Your First Game... Ever

-Your first game took place in the YMCA Training School gymnasium on January 20th, 1892
-That class was a group of 18 kids
-They split up into teams of 8
-They played you with a soccer ball on a tiny basketball court compared to modern day sizes
-They played you on a 50ft by 35ft court,

Your Rules Back Then

-You can be thrown and altered anywhere with the hands.
-Once a player catches you, that player can't move, he/she must throw you from where they stand
-You have to be held with the hands
-No pushing or holding of any sorts
-People can't hit you with their fists
-If one team gets called for fouls 3 times in a row, then it will count as a point for the other team.
-Goaltending is not allowed, and will result in an automatic point.
-If the you go out of bounds, it must to be thrown into play by the person first holding you, or the umpire if there is an argument
-The umpire will be in charge of time, score, and fouls.
-The match will consist of two 15-minute halves
-The winning team is the one that scores the most points in the allotted time, or if there is a tie, in extra time
These rules were published in the Triangle, the Springfield college newspaper, in January of 1892

Duck on a Rock??

"Duck on a rock." A children game which involves trying to knock a duck, or a rock, of the top of a large boulder from 20ft away. Naismith used and integrated this concept into his new sport.

You sure did come a long way. The first form of Basketball started in 1891 when James Naismith, a Presbyterian minister, was instructed to lead a physical education class at the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Basketball in America: A History) He nailed boxes, or peach baskets, to walls on opposite sides of an indoor gym and having the players toss the ball in the basket. He was given about 2 weeks to invent a sport that could be played inside, but also involved physical activity and bonding.