A basketball is a spherical ball used in basketball games. Basketballs usually range in size from very small promotional items that are only a few inches (some centimeters) in diameter to extra large balls nearly 2 feet (60cm) in diameter used in training exercises. For example, a youth basketball could be 27 inches (69cm) in circumference, while a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's ball would be a maximum of 30 inches (76cm) and an NCAA women's ball would be a maximum of 29 inches (74cm). The standard for a basketball in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is 29.5 inches (75cm) in circumference and for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), a maximum circumference of 29 inches (74cm). High school and junior leagues normally use NCAA, NBA or WNBA sized balls. [1] [2] Positions and responsibilities [ edit ] A diagram of the relative positions of basketball officials in "three-person" mechanics. The lead official (L) is normally along the baseline of the court. The trail official (T) takes up a position approximately level with the top of the three-point line. The center official (C) stands across the court near the free-throw line. The seventh season of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC will premiere on Saturday, Dec. 11 when the Warriors visit the 76ers (8:30 p.m. ET). The Primetime series will have a game each Saturday from Jan. 29 – March 12 except Feb. 19 during the All-Star break. Difficulty [ edit ] NBA officials Monty McCutchen (center), Tom Washington (#49) and Brent Barnaky reviewing a play. Wilson will manufacture the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League game balls using the same materials, eight-panel configuration and performance specifications as current game balls and will also source the same leather currently used in the NBA. The NBA and its players will work jointly with Wilson to develop and approve the new game ball."

The duties [3] of the basketball referee are exactly this: to ensure the game is played safely and fairly. The referee enforces the rules of the game and in a game will make hundreds of decisions—determining when a violation or foul occurs and then stopping the game to issue the correct penalty. ESPN and TNT will both televise doubleheaders on the final day of the regular season, Sunday, April 10. The matchups for ESPN (1 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. ET) and TNT (7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET) will be determined at a later date. On Wednesday, the NBA announced yet another change, but a subtler one. Starting in the 2021-22 season, Wilson will take over as the league's official ball manufacturer. Spalding currently holds the distinction. Fortunately for players and purists, the new ball will be made with the exact specifications of the current one, as the league revealed in its press release.

There are two standard methods for officiating a basketball game, either "two-person" or "three-person" mechanics depending on how many officials are available to work the game. Many domestic leagues, including Australia, Argentina, Uruguay, France (women), Great Britain, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, the Philippines, Poland, and Portugal. [ citation needed] Nike had the contract to produce balls for the Euroleague Basketball (operators of the EuroLeague and the EuroCup) from 2007 [9] until 2012, when it turned to Spalding. In the Philippines the NCAA (unrelated to the American NCAA) and UAAP use the Nike 4005 Official Tournament Balls. TNT will air 18 Tuesday doubleheaders and 12 Thursday doubleheaders in the 2021-22 season, while ESPN will televise 21 Wednesday doubleheaders and 13 Friday doubleheaders. Every doubleheader across both networks on those four nights will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET.

Our partnership with Wilson fittingly comes to life as we approach our 75th anniversary season,” said Salvatore LaRocca, NBA President, Global Partnerships. “As the NBA’s official game ball for the league’s first 37 seasons, Wilson makes its return building on our shared history and looking ahead toward the continued growth of the league.”Regardless, both classes of officials have equal rights to control almost all aspects of the game. In most cases, the lead official (in FIBA, the crew chief) performs the jump ball to begin the contest, though NFHS, NCAA, and the NBA, have allowed the referee to designate which official (referee or umpire; in the NBA: crew chief, referee, or umpire) shall perform the jump ball.

Molten, a Japanese sporting goods manufacturer, has the current contract to provide game balls for: [ citation needed] On Friday, Jan. 7, the Los Angeles Lakers will host the Atlanta Hawks on ESPN (10 p.m. ET). The matchup will take place 50 years to the day (Jan. 7, 1972) that the Lakers defeated Atlanta for their 33rd straight victory, which remains the longest winning streak in NBA history. Throughout the season, the league will feature NBA 75 Classic Matchups to celebrate the teams, players, coaches and moments that have defined 75 years of NBA basketball. Below are some of the Classic Matchups that will be highlighted during the season: Putman, Carl (September 11, 2017). "Basketball Official Size & Weight". LiveStrong.com . Retrieved 2018-02-02.Spalding was the first company to produce a basketball for official use. Company founder A. G. Spalding made the first dedicated basketball in the last years of the 19th century at the behest of James Naismith. It has produced basketballs since that time and was the NBA’s official game ball supplier from 1983 to 2021. They also produce the basketballs for the WNBA and NBA G League. The company also produces a wide variety of balls for the consumer market. All officials wear a whistle that is used to stop play as a result of a foul or a violation on the court. Hand signals are used to indicate the nature of the infraction or to administer the game. The complete regular-season schedule and team-by-team schedules are attached and available at NBA.com/schedule. The 2021-22 regular season, which comprises 82 games per team, will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, and conclude on Sunday, April 10, 2022.