Basketball is regarded as one of the most loved sports in the world. The game made its first debut in the Olympics in 1904. It became an official Olympic sport in 1936. Ever since, the game has been played during every Summer Olympics. Whereas, Women’s basketball made its first debut in 1976. Basketball was first discovered in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, by Dr.James Naismith, in the year 1891. The first ever basketball match had 9 players in each team. Over some period of time, the rules and the regulations evolved, resulting in the version of basketball we are enjoying now. If you are not aware of the sport and interested to know more, here are some basic rules and concepts for your better understanding.
Basketball: The Modern Day Basic Rules
In basketball, you’ll find two teams each with 5 players trying to score by launching a ball through a hoop placed 10 feet high. The game takes place on a rectangular court with hoops on both the ends. The mid-court line separates the court into two equal halves. If the ball gets behind the mid-court line during the play by the offensive team, they will receive ten seconds to get the ball over the line. If they fail, then the defender gets the ball. If the offensive team with the ball crosses the line, they are not supposed to go back. If they step back to their half, then the other team will receive the ball under the term violation. Players pass the ball to their teammates with the motive of launching the ball into the opponents hoop. The team with the ball is considered as the offense, and the one trying to stop them is the defense. The defense will try to get the ball, or stop the offense from launching a goal.
If the offensive team managed to shoot a ball into the hoop, they will receive 2 points, and the ball will be handed to the other team. Whereas, if the player managed to throw the ball successfully from the curved line into the hoop, the team will receive 3 points. However, a penalty shot is rewarded with only 1 point. The number of free throws or penalty shots is determined by the number of fouls happening in the half. By fouling a player while he is shooting, he always receives free throws. The number of shots he will receive depends on the place where he was standing. If he stood behind the three-point line while being fouled, he will receive three shots, or else, it will be two shots. Other types of fouls won’t be considered for free throws, instead, they are marked as team fouls. If a team makes too many fouls in the first half, the other team will receive free throws for every foul they make.
The game is split into two halves. In all levels, it is divided into halves. Each team is provided with a basket to defend the other team from scoring a point by tossing the ball in their hoop. Which means, the opponent’s basket is your scoring point. The team switches places after the first half gets over. The match begins with one player from each team standing near the middle-line of the court. To start, a referee will throw the ball between two players from each team. The one who catches the ball will tip-it to his teammates.
Top 5 Basketball Tournaments
- National Basketball Association (NBA): This is a premier Basketball league, which is quite popular globally due to the extensive media coverage, well-known teams and talented players. Apart from these factors, you can legally bet on the NBA matches by signing-up with popular betting sites like Swift Casino. Thus, tends to be top in the list.
- NCAA College Basketball: This is also called March Madness. The popular tournament is held in the US with over 350 teams from different colleges.
- EuroLeague: This is Europe’s most loved and well-recognized basketball league.
- National Basketball League: This game focuses more on Australian teams, however, grabbed an international fan base for its fast paced action.
- FIBA Champions League: This is the second-most important basketball league in Europe, supervised by the FIBA.