3-point field goal
A three-point field goal (also called a three-pointer) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two points awarded for field goals made within the three-point line and the one point for each made free throw. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the 3-point line is 22 ft (6.71 m) away from the basket to a line parallel to the sidelines, or 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) to a circular arc centered on the basket, whichever is closest. In international FIBA and WNBA play, the three-point line is 6.75 m (22 ft 1 3⁄4 in) away from the basket on the arc part and 6.6 m (21 ft 8 in) from the straight parts. In both men's and women's National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) basketball, the three-point line is simply a 180° circular arc centered on the basket, 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m) in radius. There are more variations (see main article).
The three-point line was first tested at the collegiate level in a 1945 NCAA game between Columbia and Fordham but it was not kept as a rule. At the direction of Abe Saperstein, the American Basketball League became the first basketball league to institute the rule in 1961. Its three-point line was a radius of 25 feet (7.62 m) from the baskets, except along the sides. The Eastern Professional Basketball League followed in its 1963–64 season.
The three-point shot later became popularized by the American Basketball Association after its introduction in the 1967–68 season. Then commissioner of the ABA George Mikan stated the three-pointer "would give the smaller player a chance to score and open up the defense to make the game more enjoyable for the fans." During the 1970s, the ABA used the three-point shot, along with the slam dunk, as a marketing tool to compete with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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