Where did Basketball Originate

Basketball is an immensely popular sport that is easily recognized by millions of people across the world, but not everyone knows the answer to the question Where did basketball originate. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a regional league that operates in the United States of America, and is well-known as the place where all the best basketball players in the world ply their trade.

The answer to this question is James Naismith, a Canadian-born physician working as a faculty member at a college for YMCA professionals. This college is known as the Springfield College today, and is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. This is the historical birth place of the game of basketball, and James Naismith created basketball in December, 1891 to give students a game to play indoors in the harsh winter of the region.

Inspiration and Implementation

Now that you know when and where did basketball originate, you should learn a bit more about the details of the game created by Naismith, and the history of basketball. Naismith was a born sportsman and loved playing rugby in particular. When he finally became a professor at the YMCA college, he decided that he would create an indoor game that people could resort to during the winter season, and this is what eventually transformed into the game of basketball.

The inspiration for the game of basketball for Naismith came from the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilization, out of all places. The Mayans played a game known as Pok-a-tok while the Aztecs played a game known as Tchlatchli, which were quite similar to the game of basketball as we know it today. There were a few differences from our current day interpretation of the sport, and this included a much heavier ball, a different style of ring and different rules regarding the movement of the players. Moreover, the basketball hoop dimensions of today are very different.

In fact, for the Mayans and the Aztecs, these games were less of a sport, and were more ritualistic in nature. The losers of the games were inadvertently sacrificed as a offering to their Gods, and this made the game highly ruthless and cold-blooded in nature. The game was also made use of to settle disputes between various groups from time to time.

James Naismith's Basketball

Simply knowing where did basketball originate is not enough information for you now, because the game invented by Naismith was slightly different from the way the game is played today. The basic concept is the same, but this has obviously evolved over the years. Naismith penned down 13 rules for the game that he felt were applicable, and some of these rules were quite different. Here are some points where the 13 rules invented by James Naismith differed from the existing basketball rules and regulations today.

• Naismith's rules did not let a player run with the ball. They had to stand at a stationary spot when they caught the ball, and could only move without it. This has changed today, as a player is permitted to dribble the basketball.
• No parts of the body except the hands were permitted to hold the ball. This rule has also changed in the modern game.
• If a person committed 2 fouls, he would then have to sit out the game till the next basket has been scored, while the team would play with one man less. In today's game, a player is permitted 5 serious basketball fouls before he is ejected from the game, but the team can bring on a substitute player.
• If a side makes 3 fouls consecutively (without the other team making a foul in between), the other team gets a basket scored status.

Knowing these rules in addition to when and where did basketball originate will help you understand more about the sport, and see how far it has evolved today. This sport is loved by one and all, and is very simple to learn. So if you haven't played the game of basketball yet, you should waste no more time and get right to it.