Introduction

This paper deals with the origin of basketball at an international level; it

can be defined as a regulated sport, which consists of the confrontation
between two teams made up of ten players each.

This work contains its origin and history, as well as its rules and
foundations.

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, as it is played on

every continent and in practically every country. Although it originated in
the United States, it was invented by a Canadian, Dr. James Naismith, a
physical education professor, as an additional sport for students at the
Massachusetts YMCA.

The first basketball game was played with a soccer ball. Instead of the
hoops used today, the baskets were peach baskets. These were fixed to a
balcony surrounding the gymnasium where the match was held.

Until 1912, the baskets were not hollow, so when a ball was scored it
would get stuck in them and a person had to climb a ladder to get the balls
out, or they would push them with a stick or other device.
Origin of basketball at international level
Basketball was born as a response to
the need to do some sporting activity
during the winter, at the YMCA
school in Massachusetts. In 1891,
University of Illinois (Massachusetts)
professor James Naismith (a physical
education teacher) was tasked with
devising a sport that could be played
indoors, since the winters in that area
made it difficult to carry out any
outdoor activities.

Naismith analyzed the sports

activities practiced at the time, whose
predominant characteristic was
strength or physical contact, and
thought of something sufficiently
active, requiring more skill than strength and not having much physical
contact. The Canadian recalled an old game from his childhood called
"duck on a rock", which consisted of trying to reach an object placed on a
rock by throwing a stone at it. Naismith asked the school manager for some
50 cm boxes. long, but all he got were some baskets of peaches, which he
had hung from the railings of the upper gallery that surrounded the
gymnasium, at a certain height.

Women's basketball began in 1892 at Smith College, when Senda

Berenson, a physical education teacher, modified Naismith's rules to suit
the needs of women.

Since Naismith had 18 students, he decided that the teams would be made
up of 9 players each. Over time, this number was first reduced to 7, and
then to the current 5 players.

The board was created to prevent fans in the gallery where the baskets were
hanging from obstructing the ball's entry. Over time, the peach baskets
became metal hoops with a net without holes until they evolved into the
current mesh.
Basketball was an exhibition sport at the 1928 Olympic Games and the
1932 Olympic Games, reaching Olympic status at the 1936 Olympic
Games. Here Naismith had the opportunity to see his creation transformed
into an Olympic category, when he was accompanied by Adolf Hitler in the
box of honour in Germany. Women's basketball had to wait until 1976 to
be admitted as an Olympic sport.

Basketball is the only sport of North American origin, although its

paternity is due to a native of Canada, (it should be noted that in the case of
baseball there are antecedents in other countries, so its character of
complete creation in E. OR. It is debatable), basketball was born entirely in
North America and was invented by Dr. James Naismith, who was a
professor at Springfield College (then known as MICA International
Training School, Massachusetts) in 1891. The invention of the game was
inspired by Dr. Luther Gulick, dean of the Department of Physical
Education at the Training School in the spring of 1891. At that time, Dr.
Gulick was working with a group of collaborators, trying to create a new
sport that would meet the needs and demands in sports that were required at
that time; and that could also be played indoors, since at that time there was
a recess in the two main sports in the country; baseball and American
football.

During the winter months, the field of physical education and sport was
threatened by the lack of interest of students, since the winter was too harsh
to practice sports outdoors. Without a doubt, the cold weather was the main
enemy and the biggest problem for the physical education teachers, who
had the opportunity to meet at some summer courses in Springfield, and
who took advantage of the opportunity to express their points of view
aimed at resolving the annoying situation they were going through during
those months.

For this reason, at that time, Dr. Gulick suggested to Dr. Naismith that,
together with Baron Nisl Posse on Martha's Vineyard, they should study a
way to resolve the situation.

Dr. Naismith followed the advice and found that although the Swedish
system of gymnastics contained many valuable principles, none of them
would solve the problem immediately. This was what he reported to Dr.
Gulick on his return to Springfield in the fall of 1891.

When classes began, Dr. Gulick created a new course he called

“Psychology Seminar,” which Naismith and Alonso A. Stagg attended
school despite being members of the teaching staff. Among the physical
education problems considered was that of a sport that could be played
during the winter in a closed gymnasium with artificial light. During one of
the discussions, Dr. Gulick said, “There is nothing new under the sun,” to
which Dr. Naismith replied, “Dr. Gulick, if that is so, then we can invent a
game that will meet those needs. All we have to do is take the elements of
the known games and change them, and we will find the one we are
looking for.”

Dr. Gulick then assigned the task to the entire group, but no satisfactory
solution was achieved. Later, the character himself called a meeting with
the teaching staff and, observing the enthusiasm shown by Dr. Naismith
during the discussion of the problem, he appointed him to take charge of
the activity in the gymnasium.

He was then tasked with finding a method that would keep students
interested.

A few days later, Dr. Naismith went down to the gymnasium carrying a
soccer ball and met the gymnasium security guard, Mr. Stebbins, whom he
asked if he had two square boxes. The guard replied no, but that he could
lend him two baskets of the kind used in North America to pick apples.
Basketball history researchers differ regarding the use to which these
baskets were put. Others mention that peaches, apples, and nectarines were
collected in them, but the truth is that they were used for collecting fruit.
Dr. Naismith accepted the guard's proposal and they were both nailed to the
ends of the gymnasium at a height of 3.05 m. (10 feet) which is currently
the regulatory height at which the basket is located. Considering that if the
baskets had been placed 11 feet or higher back then, it might be the
regulatory height today. Frank Mahan, an Irishman, was the first to see
Naismith up on the ladder nailing down the fruit baskets.

Dr. Naismith called his students to teach his physical education class and
explained his new invention, which basically consisted of trying to get the
ball into the baskets that had been placed specifically for this purpose, how
to advance with the ball, which would be by bouncing, and how to pass it,
which could be thrown, batted or rolled.

There were 18 players in the class, who were divided into two teams, so the
first basketball game started with 9 players per side. Once the teams were
made, Naismith placed them on the field and at that time he started with 3
forwards, 3 center backs and 3 defenders, all eligible to score.

Once the game and its first rules were explained, the “basketball” game
began. When the ball was successfully introduced into the basket of apples,
it was considered a “Goal”, and someone had to be in charge of taking it
out of the basket. At first, he had to climb the ladder and take it out every
time it made a basket.

This is how basketball was born, a sport whose success was not long in
coming since the first ball was thrown into the air.

The students were so enthusiastic and liked the game that word soon spread
throughout the gymnasiums that a new game had been invented, ideal for
indoors, which greatly interested the physical education directors of
colleges and universities.

By Christmas 1891, the new

sport was well underway;
students returning home for
the Christmas holidays
introduced it to their villages;
the Young Men's Christian
Association enthusiastically
sponsored its teaching and
dissemination, making the
game the quintessentially
American contribution to physical education and sport.

The rules of modern basketball differ greatly from the original ones, but the
existing modifications were the subject of much debate between the
inventor of the game and the coaches of the time. The philosophy of the
inventor of this game was to make a game of skill with the ball, NOT AN
AGGRESSIVE GAME.

Rubbing, pushing, hitting, etc., were frequent and to avoid this, personal
contact was regulated. The way to start the game, the way to play the ball,
when the rules are broken, the size of the court, the value of the baskets,
etc. were also considered. This is how 13 rules were born, which were what
allowed the game to be played in a more or less organized way.

Conclusion
To conclude this research work, it is important to highlight that this sport is
an instrument that serves as a door to another world, another meaning of
things; for example, for a basketball player, the most important thing in his
life would be to make the winning basket in a game, while for us it is
something unimportant.

It is also a means to unite people, races, religions, societies, etc., since we

unite for the same cause, so to speak, to enjoy a basketball game, regardless
of anything else.

Today this is one of the most popular and most played sports in the world.
It is practiced in an organized manner in more than one hundred countries;
in many of them it has equaled and even surpassed football and baseball in
popularity. This sport has become so popular that fans cheer on the players.
The players we can mention for their commitment and popularity are:
Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Jonson, among others.
 Literature

BASKETBALL Encyclopedia, publisher: Maraven, author: Armando

Naranjo

Websiteshttps://www.monografias.com/trabajos5/laweb/laweb.shtml:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball

http://www.planetabasketball.com/baloncesto-cancha.htm

http://www.planetabasketball.com/baloncesto-cancha.htm