Key Information
Basketball
| Type | Ball Game using Baskets |
| Developed By | James Naismith |
| First Game | December 1891 |
| Team Members | 5 per side |
| Highest Governing Body of the Sport | FIBA |
Learning Point
- Developed as an indoor game to help improve the fitness of children during the winter months, Basketball has become a worldwide sport. James Naismith was the man who developed the idea of basketball, using peach baskets to act as the baskets in the game. Today the sport is a professional sport.
Project
- Draw a picture of James Naismith organising the first teams to play the game.
- Overview
- James Naismith
- Basketball Court
Location
| Located in | Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA |
Fun Facts
- James Naismith used peach baskets to act as the baskets, but at first they had the bottom in place, meaning they had to collect the ball directly from the basket each time a point was scored.
- The game was first played with a soccer ball, but at that time the ball had laces, and that made dribbling the ball in basketball far more difficult.
- Women were playing basketball almost at the start of the game, as early as 1892.
- FIBA (International Basketball Federation) was formed in 1932, but didn’t include the United States at first.
- Early soccer games used 10 players per team, so basketball was adjusted to use 5 players for each side to allow the soccer players to form two teams.
Past Lessons
| 96 | October 5, 2023 | (North America) |