NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is North America's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of thirty teams: twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada. The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League.

In the summer break, teams hold training camps in October. The NBA regular season begins in the first week of November. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games), teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times (36 games), and teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games).In February, the regular season pauses to celebrate the annual NBA All Star Game. Fans vote throughout the United States, Canada, and on the internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team.Around the end of April, the regular season ends.

The NBA Playoffs begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs. The three division winners, along with the team with the next best record from the conference are given the top four seeds. The next four teams in terms of record are given the lower four seeds.The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays a rival in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference.The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and is held annually in June.

Introduction of basketball skill

5 basic position of basketball:

Point Guard: 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: creates a high volume of shots on offense; guards the opponent's best perimeter player on defense

Small Forward: 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: plays offensively often with his back to the basket; on defense, plays under the basket (in a zone defense) or against the opposing power forward (in man-to-man defense)

Center: uses size to score (on offense), to protect the basket closely (on defense), or to rebound.


Defence:

There are two main defensive strategies: zone defense and man-to-man defense. Zone defence involves players in defensive positions guarding whichever opponent is in their zone. In man-to-man defence, each defensive player guards a specific opponent and tries to prevent him from taking action.








Offence:

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 a cut. 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 a screen or pick. 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. While methods can vary with players and situations, the most common technique are layup, jump shot and set shot.A shot that misses both the rim and the backboard completely is referred to as an air ball. A particularly bad shot, or one that only hits the backboard, is jocularly called a brick.





Passing:

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. The crucial aspect of any good pass is being impossible to intercept. Good passers can pass the ball with great accuracy and touch and know exactly where each of their teammates like to receive the ball.






Rebounding:



The 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. 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.

Dribbling:

Dribbling is the act of bouncing the ball continuously, and is a requirement for a player to take steps with the ball. To dribble, a player pushes the ball down towards the ground rather than patting it; this ensures greater control. A good dribblers tend to bounce the ball low to the ground, reducing the travel from the floor to the hand, making it more difficult for the defender to "steal" the ball. Also,they dribble without watching the ball, using the dribbling motion or peripheral version to keep track of the ball's location.

Blocking:

A block is performed when, after a shot is attempted, a defender attempts to alter 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 part of its arc; this is known as goaltending. It is also illegal to block a shot after it has touched the backboard, or when any part of the ball is directly above the rim. To block a shot, a player has to be able to reach a point higher than where the shot is released.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org

Great basketball play

History of basketball

James Naismith was the Canadian physical education instructor who invented basketball in 1891. under the direction of American phys-ed specialist Luther Halsey Gulick, invented the indoor sport of basketball. The first formal rules were devised in 1892. Initially, players dribbled a soccer ball up and down a court of unspecified dimensions. Points were earned by landing the ball in a peach basket. Iron hoops and a hammock-style basket were introduced in 1893. Another decade passed, however, before the innovation of open-ended nets put an end to the practice of manually retrieving the ball from the basket each time a goal was scored.

13 Rules of Basketball - Written by James Naismith

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
   
   
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist
   
   
3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed.
   
   
4. The ball must be held by the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.
   
   
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed.
   
   
6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.
   
   
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).
   
   
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do no touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
   
   
9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
   
   
10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
    
    
11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals, with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
    
    
12. The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between.
    
    
13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner.
    

reference:http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blbasketball_rules.htm