Women's basketball has come to stay, after many years of turbulence and a lot of challenges. 1891 was the year the game began for women with rules very difficult to comprehend or execute when compared to modern-day women's basketball.
There have been quite many changes to the women's basketball game since it was created. Initially, when women's basketball players began playing, there was very limited contact expected from the players.
For the ladies who were in high school from the 1950s to the 1970s, the rules were 'hard' on the women's basketball teams such that the players were restricted from displaying their skills to full potential with limited roles for them to play on the court.
Just when women's basketball was created, and for many years after that, the underwear outerwear of female basketball players was described as "constricting and concealing." The only parts of the body exposed were the heads, fingers, and necks. Not only did women wear long dresses off the court, but they also did while on the court. Imagine the number of casualties suffered every week of playing basketball simply because of their dresses.
Unlike today, women's basketball was not regarded as either a college-level sport or an intermediate sport between the time the sport started and 1969 when the maiden edition of the National Invitational Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament took place in Pennsylvania. The women's basketball game was nicknamed "six on six."
The "six on six" gave room for only three players, who were the shooters, to play in the forward part of the court and were also the only ones permitted to score points. There were also the guards on the other side of the court who were another set of three players given the liberty to only guard the basket against opposition attackers.
In 1971, there was a change in the rules guiding the women's game once again. This time, all five players were allowed to switch over to both sides. It also became the first time at the collegiate level, that the national 30-second shot clock was formally recognized.
This new change made room for full expression as all the players were able to play on both ends of the court.
However, the evolution of women’s basketball has seen the rules of the game change over the years and has made the game of Women's basketball greatly competitive. Nowadays, the rules for the women's game are the same as for the men’s game across the various competitive levels.
In modern basketball, the women's game and men's game are almost evenly matched. There are a few differences though. For the women, they play with a smaller ball compared to the men, the three-point line has a close perimeter and the women do not play higher than the rim, unlike the men.
Despite the differences, there are even more similarities and parallels. The popularity of women's basketball is far and wide. The scouting and recruitment process is a big part of the modern-day game. There are scholarships also available to female basketball players from different basketball teams within and outside the country. For an ambitious college student seeking to make a career out of basketball, that's some great news. You study while you also enjoy the game you're very passionate about.
A big win for women's basketball today is the fact that the sport now has a pro league known as the WNBA.
