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How many players were originally on early basketball teams?
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Basketball
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls leaping into the air during the slam-dunk competition at NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago, February 6, 1988.
In the early years of basketball, the number of players on a team was not fixed; instead, it varied based on the size of the playing area and the number of people in the class.12
Starting in 1894, the number of players per side was determined by the size of the gymnasium:
* Five players: Used when the playing area was less than 1,800 square feet (167.2 square metres).12
* Seven players: Used when the area measured between 1,800 and 3,600 square feet (334.5 square metres).12
* Nine players: Used when the playing area exceeded 3,600 square feet.12
By 1895, teams occasionally agreed to play with five players, and in 1897, the rules officially stipulated that teams consist of five players, a standard that has remained in place ever since.12