Netball

Netball is at least a first cousin of basketball, played mostly in Europe, but with more and more advocates in the US. It's a slightly kinder, gentler sport. No physical contact (as indeed was originally supposed to be true of basketball). And no dribbling. According to the official rules: here: "Players may not bounce the ball to themselves, and cannot run with the ball. When a player catches the ball, the first foot that touches the ground when they land is known as the grounded foot. While they are allowed to take that foot off the ground again, they must pass the ball on again before regrounding it. The ball must be passed within three seconds, but it can't be thrown across an entire third without being touched."

A second difference, which also contributes to its kinder qualities, is the division of the court into specific areas which could be only occupied by certain players. This increases the demand on teamwork, and lessens the impact of any single player's skills. According to this source, Netball was invented by: "Clara Baer, a sports teacher in New Orleans, wrote to Naismith (the inventor of basketball) asking for a copy of the rules, the subsequent rules package contained a drawing of the court with lines pencilled across it, simply to show the areas various players could best patrol. But Baer misinterpreted the lines and thought players couldn't leave those areas! In 1899 her mistake was ratified into the rules of women's basketball as zones."

The basket also doesn't have a backboard, which eliminates the opportunity for any backboard-smashing showpersonship, and demands a shooting skills different enough to challenge even the most accomplished basketball player.

There is an International Netball Federation, also known, for some reason not immediately apparent to this investigator, as the IFNA. For more information about this fascinating alternative to basketball, see "Netball resources" for a great compilation of links.