Printer Friendly Adobe PDF Version
Printer Friendly Word Version

          Basketball is a game played by two teams, of five players each, on a rectangular floor.  The purpose of each team is to throw an inflated spherical ball into its own basket or goal located at one end of the playing floor, and to prevent the other team from scoring at its basket located at the other end.

*A team in control of the ball is generally considered to be the offense.

• Floor dimensions for players of high school age, are 84 feet by 50 feet.

• The goals are at each end of the playing floor.  Backboards can be either rectangular or fan shaped.

• The metal ring attached to the backboard is 18 inches in diameter.

•  Basketball- Boys 30 in. and 20-22 oz

• Girls 29 in. and 18-20 oz.

History  

• High school basketball first began in America in the late 1890’s.

• State championships conclude each season for all states.  No national play-off system.

• Dr. James Naismith – creator of basketball in 1891.

• First goals- 2 peach baskets.  No backboards were used.

• First publicly played game was between students and teachers at the school for Christian workers in Springfield, Mass. in 1892. Crowd was over 200 people.

• Smith College in North Hampton, Mass. was first women’s game.  No men were allowed to watch.

Back to P.E.