A few Interesting facts about basketball, did you know that the basketball hoop was originally just peach baskets and the first backboard was made of wire. Nowadays the backboard is made of metal and glass, with a metal hoop. Basketball began in Springfield masochist, by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith as a less injury-prone sport than football, when it started in 1891. Naismith was a 31 year old man that created the indoor basketball sport, to keep the athletes indoors during the winter/ cold days. Although Haley and I’s opinion on basketball is that it is very fun, even knowing that it is fun it’s an old sport, although people have made it better over the years. How to play basketball; 1st you have got to have five players on each team per a court. The 2nd step is to score more than your opponent so you can win the game. The third step/ rule is; score within the shot clock. Then there’s rule four; dribbling advances the ball, passing the ball or dribbling the ball (bouncing the ball on the floor.  rule five: defense has 5 seconds to inbound the ball (After the offense scores a basket, the opposing team receives possession of the ball). Rule 6 is; the offense must advance the ball. Once an offensive team advances the ball past the half-court line, the ball handler may not cross that line again, or a referee will award possession of the ball to the opposing team. Rule 7; the ball and the ball handler must stay in bounds, During game-play, the player with possession of the ball must stay within the designated in bounds lines marked on the court. Rule number 8; The defenders can’t interfere with a shot on a downward trajectory, After the offensive player shoots the ball, it is illegal for a defensive player to interfere with it once it begins its descent toward the rim. Rule 9; The defenders can legally block or steal the ball from the opponent, The defending team’s goal is to prevent the offensive team from scoring by either stealing the ball, blocking the ball from entering the basket, or using defense tactician to prevent an offensive player from shooting and scoring. Then we have rule 10; the defenders must leave the paint after 3 seconds. The area directly in front of the basket is sometimes referred to as “the paint” or “inside the key.” Rule number 11 is; each team is allotted a certain number of fouls, The NBA allows each team a total of five fouls per quarter. Once a team surpasses this allotment, they go “into the bonus,” which means the officials will award the opposing team with free throws for every additional foul that a player commits in that quarter of play. Rule number 12; illegal contact is a result of a foul; When a basketball player commits illegal physical contact against an opposing player, the referees will call a personal foul. Rule number 13; illegal contact can result in a personal foul, A personal foul is an infraction that violates the rules of the game. Rule number 14; excessive contact results in a flagrant foul; Flagrant fouls refer to a personal foul that can potentially injure the opponent. These fouls carry heavier penalties, such as fines, immediate ejection, and even suspension. Now we have rule 15; charges and illegal screens result in an offensive foul; An offensive foul is a personal foul that offensive players commit when their team possesses the ball. Then finally we have the last rule number 16; certain rule violations result in technical fouls, A technical foul is a penalty for violating the game’s administrative rules. Officials commonly assess technical fouls for fighting and verbal abuse, often assessing coaches with this penalty if they are too abrasive when disputing a call.