How to Play Basketball

• by Christina Taylor

Introduction

• Basketball is a universally popular game played by people of all genders, ages, nationalities and abilities. There are professional leagues for both men and women in the US as well as all over the world, and you've probably noticed those countless brackets for the NCAA tournament every spring.¹

• How to Play Basketball outlines the basic needs, rules and regulations found in most incarnations of the game we call basketball. Keep in mind basketball has millions of variations, rules and terms. What goes in one neighborhood may not be the same as what goes in the next. However, this article will give you a firm foundation from which to begin playing basketball.

What You'll Need

• Unlike baseball and football, two other mainstream sports, you don't need a lot of equipment to play basketball. You also don't need as many willing bodies. Basketball can be played with a minimum of one person (just shooting and dribbling around) to a maximum of ten people (a full-court game).

1. A hoop
   • A hoop (also called a rim) is a metal cylinder. The basketball must pass through the hoop to score points in basketball.
2. A court
   • A full basketball court is the ideal, but many people make do with much less. You can play one-on-one in your driveway or anyplace with a hard surface and a basketball hoop.²
3. A friend (or nine)
   • There are many ways to play basketball. You can play one-on-one, two-on-two . . . all the way up to teams of five. Even if you are just playing an informal basketball game, you should have no more than five people on each team. The court will get too crowded, and it will be difficult and dangerous to play.
4. A basketball
   • Because basketball is a game that can be played by anyone, there are several different sizes of basketballs.³
5. Sneakers
   • Because of all the stop-and-go action that happens on a basketball court, you should wear stable, comfortable sneakers for foot and ankle support.
6. Comfortable clothing
   • Just like you wouldn't run a 5k in business attire, comfortable clothing is a must on the basketball court.

The Court

• For the uninitiated, the lines on a basketball court can look like mythical gibberish. But each marking on the court carries a meaning, and usually a rule as well.⁴

1. Sideline
   • The sideline runs down the long side of the court. This line forms the boundary on the side of the court.
2. Baseline
   • The baseline runs down the short side of the court, below the hoop. This line forms the boundary at the base of the court.
3. Half-court line
   • The half-court line runs directly through the middle of the court, splitting it into two mirror-image halves with a hoop at each end.
4. Center court
   • The circle at center court is where the game will begin. One player from each opposing team will meet in this center to tip-off. At tip-off, a referee tosses the ball in the air while the two players in the center attempt to tap the ball to their players and obtain possession.⁵
5. Free-throw line
   • The free-throw line is where a shooter lines up to take a free shot after being fouled. A free throw is awarded with one point.⁶
6. The key
   • The key is the small half-circle above the free-throw line, which is typically continued by a dashed line. This circle is used for jump ball tip-offs in mid-game, usually only seen in professional leagues.
7. The lane
   • The lane consists of the area between two lines extending from the key to the baseline. The floor in this area is usually painted, which is why the lane is also sometimes called “the paint.” This is where each team lines up when a shooter takes a free throw. An offensive player may not stand within the lane for longer than three seconds at a time. A defensive player may stand in the lane for any length of time.
8. Three-point arc
   • The three-point arc is the line that makes a half-circle from the baseline on one side of the hoop to the other, encircling the key. Any shot taken and made from this point receives a score of three points.
9. Hoop/basket
   • The hoop is the goal of the entire game. When a player shoots the ball, he or she aims for the ball to travel through the hoop. A basket scores two points. However a shot made from behind the three-point arc is worth three points; a free throw is worth one point.

The Positions

• In an organized game, each team has five players. Each player plays a specific position.

1. Guard
   • Generally, guards are the fastest players on the team. They generally remain in the back court. There will be typically two guards on the floor at any given time—a point guard and a shooting guard.²
   • The point guard is generally the best ball handler on the team.
   • The shooting guard is the best shooter on the team.
2. Forwards
   • Forwards are power players. They generally play in the front court, or closer to the hoop. They can be classified as a small forward or a power forward.²
   • The small forward is the best shooter in the front court. Small forwards are what some may call a "utility player"—they can handle the ball like a guard, but also provide power in the paint like a forward.
   • Power forwards are the best rebounders on the floor, and provide the muscle down beneath the hoop.
3. Center
   • The center is typically the tallest player on the team. They play around the free-throw line, to help create pick-and-roll plays and to score down low and block shots.²

• Numbers are often assigned to each position.⁷
  1. A point guard is a 1.
  2. A shooting guard is a 2.
  3. A small forward is a 3.
  4. A power forward is a 4.
  5. A center is a 5.

Offense

• A team can only score points when they are in possession of the ball. The team that is in possession of the ball is on offense. The goal of the offense is to score points, which is done by shooting the ball through the basket or hoop. There are several things that the offense needs to do to score points.

1. Ball movement
   • A player in possession of the ball may not move their feet without dribbling the ball at the same time. Basically, you can't just hold on to the basketball and run; this is a violation called traveling. You may also pass the ball to another teammate to forward the ball's progress down the court.⁸
2. Create opportunities
   • Do the math: there are five players on offense and five on defense. In order to score, you need to shake off the defense. If all five players on the offense stand in one place, points will never be scored!
   • Many organized teams run various plays. However, basketball plays are only a set of coordinated diversions, aimed at opening up one or two players for a shot.⁹ The easiest way to open up a player is to set a pick. A pick puts a defensive player off balance, and allows the player with the ball to move, shoot or pass. To set a pick:¹⁰
     1. Run up behind the defensive player guarding the player in possession of the ball.
     2. Cross your arms over your chest.
     3. Plant your feet. (You may be charged with a foul if your feet are moving when you set the pick.)
     4. Let the defensive player knock into you trying to chase down your teammate.
        • For an informal game of basketball, all you'll need is a really great pick to create wide-open shots.

• Don't forget to pass. Nothing sets up great offensive opportunities like teammates, so make sure to get everyone involved!

Gaining Possession of the Ball

• There are several ways to gain possession of the ball and become the team on offense:

1. Win the tip-off
   • The game begins with an opening tip-off. The team who controls the ball after the tip-off is in possession of the ball.
2. Steal the ball
   • A ball is considered stolen if you are a defensive player and intercept a pass or otherwise take the ball from an offensive player.¹¹
3. Rebound the ball
   • When a player shoots the ball, but the shot misses, the person who catches the ball has made a rebound. If a defensive player catches the rebound, the offensive and defensive teams now revert.¹²
4. Force a turnover
   • There are countless ways to force a turnover. One way is when the ball goes out of bounds, with the offensive team being the last to touch the ball. Then the possession goes to the defensive team.
   • Any time possession of the ball changes between the teams without a basket being scored is considered a turnover.
5. Jump ball
   • A jump ball is when two players from the opposing teams are each in possession of the ball, essentially fighting over it. In the some professional leagues, the teams will actually have another tip-off. In most other leagues, this dispute is settled by the possession arrow. The possession arrow flip-flops after every jump ball, beginning with the opening tip-off, so that each team has an equal chance to have possession in the event of a jump ball.¹³
6. The other team makes a basket
   • After a team makes a score, possession goes to the other team.

Defense

• The team that is not in possession of the ball is on defense. The goal of the defense is to stop the other team from scoring points.

• There are two types of defense:

1. Man-to-Man
   • In a man-to-man defense, each defensive player is responsible for defending one offensive player. For example, the player who plays point guard on the defensive team will likely guard the player who plays point guard on the offensive team.¹⁴
2. Zone
   • In a zone defense, each defensive player is responsible for defending an area and any offensive player who comes into that area, or zone.¹⁵

• However, there are rules to playing defense. Defensive players must follow these rules, or risk being called for a foul. See the section on Fouls for a complete list of defensive fouls.

• Remember the adage, “The best offense is a good defense.” If you play great defense, you’ll keep the other team from scoring and create more scoring opportunities for your own team.

Fouls

• Technically, basketball is considered a non-contact sport. Anyone who has ever been on a basketball court understands that this is not necessarily the truth. Either way, the basketball court is not a free-for-all. Certain actions on the court are considered “fouls.” Here’s a list of the most commonly called fouls.

Offense

1. Charging
   • If you are on offense and you run into a defensive player who has established position (planted feet), you are charging.¹⁶
2. Illegal screen
   • An illegal screen happens when a player sets a pick, but moves his or her feet. When you set a pick, you must stay stationary until the defensive player has moved.¹⁷
3. Over the back
   • When you are attempting to go for an offensive rebound, you cannot jump over a person in front of you. You may only jump directly up and down; any curling over the person in front of you will result in a foul.

Defense

1. Blocking
   • A blocking foul occurs when a defensive player uses his or her body to impede an offensive player’s advancement.¹⁸
2. Holding
   • A holding foul occurs when a defensive player holds onto an offensive player, restricting the offensive player’s ability to play the game.
3. Reaching
   • If a defensive player hits an offensive player while attempting to steal the ball, this is a reaching foul.¹⁹
4. Hacking
   • Defensive players may not hit the arms, hands, or other body parts of an offensive player in mid-shot. Doing so will result in a hacking foul.²⁰

Other Types of Fouls

• There are two other, more serious, types of fouls. These can occur to either an offensive or defensive player.

1. Technical
   • A technical foul is called when a player exhibits unsportsmanlike conduct, such as talking back to a referee or fighting with an opponent. When a technical foul is called, a player from the opposing team will get two free throws.²¹
   • If a player receives two technical fouls in a game, he or she will be ejected.
2. Flagrant
   • A flagrant foul is called when a player exhibits unnecessary or malicious harm to an opposing player, while the game is in play. For example, if Joe goes up for a shot and Tim elbows Joe in the nose so the shot will miss, Tim is committing a flagrant foul.²²
   • A player may be ejected after one flagrant foul.

Free Throws and Penalties

1. If a player is fouled while taking a shot, he or she will get two free throws. The exception to this rule is if the original shot was made. If this is the case, the player will get the two points from the original shot, plus one free throw attempt.
2. Most fouls that do not occur on a shot will not receive a free throw attempt. However, in certain leagues, there is a penalty limit. When a team goes over the penalty limit (a certain number of fouls committed by the entire team), the opposing team will be awarded free throws for all types of fouls.

• • • NOTE: Make sure to visit Mahalo's guide on shooting free throws before you jump into a game.

Violations

• Violations are not as serious as fouls because they don’t necessarily give the other team a free shot.²³ They do, however, cause turnovers, which means the other team will get possession of the ball if you or a teammate does one of these things.

1. Traveling
   • If, which in possession of the ball, you take a step without dribbling the ball, you are traveling.²⁴
2. Dribble
   • If you dribble the ball and stop (or pick up the dribble), you may not dribble again. You must pass or shoot. If you do dribble again, you are committing a double dribble.²⁵
3. Carry
   • While dribbling, you cannot bring your underneath the ball. Keep your palm facing downwards while dribbling.
4. Three seconds
   • An offensive player cannot stand in the lane, or the paint, for more than three seconds at a time.
5. Over and back
   • When playing a full-court game, once the point guard brings the ball across center court, play is restricted to that side of the court as long as that team retains possession. Meaning, once the point guard crosses half court, the ball cannot go back until the other team has possession.²⁶

Alternatives

• Because basketball is the most versatile game on the planet, there are many alternatives to the old-fashioned five-on-five game.

1. Half-court
   • If you're playing one-on-one, or some other evenly-teamed variant, playing a half court game is a popular option.²⁷
   1. Rather than running back and forth, you and your opponent will play on the same hoop.
   2. Rather than taking the ball out of bounds to signify the turning over of the ball, just head to the half-court line and "check" the ball. To check the ball, you pass it to your opponent.
   3. When your opponent passes the ball back to you, the ball is in play.
2. H-O-R-S-E
   • H-O-R-S-E is a shooting game.²⁸
   1. You take a shot. If you make it, your opponent must make the exact same shot that you did.
   2. If your opponent misses, he or she now has H. The goal is to force your opponent to spell H-O-R-S-E before you do.
3. 21
   • 21 is a half-court game. It is also sometimes called California. It can be played with any number of players more than one. Usually it's played with two or three people.²⁹
   1. Like a half-court game, one person checks the ball.
   2. The person in possession of the ball is trying to score. The rest of the people are on defense. A basket counts for two points. When a player makes a basket, he or she must take free throws until there's a miss.
   3. Each free throw counts for one point.
   4. After a missed free throw, the player who rebounds the ball has possession. This continues until one player reaches 21 points exactly and is declared the winner.
   5. If a player busts (or goes over 21 points) his or her score resets to 13 and play continues.
   • (This power forward author spent many summer evenings playing 21 with her shooting guard friend back in high school. The player who can rebound best always has the upper hand when playing 21, unless you're Shaq, because free throws win 21.)

Conclusion

• Basketball is a great physical activity that can be enjoyed by just about anyone. Even if your cardiovascular fitness isn't up to full-court presses, you can always spend a lazy evening playing H-O-R-S-E with the kids. And you definitely don't need to play basketball to enjoy watching it on television or in person. There are plenty of opportunities for anyone interested in basketball to get involved or just be a fan. So go enjoy the most universal game out there—basketball!

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References for How to Play Basketball

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Professional Sports Leagues
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Wikipedia: Basketball Court
3. ↑ Academy Sports: Choosing a Basketball
4. ↑ Dummies.com: Taking a Closer Look at the Basketball Court
5. ↑ Coach's Clipboard: Opening Tip Play
6. ↑ eHow.com: How to Shoot a Free Throw in Basketball
7. ↑ Basketball Plays and Tips: Basketball Positions
8. ↑ Britannica Online: Basketball Traveling
9. ↑ Jes Basketball: Basketball Plays
10. ↑ Guide to Coaching Basketball: The Basics
11. ↑ Youth Basketball Tips: Stealing the Ball
12. ↑ Guide to Coaching Basketball: Offensive Basketball Rebounding
13. ↑ Wikipedia: Jump Ball
14. ↑ Coach's Clipboard: Basic Defence
15. ↑ Coach's Clipboard: Zone Defense
16. ↑ Pretty Great Answers: What is Basketball Charge Fouling?
17. ↑ LifeTips: What is an Illegal Screen?
18. ↑ eHow.com: How to Define Blocking in the NBA
19. ↑ BetterBasketball: Reaching
20. ↑ The Collegian Online: Learn the Lingo: Basketball 101
21. ↑ eHow.com: How to Call a Technical Foul
22. ↑ eHow.com: How to Call a Flagrant Foul
23. ↑ Dummies.com: Understanding Basketball's Nonfoul Violations
24. ↑ ExpertVillage.com: Basketball Signals: Traveling
25. ↑ ExpertVillage.com: Double Dribble
26. ↑ ExpertVillage.com: Basketball Signals: Over and Back
27. ↑ eHow.com: How to Play One-on-One Half-Court Basketball
28. ↑ wikiHow: How to Play HORSE
29. ↑ Wikipedia: 21 (Basketball)

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