las asistencias como los puntos conseguidos, aunque un buen jugador debe conseguir ambas cosas. En defensa han de dificultar la subida del baln del base contrario, tapar las lneas de pase y estar atento a recoger los rebotes largos. Normalmente estos jugadores no son de una elevada estatura, pues lo realmente importante es la capacidad organizativa y de direccin de juego. Conocidos como1en la terminologa empleada por los entrenadores. "Escolta": Jugador normalmente ms bajo, rpido y gil que el resto, exceptuando a veces el base. Debe aportar puntos al equipo, con un buen tiro incluyendo el tiro de tres puntos, un buen dominio del baln y una gran capacidad de entrar a canasta. Conocidos como2en la terminologa empleada por los entrenadores. "Alero": Es generalmente una altura intermedia entre los jugadores interiores y los exteriores. Su juego est equilibrado entre la fuerza y el tiro. Es un puesto importante, por su capacidad de combinar altura con velocidad. En ataque debe ser buen tirador de tres puntos y saber culminar una entrada hasta debajo del tablero contrario, son piezas bsicas en lanzar el contraataque y suelen culminar la mayora de ellos. Conocidos como3en la terminologa empleada por los entrenadores. "Ala-Pvot": Es un rol ms fsico que el del alero, en muchos casos con un juego muy similar al pvot. Mantiene la mayora de los puntos en el poste bajo, aunque algunos pueden llegar a convertirse en tiradores muy efectivos. Sirven de ayuda al pvot para impedir el juego interior del equipo contrario, y cierran el rebote. Conocidos como4en la terminologa empleada por los entrenadores. "Pvot": Suelen ser los jugadores de mayor altura del equipo, y los ms fuertes muscularmente. Normalmente, el pvot debe usar su altura y su potencia jugando cerca del aro. Un pvot que conjunte fuerza con agilidad es una pieza fundamental para su equipo. Son los jugadores que ms sorprenden a los aficionados noveles, por su gran altura. En Europa el pvot medio ha evolucionado ms y es capaz de abrirse hacia afuera para tirar. En defensa buscan recoger el rebote corto, impedir el juego interior del equipo contrario y taponar las entradas de jugadores exteriores. Conocidos como5en la terminologa empleada por los entrenadores.Cmo se juega

Una canasta clsica de baloncesto. Duracin de un partido: En laFIBA, segn su reglamento el partido est compuesto por cuatro perodos de 10 minutos cada uno. En laNBAla duracin de cada perodo es de 12 minutos, y enNCAAse juegan dos perodos de 20 minutos cada uno. Si el partido finaliza con empate entre los dos equipos, deber jugarse una prrroga de 5 minutos ms. Y as sucesivamente hasta que un equipo gane el partido. Jugadores: El equipo presentado al partido est formado por 12 jugadores como mximo. 5 formarn el quinteto inicial y los otros 7 sern los suplentes. El entrenador podr cambiar a los jugadores tantas veces como desee aprovechando interrupciones en el juego, salvo en las categoras escolares hasta infantiles (edad de 13 a 14 aos) que todos los jugadores del equipo deben jugar como mnimo un periodo durante los tres primeros, pudiendo en el ltimo hacer sustituciones. Inicio del partido: Debe colocarse un jugador de cada equipo dentro del crculo central con un pie cerca de la lnea que divide el terreno de juego en dos mitades, situado cada uno de ellos en su campo. Los dems jugadores deben estar fuera del crculo. El rbitro lanza la pelota hacia arriba desde el centro del crculo y los dos jugadores saltan verticalmente para intentar desviarla, sin cogerla, hacia algn compaero de su equipo. rbitros: Para la mayora de competiciones suelen ser dos rbitros los encargados de dirigir el encuentro (aunque para muchas ligas profesionales existan tres y para otras con muy bajo presupuesto uno). Mesa de anotadores: La mesa de anotadores (anotador, ayudante de anotador, cronometrador, operador de la regla de 24 s y, si lo hubiera, comisario) controla todas las incidencias del partido (tanteo, tiempos muertos, tiempo de juego, faltas, cambios, etc.) y elabora el acta del partido.Reglas internacionales del baloncestoExistendesacuerdos sobre la exactitud de la informacinen este artculo o seccin.Enla pgina de discusinpuedes consultar el debate al respecto.

Fin del tiempo reglamentario marcado en el cronmetro y con la luz roja del tablero.Las reglas internacionales de baloncesto son elaboradas por el comit central deFIBA56y son revisadas cada cuatro aos. Son de aplicacin en todas las competiciones de carcter internacional entre pases y adoptadas por la mayora de federaciones nacionales, incluida laFEB. EnEstados UnidoslaNBAhace uso de un reglamento diferente al establecido porFIBA. Actualmente se est llevando a cabo un proceso gradual de acercamiento entre estas dos grandes corrientes de reglas del baloncesto.7En 1971 las reglas del baloncesto femenino se modificaron y se hicieron ms parecidas a la de los partidos masculinos.Arbitraje

Tro arbitral de baloncesto debatiendo una accin.Un partido debe ser dirigido por tres rbitros, uno principal y dos auxiliares. Estos sern asistidos desde la mesa de anotadores, cronometradores y un comisario tcnico. Los rbitros y sus ayudantes dirigirn el juego de acuerdo con las reglas e interpretaciones oficiales. El rbitro principal decidir en cualquier situacin de discrepancia entre rbitros auxiliares, mesa de anotadores, dudas de validez en las canastas, dar su aprobacin al acta, es el responsable de verificar, inspeccionar y aprobar todos los elementos tcnicos y podr tomar decisiones sobre situaciones no reglamentadas ni regladas. Los rbitros se pueden comunicar con la mesa de anotadores y con el resto de rbitros mediante la gesticulacin, sealizando las incidencias con una serie de seales preestablecidas.ViolacionesUna violacin es una infraccin de las reglas de juego, penalizada con un saque de fondo o banda para el equipo contrario desde el punto ms cercano al de la infraccin. Violaciones ms comunes:Pasos (Art.25)El avance ilegal (pasos) es un desplazamiento ilegal de un jugador con control de baln (el baln reposa sobre una o ambas manos del jugador).Se produce avance ilegal cuando, una vez establecido el pie de pivote, el jugador:Lo levanta para iniciar un regate. Denominados comnmente pasos de salida o arrancada. (No sancionables en baloncestoNBA).Estando con ambos pies (incluido el de pivote) en contacto con el suelo, salta y, antes de realizar un pase o tiro a canasta, vuelve a tocar con un pie en el suelo.Estando en movimiento, y saltando sobre el pie de pivote, da dos apoyos ms, independientemente del orden de los pies.Desliza voluntaria o involuntariamente el pie de pivote por el suelo creando una ventaja, el gesto de pivotar no se considera deslizar.Es legalque un jugador caiga al suelo y resbale mientras sostiene el baln, o que obtenga el control del baln mientras est tumbado o sentado en el suelo. Es una violacin si, despus, el jugador rueda o intenta levantarse mientras sostiene el baln.Dobles (Art.24)Los dobles es una falta por acompaar el baln al botar.Acostumbra a pasar cuando el jugador hace dos pasos y bota el baln.PieUn jugador no debe tocar el baln con el pie intencionadamente. Este acto se considera violacin. Aunque tambin se considera violacin si es sin intencin de tocar el baln, y se sanciona de la misma manera, saque de banda para el equipo contrario del que ha tocado el baln.3 segundos en Zona (Art.26)No se puede permanecer ms de 3 segundos en el rea restringida del equipo contrario cuando se est atacando. En caso de que ests defendiendo se puede estar en la zona el tiempo que quieras.Esta es una de las mayores diferencias entre el reglamentoFIBAyNBA. En la liga norteamericana no se le permite al jugador defensivo permanecer en la zona pintada, a menos que est marcando a un jugador atacante.Salvoexcepciones:El jugador intente abandonar la zona restringida.El jugador est realizando un regate a canasta transcurridos 3 segundos.Un jugador de su mismo equipo est en accin de tiro a canasta.Saque de banda/fondoSe debe sacar antes de 5 segundos con el baln a disposicin del jugador, pudiendo dar un paso normal lateral y todos los posibles hacia atrs. Cualquier infraccin de esta regla es una violacin.24 segundos (Art.29)Un equipo que obtiene un nuevo control de baln debe efectuar un lanzamiento a canasta antes de 24 segundos. En caso de que transcurridos 24 segundos el baln siga en las manos del lanzador o no haya tocado aro y su posesin no sea clara para el equipo oponente, se comete una violacin. Los 24 segundos se reinician cada vez que el baln toca el aro, se comete una violacin o una falta. En caso de que la falta en defensa se produzca con menos de 14 segundos de posesin restantes, el dispositivo de 24 se reinicia con 14 segundos.

rbitrosealando falta personal.Campo atrs (Art.30)El baln devuelto a pista trasera (campo atrs) se produce cuando un equipo tiene control de baln en pista delantera y uno de sus jugadores es el ltimo en tocar el baln en pista delantera y despus l o un compaero es el primero en tocarlo en pista trasera.FaltasFalta personal(Art.34)Cuando un jugador contactailegalmentecon un adversario y le causa una desventaja u obtiene una ventaja del contacto, se sanciona falta personal. Se considera contacto ilegal aquel que se produce cuando uno de los jugadores no respeta el cilindro del otro jugador y se considera responsable del contacto al jugador que invade el cilindro del otro o sale del suyo. Un jugador no agarrar, bloquear, empujar, cargar, zancadillear ni impedir el avance de un adversario extendiendo las manos, brazos, codos, hombros, caderas, piernas, rodillas ni pies; ni doblar su cuerpo en una posicin anormal (fuera de su cilindro), ni incurrir en juego brusco o violento. La penalizacin para una falta personal es un saque para el equipo contrario desde el punto ms cercano en la lnea de fondo/lateral, salvo las faltas de equipo que se expondrn ms adelante. A la quinta falta (6. en laNBA) el jugador ser eliminado.

rbitro sealando una falta en ataque.Falta en ataqueSe produce cuando un jugador cuyo equipo tiene control de baln comete una falta personal al empujar o chocar contra el torso de un jugador que en posicin legal de defensa (Ambos pies en contacto con el suelo, encarado al atacante, dentro de su cilindro y pudindose desplazar lateralmente y hacia atrs, no hacia delante). Si ese contacto causa una desventaja al defensor se sanciona falta del equipo con control de baln (falta en ataque).Falta antideportiva(Art.36)Una falta antideportiva es una falta de jugador que implica contacto y que, a juicio del rbitro, no constituye un esfuerzo legtimo de jugar directamente el baln dentro del espritu y la intencin de las reglas o bien, el contacto es de brusquedad excesiva. Se sanciona con dos tiros libres y posesin para el equipo contrario.Falta tcnicaFalta a un jugador o de un miembro del banquillo que no implica contacto, sino falta de cooperacin o desobediencia deliberada o reiterada al espritu de las reglas. La segunda falta tcnica que se le pite a un mismo jugador contar como descalificante. Una falta tcnica contar como falta personal, es decir, se sumar una falta al jugador al que le ha sido pitada la falta tcnica, as como a las faltas de equipo. Se sanciona igual que la antideportiva.Falta descalificanteUna falta descalificante es cualquier infraccin antideportiva flagrante de un jugador, sustituto, jugador excluido, entrenador, ayudante de entrenador o acompaante de equipo que deber abandonar el campo y no podr establecer contacto visual con el mismo durante el resto del partido. 2 faltas antideportivas constituyen una falta descalificante. Cabe mencionar que una falta descalificante puede conllevar tambin uno o varios partidos de suspensin segn lo decida la organizacin de la competicin.Despus de una falta tcnica, antideportiva o descalificante se conceden 2 tiros libres y saque desde la prolongacin de la lnea central enfrente de la mesa de anotadores.

Wally Szczerbiaklanzando un tiro libre.Tiros libresSi un equipo comete cinco faltas en un perodo (o 2 en los dos ltimos minutos de cada cuarto), a partir de ese momento todas las faltas personales que realice durante ese perodo sern sancionadas con dos tiros desde la lnea de tiros libres de su zona (situada a 4,60mde la canasta). Tambin se efectuarn tiros libres cuando un jugador recibe una falta mientras se halla en accin de tiro, determinndose su nmero segn la zona de puntuacin en la que se encuentre (de 2 o 3 puntos). Si durante esa accin de tiro con falta la canasta se consigue, el cesto es vlido y se concede un tiro adicional. Durante la ejecucin del tiro libre, el jugador que est tirando no podr pisar la lnea, esto supondra que aunque entrase la canasta el tiro no sera vlido, al igual que si uno de sus compaeros invade la zona antes de que el baln salga de las manos del lanzador, por otra parte si un rival entra en la zona antes de que el jugador suelte el baln el tiro se repetir en caso de que no haya entrado.Medidas del campo de juego, la canasta y la pelota

Cancha de juego y sus diferentes versiones.La cancha Una pista de baloncesto tiene que ser una superficie dura, plana, rectangular y libre de obstculos, con 15mde ancho y 28m de longitud. Elpermetrode la pista debe estar libre de obstculos a dos metros de distancia. La altura del primer obstculo que se encuentre verticalmente sobre la pista debe de estar como mnimo a 7m de altura. El campo est dividido en dos mitades iguales separados por la lnea denominada de medio campo y con un crculo que parte del centro de la pista, el crculo central mide 3,6m dedimetro. Para cada equipo, el medio campo que contiene la canasta que se defiende se denomina medio campo defensivo y el medio campo que contiene la canasta en la que se pretende anotar se denomina medio campo ofensivo. En los lados menores se sitan los aros que estn a 3,05m de altura y se introducen 1,20m dentro del rectngulo y tienen que estar provistos de basculantes homologados. Paralela a la lnea de fondo encontramos la lnea de tiros libres, que se encuentra a 5,80m de la lnea de fondo y a 4,60m de la canasta. El crculo donde se encuentra la lnea de tiros libres tiene un dimetro de 3,6m. Todas las lneas miden 5cm. de ancho. La lnea de tres puntos se encuentra situada a 6,75m (FIBA) y a 7,24m (NBA) de distancia de la canasta.El balnEl baln de baloncesto debe ser, evidentemente, esfrico, de cuero o piel rugosa, omaterial sinttico, que facilite el agarre de los jugadores an con las manos sudadas (los balones tienen una superficie con 9.366 puntos). Tradicionalmente es decolor naranja, con lneas negras, pero hay muchas variantes. Las pelotas deindoor(pabelln cubierto) y deoutdoor(exterior) difieren en el material del cual estn recubiertas.

La pelota clsica.A partir de la temporada2004-05laFIBAha adoptado para sus competiciones una pelota con bandas claras amarillas sobre el clsico color de fondo naranja, para mejorar la visibilidad de la pelota tanto por parte de los jugadores como por el pblico.Desde el ao 2007 enEspaase utiliza un baln con franjas negras, sobre el que se discute su duracin ya que resbala en exceso.

El nuevo diseoFIBA. Circunferencia: 68-73cm. Dimetro: 23-24cm. Peso: 600-800gSe utilizan pelotas de tres denominaciones diferentes correspondientes a tres tamaos y pesos diferentes segn las categoras: el nmero "7", utilizado para baloncesto masculino, el "6" para baloncesto femenino, y el "5" para minibasket y pre-infantiles (nios de 8 a 12 aos generalmente). Adems, se estipula que el baln ha de tener una presin tal que soltado desde 1,80m de altura, bote entre 1,40 y 1,60m de altura.La canasta

El poste y la canasta con medidas oficiales.El tablero de la canasta, es un rectngulo de 1.05 x 1.80m, de al menos 30mm de grosor y con los bordes inferiores acolchados. En la parte central inferior, se encuentra un rectngulo pintado de 0.59m x 0.45m y que est elevado del tablero por la parte baja 0.15m, en el interior del rectngulo se encuentra un basculante homologado que sostiene a la canasta que mide 0.45m, la canasta se agarra del rectngulo interior en su centro. El aro de la canasta debe tener un dimetro de 45,7cm, el rectngulo interior se utiliza para calcular el tiro, y que al chocar con l la pelota se introduzca en la canasta. El aro est situado a una altura de 3,05m y est provisto de unas redes homologadas.EquipamientoEl equipamiento de un jugador de baloncesto se compone de: Unacamisetasin mangas, originalmente dealgodn, y en la actualidad de material sinttico. En su parte delantera encontramos el logotipo del equipo y la publicidad acordada (aunque en laNBAy otras competiciones no hay). En la parte trasera encontramos el apellido del jugador y en ocasiones la primera letra del nombre cuando hay dos o ms jugadores con apellidos iguales. Debajo del nombre, en grande, el nmero del jugador, que es muy importante para apuntar el nmero de faltas y los puntos del jugador as como las sustituciones. Elpantalnpuede ser corto o bermudas (aunque por la moda de llevarlo"pirata"algunas competiciones como laNBAimponen reglas sobre su longitud): se puede encontrar, en pequeo, el nmero del jugador en el extremo derecho de la pierna. Debe ser de los mismos colores que la camiseta, no puede tener bolsillos. Calzado: tienen forma de bota para sujetar bien el tobillo y protegerlo de torceduras. Adems cuentan con cmaras de aire para preservar la planta del pie. Las suelas deben tener un diseo apropiado para frenar rpido. Calcetines: Generalmente cortos y de algodn. Aunque suelen ser blancos como otros calcetines deportivos, pueden ser de otro color para adaptarse al uniforme o, en raras ocasiones, dejarse al gusto del jugador. Segn la FIBA estos deben estar como mnimo a 10 cm. sobre el calzado. Est prohibido que los jugadores lleven puesto anillos, cadenas, pulseras o cualquier otrajoyaya que puede daar a un contrincante.PuntuacinArtculo principal:Punto (baloncesto)

Lanzamiento de3 puntos.1. Los tiros libres valen un punto.2. Los tiros dentro de la zona o dentro de la lnea de triple valen dos puntos.3. Los tiros a partir de la lnea de triple (a 6,75m del centro del aro, o 7,24 en laNBA) valen tres puntos.Si el jugador est tirando un tiro libre y pisa la lnea el tiro quedar invalidado, en caso de que el jugador est tirando desde la lnea de 3 puntos si pisa la lnea de 6,75m (NBA7,24) el tiro ser valorado como un tiro de campo (2 puntos). Sin embargo si un jugador, que se encuentra atrs de la distancia de triple, inicia el tiro con un salto sin pisar la lnea, soltando el baln mientras se encuentra en el aire, y cae encima o sobrepasndola, en ese caso el tiro se considerara de 3 puntos.La puntuacin se lleva mediante dos sistemas, el primero es la planilla donde el anotador marca todas las canastas que se han convertido en un cuadro numerado que contiene los nmeros del tanteador y el segundo sistema es el tablero electrnico, donde adems se seala el cronmetro, el conteo de faltas de cada jugador y de cada equipo y el cuarto que se est jugando (si el acta y el marcador van en discordancia, lo vlido es lo que refleja el acta; el marcador no es obligatorio y sirve nicamente al espectculo as que no hay normativas sobre su contenido).Fundamentos tcnicosAlgunos movimientos de un jugador de baloncesto se denominan como fundamentales, puesto que son sobre los que se basa todo el juego. Segn un concepto estricto, los "fundamentos" son solamente cuatro: el bote, el pase, el tiro y los movimientos defensivos.En esta lista no se incluyen otros movimientos que no se consideran estrictamente fundamentales, como el rebote, el bloqueo, etc., pero que representan tambin aspectos muy significativos de este deporte.PaseEl pase es la accin por la cual los jugadores de un mismo equipo intercambian el baln, existen diferentes tipos entre los cuales se encuentran: De pecho: Realizado sacando el baln desde la altura del pecho y llegar al receptor a la misma altura aproximadamente, en una trayectoria casi recta. Picadoode pique: Al dar el pase se lanza el baln con la intencin de que rebote antes de ser recibido para que sea ms difcil cortarlo y ms sencillo recibirlo. Debisbol: Semejante al lanzamiento de unlanzador, pase largo con una mano. Debolos: Dado con una mano, sacando el baln desde debajo de la cintura, simulando un lanzamiento de bolos. Por detrs de la espalda: Como su nombre indica es un pase efectuado por detrs de la espalda, con la mano contraria al lugar en el que se encuentra el futuro receptor. Por encima de la cabeza: Se usa sobre todo por los pvots y al sacar un rebote, como su nombre indica se efecta lanzando el baln desde encima de la cabeza fuertemente y con las dos manos. Alley-oop: El jugador lanza el baln cerca y a la altura de la canasta para que el compaero nicamente la acomode. Con el codo: Popularizado porJason Williams, el jugador golpea el baln por detrs de la espalda con el codo del brazo contrario de la direccin a la que va a ir el pase. Pase de mano a mano: Se realiza cuando se tiene al compaero receptor muy cerca, de manera que recibe la pelota casi de manos del pasador. En el momento del pase, la mano que sirve la pelota, le da un pequeo impulso para que el otro jugador pueda recibirla.Tiro a canasta

Un jugador de baloncesto realizando unmate.El tiro o lanzamiento es la accin por la cual un jugador intenta introducir el baln dentro del aro, los tipos existentes son: Tiro en suspensin: Lanzamiento a canasta tras elevarse en el aire, apoyando el baln en una mano mientras se sujeta con la otra, finalizando el lanzamiento con un caracterstico golpe de mueca. Tiro libre: Lanzamiento desde la lnea de tiros libres, despus de una falta personal o una falta tcnica. Bandeja o doble paso: Lanzamiento en carrera, con una sola mano, despus de haber dado mximo dos pasos despus de dejar de botar el baln. Mate o volcada: Similar a la bandeja, pero introduciendo el baln en la canasta de arriba a abajo, con una o dos manos. Gancho: Lanzamiento con una nica mano (extensin del brazo, movimiento ascendente, soltando el baln con un gesto de mueca cuando el baln se encuentra por encima de la cabeza, la trayectoria del brazo dibuja un semi-arco, hombros alineados con el aro), es un tiro de corta distancia.Bote o DribleAccin que consiste en que el jugador empuje el baln contra el suelo y este retorne a su mano, los tipos existentes son: De control: En una posicin sin presin defensiva, mientras el jugador anda, un bote alto y fuerte a la altura del jugador. De proteccin: Si la defensa presiona mucho, el jugador puede botar protegiendo el baln con el cuerpo, dando botes bajos para dificultar el llegar a robarlo. En velocidad: En carrera y con espacio por delante, el jugador lanza el baln hacia delante para correr con ms velocidad.DefensaLa defensa en baloncesto se realiza entre la persona que ataca y el aro, la posicin defensiva consiste en flexionar ligeramente las rodillas y realizar desplazamientos laterales intentando robar el baln o evitando una accin de pase, tiro o intento de penetracin a la canasta por parte de su rival.En cuanto a los diferentes tipos de defensa "colectiva", que puede realizar un equipo encontramos:

Defensa individual. Defensa individual, tambin conocida como defensa al hombre o defensa de asignacin: Cada jugador marca a un oponente en concreto del equipo rival. Defensa en zonas: Cuando los jugadores que defienden no marcan uno a uno a sus oponentes de manera personal, se denomina que marcan en zona esperando a que lleguen los atacantes. Como el equipo pone 5 jugadores en la cancha las zonas posibles se nombran2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1, 3-1-1, 2-1-2, 1-2-2, indicando la posicin de los mismos. Defensa mixta: Sera una combinacin de los dos tipos de defensas expuestas anteriormente. Presin: Es una defensa especial que se realiza cuando el equipo defensor adelanta a sus jugadores al campo contrario para dificultar el saque o el paso del baln por parte del rival a su campo (el equipo atacante slo tiene 8 segundos para pasar de su campo al del rival), se suele emplear en situaciones finales de un cuarto, de un partido o cuando es muy necesario recuperar el baln. Normalmente se aplica a toda o a 3/4 partes de la cancha aunque hay equipos que comienzan la presin en la mitad del campo.Competiciones internacionalesLas principales competiciones internacionales de selecciones nacionales son losJuegos Olmpicosy losCampeonatos Mundiales, que se celebran bajo los auspicios de la Federacin Internacional de Baloncesto (FIBA), que tambin es la responsable de las reglas de juego y de la organizacin de campeonatos internacionales.A nivel regional: Campeonato FIBA Amricas, organizado por laConfederacin Panamericana de Baloncesto. Juegos Panamericanos, en el que se enfrentan las mejores selecciones deAmrica. Centrobasket, en el que se enfretan las selecciones nacionales deMxico,Amrica Centraly elCaribe. Campeonato Sudamericano de Baloncesto, en el que se enfrentan todas las selecciones deAmrica del Sur. Eurobasket, en el que se enfrentan las 16 mejores selecciones deEuropa.FIBAArtculo principal:Federacin Internacional de BaloncestoLaFederacin Internacional de Baloncestose form en1932por ocho pases fundadores: Argentina, Checoslovaquia, Grecia, Italia, Lituania, Portugal, Rumania y Suiza. En aquella poca, la FIBA se ocupaba de jugadores aficionados. En sus siglas en francs, la "A" quiere decir "amateur", aficionado.Los primeros Campeonatos del Mundo masculinos se celebraron en1950enArgentina. Tres aos ms tarde, los primeros Campeonatos del Mundo femeninos se celebraron enChile.El baloncesto se incluy por primera vez en losJuegos Olmpicosen 1936, aunque se celebr un torneo de demostracin ya en 1904. Esta competicin ha sido histricamente dominada por losEstados Unidos, cuyo equipo ha ganado todos los ttulos excepto en cuatro ocasiones. La primera vez que un equipo de Estados Unidos fue derrotado en una final fue en la polmica final en losJuegos Olmpicos de Mnich 1972contra la Unin Sovitica, que se proclam campeona.El baloncesto femenino se aadi a los Juegos Olmpicos en1976, con equipos como Brasil y Australia rivalizando con el equipo estadounidense.La FIBA elimin la diferenciacin entre jugadores aficionados (amateurs) y profesionales en 1989, y en 1992, jugadores profesionales jugaron en los Juegos Olmpicos por primera vez. El dominio histrico de losEstados Unidosreverdeci con este "Dream Team". Sin embargo, otros pases han demostrado niveles similares al de los Estados Unidos. El equipo estadounidense compuesto ntegramente por jugadores de la NBA acab sexto en los Campeonatos Mundiales de 2002 enIndianpolis, por detrs de Yugoslavia, Argentina, Alemania, Nueva Zelanda y Espaa. En los Juegos Olmpicos de 2004, el campen fue Argentina y segunda Italia, quedando los Estados Unidos en tercer lugar. Tambin en los Campeonatos Mundiales de Japn 2006, Espaa qued como campeona y Grecia como subcampeona, quedando as losEE. UU.en tercer lugar.Las principales competiciones de baloncesto en silla de ruedas para selecciones nacionales son los Juegos Paralmpicos y los Campeonatos Mundiales, que se celebran bajo los auspicios de la Federacin Internacional de Baloncesto en Silla de Ruedas (IWBF), que tambin es la responsable de las reglas de juego y de la organizacin de campeonatos continentales.Variaciones del baloncestoArtculo principal:Variaciones del baloncestoSon los juegos o actividades basadas en el juego del baloncesto, en las cuales el jugador utiliza habilidades bsicas del baloncesto. Algunas no son ms que variaciones, mientras que otras son ya deportes distintos. Otras variaciones incluyen juegos denios, ejercicios para que el jugador mejore alguna de sus habilidades, las que pueden o no tener un componente de competitividad. La mayora son jugadas sin rbitros, y sin una sujecin fuerte a las reglas.Una de las variaciones que est cobrando mayor popularidad es elstreetballdeEstados Unidos. El equipo ms popular de esta competencia esAND1con jugadores como "Hot Sauce" y "Helicopter" (o Helicptero). Entre las variaciones estn que se puede enviar el baln por encima de los hombros y se pueden usar los pies como si fuera ftbol. Tambin es posible moverse rodando el baln en vez de botarlo. Tambin existe el clsico "21" que contiene las mismas reglas del baloncesto profesional slo que ms rudo y que se juega en una mitad de la cancha, gana el primero que anota 21 puntos. Desde el 2008 esta modalidad se fue reglamentando, formando as elBaloncesto 3x3, variante que ha tomado parte en distintos eventos y ya esta incluida dentro deFIBA.Vase tambin Portal:Baloncesto. Contenido relacionado conBaloncesto. Categora:Ligas Nacionales de Baloncesto Categora:Baloncestistas por pas Categora:Pabellones de baloncestoNotas1. Saltar a:abLa Real Academia Espaola seala que la palabra "basquetbol" se escribe sin tilde.Referencias1. Volver arribabaloncesto,Diccionario panhispnico de dudas2. Volver arribaFIBA.Diversos nombres del deporte segn sus federaciones.3. Volver arribabsquetbol o basquetbol,Diccionario panhispnico de dudas4. Volver arribaFIBA(26 de abril de 2008 - Beijing).Reglas Oficiales de Baloncesto 2008(application/pdf). p.14. Archivado desdeel originalel sb 05 jul 2008 19:53:17 CEST. Consultado el 26/11/2008. El partido se compone de cuatro (4) periodos de diez (10) minutos.5. Volver arribafabasquet.es.Reglamento FIBA 2008. Aplicacin a partir del 1 de octubre de 2008(PDF).6. Volver arribafabasquet.es.Interpretaciones oficiales FIBA 2008(PDF).7. Volver arribaFeb.es.FIBA aprueba cambios importantes de reglas. Consultado el 26 de abril de 2008.Enlaces externos Wikimedia Commonsalberga contenido multimedia sobreBaloncesto. Wikinoticiastiene noticias relacionadas conBaloncesto. Wikcionariotiene definiciones y otra informacin sobrebaloncesto. Reglamento de baloncesto comentado. Escrito por Julio Tous Fajardo.Categora: BaloncestoMen de navegacin Crear una cuenta Acceder Artculo Discusin Leer Ver cdigo Ver historialPrincipio del formulario

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Basketball

Michael Jordangoes for aslam dunkat the oldBoston Garden

HighestgoverningbodyFIBA

First played1891,Springfield,Massachusetts,U.S.

Characteristics

ContactYes

Team members5 per side

Mixed genderYes, separate competitions

TypeTeam sport,ball sport

EquipmentBasketball

VenueIndoor court (mainly) or outdoor court (Streetball)

Presence

OlympicDemonstrated in the 1904 and 1924 Summer OlympicsPart of the Summer Olympic program since 1936

Basketballis asportplayed by two teams of five players on a rectangularcourt. The objective is toshootaballthrough a hoop 18 inches (46cm) in diameter and 10 feet (3.048m) high mounted to abackboardat each end. Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.[1]A team can score afield goalby shooting the ball through the basket during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the shooting team if the player shoots from behind thethree-point line, and two points if shot from in front of the line. A team can also score viafree throws, which are worth one point, after the other team was assessed with certain fouls. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time (overtime) is issued when the game ends in a draw. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it while walking or running or throwing it to a team mate. It is a violation tolift or drag one's pivot foot without dribbling the ball, tocarryit, or tohold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling.As well as many techniques for shooting, passing, dribbling and rebounding, basketball teams generally haveplayer positionsand offensive and defensive structures (player positioning). Traditionally, the tallest and strongest members of a team are called acenterorpower forward, while slightly shorter and more agile players are calledsmall forward, and the shortest players or those who possess the best ball handling skills are called apoint guardorshooting guard.Contents[hide] 1History 1.1Creation 1.2College basketball 1.3High school basketball 1.4Professional basketball 1.5International basketball 1.6Women's basketball 2Rules and regulations 2.1Playing regulations 2.2Equipment 2.3Violations 2.4Fouls 3Common techniques and practices 3.1Positions 3.2Strategy 3.3Shooting 3.4Rebounding 3.5Passing 3.6Dribbling 3.7Blocking 4Height 5Variations and similar games 6Social forms of basketball 7Fantasy basketball 8See also 9References 10Further reading 11External linksHistoryMain article:History of basketballCreation

The first basketball court:Springfield CollegeIn early December 1891,CanadianDr.James Naismith,[2]a physical education professor and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School[3](YMCA) (today,Springfield College) inSpringfield,Massachusettswas trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the longNew Englandwinters. After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-ingymnasiums, he wrote the basicrulesand nailed apeachbasket onto a 10-foot (3.05m) elevated track. In contrast with modern basketball nets, this peach basket retained its bottom, and balls had to be retrieved manually after each "basket" or point scored; this proved inefficient, however, so the bottom of the basket was removed,[4]allowing the balls to be poked out with a longdoweleach time.Basketball was originally played with asoccer ball. The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it was only in the late 1950s thatTony Hinkle, searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. 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.The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by metal hoops with backboards. A further change was soon made, so the ball merely passed through. Whenever a person got the ball in the basket, his team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points won the game.[5]The baskets were originally nailed to the mezzanine balcony of the playing court, but this proved impractical when spectators on the balcony began to interfere with shots. The backboard was introduced to prevent this interference; it had the additional effect of allowing rebound shots.[6]Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early 2006, indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from a children's game called "Duck on a Rock", as many had failed before it. Naismith called the new game "Basket Ball".[7]The first official game was played in theYMCA gymnasium in Albany, New York, on January 20, 1892, with nine players. The game ended at 10; the shot was made from 25 feet (7.6m), on a court just half the size of a present-dayStreetballorNational Basketball Association(NBA) court. By 18971898 teams of five became standard.College basketballSee also:College basketball

The 1899 University of Kansas basketball team, with James Naismith at the back, right.Basketball's early adherents were dispatched to YMCAs throughout the United States, and it quickly spread through the USA and Canada. By 1895, it was well established at several women's high schools. While the YMCA was responsible for initially developing and spreading the game, within a decade it discouraged the new sport, as rough play and rowdy crowds began to detract from the YMCA's primary mission. However, other amateur sports clubs, colleges, and professional clubs quickly filled the void. In the years beforeWorld War I, theAmateur Athletic Unionand theIntercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States(forerunner of theNCAA) vied for control over the rules for the game. The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years.Dr. James Naismith was instrumental in establishingcollege basketball. His colleague C.O. Beamis fielded the first college basketball team just a year after the Springfield YMCA game at the suburbanPittsburghGeneva College.[8]Naismith himself later coached at theUniversity of Kansasfor six years, before handing the reins to renowned coachForrest "Phog" Allen. Naismith's discipleAmos Alonzo Staggbrought basketball to theUniversity of Chicago, whileAdolph Rupp, a student of Naismith's at Kansas, enjoyed great success as coach at theUniversity of Kentucky. On February 9, 1895, the first intercollegiate 5-on-5 game was played atHamline Universitybetween Hamline and the School of Agriculture, which was affiliated with theUniversity of Minnesota.[9][10]The School of Agriculture won in a 93 game.In 1901, colleges, including theUniversity of Chicago,Columbia University,Dartmouth College, the University of Minnesota, theU.S. Naval Academy, theUniversity of ColoradoandYale Universitybegan sponsoring men's games. In 1905, frequent injuries on thefootballfield promptedPresidentTheodore Rooseveltto suggest that colleges form a governing body, resulting in the creation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS). In 1910, that body would change its name to theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA). The first Canadian interuniversity basketball game was played at theYMCAinKingston, Ontarioon February 6, 1904, whenMcGill UniversityvisitedQueen's University. McGill won 97 in overtime; the score was 77 at the end of regulation play, and a ten-minute overtime period settled the outcome. A good turnout of spectators watched the game.[11]The first men's national championship tournament, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball tournament, which still exists as theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics(NAIA)tournament, was organized in 1937. The first national championship for NCAA teams, theNational Invitation Tournament(NIT) in New York, was organized in 1938; theNCAA national tournamentwould begin one year later. College basketball was rocked by gambling scandals from 1948 to 1951, when dozens of players from top teams were implicated inmatch fixingandpoint shaving. Partially spurred by an association with cheating, the NIT lost support to the NCAA tournament.High school basketballThe examples and perspective in this articledeal primarily with the United States and do not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.Pleaseimprove this articleand discuss the issue on thetalk page.(August 2012)

A basketball game between theHeart Mountainand Powell High School girls teams, Wyoming, March 1944See also:List of U.S. high school basketball national player of the year awardsBefore widespread school district consolidation, most American high schools were far smaller than their present-day counterparts. During the first decades of the 20th century, basketball quickly became the ideal interscholastic sport due to its modest equipment and personnel requirements. In the days before widespread television coverage of professional and college sports, the popularity of high school basketball was unrivaled in many parts of America. Perhaps the most legendary of high school teams was Indiana'sFranklin Wonder Five, which took the nation by storm during the 1920s, dominating Indiana basketball and earning national recognition.Today virtually every high school in the United States fields a basketball team invarsitycompetition.[12]Basketball's popularity remains high, both in rural areas where they carry the identification of the entire community, as well as at some larger schools known for their basketball teams where many players go on to participate at higher levels of competition after graduation. In the 200304 season, 1,002,797 boys and girls represented their schools in interscholastic basketball competition, according to theNational Federation of State High School Associations. The states ofIllinois,IndianaandKentuckyare particularly well known for their residents' devotion to high school basketball, commonly calledHoosier Hysteriain Indiana; the critically acclaimed filmHoosiersshows high school basketball's depth of meaning to these communities.There is currently no national tournament to determine a national high school champion. The most serious effort was the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament at theUniversity of Chicagofrom 1917 to 1930. The event was organized byAmos Alonzo Staggand sent invitations to state champion teams. The tournament started out as a mostly Midwest affair but grew. In 1929 it had 29 state champions. Faced with opposition from theNational Federation of State High School AssociationsandNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schoolsthat bore a threat of the schools losing their accreditation the last tournament was in 1930. The organizations said they were concerned that the tournament was being used to recruit professional players from the prep ranks.[13]The tournament did not invite minority schools or private/parochial schools.The National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament ran from 1924 to 1941 atLoyola University.[14]The National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament from 1954 to 1978 played at a series of venues, includingCatholic University,GeorgetownandGeorge Mason.[15]The National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools was held from 1929 to 1942 atHampton Institute.[16]The National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was held from 1941 to 1967 starting out atTuskegee Institute. Following a pause duringWorld War IIit resumed atTennessee State Collegein Nashville. The basis for the champion dwindled after 1954 whenBrown v. Board of Educationbegan an integration of schools. The last tournaments were held atAlabama State Collegefrom 1964 to 1967.[17]Professional basketball

Ad fromThe Liberatormagazine promoting an exhibition in Harlem, March 1922. Drawing byHugo Gellert.Teams abounded throughout the 1920s. There were hundreds of men'sprofessional basketballteams in towns and cities all over the United States, and little organization of the professional game. Players jumped from team to team and teams played in armories and smoky dance halls. Leagues came and went.Barnstormingsquads such as theOriginal Celticsand two all-African American teams, theNew York Renaissance Five("Rens") and the (still existing)Harlem Globetrottersplayed up to two hundred games a year on their national tours.In 1946, theBasketball Association of America(BAA) was formed. The first game was played inToronto, Ontario, Canada between theToronto HuskiesandNew York Knickerbockerson November 1, 1946. Three seasons later, in 1949, the BAA merged with theNational Basketball Leagueto form theNational Basketball Association(NBA). By the 1950s, basketball had become a major college sport, thus paving the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball. In 1959, abasketball hall of famewas founded inSpringfield, Massachusetts, site of the first game. Its rosters include the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of the game. The hall of fame has people who have accomplished many goals in their career in basketball. An upstart organization, theAmerican Basketball Association, emerged in 1967 and briefly threatened the NBA's dominance until theABA-NBA mergerin 1976. Today the NBA is the top professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition.The NBA has featured many famous players, includingGeorge Mikan, the first dominating "big man"; ball-handling wizardBob Cousyand defensive geniusBill Russellof theBoston Celtics;Wilt Chamberlain, who originally played for the barnstormingHarlem Globetrotters; all-around starsOscar RobertsonandJerry West; more recent big menKareem Abdul-Jabbar,Shaquille O'NealandKarl Malone; playmakerJohn Stockton; crowd-pleasing forwardJulius Erving; European starsDirk NowitzkiandDraen Petrovi; more recent starsLeBron James,Kevin Durant, &Kobe Bryantand the three players who many credit with ushering the professional game to its highest level of popularity:Larry Bird,Earvin "Magic" Johnson, andMichael Jordan. In 2001, the NBA formed a developmental league, theNBDL. As of 2014, the league has 18 teams.International basketball

USA vs Mexico at the2014 FIBA World CupTheInternational Basketball Federationwas formed in 1932 by eight founding nations: Argentina,Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland. At this time, the organization only oversaw amateur players. Its acronym, derived from the FrenchFdration Internationale de Basketball Amateur, was thus "FIBA". Men's Basketball was firstincludedat the Berlin1936 Summer Olympics, although a demonstration tournament was held in 1904. The United States defeated Canada in the first final, played outdoors. This competition has usually been dominated by the United States, whose team has won all but three titles. The first of these came in a controversial final game inMunichin1972against the Soviet Union, in which the ending of the game was replayed three times until the Soviet Union finally came out on top.[18]In 1950 the firstFIBA World Championshipfor men was held in Argentina. Three years later, the firstFIBA World Championship for Womenwas held inChile. Women's basketball was added to the Olympics in 1976, which were held inMontreal, Canada with teams such as theSoviet Union,BrazilandAustraliarivaling theAmericansquads.FIBAdropped the distinction between amateur and professional players in 1989, and in 1992, professional players played for the first time in the Olympic Games. The United States' dominance continued with the introduction of theirDream Team. However, with developing programs elsewhere, other national teams started to beat the United States. A team made entirely of NBA players finished sixth in the 2002 World Championships inIndianapolis, behindYugoslavia,Argentina,Germany,New ZealandandSpain. In the2004 Athens Olympics, the United States suffered its first Olympic loss while using professional players, falling toPuerto Rico(in a 19-point loss) andLithuaniain group games, and being eliminated in the semifinals byArgentina. It eventually won the bronze medal defeating Lithuania, finishing behind Argentina andItaly. In 2006, in the World Championship of Japan, the United States advanced to the semifinals but were defeated byGreeceby 10195. In the bronze medal game it beat teamArgentinaand finished 3rd behind Greece and Spain. After the disappointments of 2002 through 2006, the U.S. regrouped, reestablishing themselves as the dominant international team behind the "Redeem Team", which won gold at the2008 Olympics, and the so-called "B-Team", which won gold at the2010 FIBA World Championshipin Turkey despite featuring no players from the 2008 squad.The all-tournament teams at the2002and2006FIBA World Championships, respectively held in Indianapolis and Japan, demonstrate the globalization of the game equally dramatically. Only one member of either team was American, namelyCarmelo Anthonyin 2006. The 2002 team featured Nowitzki, Ginobili, Yao,Peja Stojakovicof Yugoslavia (now ofSerbia), andPero Cameronof New Zealand. Ginobili also made the 2006 team; the other members were Anthony, Gasol, hisSpanishteammateJorge GarbajosaandTheodoros PapaloukasofGreece. The only players on either team to never have joined the NBA are Cameron and Papaloukas. The all-tournament team from the2010 editionin Turkey featured four NBA playersMVPKevin Durantof Team USA and theOklahoma City Thunder,Linas KleizaofLithuaniaand theToronto Raptors,Luis Scolaof Argentina and theHouston Rockets, andHedo TrkoluofTurkeyand thePhoenix Suns. The only non-NBA player was Serbia'sMilo Teodosi. The strength of international Basketball is evident in the fact that Team USA won none of the three world championships held between 1998 and 2006, with Serbia (then known as Yugoslavia) winning in 1998 and 2002 and Spain in 2006.Worldwide, basketball tournaments are held for boys and girls of all age levels. The global popularity of the sport is reflected in the nationalities represented in the NBA. Players from all six inhabited continents currently play in the NBA. Top international players began coming into the NBA in the mid-1990s, including CroatiansDraen PetroviandToni Kuko, SerbianVlade Divac, LithuaniansArvydas Sabonisandarnas Mariulionisand GermanDetlef Schrempf.In the Philippines, thePhilippine Basketball Association's first game was played on April 9, 1975 at theAraneta ColiseuminCubao,Quezon City. Philippines. It was founded as a "rebellion" of several teams from the now-defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, which was tightly controlled by the Basketball Association of the Philippines (now defunct), the then-FIBA recognized national association. Nine teams from the MICAA participated in the league's first season that opened on April 9, 1975. TheNBLis Australia's pre-eminent men's professional basketball league. The league commenced in1979, playing a winter season (AprilSeptember) and did so until the completion of the 20th season in1998. The199899season, which commenced only months later, was the first season after the shift to the current summer season format (OctoberApril). This shift was an attempt to avoid competing directly againstAustralia's various football codes. It features 8 teams from around Australia and one inNew Zealand. A few players includingLuc Longley,Andrew Gaze,Shane Heal,Chris AnsteyandAndrew Bogutmade it big internationally, becoming poster figures for the sport in Australia. TheWomen's National Basketball Leaguebegan in 1981.Women's basketballSee also:Women's basketball

Women ofMonterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico Cityplaying a game at the campus gymnasiumWomen's basketball began in 1892 atSmith CollegewhenSenda Berenson, a physical education teacher, modified Naismith's rules for women. Shortly after she was hired at Smith, she went to Naismith to learn more about the game.[19]Fascinated by the new sport and the values it could teach, she organized the first womens collegiate basketball game on March 21, 1893, when her Smith freshmen and sophomores played against one another.[20]However, the first women's interinstitutional game was played in 1892 between theUniversity of Californiaand Miss Head's School.[21]Berenson's rules were first published in 1899, and two years later she became the editor ofA. G. Spalding's first Women's Basketball Guide.[20]Berenson's freshmen played the sophomore class in the first women's intercollegiate basketball game atSmith College, March 21, 1893.[22]The same year,Mount HolyokeandSophie Newcomb College(coached byClara Gregory Baer) women began playing basketball. By 1895, the game had spread to colleges across the country, includingWellesley,Vassar, andBryn Mawr. The first intercollegiate women's game was on April 4, 1896.Stanfordwomen playedBerkeley, 9-on-9, ending in a 21 Stanford victory.Women's basketball development was more structured than that for men in the early years. In 1905, the Executive Committee on Basket Ball Rules (National Women's Basketball Committee) was created by theAmerican Physical Education Association.[23]These rules called for six to nine players per team and 11 officials. TheInternational Women's Sports Federation(1924) included a women's basketball competition. 37 women's high school varsity basketball or state tournaments were held by 1925. And in 1926, the Amateur Athletic Union backed the firstnational women's basketball championship, complete with men's rules.[23]TheEdmonton Grads, a touring Canadian women's team based inEdmonton, Alberta, operated between 1915 and 1940. The Grads toured all over North America, and were exceptionally successful. They posted a record of 522 wins and only 20 losses over that span, as they met any team that wanted to challenge them, funding their tours from gate receipts.[24]The Grads also shone on several exhibition trips to Europe, and won four consecutive exhibition Olympics tournaments, in 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936; however, women's basketball was not an official Olympic sport until 1976. The Grads' players were unpaid, and had to remain single. The Grads' style focused on team play, without overly emphasizing skills of individual players. The first women'sAAUAll-America team was chosen in 1929.[23]Women's industrial leagues sprang up throughout the United States, producing famous athletes, includingBabe Didriksonof theGolden Cyclones, and theAll American Red Heads Team, which competed against men's teams, using men's rules. By 1938, the women's national championship changed from a three-court game totwo-court game with six players per team.[23]

Brittney Grineraccepting an award.The NBA-backedWomen's National Basketball Association(WNBA) began in 1997. Though it had shaky attendance figures, several marquee players (Lisa Leslie,Diana Taurasi, andCandace Parkeramong others) have helped the league's popularity and level of competition. Otherprofessional women's basketballleagues in the United States, such as theAmerican Basketball League (199698), have folded in part because of the popularity of theWNBA. The WNBA has been looked at by many as a niche league. However, the league has recently taken steps forward. In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension withESPN. The new television deal runs from 2009 to 2016. Along with this deal, came the first ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. Over the eight years of the contract, "millions and millions of dollars" will be "dispersed to the league's teams." The WNBA gets more viewers on national television broadcasts (413,000) than bothMajor League Soccer(253,000)[25]and theNHL(310,732).[26]In a March 12, 2009 article,NBAcommissionerDavid Sternsaid that in the bad economy, "the NBA is far less profitable than the WNBA. We're losing a lot of money among a large number of teams. We're budgeting the WNBA to break even this year."[27]Rules and regulations

End of a match.Main article:Rules of basketballMeasurements and time limits discussed in this section often vary among tournaments and organizations; international and NBA rules are used in this section.The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in this way is called a shot. A successful shot is worth two points, orthree pointsif it is taken from beyond the three-point arc 6.75 metres (22ft 2in) from the basket in international games and 23feet 9inches (7.24m) in NBA games. A one-point shot can be earned when shooting from the foul line after a foul is made.Playing regulationsGames are played in four quarters of 10 (FIBA)[28]or 12 minutes (NBA).[29]College games use two 20-minute halves,[30]while United States high school varsity games use 8 minute quarters.[31]15 minutes are allowed for a half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules[30][32][33]and 10 minutes in United States high schools.[31]Overtimeperiods are five minutes in length[30][34][35]except for high school, which is four minutes in length.[31]Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games generally take much longer to complete than the allotted game time, typically about two hours.Five players from each team may be on the court at one time.[36][37][38][39]Substitutionsare unlimited but can only be done when play is stopped. Teams also have a coach, who oversees the development and strategies of the team, and other team personnel such as assistant coaches, managers, statisticians, doctors and trainers.For both men's and women's teams, a standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and ajerseywith a clearly visible number, unique within the team, printed on both the front and back. Players wearhigh-topsneakers that provide extra ankle support. Typically, team names, players' names and, outside of North America, sponsors are printed on the uniforms.A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated in the NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one minute (100 seconds in the NBA) unless, for televised games, a commercial break is needed.The game is controlled by theofficialsconsisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the NBA), one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. For college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are a total of three referees on the court. The table officials are responsible for keeping track of each teams scoring, timekeeping, individual and teamfouls, player substitutions, teampossession arrow, and theshot clock.EquipmentMain articles:Basketball (ball),Basketball courtandBackboard (basketball)

Traditional eight-panelbasketballThe only essential equipment in a basketball game is the ball and the court: a flat, rectangular surface with baskets at opposite ends. Competitive levels require the use of more equipment such as clocks, score sheets, scoreboard(s), alternating possession arrows, and whistle-operated stop-clock systems.

An outdoor basketball net.A regulationbasketball courtin international games is 91.9 feet long and 49.2 feet wide. In theNBAandNCAAthe court is 94 feet by 50 feet. Most courts havewood flooring, usually constructed frommapleplanks running in the same direction as the longer court dimension.[40]The name and logo of the home team is usually painted on or around the center circle.The basket is a steel rim 18inches diameter with an attached net affixed to a backboard that measures 6 feet by 3.5 feet and one basket is at each end of the court. The white outlined box on the backboard is 18inches high and 2 feet wide. At almost all levels of competition, the top of the rim is exactly 10 feet above the court and 4 feet inside the baseline. While variation is possible in the dimensions of the court and backboard, it is considered important for the basket to be of the correct height a rim that is off by just a few inches can have an adverse effect on shooting.The size of the basketball is also regulated. For men, the official ball is 29.5inches in circumference (size 7, or a "295 ball") and weighs 22 oz. If women are playing, the official basketball size is 28.5inches in circumference (size 6, or a "285 ball") with a weight of 20 oz.ViolationsThe ball may be advanced toward the basket by being shot, passed between players, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled (bouncing the ball while running).The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels out of bounds forfeits possession. The ball is out of bounds if it touches a boundary line, or touches any player or object that is out of bounds.There are limits placed on the steps a player may take without dribbling, which commonly results in an infraction known astraveling. Nor may a player stop his dribble and then resume dribbling. A dribble that touches both hands is considered stopping the dribble, giving this infraction the namedouble dribble. Within a dribble, the player cannot carry the ball by placing his hand on the bottom of the ball; doing so is known ascarrying the ball. A team, once having established ball control in the front half of their court, may not return the ball to the backcourt and be the first to touch it. A violation of these rules results in loss of possession.The ball may not be kicked, nor be struck with the fist. For the offense, a violation of these rules results in loss of possession; for the defense, most leagues reset the shot clock and the offensive team is given possession of the ball out of bounds.There are limits imposed on the time taken before progressing the ball past halfway (8 seconds in FIBA and the NBA; 10 seconds in NCAA men's play and high school for both sexes), before attempting a shot (24 seconds in FIBA and the NBA, 30 seconds in NCAA women's andCanadian Interuniversity Sportplay for both sexes, and 35 seconds in NCAA men's play), holding the ball while closely guarded (5 seconds), and remaining in the restricted area known as the free-throw lane, (or the "key") (3 seconds). These rules are designed to promote more offense.Basket interference, orgoaltendingis a violation charged when a player illegally interferes with a shot. This violation is incurred when a player touches the ball on its downward trajectory to the basket, unless it is obvious that the ball has no chance of entering the basket, if a player touches the ball while it is in the rim, or in the area extended upwards from the basket, or if a player reaches through the basket to interfere with the shot. When a defensive player is charged with goaltending, the basket is awarded. If an offensive player commits the infraction, the basket is cancelled. In either case possession of the ball is turned over to the defensive team.Fouls

The referee signals that a foul has been committed.Main articles:Personal foul (basketball)andTechnical foulAn attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through certain types physical contact is illegal and is called a personal foul. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or morefree throwsif they are fouled in the act of shooting, depending on whether the shot was successful. One point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from a line 15 feet (4.6m) from the basket.The referee is responsible for judging whether contact is illegal, sometimes resulting in controversy. The calling of fouls can vary between games, leagues and referees.There is a second category of fouls calledtechnical fouls, which may be charged for various rules violations including failure to properly record a player in the scorebook, or for unsportsmanlike conduct. These infractions result in one or two free throws, which may be taken by any of the five players on the court at the time. Repeated incidents can result indisqualification. A blatant foul involving physical contact that is either excessive or unnecessary is called an intentional foul (flagrant foul in the NBA). In FIBA, a foul resulting in ejection is called a disqualifying foul, while in leagues other than the NBA, such a foul is referred to as flagrant.If a team exceeds a certain limit of team fouls in a given period (quarter or half) four for NBA and international games the opposing team is awarded one or two free throws on all subsequent non-shooting fouls for that period, the number depending on the league. In the US college and high school games, if a team reaches 7 fouls in a half, the opposing team is awarded one free throw, along with a second shot if the first is made. This is called shooting "one-and-one". If a team exceeds 10 fouls in the half, the opposing team is awarded two free throws on all subsequent fouls for the half.When a team shoots foul shots, the opponents may not interfere with the shooter, nor may they try to regain possession until the last or potentially last free throw is in the air.After a team has committed a specified number of fouls, the other team said to be "in the bonus". On scoreboards, this is usually signified with an indicator light reading "Bonus" or "Penalty" with an illuminated directional arrow or dot indicating that team is to receive free throws when fouled by the opposing team. (Some scoreboards also indicate the number of fouls committed.)If a team misses the first shot of a two-shot situation, the opposing team must wait for the completion of the second shot before attempting to reclaim possession of the ball and continuing play.If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is unsuccessful, the player is awarded a number of free throws equal to the value of the attempted shot. A player fouled while attempting a regular two-point shot, then, receives two shots. A player fouled while attempting a three-point shot, on the other hand, receives three shots.If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is successful, typically the player will be awarded one additional free throw for one point. In combination with a regular shot, this is called a "three-point play" or "four-point play" (or more colloquially, an "and one") because of the basket made at the time of the foul (2 or 3 points) and the additional free throw (1 point).Common techniques and practicesPositionsMain article:Basketball position

Basketball positions in the offensive zoneAlthough the rules do not specify any positions whatsoever, they have evolved as part of basketball. During the early years of basketball's evolution,two guards, two forwards, and one center were used. In more recent times specific positions evolved, but the current trend, advocated by many top coaches includingMike Krzyzewskiis towards positionless basketball, where big guys are free to shoot from outside and dribble if their skill allows it.[41]Popular descriptions of positions include:Point guard(often called the "1"): usually the fastest player on the team, organizes the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time.Shooting guard(the "2"): creates a high volume of shots on offense, mainly long-ranged; and guards the opponent's best perimeter player on defense.Small forward(the "3"): often primarily responsible for scoring points via cuts to the basket and dribble penetration; on defense seeks rebounds and steals, but sometimes plays more actively.Power forward(the "4"): plays offensively often with their back to the basket; on defense, plays under the basket (in a zone defense) or against the opposing power forward (inman-to-man defense).Center(the "5"): uses height and size to score (on offense), to protect the basket closely (on defense), or to rebound.The above descriptions are flexible. For most teams today, the shooting guard and small forward have very similar responsibilities and are often calledthe wings, as do the power forward and center, who are often calledpost players.While most teams describe two players as guards, two as forwards, and one as a center, on some occasions teams choose to call them by different designations.StrategyMain article:Basketball playbookThere are two main defensive strategies:zone defenseandman-to-man defense. In azone defense, each player is assigned to guard a specific area of the court. Zone defenses often allow the defense to double team the ball, a manoeuver known as atrap. In aman-to-man defense, each defensive player guards a specific opponent.Offensive plays are more varied, normally involving planned passes and movement by players without the ball. A quick movement by an offensive player without the ball to gain an advantageous position is known as acut. A legal attempt by an offensive player to stop an opponent from guarding a teammate, by standing in the defender's way such that the teammate cuts next to him, is ascreenorpick. The two plays are combined in thepick and roll, in which a player sets a pick and then "rolls" away from the pick towards the basket. Screens and cuts are very important in offensive plays; these allow the quick passes and teamwork, which can lead to a successful basket. Teams almost always have several offensive plays planned to ensure their movement is not predictable. On court, the point guard is usually responsible for indicating which play will occur.Shooting

Player releases a short jump shot, while her defender is either knocked down, or trying to "take a charge."Shooting is the act of attempting to score points by throwing the ball through the basket, methods varying with players and situations.Typically, a player faces the basket with both feet facing the basket. A player will rest the ball on the fingertips of the dominant hand (the shooting arm) slightly above the head, with the other hand supporting the side of the ball. The ball is usually shot by jumping (though not always) and extending the shooting arm. The shooting arm, fully extended with the wrist fully bent, is held stationary for a moment following the release of the ball, known as afollow-through. Players often try to put a steady backspin on the ball to absorb its impact with the rim. The ideal trajectory of the shot is somewhat controversial, but generally a proper arc is recommended. Players may shoot directly into the basket or may use the backboard to redirect the ball into the basket.

Basketball falling through hoopThe two most common shots that use the above described setup are theset-shotand thejump-shot. The set-shot is taken from a standing position, with neither foot leaving the floor, typically used for free throws, and in other circumstances while the jump-shot is taken in mid-air, the ball released near the top of the jump. This provides much greater power and range, and it also allows the player to elevate over the defender. Failure to release the ball before the feet return to the floor is considered a traveling violation.Another common shot is called thelay-up. This shot requires the player to be in motion toward the basket, and to "lay" the ball "up" and into the basket, typically off the backboard (the backboard-free, underhand version is called afinger roll). The most crowd-pleasing and typically highest-percentage accuracy shot is theslam dunk, in which the player jumps very high and throws the ball downward, through the basket while touching it.Another shot that is becoming common[citation needed]is the "circus shot". The circus shot is a low-percentage shot that is flipped, heaved, scooped, or flung toward the hoop while the shooter is off-balance, airborne, falling down, and/or facing away from the basket. A back-shot is a shot taken when the player is facing away from the basket, and may be shot with the dominant hand, or both; but there is a very low chance that the shot will be successful.A shot that misses both the rim and the backboard completely is referred to as anair-ball. A particularly bad shot, or one that only hits the backboard, is jocularly called abrick.ReboundingMain article:Rebound (basketball)

A player making an offensive reboundThe objective of rebounding is to successfully gain possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw, as it rebounds from the hoop or backboard. This plays a major role in the game, as most possessions end when a team misses a shot. There are two categories of rebounds: offensive rebounds, in which the ball is recovered by the offensive side and does not change possession, and defensive rebounds, in which the defending team gains possession of the loose ball. The majority of rebounds are defensive, as the team on defense tends to be in better position to recover missed shots.PassingSee also:Assist (basketball)A pass is a method of moving the ball between players. Most passes are accompanied by a step forward to increase power and are followed through with the hands to ensure accuracy.A staple pass is thechest pass. The ball is passed directly from the passer's chest to the receiver's chest. A proper chest pass involves an outward snap of the thumbs to add velocity and leaves the defence little time to react.Another type of pass is thebounce pass. Here, the passer bounces the ball crisply about two-thirds of the way from his own chest to the receiver. The ball strikes the court and bounces up toward the receiver. The bounce pass takes longer to complete than the chest pass, but it is also harder for the opposing team to intercept (kicking the ball deliberately is a violation). Thus, players often use the bounce pass in crowded moments, or to pass around a defender.Theoverhead passis used to pass the ball over a defender. The ball is released while over the passer's head.Theoutlet passoccurs after a team gets a defensive rebound. The next pass after the rebound is theoutlet pass.The crucial aspect of any good pass is it being difficult to intercept. Good passers can pass the ball with great accuracy and they know exactly where each of their other teammates prefers to receive the ball. A special way of doing this is passing the ball without looking at the receiving teammate. This is called ano-look pass.Another advanced style of passing is thebehind-the-back pass, which, as the description implies, involves throwing the ball behind the passer's back to a teammate. Although some players can perform such a pass effectively, many coaches discourage no-look or behind-the-back passes, believing them to be difficult to control and more likely to result in turnovers or violations.Dribbling

A demonstration of the basic types of dribbling in basketball.

A U.S. Naval Academy ("Navy") player, left, posts up a U.S. Military Academy ("Army") defender.Main article:DribbleDribbling is the act of bouncing the ball continuously with one hand, and is a requirement for a player to take steps with the ball. To dribble, a player pushes the ball down towards the ground with the fingertips rather than patting it; this ensures greater control.When dribbling past an opponent, the dribbler should dribble with the hand farthest from the opponent, making it more difficult for the defensive player to get to the ball. It is therefore important for a player to be able to dribble competently with both hands.Good dribblers (or "ball handlers") tend to bounce the ball low to the ground, reducing the distance of travel of the ball from the floor to the hand, making it more difficult for the defender to "steal" the ball. Good ball handlers frequently dribble behind their backs, between their legs, and switch directions suddenly, making a less predictable dribbling pattern that is more difficult to defend against. This is called a crossover, which is the most effective way to move past defenders while dribbling.A skilled player can dribble without watching the ball, using the dribbling motion orperipheral visionto keep track of the ball's location. By not having to focus on the ball, a player can look for teammates or scoring opportunities, as well as avoid the danger of having someone steal the ball away from him/her.BlockingMain article:Block (basketball)A block is performed when, after a shot is attempted, a defender succeeds in altering the shot by touching the ball. In almost all variants of play, it is illegal to touch the ball after it is in the downward path of its arc; this is known asgoaltending. It is also illegal under NBA and Men's NCAA basketball to block a shot after it has touched the backboard, or when any part of the ball is directly above the rim. Under international rules it is illegal to block a shot that is in the downward path of its arc or one that has touched the backboard until the ball has hit the rim. After the ball hits the rim, it is again legal to touch it even though it is no longer considered as a block performed.To block a shot, a player has to be able to reach a point higher than where the shot is released. Thus, height can be an advantage in blocking. Players who are taller and playing the power forward or center positions generally record more blocks than players who are shorter and playing the guard positions. However, with good timing and a sufficiently high vertical leap, even shorter players can be effective shot blockers.HeightAt the professional level, most male players are above 6feet 3inches (1.91m) and most women above 5feet 7inches (1.70m). Guards, for whom physical coordination and ball-handling skills are crucial, tend to be the smallest players. Almost all forwards in the top men's pro leagues are 6feet 6inches (1.98m) or taller. Most centers are over 6feet 10inches (2.08m) tall. According to a survey given to all NBA teams, the average height of all NBA players is just under 6feet 7inches (2.01m), with the average weight being close to 222 pounds (101kg). The tallest players ever in the NBA wereManute BolandGheorghe Murean, who were both 7feet 7inches (2.31m) tall. The tallest current NBA player isSim Bhullar, who stands at 7feet 5inches (2.26m). At 7feet 2inches (2.18m),Margo Dydekwas the tallest player in the history of the WNBA.The shortest player ever to play in the NBA isMuggsy Boguesat 5feet 3inches (1.60m).[42]Other short players have thrived at the pro level.Anthony "Spud" Webbwas just 5feet 7inches (1.70m) tall, but had a 42-inch (1.07 m) vertical leap, giving him significant height when jumping. While shorter players are often at a disadvantage in certain aspect of the game, their ability to navigate quickly through crowded areas of the court and steal the ball by reaching low are strengths.Variations and similar gamesMain article:Variations of basketball

Schoolgirls shooting hoops among theHimalayasinDharamsala, India.

A basketball training course at the Phan nh Phng High School,Hanoi, Vietnam.Variations of basketballare activities based on the game of basketball, using common basketball skills and equipment (primarily the ball and basket). Some variations are only superficial rules changes, while others are distinct games with varying degrees of basketball influences. Other variations include children's games, contests or activities meant to help players reinforce skills.There are principal basketball sports with variations on basketball includingWheelchair basketball,Water basketball,Beach basketball,Slamball,StreetballandUnicyclebasketball. An earlier version of basketball wasSix-on-six basketballplayed until the end of the 1950s.Horseballis a game played on horseback where a ball is handled and points are scored by shooting it through a high net (approximately 1.5m1.5m). The sport is like a combination ofpolo,rugby, and basketball. There is even a form played on donkeys known asDonkey basketball, but that version has come under attack from animal rights groups.

MECVOLLEYBALL GROUNDHalf-courtPerhaps the single most common variation of basketball is thehalf-courtgame, played in informal settings without referees or strict rules. Only one basket is used, and the ball must be "cleared" passed or dribbled outside the three-point line each time possession of the ball changes from one team to the other. Half-court games require lesscardiovascularstamina, since players need not run back and forth a full court. Half-court raises the number of players that can use a court or, conversely, can be played if there is an insufficient number to form full 5-on-5 teams.Half-court basketball is usually played 1-on-1, 2-on-2 or 3-on-3. The latter variation is gradually gaining official recognition as3x3, originall