Introduction

Baseball's stature in the history of the United States is perhaps reflected more clearly in a simple dictionary rather than in the seven-centimetre-thick baseball encyclopaedia.

There, you can find the word Ruthian, meaning "of mammoth proportions", as in a home run by Babe Ruth back in the 1920s. There, you can find Lou Gehrig's disease, as the incurable degenerative illness amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been better known since Lou Gehrig, Ruth's team-mate, died from it in the 1940s. In the United States, baseball and the English language are interwoven.

However, just as the game did not begin as a wholly US enterprise, it did not end the 20th century as one either. Baseball's all-time home-run champion is a man named Sadaharu Oh, who hit 868 during a legendary career in baseball-mad Japan. The national team of Cuba overpowered the Baltimore Orioles of the US major leagues 12-6 in a 1999 exhibition game.

American baseball became a full medal sport in Barcelona in 1992.

Understanding Basketball

Over the past few years, basketball has been one of the fastest growing sports. It's fast, exciting, fun and exhausting!

You can play 'one on one' or a full court competition. All you need is a ball, a basketball hoop and backboard, a court and lots of energy.

In a normal game of basketball, you have 5 players each side; 2 guards, 2 forwards and a centre. You may have heard of specialist positions such as a 'point guard'. This usually occurs is the higher levels of competition and if you're just starting out, ask your coach or teacher which position they think you might be best suited for.

The aim of basketball is to get the ball down to your end of the court and shoot a basket to score points. A field shot is worth 2 points if shot within the 3 point line, and obviously worth 3 points if shot outside the 3 point line.

You must bounce the ball in your journey down the court and if you stop bouncing it, you either have to pass to one of your team mates or take a shot. Most of the passes used in basketball are chest passes and bounce passes.

You can't run outside the lines of the court, you have to get the ball over half way within ten seconds and once you go over half way, you can't go back. Once in your half, your team has 30 seconds in which to weave around the defence to get good positioning and shoot.

Obviously the defences job is to stop you shooting a basket and try to get the ball from you to get it into their basket. Limited body contact is allowed. If you are 'fouled' whilst taking a shot, you get to go to the 'free throw line' for 2 free shots. If you are fouled in general play, you get a pass from the side line and the person who fouled you is noted. If a person fouls more than 5 times, they are out of the game.

Field of Play

The playing court for Basketball games is a hard, flat, and rectangular surface free of obstacles, 28 metres long and 15 metres wide. (In official national and international games a wooden floor is used).

The ball

The ball for official games consists of leather and is pumped with air. It is 75-78 cm in circumference and weighs 600-650 gr.

The First Referee tests the ball for suitability before the start of the game. 

Dress

Uniform shirt and coloured shorts are worn. Teams must have two kits available, one dark-coloured and one light-coloured (normally white), so as to wear the one appropriate depending on the opponents' colours.

The player's number and team (and, optionally, their name) are marked on the shirt.

Player's number
The player's number is his or her identification for the duration of the game and must appear on the front of the shirt (normally in small characters on the upper left part) and on the back of the shirt (normally in large characters in the centre).

Shoes

The shoes are made of leather and need to firmly support the ankles, which are vulnerable to injury. They usually have additions such as air soles or built-in ankle supports, in order to give the athlete greater protection from fatigue, jumping and other movements.

Player Positions

Point Guard
When you are playing the point guard position you should know what your responsibilities are. Even if you are small for your age you should know what the center's job is just so that you have an idea of what he will be doing and where he will be playing.

Shooting Guard
A shooting guard, or a 2, means basically what is says... they shoots. The shooting guard must be a good shooter and must be able to pass well. He/she also must be quick on their feet, like a point guard, to go after loose balls. The shooting guard of the team is the player who decides whether the team will win or lose, because shooting is one of the aspects of basketball that is off and on. This player must be able to make clutch and tough shots, or thread the needle when the team needs it most.

Small Forward
The small forward, or 3, is the player that basically sets picks, throws alley-oops, and hits threes. He also must be able to rebound, without being the tallest on the team (being athletic may help this). Although arguably the least used player on the court, a good small forward is vital to a successful team. Good small forwards in the NBA are Glen Rice, Rick Fox, Vince Carter, and of course, the honorable MJ.

Power Forward
Power Forward, or 4, involves the second tallest man on the team. The Power forward must be able to post-up well, grab offensive rebounds, and hit the open jumper. On the defensive end, they are expected to defend under the basket, and get key blocks. To be good at Power Forward, you have to have strength and hustle down the court. Being frustrated after someone scores on you will not solve anything. Great power forwards in the NBA are Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowiski.

Center
The Center, or 5, usually is the tallest man on the team. The Center must be able to defend in the low block, and have a good post up move or 2. He also must have good rebounding and shot-blocking skills. A center is thought to be the slowest and least versitile on the team, so being quick or having a nice jump shot ( both things a center is not thought of having) will surprise the opposing center and wear him out during game play. Also, dont get caught for 5 seconds in the paint. Good Centers In the NBA are Shaquille O'Neal, Dikembe Mutombo And Hakeem Olajuwon.

General Rules

FIBA games last 40 minutes and are divided into four periods ('quarters') of 10 minutes each.

Two referees (1st and 2nd) decide whether infringements of the Rules have been committed, with the assistance of four score bench officials: an official scorer and an assistant scorer, responsible for keeping the score; and a timekeeper and an operator of the 24-second clock. (In the Euro-League and in the NBA there are three referees).

Each team may hold possession of the ball for 24 seconds maximum before making a shot attempt. If this period expires before an attempt is made, the ball is turned over to the opposing team.

Any player may dribble the ball (i.e. throw or bounce it on the ground), hold it, pass it, or shoot at the opposing basket. A successful field goal attempt from the area on or inside the three-point field goal line counts for two points. A successful field goal attempt from the area outside the three-point field goal line (6.25 metres) counts for three. A successful free throw  (as penalty for a foul or technical foul) counts for one.

Any action such as pushing, holding or hitting an opponent, as described by the Rules, constitutes a foul.

A violation with no intent to claim the ball, but simply to stop the opposing player is classified as an unsporting foul; the penalty for which is two free throws and possession of the ball to the attacking team.

'Technical fouls' are all fouls not involving body contact with an opposing player.

In FIBA games, a player who has committed five fouls, personal or technical, automatically leaves the game and is replaced within thirty seconds. In NBA games, where the game lasts 48 minutes, the limit is extended to six fouls. 

If the scores are level at the end of the fourth period, the game goes into a 5-minute period of extra time, for as many times as is needed to produce a winner.