Thousands of women and girls play basketball in schools and colleges and on independent club basis throughout the United States. Women play on a court similar to that used by men, but the playing rules are different. The most important competitive events in women's basketball are the annual AAU championship and the annual Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women ( AIAW) championship.

Women's basketabll was first palyes at about the turn of the century the first basketball guide for girls was published in 1901. For 30 years the game was played on a floor divided into three zones, and a team contained three divisions. Owing to safety - precautions the game's early rules were very conservative. The regulations included a time limit for holding the ball, penalties for contacting a ball already in only a vertical or horizontal place while guarding, and observance of the three zones in which girls had to remain.

Considerable changes were made for the 1932-1993 season. The rules for guarding were modified, aloowing the defending player more leeway. Four years later a revolutionary step was taken when the center jump was climinated for putting the ball in play following a goal. In 1938 - 1939 it was decided that the game should be played on a two-zone court, with a dividing line across the middle. Until the 1961-1962 season, a team's six players-three forwards and three guards-were not aloowed to cross this line. The forwards concentrated on playing near the rival basket, and the guards were stationed near their own basket.

However, the rules were changed beginning with the 1961-1962 season to permit a forward and guard from each team to cross the dividing line so that there could be four offensive and four defensive players in the zone in which the ball was in play.

Another rule change took effect in 1971-1972, when the size of each team was reduced to five players-two forwards, two guards,and one center- and when the lenght fo the game was changed from four quarters of eight munites each to two halves of 20 minutes each. The scoring rules remained two points for a field goal and one point for a foul.