Basketball is one of the most popular sports today. Its origins date back to 1891 when a Canadian professor, James Naismith, of physical education who lived in US created the game for use in his classes during the cold winter at University of Illinois in Massachusetts. It basically consists of getting as many points as possible in the match to overcome the opposite team.
It is played in both male and female mode. In addition, it is one of the sports adapted for the disabled as well. In this case, there is basketball for people in a wheelchair. It is a physical contact sport that is played in teams of five basketball players on the court.
The basketball teams are usually between twelve and fifteen players and the coach finalizes the twelve players to play a match. The twelve players will be able to play since the five players of track are interchangeable, for which the coach must take advantage of dead time or spaces of rest.
The match is divided in four sessions of 10 minutes each and the extension of five minutes is played when the two teams tie the score in order to determine the winner. The extension of five minutes go on till there is a winning team.
The players of each team are dressed in a uniform that differentiates them from the rest, especially by the color. The uniform consists of shorts, socks, turtleneck shoes with the sole of a material that can grip well to parquet basketball court and a tank top that will go with a number and name of the player on the back to differentiate from the rest. The basketball players are not allowed to wear any jewels or watches which may hinder the game of the opponent players.
On the courts, there are two baskets at each end at the height of 3.05 meters from the ground. The court has the measures of approximately 15 meters in width and 28 meters in length. The field is divided by a horizontal line into two equal halves.
The basketball is made of leather or a synthetic matter with is distinguished surface. In general, the basketball tend to be orange with black lines on it. A basketball weighs differently for male and female version of the game.
