Soccer balls were initially used for basketball, and they worked fine with the original rules as there was no dribbling. It was more of a rugby like game, running with the ball and mayhem on the court. To reduce bloodshed, running was eliminated, passing and dribbling were then the only ways to move the ball. Naismith, the creator of basketball, worked with Spalding to create a ball that worked with the evolving rules, something about the same size as a soccer ball, that bounced better on a hardwood gym floor.