History of Basketball Equipment
The soccer ball and the peach basket soon gave way to specialized equipment. For example, in the early days the peach baskets were closed at the bottom, meaning that someone had to climb on a ladder to retrieve the ball after a made basket. The peach basket was later replaced by a metal rim with a net hanging below, and in 1906 people began opening the netting to let the ball fall through.
The first basketballs were made from panels of leather stitched together with a rubber bladder inside. A cloth lining was added to the leather for support and uniformity. The molded basketball, introduced in about 1942, was a significant advancement for the sport. The molded ball, a factory-made ball that had a constant size and shape, offered better reaction and durability, making play more consistent and the development of individual skills easier. In Naismith's original 13 rules, the ball could be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but it could not be dribbled because players could not move with the ball. Beginning in 1910 a player could dribble the ball, but could not shoot after dribbling. It was not until 1916, following heated debate, that players were allowed to shoot after dribbling.
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