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LearningTranscript
00:00Put me in, coach! I... I... I got game.
00:13Come on, I haven't played all season.
00:17Dear Tim and Moby, can you give me some tips on how to play basketball? Thanks, Bethany.
00:24I am qualified. I've... I've watched plenty of games.
00:29Basketball is a team sport in which players score points by throwing a ball through the opposing team's basket or hoop.
00:36With its fast-paced action and high-flying moves, it's one of the most popular sports in the world.
00:42It all started back in 1891 in a gym in Springfield, Massachusetts.
00:47Dr. James Naismith, a physical education teacher, was looking for a way to keep his students active while they were stuck inside for the winter.
00:55So he nailed a peach basket to the wall, gave his students a soccer ball, and came up with the rules for a new game.
01:03Yeah, there have been a few changes since then.
01:06For one thing, the game has developed its own special equipment and gear.
01:11Okay, okay, on to the rules.
01:15A typical game runs between 40 and 48 minutes.
01:19Depending on the league and the level of play, it's broken into four quarters, or two halves.
01:24But the clock stops during timeouts, fouls, and when the ball goes out of bounds, so a complete game can last two or three hours.
01:32The playing surface is called a court.
01:35It usually has wooden floors and a 10-foot-high basket at either end.
01:39Five players from each team move back and forth, switching between offense and defense.
01:44The team with the ball is on offense. They try to put the ball through the other team's hoop.
01:49Meanwhile, the defense tries to prevent them from scoring.
01:51If the offense scores, the other team gets the ball.
01:55Right, that's called dribbling.
01:58The player with the ball can walk or run anywhere on the court, as long as she keeps bouncing the ball.
02:03The other way to move the ball is by passing or throwing it to a teammate.
02:07If a player gets close enough to the opponent's basket, she can try to score points by shooting the ball through the hoop.
02:14A shot made from any spot inside this arc gets two points.
02:18That's called the three-point line, because any shot made from behind that line is worth three points instead of two.
02:29Defensively, a player can do a lot to prevent the other team from scoring.
02:33She can try to block a shot or steal the ball.
02:36Or she can try to disrupt the other team's rhythm and its ability to take good shots.
02:41But if she's not careful, she might get called for a personal foul for illegal physical contact.
02:45The fouled player might be awarded free throws.
02:53In that case, the game stops as she takes one-point shots from the foul line.
03:02Be nice. The referees are there to make sure everyone plays by the rules.
03:06It's their job to call fouls, as well as other violations like traveling, double-dribbling, goalscoring, etc.
03:12Sorry. Anyway, in addition to all these rules, the way the game is played has evolved over the years.
03:18Today's coaches draw up complex offensive plays and defensive formations.
03:23Players now have specific positions according to their sizes and skills.
03:27The tallest players fill the center and forward positions, while faster players, who are better shooters and dribblers, play the guard positions.
03:34An exciting play is likely to happen.
03:36You're not the only one with basketball fever.
03:39Shooting hoops is now as popular as playing baseball.
03:42Fans crowd in front of televisions and pack into arenas to watch both pro and college games.
03:48And even though basketball was invented in the United States, the sport has really gone global.
03:53Starring the best players in the world, the best players in the world, and the best players in the world.
03:58And even though basketball was invented in the United States, the sport has really gone global.
04:02Stars from places like Europe and Asia play in the NBA, and many countries now have their own professional leagues.
04:09Really? You're finally putting me in?
04:16I demand to be traded.