9 Basketball

Basketball written by John Lockyer

Can you jump? Can you run forward and back? Can you pass, catch, and bounce a large ball? If you can do these things, then the wonderful world of basketball is at your fingertips. People have played the game of basketball for hundreds of years. The first basketball was a soccer ball, and the first goals were fruit baskets. There were nine players in each team.

shooting Basketball players must learn useful skills. Shooting is an important skill. Good players can shoot the ball into the basket from anywhere close to the goal. When they shoot, they must concentrate on the basket. Another important skill is dribbling the ball. Dribbling is when players bounce the ball as they move up and down the court. Every player needs to dribble the ball at some time in a game.

Sometimes a player will miss a goal. When the ball bounces off the backboard, anyone can grab it. This is called rebounding. Lots of practice in jumping up helps players to become better rebounders. There are many different basketball passes: chest pass, bounce pass, overhead pass and baseball pass. All passes on the court should be fast and straight.

defending Players are defending when they try to stop the players in the other team from scoring a goat. Stealing or taking the ball cleanly from another player is the best way to defend. Playing the game is the best fun, but there are rules. Each team has five players. The game starts with a tip-off. The referee throws the ball up, and one player from each team tries to tap it to a teammate.

dribbling The player who has the ball must dribble to move forward or back. But it is against the rules to dribble, pick up the ball, then start dribbling again. It must be passed to someone else. No player can hit, push, or charge into another player. This is called fouling. If a player is fouled when she is shooting, she gets extra shots. If a player gives five fouls, she must leave the game.