Basketball

How to Play

Basketball is a game played by two teams of 5 to 10 players. Only 5 players per team are on court at once. The other players are on the interchange bench.

A basketball court is usually 28 metres long and 15 metres wide. At each end is a basket made of white cord net and hung from a metal ring. The basket is attached 3 metres above the court to a backboard.

Players may throw, dribble (bounce) or shoot the basketball. But they may not run with it or kick it.

Teams try to move the ball forward and shoot it through the basket. The ball must enter from above the basket. They also try to stop the other team from scoring through the basket at the other end.

Each field goal, or basket, scores two points. A player scores three points if the ball is thrown from a longer distance.

A professional game can be played in four 12-minute quarters, or two 20-minute halves. There is a break of 10 to 15 minutes at half time.

Basketball was first played in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith. It was a way to keep outdoor athletes fit during winter.

Now over a hundred years later basketball is fast-paced, highly skilled and a physical professional sport. It is a fun and energetic game. It can be played by anyone - all you need is a hoop and a ball.

 

Training

Most professional basketballers are playing and training most of the year. Their bodies never get to fully rest.

The number of hours of training loads can be different each week. Usually the players have 4 to 5 team training sessions a week and individual sessions too.

These sessions include weight lifting, on court shooting and skills practice. The players would also have other running exercises and stretching.
 

Nutrition

Players are generally quite tall. It is better to be thin so players can be faster and dodge easily.

But basketball players also need to be strong. This is so they can not be bumped easily or knocked over during a game. So a healthy diet is important for them to play their best.

Basketballers need lots of energy. So they usually carry cereal bars, fruit, nuts and drink lots of smoothies.

Iron is an important nutrient to help them grow. So basketballers would eat plenty of foods with iron in them. Some foods which have lots of iron are lean red meat, wholegrain cereals, spinach and beans, nuts and sprouts.
Basketball players do not just run a lot in a game. They also need good skills and to pay attention and think quickly. Basketballers drink lots of water and energy drinks to help them play well.

 

Links

www.wnbl.com.au

www.ais.org.au

www.wnba.com

www.basketball.net.au

www.vbl.net.au

www.hoopcoach.com

Basketball Victoria

To find out more about how you can become involved in the Aussie Hoops Program, please visit www.basketball.net.au