Accidents can happen. Sometimes, some dolt's error can be useful. Coca-Cola, Post-it Notes, Scotchguard, penicillin and the indispensable Silly Putty were all recovered scientific fumbles.
But invention by mistake is not confined to the world of science. Accidents even help create new sports.
Any basketball superfan knows that James Naismith invented the sport at a YMCA in Springfield, Mass., in 1891. That was no accident.
Many do not know that the sport originally had nine players on a team (Naismith had 18 kids in his class.). The game had three guards, three forwards and three centers.
Trust me, this all becomes important.
In 1895, New Orleans physical-education teacher Clara Baer wrote to Naismith asking for a copy of the rules. Naismith did this regularly, which helped lead to basketball's spread. He included a drawing of the court and the areas of the court that each player could cover the best.
Baer flubbed and misinterpreted the rules. She thought the players could not leave the zones Naismith had laid out. And thus, netball was born.
In 1960, netball was standardized. The players on a team were reduced to seven, and a ball (very close to leather basketballs) and other rules were internationally adopted.
Only two players on a netball team can score: the goal shoot, who is limited to the third of the court closest to his goal, and the goal attack, who is limited to the two-thirds of the court closest to his goal.
The goal shoot and goal attack usually get the ball from either the wing attack or the center. The wing attack is limited to the two-thirds closest to the goal but cannot enter the area around the basket. The center can enter everywhere except the goals. The wing attack, goal shoot and goal attack all have defenders assigned to the same positions on the other side of the court.
Netball is most popular in non-American, English-speaking countries, like Australia, England, Scotland and New Zealand.
Versions of the sport are still played today. Someone thought it would be a good idea to litter a netball court with trampolines, and thus SpikeTV's Slamball was born. As hard as it is to believe, Slamball was made on purpose. Go figure.
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