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How Basketball Was Invented

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Basketball was invented in the winter of 1891-1892 by James Naismith at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a solution to engage restless college students indoors. Naismith created the game by combining elements from various sports and using peach baskets as goals, establishing 13 original rules. The game quickly gained popularity and was recognized as a winter sport by 1905, with its basic structure remaining largely unchanged since its inception.

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READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13, which are based on
Reading Passage 1 below.

How basketball was invented


It was the winter of 1891-1892. Inside the International YMCA Training School
located in Springfield. Massachusetts, USA, there was a group of restless college
students. The young men had to be there; they were required to participate in
indoor activities to burn off the energy that had been building up since the summer
sports season had ended. The college offered them activities such as marching,
gymnastic exercises and apparatus work, but they considered them poor substitutes
for the more exciting games that they played outside in warmer seasons.
The instructor of this class was James Naismith, a 31-year-old graduate student.
Naismith had recently moved from his native Canada to study physical education
at the Springfield college and today renowned as the father of physical education
and recreation in the United States.
Two instructors had already tried and failed to devise activities that would engage
the young men. There had been a meeting of college teaching staff to discuss what
was becoming a persistent problem with the student’s uncontrolled energy and
disinterest in their studies. Naismith felt that the kind of work needed to motivate
and inspire the students ‘should be of a recreative nature, something that would
appeal to their play instincts’. Before the end of the meeting, Gullick placed the
problem squarely in Naismith’s lap, and charged him with the task of coming up
with a solution.
So Naismith went to work. His challenge was to create a game that was easy to
learn, yet complex enough to be interesting. It had to be playable in the winter in
the college gymnasium, and by a large number of players all at once. It should give
people sufficient exercise, yet without the roughness of outdoor games such as
rugby, as players would be likely to end up with injuries if they played such games
in a confined space.
Much time and thought went into this new creation. It became an adaptation of
many sports of its time, adopting features of games including American rugby
(passing the ball), English rugby (the technique known as jump ball) and soccer
(the shape and size of the ball), and something called ‘duck on a rock,’ a game
Naismith had played with his childhood friends.
Naismith approached the college janitor, hoping he could find two small square
boxes to use as goals. Instead, the janitor came back with two baskets that had
contained peaches from the school canteen. Naismith then nailed them to an
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elevated track, 10 feet (3 meters) from the ground. A man was stationed at each
end of the balcony to pick the ball out of the basket and put it back into play. It
wasn’t until a few years later that the bottoms of the baskets were cut to let the ball
fall loose.
Naismith then drew up 13 rules, which described the method of moving the ball
and what constituted a foul, among other issues. The game, he decided, would be
divided into two 15-minute halves with a five-minute resting period in between.
Naismith’s secretary typed up the rules and tacked them on the bulletin board. A
short time later, the class met, and the teams were chosen with three centers, three
forwards, and three guards per side. Two of the centers met at mid-court, Naismith
tossed the ball, and a new game was born.
A short while later, Frank Mahan, one of the players, approached Naismith, asking
him what he intended to call his new game. Naismith replied that he hadn’t thought
of it because he had been focused on just getting the game started.
Mahan suggested that it be called ‘Naismith ball’, at which Naismith laughed,
saying that a name like that would kill any game. Mahan then said, ‘Why not call it
basketball?’ Naismith replied, ‘We have a basket and a ball, and it seems to me
that would be a good name for it.’
Word of the new game spread like wildfire. It was an instant success. The rules
were printed in the college’s magazine, which was mailed to other YMCA schools
across the country. Because of the college’s well-represented international student
body, the game of basketball was introduced to many other nations in a relatively
short period of time. High schools and colleges around the world began to play the
new game, and by 1905, basketball was officially recognized as a permanent
winter sport.
The rules have been slightly altered, but by-and-large the game has not changed
drastically since Naismith’s original list of 13 Rules was tacked up on that college
bulletin board.
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Questions 1–7
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Write your
answers in boxes 1–7 on your answer sheet.
The invention of basketball
When, where and who
• winter 1891/1892
• International YMCA Training School, Springfield, Massachusetts
• James Naismith, a sports instructor born in Canada
The challenge
to invent an interesting game which:
• could be played inside the 1.................at the college
• involved a large number of players
• provided enough 2 …………
• had a low risk of any 3 ................to the players
Equipment
Naismith created a game with:
• A ball based on the one used for playing 4 …………
• Two baskets that 5................ had been stored in
The rules
Naismith’s game had thirteen rules, including:
• how to move the ball
• the definition of a 6 …………
The rules were put in a 7................ and sent to schools around the USA
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Questions 8–13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage
1? In boxes 8–13 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

8 In 1891, the students of the International YMCA Training School preferred


outdoor sports to indoor ones.
9 During a meeting with his colleagues, Naismith offered to try to create a game
for the students.
10 Naismith was initially angry with the college janitor for giving him baskets
instead of boxes.
11 In the early days of the game, someone had to remove the ball from the basket
after each goal was scored.
12 It took a long time for the new game to become popular.
13 There has been disagreement about how Naismith’s rules should be altered.

Common questions

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The early rules of basketball included 13 basic guidelines which structured movement, fouls, and game timing into two 15-minute halves with a five-minute rest. Originally, the ball was manually retrieved from the basket after each score. Initially, these rules were typed by Naismith's secretary and displayed on a bulletin board. They were later published in the college magazine, facilitating widespread dissemination across YMCA schools .

Logistical challenges included the need for a suitable goal that could be used indoors without causing injury. Naismith initially requested square boxes, but the janitor provided peach baskets, which were then nailed to an elevated track. This setup was functional but required someone to retrieve the ball manually after each goal, demonstrating a cumbersome aspect of early gameplay. Later, the bottoms of the baskets were cut to allow the ball to fall through, significantly enhancing gameplay efficiency .

The creation of basketball was heavily influenced by adaptations from various sports. American rugby contributed the passing element; English rugby provided the jump ball technique; soccer inspired the shape and size of the ball; and 'duck on a rock' influenced the elevated goal. These multidisciplinary adaptations enriched the game's complexity while adhering to Naismith's constraints. The initial rules reflected this synthesis by establishing unique gameplay that balanced novelty and safety, aiding its acceptance as an engaging indoor sport .

Naismith needed to create a game that was both engaging and suitable for indoor play during the winter season. It had to accommodate a large number of players, provide sufficient exercise, and minimize the risk of injuries in a confined space. To meet these requirements, he adapted features from various sports: American rugby (passing the ball), English rugby (jump ball), and soccer (the shape and size of the ball). Additionally, the childhood game 'duck on a rock' inspired the use of an elevated goal .

The international students at the YMCA played a crucial role in the global diffusion of basketball by introducing the game to various nations upon their return home. This exposure, coupled with the printing of the rules in the college magazine that was distributed to YMCA schools nationwide, enabled basketball to spread rapidly beyond the United States and contribute to its acceptance as an official winter sport by 1905 .

Introducing basketball as a standardized sport presented challenges such as ensuring consistent rule enforcement and balancing its competitive nature with educational goals. Opportunities included fostering teamwork, physical fitness, and cultural exchange among students. As basketball became recognized officially by 1905, these factors contributed to widespread adoption in schools, influencing physical education curriculums and promoting international engagement through sport .

The previous instructors struggled to create activities that harnessed student energy and interest, highlighting the lack of engaging indoor alternatives to outdoor sports. Naismith's innovative approach was to devise a game that was not only intriguing but suitable for indoor play, addressing the gap left by earlier attempts. His adaptation of elements from other sports demonstrated creativity and resourcefulness in meeting these challenges, marking a new direction in physical education .

The name 'basketball' was significant as it concisely described the fundamental equipment of the game: a basket and a ball. It was coined by Frank Mahan, one of the players, who suggested it to Naismith. This name effectively captured the essence of the game and contributed to its identity and recognition. Naismith accepted it, recognizing its simplicity and descriptive accuracy .

Basketball addressed student disinterest and energy management by providing a recreative and appealing athletic activity. It was designed to engage students' 'play instincts' by being easy to learn yet sufficiently complex to remain interesting. This helped channel their excess energy constructively indoors during winter, thus maintaining discipline and interest in physical education .

Early dissemination methods, including typing and posting of the rules and their inclusion in the college magazine, played a pivotal role in rapidly spreading knowledge of the game. This facilitated its adoption by other YMCA schools nationally and internationally, significantly accelerating its popularity. The magazine's distribution network allowed for swift communication and adaptation of the game globally, ensuring a robust foundation for basketball's later development .

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