Rules and History
Court and Terms
Scoring and Plays
Vocabulary
Winter Olympics
100
Who invented basketball in 1891 and at which college?
James Naismith at Springfield College
100
What is the name of the line that divides the court into two equal halves?
Midcourt line (half-court line).
100
How many points is a standard field goal made inside the three-point line worth?
Two points.
100
What does "dribbling" mean?
Bouncing the ball with one hand while moving
100
What are the Winter Olympics?
A global event featuring winter sports
200
Why were peach baskets originally used as goals, and what problem did they cause?
Naismith used peach baskets because the janitor found them; baskets originally held the ball so someone had to retrieve it (later bottoms were cut to let the ball fall through).
200
What is the area under the basket called that includes the free-throw lane?
Lane, paint, or free-throw lane (the key).
200
What determines whether a fouled shooter receives two or three free throws?
Depends on where the shooter was fouled. If beyond the three-point arc, then three free throws; otherwise two (or sometimes one on certain fouls like technicals or and-ones if you make your shot and are rewarded with an additional free throw).
200
Define rebound
Gaining possession of the ball after a missed shot
200
What surface are most Winter Olympic sports played on?
Ice or Snow
300
Name one sport that influenced the early development of basketball
American rugby, English rugby, lacrosse, soccer
300
What is a "screen" in basketball?
A screen is when one player stands still to block a defender to help a teammate get open.
300
What is an "assist?"
A pass that directly leads to a made basket
300
Explain what a "turnover" is and give one common cause.
Losing possession of the ball to the other team (caused by a bad pass, violation, or steal)
300
Which sport involves racing around an oval ice track?
Speed Skating
400
What was the original reason James Naismith created a new indoor game for his students?
To provide an indoor activity to help students burn off energy in winter; it had to be easy to learn and play indoors.
400
Define "back court violation."
Once offense crosses midcourt, they cannot go back across; doing so awards the ball to the other team.
400
Explain the difference between a lay-up and a three-point shot.
Lay-up - Close shot taken while moving toward the basket
Three-point shot - a made shot taken from behind the three-point line worth three points
400
Use the word "assist' correctly in a full sentence.
Sample: "The point guard made a brilliant assist that led to the winning basket"
400
Which skill is MOST important for figure skating?
Balance
500
Describe two historical changes to the equipment or rules mentioned in the readings (include the change and why it mattered).
Spalding produced a dedicated leather basketball in 1894 (improved ball design); bottoms of peach baskets were removed so the ball would fall through (sped up play and removed need for a person to retrieve).
500
Label the court
500
Describe the sequence of events and terminology when a shot is missed and players compete to gain control of the ball.
When a shot is missed, players attempt to get the rebound (gain possession after the ball hits rim or backboard); securing the rebound ends the immediate opportunity for a second-chance score for the shooter’s team and may start a possession change.
500
"A player uses a screen to help a teammate get open, then passes the ball leading directly to a made basket." Identify the terms in this passage and explain each (screen, assist).
Terms: screen — player blocks defender to free teammate; assist — pass that leads to a made basket.
500
What is the difference between skeleton and luge?
Skeleton: go down on your stomach, head first (Prone)
Luge: go down on your back, feet first (supine)