The history of basketball began on a cold December morning in 1891. Students of Springfield made their way to the gymnasium, where Dr Naismith, the physical education teacher, was waiting for them. At that time, they did not know that they were taking part in the origin of the sport of basket and that their beloved teacher would be none other than its inventor.

Naismith had worked hard to find a fun activity that could be played in the harsh winter days of Massachusetts. He had started from what he did not want until he found what he did want: a game that could be played indoors, where destruction was not the predominant thing about it, where nothing hit the ball and where force was not necessary to achieve victory.

Dr Naismith hung old fruit-picking baskets on the gym walls and gave the players a football and very few rules.

And that is how our Camp’s favourite sport, basketball, was born.

Origin and History of Basketball.
First rules in the history of basketball

1. The ball can be thrown in any direction with one or two hands.
2. Fists may never be used.
3. You can never run with the ball in your hands without dribbling it.
4. The ball must be held with the hands, never with the shoulders.
5. The opponent may not be knocked down in any way. The first violation of this rule will count as a foul. After the second violation, the player will be sent off until another basket is made. If the foul was serious or intentional, the player will be expelled.
6. If a player commits three consecutive fouls, it will be counted as a basket for the opposing team.
7. A basket is scored when the ball is thrown or struck, enters the basket and stays there.
8. If the ball goes out of bounds, it will be returned to the court by the player who knocked it out. In the event of a dispute, the referee will do it.
9. The will must be put into play within 5 seconds. If it takes longer, the ball passes to the opponent. Any intentional delay will be penalised with a foul.
10. The referee will always judge the players by calling fouls or violations of the rules.
11. The referee will have an assistant who may advise them whenever required by the game.
12. The playing time will be 15 minutes each half, with a 5 minute break in between.
13. The winners will be those who have made the most baskets in that time. In the event of a tie, play restarts with the approval of the two captains until a new basket is made.

First game in the history of basketball

The first game ever played in the history of basketball was a few days before Christmas 1891. That game was played between nine schoolchildren and nine others. During the course of that game, some basketball rules were modified and fixed, such as the starting jump ball, something Naismith had not developed from the beginning.

In a very short time, Naismith was overwhelmed by events. Basketball became so popular that he could not control it. The new game spread like wildfire. Springfield University belonged to the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and this association helped greatly with spreading the game.

In 1892, an exhibition tour of the new game was made throughout the East, and the first public game was played in the same year. In 1893, the first championship was held, and three years later the first national championship was held.

Gradually, new teams were born and the two strongest associations, the NCAA and the AAU, joined forces to develop new rules despite the opposition of Naismith, who had lost control of his own invention.

Very early on, some professional players emerged, who did not belong to any team and were practically “rented” on a game-by-game basis.

In 1898, the first professional league was created. Basket did not take its current form until 1912, although the current version has also changed since then, especially the type of rim and backboard, the padding and the safety mechanisms.

In 1939 the NCAA championship was created, and in 1946, the NBA, where great professionals were developed, such as the NBA stars who come to Campus WOB every year. Seventy-four years is not a long time for the development of a sport, and basketball in particular is a sport that has undergone a great deal of evolution. Even today, the rules are still being changed with the clear aim of improving the spectacle.

Dr Naismith was a visionary who completely changed the history of basketball and the world of sport, and not just by inventing the game of basketball. He is also credited with the first American football helmet for protecting players from blows to the head.