I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O.

3rd Term: Unit 11

UNIT 11 – BASKETBALL

1.- HISTORY

Basketball was created in 1891 in the USA, at YMCA University, in

Springfield (Massachussets), where physical education was studied and
where practical courses in athletics, rugby, cycling and gymnastics were
given.

James Naismith, PE teacher, wanted to create a sport that could be

played indoors during harsh winter. After analysing different sports
that were played at the time, like rugby, football, baseball…he wrote
down 11 rules for a game, which became known as basketball.

Naismith put 2 peach baskets at the ends of the court, 3.05m above the floor. The objective of the
game is to put the ball in the basket, which gives the game its name.

This sport was spread throughout the world by the pupils of Springfield. The first real game in Europe
was played by American soldiers in the Second World War, who played it during recreation moments.

In the Amsterdam Olympics Games of 1928 and LA 1932, it was an exhibition sport, but in Berlin 1936,
it was incorporated into the official programme. In this Olympic Games 21 nations participated, and the
USA beat Canada in the final 18 points to 8. There started the crushing domination of the North
American teams, they won every gold medal until 1972.

Women’s basketball did not become an Olympic sport until Montreal 1976.

2.- WHERE IS IT PLAYED?

The playing surface is a rectangle with dimensions of 28x15m. The vertical lines are called sidelines
while the lines which show the width of the court at the back are called baselines.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 2022-2023
I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O. 3rd Term: Unit 11

Inside lines of the playing surface:

The first thing to notice is the circle in the middle of the court, from which the referee does the
tip off which starts the game. There is also a line that passes through the middle of the circle,
splitting the court in half.

Joined to the baseline is a zone known as the key. At the front of this area there is a circle with
the same lines as the central one, whose painted diameter is the free throw line.

There are two 3 point lines, which are 6.75 metres radius around the key. If you score a basket
from outside this line it is worth 3 points.

Baskets: these vary in size depending on the category. They are made of a backboard, a hoop and a
net.

3.- HOW IS IT PLAYED?

Objective of the game: to get the ball inside the basket of the other team. The team with the most
points wins. If there is a draw, they play extra time (=overtime), until someone wins.

Players: teams are 12 players, 5 of whom are on the court.

Ball: Spherical, like other team sports, but larger. Size can vary with different ages.

Start of the game: the game is started by a jump ball between 2 players (one from each team) in the
centre circle.

Points: 1 point from the free throw line; 2 points from inside the 3 point line; 3 points from outside
the 3 point line.

Duration: a match lasts 4 quarters of 10 minutes of real time. It is called this because time is only
counted when the ball is in play. The overtime is 5 minutes.

4.- RULES

The rules of a sport are the group of rules which regulate its practice and determine its
characteristics. The rules of basketball, for example, are responsible for a fast game of little contact,
which is very technical and impressive.

Now, you don’t need to learn the rules by heart, nor all of them, though knowing the fundamental rules
will help you.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

 On the court:
o You can move freely through the whole court.

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I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O. 3rd Term: Unit 11

o If your team has the ball, you can only be in the key for 3 seconds, unless you are trying to
shoot.

 With the ball:

o You can bounce, shoot or pass to a teammate.
o With lay-ups, you can take 2 steps to the basket, holding the ball.

 With your opponents/Without the ball:

o You can pressure opponents’ if they have the ball, but without touching them.

WHAT YOU CAN’T DO:

 On the court:
o When attacking, spend more than 3 seconds in the key.
o Cross or step on the baseline or sideline with the ball.

 With the ball:

o Carry it more than 2 steps (travel).
o Bounce, catch and bounce again (double dribbling).
o Pass from the opponent’s half to your own half (backpass or backcourt).
o Touch the ball with feet.

 With your opponents/Without the ball:

o Pushing, grabbing, hitting or stealingl the ball in a violent way.

All these offences are punished with the loss of the ball and the other team re-starts from the
sideline or the closest baseline.

5.- PERSONAL FOULS

These are when you touch, push or hit an opposing player. They are punished by:

 Sideline or baseline ball closest to the other team.

 2 free throws if the player was shooting.
 3 free throws if the player was shooting from outside the 3 point
line.
 Free throw “and 1”/additional, when a player is shooting, is fouled
but scores the basket anyway, they get an additional free throw.
 When a player has committed 5 personal fouls they have to leave
the court and be replaced by another team member.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 2022-2023
I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O. 3rd Term: Unit 11

6.- TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF BASKETBALL

6.1. GENERAL ASPECTS

Basketball is played between 2 teams of 5 players. The objective is to score points by putting the
ball in the other team’s basket, and avoid the other team doing the same to them, all the while
respecting the rules of the game. There are 2 mains principles: OFFENSE AND DEFENSE. Possession
of the ball determines one or the other activity. The objectives of the game depend on if you are
attacking or defending, regarding tactics, technical actions and behaviours.

Therefore the game is a constant exchange of possession of the ball. We attack to score a basket
and defend to stop the other team from scoring ours. Although this is easy to understand, it’s not so
easy in practice, and we need some intermediate objectives, called intentions or fundamental tactics.

OBJECTIVES

OFFENSE DEFENSE

 Keep possession.  Recover possession.

 Move the ball to the other basket, getting  Stop the advance of the other team.

past the opposition.  Occupy the attackers’ possible shooting

 Find a teammate in a good place to shoot, positions, with anticipation.

and give them the ball.  Stop them from shooting and scoring points.

 Shoot to the basket to score points.

These objectives are individual and collective. To do them we need the cooperation of the whole
team, and the coordinated actions of the players.

6.2. TECHNICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF ATTACKING

Each sport has its own techniques, determined by the movements

of the sport which will be classified according to whether they are for
attacking or defending.

When a player receives the ball he has 3 options: bounce, shoot

or pass, for this reason we call it “triplet threat”.

 BOUNCE + DRIBBLE
Bouncing and dribbling are one of the main fundamentals,
because it’s the only way a player can move up the court and
towards the basket.
The two fundamentals of this are:
 Don’t look at the ball.
 Use 2 hands.
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I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O. 3rd Term: Unit 11

Depending on the situation, we use one type or another for dribbling:

 Control dribbling:
 We use this when we have the defender close to us trying to stop us while moving
with the ball.
 To get in a good position to protect the ball, have your legs bent and one in front of
the other, so that your leg and arm are between the ball and the defender.
 This dribble has to be low, never over knee height, and far away from the
defender.

 Speed dribbling:
 This normally is used when a player wants to cover as much ground as possible,
usually when there are no defenders.
 The ball travels next to the leg with the bouncing hand slightly in front.

 Changes of direction:
 If a player is faced with a defender, they should try to pass them with a change of
direction. A good dribbler can use both hands to go in any direction. A dribbler who can’t
would be limited.
 The most common are:

o Change forward: the player with the ball, before reaching the defender,
moves the leg forward and in that moment, with a sharp movement of the wrist,
changes to the other hand, after turning to put the leg and body in between ball and
defender.
o Reverse: the player with the ball, before getting close to the defender goes
forward with the opposite leg to the bouncing hand. In the second movement, he turns
on the front leg, and continues bouncing with the same hand.

 PASS AND RECEIVE

This is very important because it helps team actions and has a lot of influence on the final
result. In every pass, there is a passer and a receiver, and their respective defenses. The pass is
good if it arrives at a good speed.

The player should:

 Evaluate the possibility of passing: finding the teammate who is unmarked and in space,
away from the defender and in the best position to go to the basket or shoot.
 Decide what pass to do: it will depend on the distance between passer and receiver, and
the trajectory the ball follows to avoid the defender.
 The moment to do it: you have to pass at the right movement, not before or after. And
you have to keep in mind that the ball needs to go from one hand to the other coordinated
with the receiver, and not give the defender time to steal it.

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I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O. 3rd Term: Unit 11

General rules:

1. Every player should be a good passer.

2. You have to use your peripheral vision, to see what your team and the other team is
doing.
3. The receiver should indicate where they want the ball, always away from the
defender.
4. Preferably pass with 2 hands.
5. Passes should be strong and straight, if they are too slow the other team can steal
the ball more easily.

Common mistakes:

 Not looking at well-placed teammates.

 Constantly looking at the player you’re going to pass to.
 Not looking at your marker and not asking for the ball.

Common types of passes:

 CHEST PASS: the most used and ideal for short distances. The initial position is
basic. You should have the basic offensive with the ball at chest height and the elbows
tucked in by the torso. To release the ball extend the arms, and finally turn the wrists
so that the thumbs face the floor.

 BOUNCE PASS: Same as the chest pass, but you throw the
ball to the floor rather than the receiver’s chest.

 BASEBALL PASS: very useful for long distances when the

ball has to move very fast, especially in counter attacks. The
passer should have the opposite leg to the arm that will pass,
slightly forward, and the ball at shoulder height.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 2022-2023
I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O. 3rd Term: Unit 11

 THE SHOT
The objective of the game is to score in the other team’s basket, and it’s no use being able to
do every other aspect of the game when players aren’t capable of scoring. To do this you need a
good ability to pick up good positions and having a good shooting technique.

Types of shot:

 STATIC SHOT:

You use these shots without opposition, far

from the basket and for free throws. The feet
should be in 2 different positions, one which both
are at the same height and one with the shooting
leg in front of the shooting hand, in both cases
with knees bent.

The ball should be at forehead height on

top of the shooting hand, without losing sight of
the basket. The other should be at the side, its
job is to stabilise the ball. The elbow of the
shooting hand should be at 90º between arm and forearm, and in line with the point of
the foot and the knee.

The ball is released by a coordinated extension of legs and arms, followed by a flick
of the wrist.

 JUMP SHOT: the mechanics are also the same as the previous one, the only
difference is that now there is an aerial phase.

 LAY-UP: can be described as safe, usually at the end of a counter attack, and
preceded by two moving steps. Of the
steps that you have to take, the first
should be with the foot which
corresponds with the arm which does
the shot and the other with the
opposite. With the first step you
should try and get closer to the
basket and with the second try to
get a good push to take you as close
to the basket as possible.

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I.E.S. GRAN CAPITÁN 3º E.S.O. 3rd Term: Unit 11

Mistakes to avoid:

 Poorly/Badly measuring the distance.

 Bad distribution of steps. The two steps should be in length not height, with the first a
little longer than the second.
 Carrying the ball in one hand. Until the body is moving up to the basket, the ball should
be in 2 hands.

6.3. THE POSITIONS

The position of each player is determined by their technique and height, and they have specific
functions:

1. Point guard: usually the fastest player on the team, he/she organizes the team’s offense
by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets
to the right player at the right time.
2. Shooting guard: creates a high volume of
shots on offense, mainly long-ranged; and guards
the opponent’s best perimeter player on defense.
3. Small forward: often primarily
responsible for scoring points via cuts to the
basket and dribble penetration; on defense seeks
rebounds and steals, but sometimes plays more
actively.
4. Power forward: plays offensively often
with their back to the basket; on defense, plays under the basket (in a zone defense) or against
the opposing power forward (in man-to-man defense).
5. Centre: uses height and size to score (on offense), to protect the basket closely (on
defense), or to rebound.

The above descriptions are flexible. For most teams today, the shooting guard and small forward
have very similar responsibilities and are often called the wings, as do the power forward and center,
who are often called post players. While most teams describe two players as guards, two as forwards,
and one as a center, on some occasions teams choose to call them by different designations.

KEY VOCABULARY

 SIDELINES (=líneas laterales)

 BASELINE (= línea de fondo)
 BASKET (= canasta)
 DRAW (= empate)
 TRIPLET THREAT (= triple amenaza)
 CONTROL DRIBBLING (= bote de protección)
 SPEED DRIBBLING (= bote de velocidad)
 COUNTER ATTACK (= contraataque)

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 2022-2023