The object is to put a ball through a hoop, or basket, and thus score more points than the opposing team.
Teams comprise of ten players, with a maximum of five on court at any one time.
Substitutions are unlimited during the course of the game. Although basketball can be played outdoors, it was invented to serve as an exciting indoor exercise for the winter months in a northern climate. It quickly became a spectator sport, however, and now attracts large audiences to gymnasiums and arenas, especially in the United States, South America, and Europe. The sport is played on the amateur level by schools, colleges, and other groups and since 1936 by national teams in the Olympic Games. It is also played by professional athletes, notably in the United States and Europe.