Writing Your Rules of “Basket Ball”

I was just at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I’m not an art guy. Really, I can’t tell you the difference between my kids finger paintings and Monet’s Water Lilies. Near the end of my trip, I rebounded from staring at countless pieces of art to find James Naismith’s Original Rules of “Basket Ball”. All I could think was, “Score!”.

Hung on a bulletin board in a gymnasium in December 1891, Naismith’s two pages of rules are now yellowed with age. Looking at the birth certificate for basketball, I couldn’t help but think, “What was James Naismith thinking when writing the rules of basketball?”

And maybe there’s more in those rules than just the origin of the game. Let me explain.

Behind Naismith’s Rules
Naismith wrote 13 rules of “Basket Ball”. Not too shabby for a sport that grossed almost 4 billion in revenue in 2010. More amazing is the fact that only two of his original rules (rules 8 and 13) had anything to do with how to actually win the game.

The remaining 11 were all about two things. “What you can do” and “What you can’t do”. 6 of those 13 rules represent the “can’t dos” and Naismith’s consequences. It turns out a lot of original sporting rules are similar. Of the 13 original rules of golf, 9 deal with the “can’t dos” and their penalties.

Why did Naismith and others focus so much on the “can’t dos” and consequences? I thought sports were all about winning?

The Can’t Dos of “Basket Ball”
Like my high school basketball coach always said, “Jon, get a can do attitude. You play to win the game.” Life seems full of winning strategies and “can do” attitude lately. In a world where everyone gets a medal and there is no second place, “can’t dos” seem to have become forgotten.

But what happens when our “can do” attitude is crushed after we realize first place is really last, last second shots rarely fall and companies aren’t hiring for degrees in Basketball 101.

Whether you are writing some rules of your own, or crafting the next big strategy at work to beat the competition, don’t forget to spend some time on the “can’t dos”. Here are a few additional “can’t do” rules to consider that James Naismith would be proud of.

• Rule 3. You can’t run with the ball
   To get to where you want to go, you have to dribble. Step by step. You also need great teammates who can pass the ball. You will never go anywhere by cutting corners or double dribbling. You’ll only end up a step behind the competition.
• Rule 7 . You can’t foul, else it will count as an opponent’s goal
   Every once in a while you’re going to commit a foul. Just don’t ever think that a strategy focused on continually fouling others to get ahead will work. You’ll only find yourself watching your opponent score while you’re on the bench.
• Rule 9. You can’t go out of bounds, else it will be thrown back in 
   The world moves fast. You’re likely to find yourself out of bounds holding the ball every once in a while. Like basketball, everything in life has boundaries. Know where the lines are and the consequences when stepping outside them.
• Rule 11. The referee shall be the judge
   Don’t forget that a referee is always watching and is the judge of who has the ball and who has the most goals. Be nice to the referee. He has a hard job. Talking back to him will only piss him off and increase your chance of getting ejected from the game.

Vince Lombardi once said, “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” We live in a world focused on succeeding and winning. Maybe you are up against the shot clock and just fouled out. Just remember to live up to the consequences and have the courage to be accountable for the “can’t dos”.