Fans of a sport like basketball, of course, know all the rules - what players can and cannot do. Also, being at some kind of basketball game, watching players diving back and forth across the field, spectators pay attention to the numbers on their backs. 10, 15, 4, 5 - which are not there. However, why until 2011 it was rarely possible to meet players with numbers 1, 2, 3 on T-shirts? After all, such numbers are in other sports - in football, car racing and other disciplines.
History and Rules
Basketball is a relatively young sporting discipline that appeared in the United States and was invented by James Naismith, a springfield teacher at a local college. A little later, when other people became interested in the game, rules began to form and competitions were held. The society adopted the first version of international rules in 1932. This happened at the congress of FIBA (International Basketball Federation). Initially, the game was distributed in educational institutions in the United States, after - in Canada.
In the early 20th century, basketball became part of professional sports. A large number of teams appeared, but for a long time the games were not held at a professional level.
Athletes were free to move from one team to another, and the competition was held in unsuitable places for this. Professional League formed in 1946 - Basketball Association of America. The game (the first in this league) was held in Canada. The BAA later teamed up with the National League, and thus the famous National Basketball Association appeared. To date, it is considered one of the most influential.
Interesting fact: the rules of the international format are constantly changing and supplemented, and the last major changes were carried out relatively recently - in 2000 and 1998.
The rules change, albeit slightly, but still affect the conduct of the games. And these changes occur after almost every competition season. To control the game, there is a judge. He shows with his hands, if necessary, what rules have been violated, and holds them down. Official referee gestures allow spectators, players, and referees to know all the game’s match events.
The judge shows the shots on the ring and the number of points received. He directs the playing time - when you need to stop the game or continue the countdown. Gestures of an administrative nature indicate a replacement in teams, timeouts, etc. The following category of gestures displays a violation of the rules in detail. In this case, the judge must first indicate the offending player, report the type of violation and notify the type of punishment for the foul. By the way, matches held under the auspices of FIBA (world championships, Olympic games, international and other competitions) are slightly different by rules from the NBA games.
However, the essence of the rules remains the same. Two teams participate in a basketball game. Each has the same goal - to throw the ball into the opponent’s basket. In this case, you need to protect your ring from throws in every possible way. The game lasts for a certain time. The winner is the team that after this time will be able to get more points.
Interesting fact: amid the popularity of basketball, many of its varieties have appeared. For example, streetball (street basketball), mini-basketball and even a water version of this discipline.
In which cases can I use 1, 2, 3, and in which - no?
Based on the rules of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA, edition until 2011), players in official competitions act only under numbers from 4 to the 15th. The numbers 1, 2 and 3 were not used by teams that are subordinate to this federation (Official Basketball Rules 2010. Rule 4.3.2: Teams must use numbers from the fourth (4) to the fifteenth (15).National Federations have the right to approve for their competition any other numbers consisting of no more than two (2) digits).
This decision was made due to the specifics of refereeing. The referee uses special gestures to indicate a player’s violation, if any, and often shows 1, 2 or 3 fingers, which can be confusing.
For example, if there is a violation of the three-second rule, the judge will show with his fingers how many free throws the player needs to make (throws can be from 1 to 3). On the fingers of the referee can also show the number of the offending athlete secretary of the match. It is for this reason that the above numbers are missing - no magic, all for the sake of convenience and simplicity. This is not just some tradition, but the requirement provided in the set of official basketball rules for the uniform of athletes. It is also indicated that the number should be large enough and distinct.
After 2011, this rule was changed, now it says: teams must use numbers 0 and 00, as well as from 1 to 99.
Where were the 1,2,3 player numbers used in basketball?
However National Basketball Federations may approve any numbers for their competitions.but they must be single or double digit. For example, FIBA Europe is a separate category, which is represented by 50 national basketball federations. These include the national teams of Eurobasket (Russia, Belarus, Italy, etc.) and small divisions (Azerbaijan, Ireland and others).
Thus, among the representatives of national teams (until 2011), one could see the numbers 1, 2, 3. Each player chooses a number for the form on their own. He does not bear any special significance and does not depend on the position of the basketball player, his role. The main thing is that the numbers are not repeated within the same team.
Also, players with numbers 1, 2, 3 can be found in the teams of the National Basketball Association NBA. There are no restrictions on the numbers. Moreover, there is a tradition of assigning individual numbers to athletes, coaches for outstanding achievements. And in some clubs there is a tradition of dedicating numbers just to people or active fans who have made a significant contribution to the development of the team. For example, in the NBA, the most numbers (23) are assigned to the Boston Celtics club. If a number is officially fixed, then it can no longer be used by other team members.
Short answer
The use of numbers 1, 2, and 3 in basketball, until 2011, of the year depended on what rules this or that team obeyed. According to the rules of the FIBA International Federation, the use of player numbers 1, 2, 3 in official competitions was prohibited. The fact is that the basketball rules adopted special gestures of the judge, with the help of which he leads the game process. In particular, with one and two fingers the referee indicates that the team received one and two points, respectively. Three fingers indicate an attempt at a three-point throw. At the same time, the referee must provide the player’s number. After 2011, this ban was removed.
Thus, the numbers 1-3 were not used for convenience. But national federations (for example, FIBA Europe) could approve their numbers for domestic competitions - a maximum of double digits. Therefore, one could see athletes with numbers 1-3 on T-shirts.
