Basketball While everyone who has watched the popular American Show 'The Simpsons' will have heard of Springfield, not many people also know that this US city was the birthplace of Basketball just 120 years ago. In comparison to soccer, which is usually played outdoors with 22 players, basketball is often played indoors with two teams of 5 players. The object of the game is to throw the ball into the opposing team's 'basket', and players can move with the ball by rolling or bouncing it.