Example research essay topic: Basic Skills Opposing Team - 1,547 words

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Unlike other sports, whose beginnings a bit uncertain, basketball has a birthday. This is because basketball was invented, It did not evolve from other sports. The man who thought up basketball was a Canadian, Dr. James Naismith.

Basketballs birthday was in 1891, the place, was Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith was thirty years old at this time and had been born in Almonte, Ontario and had attended McGill University in Montreal. After studying for the ministry for three years he decided that his interest lay in physical education. He than enrolled at the International Young Mens Christian Association Training School in Springfield. Before long, Naismith joined the faculty as an instructor in physical education. During a cold Massachusetts winter Naismith's class was becoming very bored of their usual region and so Naismith decided that he would adapt a popular outdoor games for indoor play.

He tried other sports such as football but those types of games made it very difficult to play indoors. He than made up his mind to invent a new game, one that was easy to learn and could be played by all his students. It began with a soccer ball, and a pair of peach baskets nailed to the balconies of each side of the gym. Than he asked to custodian to make a rim and place both baskets on the opposite sides. (This rim just so happens to be the same as regulation height today. ) One day in mid-December 1891, Naismith divided the class into eighteen men into two nine men teams. For instructions he simply stated, throw the ball into the basket.

Soon after this wonderful epidemic spread basketball became an Olympic sport. (This occurred in 1936. ) This was the beginning of what was soon to be the worlds most popular game. When you start playing basketball, you can wear comfterable, loose fitting cloths and basketball shoes. If you progress to play on a team you will have to wear an official uniform, shorts and a sleeveless shirt. The most important part of your outfit is the footwear. Your shoes must cushion your feet, have no slip soles and support your ankles. Basic basketball equipment consists simply of a ball and a basket with a backboard.

The game ball is round, and when it is dropped from the height of six feet should bounce to a height of about four feet two inches. It has an outer casing mad of either leather, rubber or synthetic material. It should weigh between twenty and twenty-two onze's and have a circumference of twenty-nine and one half to thirty and one half inches. The backboard is made of either wood or a thick, rigid type of plastic. The rim should be ten feet above floor level.

Basic skills and advancing the skills and strategies Dribbling is one of the most basic skills you will need to master as a basketball player. It allows you to move with the ball to a new position on the court by bouncing it on the floor. You should dribble the ball every time you receive it. Dribbling is only used for moving to a good position to take a shot at the basket; and getting away from an opponent to find space to pass the ball to a teammate.

You control the ball when dribbling by using your wrist and fingers. You may use only one hand at a time when dribbling, but you can change hands as often as you want. Using your forearm, wrist and fingers, push the ball firmly down to the floor. Learn to control the height and speed of the bounce of the ball, varying it from chest height to below knee height.

Try moving around as you dribble, too, changing hands and direction, well you move. You cannot claim to have mastered the skill of dribbling until you have successfully done so against an opponent. During a basketball game you will be guarded by a defender when dribbling, you must constantly be aware of their position. You are dribbling to try to move past your opponent closer to the basket. You will need to develop equal dribbling skills with both hands. In addition, you will need to be able to protect the bouncing ball from an opponent by putting your body between the defender and the ball.

There are a couple of ways to drive the ball. You can fake and drive. This is when you are closely guarded and have to fake to get around your opponent. There is a reverse dribble. This is when you want to beat a defender who has moved into your path. With this move you make a quick change of direction, switching hands as you dribble and turning your back on your opponent to go in the opposite direction.

In order to play goof basketball you must learn how to pass and receive the ball. The fastest way to move the ball across the court is by passing it. There are several ways to pass the ball. This is the best pass to use when you are heavily guarded closely by an opponent, it is best to make an overhead pass, particularly of your opponent is shorter than you. Holding the ball above your head with both hands throw it to another member of your team.

The chest pass is a two handed pass that is made only when there is no defender between you and the receiver. Start this pass with the ball held in both hands in front of your chest. This is called the triple threat position because from this point, you can do one of three things: pass, shoot or dribble. If you are being guarded by an opponent and want to receive the ball, you must free yourself from the defender for at least an instant. You can achieve this by stepping toward your defender and then making a quick change of direction, moving out to receive the ball. If a tall opponent is guarding you, or if your defenders arms are raised, it is difficult to find a passing lane for a chest or overhead pass.

In this situation the best pass to use a bounce pass, this is made by bouncing the ball off the floor toward the receiver. Since the team with the most points wins a basketball game you have to learn how to shoot the ball into the basket. The type of shoot you use will depend on your situation. Is you are within the shooting range, you can take a set shot or a jump shot.

If you are able to dribble up to the basket, you can take a layup shot. You should perform a layup when you are on the move, after catching a pass or when dribbling toward the basket. To do this shoot you must approach the basket from the right, having dribbled the ball with the right hand. Holding the ball shoot the ball into the net as your foot takes a final step towards the basket and is jumping towards the basket. You will be stationary when you make a set shot, so your stance is very important.

Stand with your knees slightly bent and the ball held in front of your chest, just under your chin. Hold your shooting hand behind the ball, with the your fingers spread and pointing upward. As you start to shoot straighten your legs and reach your arms to the basket and release the ball with a flick of the wrists. Each team has five players on the court. The game begins with a jump ball; a contest to decide which team gets possession of the ball. The player with the ball has three choices: pass it, dribble it (bounce it), or shoot.

The player can't walk or run without dribbling the ball. If the player stops dribbling, he or she must also stop and then pass or shoot the ball. Personal fouls: holding, pushing, charging (running into), blocking, tripping, and making illegal contact with an opponent. The opponent shoots one or two free throws. After five personal fouls, a player is out of the game.

Flagrant foul: A personal foul that's rough, on purpose, or uncalled for. Penalty: The opponent shoots two free throws and gets possession of the ball. Technical fouls: delay of game, taking too many time-outs, having too many players on the court, hanging on a basket, leaving the court at the wrong time, swearing, arguing, being a poor sport, and others. Coaches and other non-players can commit technical fouls.

Penalty: A player from the opposing team shoots two free throws. A violation doesn't involve contact with another player and doesn't result in a free throw. These are all different types of violations: a ball out-of-bounds (charged to the last player who touched it), double dribble, traveling, time violations (taking too long for a throw-in, for example), stepping over the line during a throw-in or free throw, goal tending (blocking a shot when the ball is on the way down), and others. Penalty: The opposing team gets possession of the ball and puts it in play with a throw-in.

The game ends when time is up and the buzzer sounds. The team with the most points wins. Bibliography: none

Research essay sample on Basic Skills Opposing Team