Basketball: Rule Changes

Basketball is a game wherein two teams composed of five players each try to score against one another by shooting a ball through a hoop raised three (3) meters above the ground.  The hoop is also known as the goal, and basketball athletes develop the necessary skills needed to propel the ball through the hoop. Each team has a goal, on opposite ends of the court, which the opposing team tries to shoot the ball into.  The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.  Both college basketball and professional leagues generally follow the same basic rules.

People have enjoyed playing the game of basketball from the time it was first played.  Indeed, in the United States, college basketball has gained quite a following nationwide.  Now, with the immense popularity of the NBA and its superstars, many students are looking to get noticed in college basketball recruiting, to play in college teams and even perhaps in the NBA.

Major rule changes in modern North American basketball have often been made in response to the effect unique talents of either an individual player or a particular tactic bring to the game. There are many remarkable examples of such adaptations. George Mikan, who was part of the first wave of talented big men to play in professional basketball, had a height of 6 ft 10 in tall, and a weight of 245 lbs.  To accommodate such proportions, the lane between the free throw line and the basket was extended from 6 ft to 9 ft in the National Basketball Association in 1947.  These changes were made in order to reduce the ability of Mikan to gain a position closer to the basket. The distinctive key shape of the lane is the same term by which that particular area is often referred in present-day coverage of the game. Additionally, Mikan's physical talents impelled the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1944to ban the blocking or deflecting of a shot made by a defensive player whenever the ball was above the rim of the basket.  This practice became known as goaltending.

More examples of rule changes brought by players are those prompted by Lew Alcindor The NCAA banned dunking in competition from 1967 through 1976, due this player, who stood 7 ft 2 in.  He later became known as Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

The Internet has proven to be a useful venue for both students in college basketball and coaches involved in the process of college basketball recruiting.  There are many websites and online forums wherein students and scouts can come together and interact.  D1Athletes is an online community wherein high school athletes and coaches alike can share and exchange information they need during college basketball recruiting.  D1Athletes offers them a place to build an online presence and gain important public exposure.