What are the Original 13 Rules of Basketball?

The original 13 rules of basketball, written by James Naismith, the creator of basketball, were created in 1891.

The original 13 rules of basketball are:

1. The ball can be thrown in any desired direction with either one hand or two.
2. The ball may be hit in any direction but this rule disallowed the punching of the basketball in any direction.
3. This rule established the traveling violation that stops players from being able to move with the ball without dribbling. A player must throw the ball from the spot they catch it.
4. A player may not hold a ball with any body parts other than the hands. The arms or body may not be used to hold the ball while playing.
5. This rule disallowed players from committing fouls on each other. This rule stated that players are not allowed to shoulder, hold, push, trip, or strike each other. Originally, fouls were not as common as they are today so only the first foul was actually recorded as a foul. After the first foul, players were disqualified for a basket if they committed more than one foul. If the refs decided that there was any intent to harm the opponent, the player would be disqualified for the game without the ability to make a substitution.
6. This rule defined a foul as anything stated in rule five as well as when a player strikes the ball with a fist.
7. If one team is responsible for three consecutive fouls a basket will count for the opponent. (Consecutive is established as one team committing three fouls before the other commits any.)
8. A basket is anything in which a team throws or bats the basketball into the basket and it stays there. The basket will count if the ball lays on the edge of the basket and the opponent touches or moves the basket.
9. If the ball goes out of bounds anytime during the game, the person first touching it must throw it back into the field of play. The person throwing it in is allowed five seconds to get it in. If a team persists in prolonging the game by not throwing it in during the allotted time they may be assessed a foul by the referee.
10. The referee is the judge of all the players playing in the game. They are given the power to note fouls and announce when three consecutive fouls have been made. They also have the power to disqualify players according to rule 5.
11. The referee is responsible for keeping track of the basketball and deciding when it goes out of bounds and to which team it belongs. Referees are also responsible for keeping track of the time of the game, deciding when a goal has been made, and other duties that would normally be performed by a referee.
12. The game shall last for two-fifteen minute halfs with a five minute halftime between them.
13. The team is declared the winner if they make more baskets than the other team during the time of the game. If the game is tied after the 30 minutes of playing time, then the game continues until a basket is made.