Basics of Basketball (note: these rules are regulation rules and may or may not be enforced in pickup games.)
- Basketball is a team sport, the team who plays with the most teamwork is likely to be victorious.
- Each team is composed of 5 payers, all assuming different positions, working together to efficiently play defense and efficiently score the ball.
- A regulation basketball court is a rectangular surface 94 feet long and 50 feet with a basket on either side of the court.
- The rim and backboard must be elevated 10 ft off the ground.
- The game is divided into halves at the collegiate level, and divided into four quarters at the professional and high school level.
- The objective of basketball is to score the basketball into basket and through the net with the use of shots, dunks, layups, passes, dribbling, screens, cuts, and strategy.
- The ball is moved down the court through passing and dribbling.
- Players are permitted throw the ball in any direction with one or two hands, players may bat the ball in any direction with one or two hands.
- In regulation basketball a shot within the three point arc is worth 2 points and a shot made outside the three point arc is worth 3 points. In pickup ball, a shot inside the three point line is generally worth 1 point, and a shot outside the three point arc is worth 2 points. Free throws are awarded through fouls and shooting fouls, free throws are free points taken without any defense that require skill and muscle memory.
- The basic player positions of basketball include a point guard who distributes and handles the ball, a shooting guard who plays the perimeter and is generally a good shooter and can take it to the basket, a center who is very tall and plays very close to the basket to get rebounds and plays around the basket. Other positions such as small forwards, forwards, and power forwards require a skills from each of the positions in combination.
simple overview or basketballs most important rules(these rules may not be enforced in pickup basketball.)
The rules that are most essential to understanding the game include: fouls, traveling or walking, double dribble, backcourt violation, and carrying.
- Fouls- Fouls include any illegal physical contact. Such as pushing, tripping, hitting, slapping, holding, shouldering, and blocking. If a player is fouled in the act of shooting, the player will get two free throws if fouled inside the paint and three free throws if fouled outside the three point arc. If a player is fouled in any other context the team whose player was fouled is allowed to pass the ball in from outside and the player charged with the foul gains a foul. This is called taking it out from the inbound. A charging fouls is an offensive foul awarded when an offensive player pushes or runs over a defensive player, the ball is then given to the defensive team. A blocking foul is illegal physical contact established while trying to defend the offensive player from getting to the basket such as holding, pushing, reaching in, or hitting.
- Flagrant and Intentional fouls - Violent or intentional physical contact to an opposing player such as punching, kicking, and hitting without any intention of playing the ball. The severity of the punishment is up to the discretion of the referee officiating the game.
- Carrying - When the player dribbling the ball dribbles with their hand too far under or to the side of the ball, very similar to literally "carrying" the ball for a second.
- Walking or Traveling - A player cannot run or move forward with the ball without dribbling or passing the ball from the spot caught. If the player takes more than two steps without dribbling the player is considered to be walking. In basketball you are allowed to have one foot permanently planted every time you catch the ball, you are allowed to pivot around on this foot as long as your foot stay planted and doesn't move, if the pivot foot moves at all it is considered walking or traveling. Once a player picks the ball up from his dribble, they're bound to their pivot foot and have restricted movements.
- Double Dribble - Dribbling the ball with both hands or picking up the ball with both hands and putting it down again is considered double dribble.
- Backcourt Violation - Once the ball is brought beyond the half court line by the offensive team, the team cannot cross back over the half line. If a player or the ball goes back over the half line, a backcourt violation is called. The one exception is if the ball is deflected by the defensive team, the offensive team may cross the half court line again to retrieve the ball.
Below are a few websites that can be visited in order to get an in depth look at all of the rules of basketball.