Five On Five Recreational Basketball League In India

NBA And Mahindra Partner To Launch Community Five On Five Recreational Basketball League In India. MUMBAI, India, March 9 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Mahindra Group, one of India’s largest and most respected companies, today announced a partnership to launch a new multi-city community-based recreational basketball league. The new league for boys and girls ages 14 and up will tip off in Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

Mahindra will be the title partner of the new recreational league, Mahindra NBA Challenge, which will run for seven weeks annually in two divisions: youth ages 14-17 and adult 18+. The BFI will work with the NBA to implement and oversee league operations across all markets. The Mahindra NBA Challenge will provide basketball enthusiasts and newcomers to the game the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game and apply their skills in a fun, competitive environment.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the NBA to create a multi-city recreational league in India,” said Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group. “In a cricket loving nation such as India, we feel it is important to encourage other sports as well and we believe basketball is perfectly suited to bring communities together and promote healthy, active lifestyles to Indian youth.”

The Mahindra NBA Challenge will begin play on April 17 when participating teams tip off at the St. Dominic Savio and Mustan YMCA courts in Mumbai. Individuals and teams interested in registering can visit www.nba.com/india/mahindra. The Challenge will be structured as round-robin play with teams playing one game a week over a seven-week season. League champions will be decided in a weekend-long postseason knock-out tournament at the conclusion of the regular season in each city.

“Mahindra is the perfect partner for the creation of a new recreational basketball league for Indian fans,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “The BFI, Mahindra and the NBA share a long-term commitment to growing the game in India and to using the values of our game to make a positive, lasting impact in Indian communities.”

“Basketball continues to grow in popularity across India and now youngsters in Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai will have the opportunity to play in an organized league and further develop their skills,” said Harish Sharma, Secretary General of BFI. “The launch by Basketball Federation of India and the NBA of the Mahindra NBA Challenge is very exciting and will help accelerate the basketball development of Indian youngsters.”

About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach is also displayed in the 80 international players from 35 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $115 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 450 places where kids and families can live, learn or play.

About Mahindra
Mahindra embarked on its journey in 1945 by assembling the Willys Jeep in India and is now a US $6.3 billion Indian multinational. It employs over a 1,000,000 people across the globe and enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, tractors and information technology, with a significant and growing presence in financial services, tourism, infrastructure development, trade and logistics. The Mahindra Group today is an embodiment of global excellence and enjoys a strong corporate brand image.

Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top tractor brands in the world and has made an entry in the two-wheeler segment, which will see the company emerge as a full-range player with a presence in almost every segment of the automobile industry.

The Mahindra Group expanded its IT portfolio when Tech Mahindra acquired the leading global business and information technology services company, Satyam Computer Services. The company is now known as Mahindra Satyam.

Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector is the proud recipient of the Japan Quality Medal, the only tractor company worldwide to be bestowed this honor. It also holds the distinction of being the only tractor company worldwide to win the Deming Prize. The US based Reputation Institute ranked Mahindra among the top 10 Indian companies in its Global 200: The World’s Best Corporate Reputations list. Mahindra is also one of the few Indian companies to receive an A+ GRI checked rating for its first Sustainability Report for the year 2007-08 and has also received the A+ GRI rating for the year 2008-09.

Terms of Basketball

There are a lot of terms that are used in the game of Basketball. The people who are familiar with the game, may very easily recognise the terms. Here are the terms given for those who knows a very little about the game. The terms are:

Basket or Backboard:
1) In a Basketball game, the basket of a team is normally consists of the basket ring and net. The players of the team try to shoot the ball through this net. In the first half of a match, the visiting team has the choice of baskets. The basket they select remains its basket for the first half.

2) In the second half, the teams change their baskets. The referee considers all the overtime periods as extensions of the second half.

3) Normally, there are five sides of the backboard that are considered in play when the basketball contacts it. The sides are the front, two sides, bottom and the top. The backside of the backboard and the area just behind the basket are considered as out-of-bounds.

Blocking: The referee may call it as `Blocking` if any player makes an illegal personal contact that can impede the progress of an opponent player.

Fouls: A foul is usually an illegal physical contact with an opponent that occurs within the duration of time between the ball has become live and the horn sounds to end the period. If the personal foul occurs after time expires, the personal foul should be overlooked, provided it was not unsporting. However, there are some exceptions:
1) If a player commits the foul while shooting and the shooter releases the ball before the time on the game clock expires, then the referee will treat the foul in the same manner as it is treated in any similar play.

2) The player does a technical foul when he makes any unsporting conduct or his team members on the floor or seated on the bench violates any rule. It can also be referred to the illegal contact that occurred with an opponent before the ball became live.

3) If in a situation, any two opponents commit personal fouls at almost the same time, the referee may rule it as a double foul.

4) When a player makes an illegal contact when he is offending after the ball is live and his team is in control, he will be guilty for an offensive foul.

5) In case of a player making an illegal contact after the ball is alive, when his team is not in control, he is ruled as committed a loose ball foul.

6) If a player makes an unsporting contact with his elbow whether the ball is dead or alive, the referee call it as an elbow foul.

7) A flagrant foul occurs when a player makes an unnecessary and/or excessive contact against an opponent whether the ball is dead or alive.

8) When the ball is dead or alive and a player makes a punch to an opponent, the referee calls it as a punching foul.

9) A player will be called as guilty for an away-from-the-play foul if he makes an illegal contact as a defender in the last two minutes of the game. He will also be guilty if he does the same in overtimes. He may commit it (a) deliberately away from the immediate area of offensive action, and/or (2) before the ball is released on a throw-in.

Free Throw: This is a special privilege given a player to score one point by an attempt without any obstruction. He can do it from directly behind the free throw line. However, he must make the attempt within 10 seconds.

Frontcourt/Backcourt:
1) The frontcourt of a team consists of the part of the court between the end line and the nearer edge of the midcourt line. It also includes the basket and a part of the backboard.

2) The backcourt of a team consists of the entire midcourt line and the rest of the court. The opponent`s basket and inbounds part of the backboard are also including in it.

Held Ball: When two opponent players have one or both of their hands firmly on the ball or a defensive player touches the ball and causes the offensive player to return to the floor with the ball in his continuous possession, a held ball occurs. The referee should not call it unless both the players have their hands so firmly on the ball that none of them can gain sole possession without undue force. While lying or sitting on the floor, a player has an opportunity to throw the ball if he got it. However, if there is any danger of injury, a held ball must be called.

Traveling: The term `Traveling` means to progress in any direction while in possession of the ball.

Screen: This is a legal action from a player who delays or prevents an opponent from reaching a desired position without causing undue contact.

Field Goal Attempt: If a player attempts to shoot the ball into his basket for a field goal, it is called as a field goal attempt. According to the official`s judgment, when a player has started his shooting motion, the act of shooting starts. It continues he ceases the shooting motion and returns to a normal floor position. It is not necessary that the ball leave the shooter`s hand. The term can also be used to indicate the flight of the ball unless it becomes dead or a player touches it. A tap during a jump ball or rebound will not be considered a field goal attempt. However, the goal shall count whenever a live ball is in flight toward the rim from the playing court, even if the time expires or the official`s whistle sounds. The referee will not count a field goal if the time on the game clock expires before the ball leaves the player`s hand or the ball is in flight toward the rim.

Throw-In: The term `Throw-in` means a method of putting the ball in play from out-of-bounds. It begins when the team or player who have it clears the ball and it ends when the ball is released by the thrower-in.

Last Two Minutes: This term is used when the game clock shows 2:00. This indicates that the game is in the two-minute period.

Suspension of Play: If the official thinks that they should retrieve an errant ball, re-set the timing devices, give delay-of-game warning, give inadvertent whistle or any other unusual circumstance, they can suspend the play. None of the two teams is allowed to substitute during such a suspension. During this period, the defensive team may also not be granted a timeout. The play will be resumed at the point of interruption.

Point of Interruption: This is the position of the ball where it was located when the whistle sound.

Team Control: When a player is holding, dribbling or passing the ball, his team is considered to be in control. If the defensive team deflects the ball or there is a field goal attempt, the `Team Control` ends.

Team Possession: The `Team Possession` also means the situation when a player is holding, dribbling or passing the ball. `Team Possession` comes to an end when the defensive team gains the ball possession or there is a field goal attempt that hits the rim.

Fumble: This term has its literary meaning. If a player who is holding the ball fumbles it out of his control, it is called as `Fumble`. The player may recover the ball. If his pivot foot moves to recover the ball, he will have to then pass or shoot the ball. However, he retains his status before the fumble if he fumbles and recovers it without moving his pivot foot and before the ball touches the floor.

The above discussed terms are the general terms used in the game of Basketball. However, there may be some other terms as well.