BASKETBALL – CLOTHING AND OTHER NEEDS

Basketball has been included in the Olympic Games, for men since 1936 and women since 1976. There are seniors, juniors (under 19’s), cadets (under 17’s) and under 15’s and many a country compete in each category. For competitions conducted on international level, there are broadly 5 different zones. They are America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. In world level, besides USA, there are good national teams such as Australia, Brazil, China, Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain and Yugoslavia.

Basketball Outfits: 

This game has very simple clothing needs. A sleeveless or short-sleeved vest, shorts, socks. They should be in highly absorbent material like superfine cotton, or even rayon, as the game is very fast and the players perspire profusely. The vests carry numbers for easy identification by the referee. Numbers start from 4 to 15 as numbers 1, 2 & 3 are not to be used. Each player must have a different number. It is also a practice for visiting teams to wear dark colored vests and for home teams a light colored one. It is all the more necessary, if the match is televised. 

Sweatshirts, long trousers and track suits:

These are required for players sitting in the team bench area. The idea is to ensure that the players waiting in the team bench to be warm. 

Sports Shoes:

The game is fast paced. You are required to run, jump, frequently change direction, bend and stop and start with a rush. For your safety it is essential for you to have a good quality basketball shoe as they have soles which are non-slippery besides they are well cushioned inside. 

The Ball:

A standard Basketball should be spherical and in orange hue. Plastic or leather or rubber, any one of these is used in manufacturing the ball. The Diameter of the ball should be between 75 and 78 cms. The weight should not be less than 567 gm and not more than 650 gm. Since Basketball is all about bouncing the ball, bounce is very vital. According to the Regulations, if a ball is just dropped from a height of 1.8 m on the court surface, it must rebound not less than 1.2 m and not more than 1.4 m.