Basketball rules

Dr. James Naismith's 13 Original Rules of Basketball

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist).
3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop.
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed.
6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3,4, and such as described in Rule 5.
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the mean time making a foul).
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on that side.
10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between.
13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.

Signficant Changes Prior to the NCAA Tournament

1895: The free-throw line is moved from 20 feet to 15.
1896: A field goal changes from three to two points, and free throws from three points to one point.
1897: Backboards are first installed.
1909: A dribbler is permitted to shoot. The double dribble is made illegal.
1914: The bottom of the net is left open.
1921: Backboards are moved two feet from the wall of the court. Previously, players would climb up the padded walls to sink baskets.
1922: Running with the ball changes from a foul to a violation.
1924: A fouled player must shoot his own free throws.
1929: The charging foul is introduced.
1931: A "held ball" can be assessed when a closely guarded player is keeping the ball from play for five seconds. The result will be a jump bail.
1933: The 10-second center line is introduced to de-emphasize stalling.
1936: No offensive player can remain in the free-throw lane, with or without the ball, for longer than three seconds. Following a successful free throw, the team scored upon shall put the ball in play at the end of the court where the goal was scored.

Signficant Rule Changes Since the NCAA Tournament Started
1938: Center jump after every basket is rescinded.
1939: Backboards are moved from 2 feet from the end line to 4 feet to allow more movement underneath.
1945: Defensive goaltending is banned. Players now allowed five fouls before fouling out (previously the limit was four). 3-second violation started.
1947: Transparent back-boards are legalized.
1949: Coaches allowed to talk to players during timeouts.
1950: The 1-and-1 free throw rule is adopted.
1954: Game is changed from four 10-minute quarters back to two 20-minutes halves.
1957: Free throw lane widened to 12 feet.
1958: Offensive goaltending is banned. 1-and-1 goes into effect on the seventh foul of the half. Uniform numbers "1", "2" and any digit greater than "5 " are banned.
1968: Dunk is outlawed.
1971: Any team tendered an NCAA tournament bid must accept it or be banned from postseason play.
1973: Free throw on first six common fouls of a half on each team is eliminated. Freshman made eligible for varsity play.
1974: Refs can call fouls away from the ball.
1975: Players called for fouls no longer have to raise their hands.
1977: Dunk legalized.
1982: Alternating possession rule adopted. All fouls assessed to a team's bench are credited to the coach. NCAA tournament's third-place game abandoned.
1983: 5-second closely guarded play is changed from a jump ball to a turnover.
1985: Coaching box is introduced.
1986: 45-second shot clock introduced.
1987: Three-point field goal is introduced at 19-feet, 9-inches.
1988: Intentional fouls result in two free throws and ball possession.
1991: Two free throws awarded with a team's 10th personal foul of the half. Three free throws given to players fouled beyond the three point arc while shooting.
1992: Shot clock reset when ball hits rim rather than when it leaves players' hands.
1993: Unsportsmanlike technical fouls count toward a player's disqualification and team's bonus situation.
1994: Shot clock reduced to 35 seconds. Trash talking prohibited. Clock stops after each basket during the final minute.
1996: Teams allowed one 20-second timeout per half.
1999: When defensive players force held-ball situations, the defensive team will receive possession regardless of which direction the possession arrow is pointing.
2000: Officials may view television replays to determine the timing of last-second shots.