When basketball was invented in 1891 in America, it was intended to be an outdoor game, which could be played during the severe American winters, when the ground was too frozen or snowy for baseball. Nowadays the game is played on specially designed basketball courts all over the world. It is a popular game because it demands speed and skill from its players, and is very exciting to watch. Most American cities have basketball teams. The teams often have names such as the Tigers’ which suggest speed and physical power.
Basketball is played by two opposing teams, each of five players, on a rectangular court which is 26 meters long by 14 meters wide. Variations of 2 meters on the length and 1 meter on the width are permitted. The object of the game is to score points by shooting the ball into the opponent’s goal. This used to be a wooden basket fixed high on a pole, but nowadays it is a metal hoop (still often referred to as the basket), 45 centimeters in diameter, which is secured horizontally with a net attachment beneath, 3.05 meters above the ground on a vertical board. The height of the hoop means that basketball teams are usually made up of players who are taller than average.
Like all competitive sports, basketball is governed by strict rules. Many of these roles relate to the handling of the ball. Each player tries to tap the ball to a member of his or her own team, who may then bounce, pass or shoot the ball. No player may run holding the ball, but he or she may dribble it by bouncing it on the court, with one hand only, as he or she runs.