Basketball is a better sport than football. It is very exhilarating and will keep your adrenaline pumping. Basketball began with its invention in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by a Canadian physical education instructor called James Naismith probably as a less injury prone sport than football or soccer.  It may be seen as the most manly sport but there are certainly great men who play it.

As much as it’s interesting, it has gone through an enormous transformation from the time of its birth approximately one hundred and thirty years ago.  Believe it or not, everything has three stages or eras of transformation, 

• The classical era, when it’s beginning or in its original form, 
• The transitional era, when it’s building up or growing and 
• The modern era, what it is or what it has become.

So the same is with basketball. Basketball has evolved a little since its inception, for instance the rules, equipment, players. As far as we know, it required very little equipment to be played back in the days;  two peach baskets, a soccer ball, and not forgetting a ladder for climbing to retrieve the ball from the basket (as well as any players hanging on).  From peach baskets to heavy woven wire rims, then cast iron rims and finally open ended nylon nets that were initially hung a 10 feet pole till present. The latest discovery dramatically increased the tempo and scoring of the game since the ball falls freely on scoring. Can you imagine scoring and waiting for a person to climb the pole to retrieve the ball from the basket?

Do you believe  that the first basketball games were played with a soccer ball?  Basketballs had not yet been invented and so they must have just borrowed a ball from the most popular sport at the time.  Those balls would have been more easily available though the truth is, James probably hadn’t thought that bit through.

Initially dribbling was not allowed, the only way to move the ball was to pass it – sounds like netball right?  Anyway, as time moved on, dribbling was then allowed and the ball needed to be more bouncy I guess and so that’s when they must have decided to invent a basket ball.

In the beginning, any number of players were allowed which changed now to only five players on the court and substitutions were not allowed. This was revised to allow one, two and now unlimited number of times for a player to re – enter the game.

Now, with most of the rules in place, the basketball courts defined, specific uniforms, footwear, and equipment upgraded, Basketball as we know it now has come into shape being among the world’s most enthusiastic team sports.

Basketball has undergone several rule changes since its inception in 1891. Some of the key changes include:

• In 1895, the court was divided into two halves, and a centre line was added.
• In 1901, the rule was established that the ball must be passed, not kicked or carried, across the mid-court line.
• In 1909, the free throw line was moved closer to the basket.
• In 1951, the shot clock was introduced to limit the amount of time a team can hold the ball without attempting a shot.
• In 1967, the three-point line was added, allowing shots made from beyond a certain distance to be worth three points instead of two.
• In 1984, the use of zone defences was permitted.
• In 2019, The NBA adopted a coach’s challenge rule, similar to the NFL, allowing coaches to challenge certain calls made by the referees.

These are just a few examples of the many rule changes that have been made to the game of basketball over the years