BASKETBALL

Basic RulesBasketball is played by 2 teams with 5 players each. You score by putting
the ball through the hoop.
 Dribble or pass to move the ball. Players are not allowed to take more than two steps after
picking the ball up before shooting or passing it.
 Points scored inside of the round arc on the floor are worth 2 points. If you shoot and make
the ball outside of the arc, it’s worth 3 points.
 Games of basketball are divided into 4 quarters of varying length depending on the level of
play. When the game ends, the team with the most points wins.
1.Learn the basic terminology of the game.
 Hoop/basket: If the ball goes in the hoop with the net, the offensive team scores.
The glass, or backboard is the back of the hoop.
 Dribble: Bouncing the ball off of the court (the floor). Players must dribble to move
the ball. If you don’t dribble and you move your feet, it’s a traveling foul.
 Free throw: When a player is fouled while shooting, they get to shoot free throws.
These are worth 1 point each.
 Jump ball: This is how you start the game. The ball is thrown into the air and players
try to tip it to their team. This event is called the tip off
 The paint: Also known as the interior, this is the area closest to the hoop. It is
outlined by a rectangle. The two big squares near the bottom are the block. The top
line is the free throw line.
 The arc: Also known as the three point line, this is the round line on the ground
surrounding the paint. Making the ball from behind this line is 3 points, not 2.
 Jumper/jump shot: This is any shot outside of the paint. Other types of shot
include dunks, where you slam the ball through the hoop, and layups where you
attack the hoop and try to gently drop the ball in.

2.Break into 2 teams with 5 players each.

Basketball is played by 2 teams. Only 5 players can play for each

team at a time, but you can substitute players out from the bench,
which is where other players wait. For a casual game, it’s okay to
use 2 teams of 3 or 2 teams of 2, etc. The standard positions are:

 Point guard: Typically the fastest player on the team, the point guard brings the ball
up the court. A good point guard is great at dribbling and passing.
 Shooting guard: The shooting guard stays near the top of the court with the point
guard. They’re usually the best outside shooter on their team, as the name implies.
  Small forward: The small forward is usually a versatile player who is equally good at
shooting, dribbling, passing, and defense.
 Power forward: The power forward is a tall player who should be good at fighting in
the paint, rebounding, and shooting close to the hoop.
 Center: Typically the tallest player on the team, the center’s main job is typically to
rebound the ball and block shots.

3.Score points by shooting the ball through the hoop.

In basketball, an offensive player can score between 1 and 3 points

with a shot, depending on where the shot is taken on the floor. The
winner of the game is whoever scores the most points by the end of
the game.[3]

 Outside of the arc, any jump shot is worth 3 points. Some outdoor courts and smaller
courts won’t have this line.
 Inside of the arc, every shot is worth 2 points.
 If you get fouled while shooting, you shoot free throws. Every free throw is worth 1
point. You get 2 free throws for a 2-point shot, or 3 free throws for a 3-point shot. If
you make the shot where you’re fouled, it counts for 2 or 3 points and then you get 1
extra free throw.
.4. Move the ball by dribbling or passing it.

When you have the ball, you have to be stationary with one foot
planted on the floor to pivot. You can move by dribbling, though.
Dribble by bouncing it up and down on the floor. You can also pass
the ball to another teammate, which is a great way to throw
defenders off or quickly get the ball to the basket.[4]

 If you stop dribbling, you cannot re-start dribbling. Dribbling again is a foul known
as double dribbling.
 If you're driving in to shoot, you can pick up the ball and take two steps without
dribbling before you shoot or pass. More than two steps is a foul called traveling.
 You can still jump to shoot or pass, but when you come back down you need to have
gotten rid of the ball.
 When you start dribbling, you must dribble constantly as you move, until you pass,
shoot, or stop dribbling to plant on your pivot foot.
Handling the Ball
1.Hold the ball tightly with your knees bent. If you've got control of the ball
on offense, you need to crouch in a low position to guard and protect
the ball while you dribble. In a proper dribbling stance, you should be
crouched, knees flexed and shoulder-width apart, standing on the
balls of your feet.
 As you're learning, bounce the ball constantly with each hand, switching back and
forth between your left and your right to get a feel for handling with both of your
hands.
 Stick your elbows out if you catch the ball and a defender jumps at you to block you.
 If you're trying to catch the ball, stand with your knees bent and your hands up to give
the passer a good target.
2.Dribble the ball with your fingertips to maintain control. When
beginners first touch the basketball, it's common to slap or chop at
it with the palm of the hand. Instead, push the ball down with your
fingertips to maintain control. Once you get used to the feeling, try
to dribble without looking at the ball!

 Just start bouncing the ball, standing still at first. Flex your wrist to bounce the ball
and try to keep your elbow in to your hip and move your elbow as little as possible.
 Keep your dribble low so you can control the ball more easily.

3. Try to keep the ball about waist-high when you dribble. It's
difficult to control the ball at first, and beginning players often have
a hard time keeping the ball down. If you dribble too high, it’ll be
easy for defenders to grab the ball. If you dribble too low, it’ll be
hard to control the ball. Try to keep the ball at your waist.

 It’s okay to change how high you dribble depending on the situation. For example, if a
defender is close, you might dribble lower. If nobody is around, it’s okay to dribble
higher.
4. Keep your head up and know where the ball is. It's hard to know where to
go and where to pass when you've got your eyes locked on your
sneakers. Whether you’re dribbling, looking to pass, or trying to get
the ball, keep your eyes open and pay attention to where the ball is.
[7]

 You head should be on a swivel at all times. Track the ball, get a feel for where your
teammates are, and look for openings to take advantage.
5. Practice making different kinds of passes to your teammates. Passing is one of
the most important skills in the game. Get comfortable making
passes that go straight to your teammate without making them
move for it.[8] Types of passes include:

 Chest passes: Hold the ball tightly with both hands. Stick your elbows out. Bring it in
to your chest, then flick both hands out to pass the ball without letting it touch the
ground.
 Bounce passes: Bounce passes are identical to the chest pass, but you intentionally
throw the ball at the ground so it bounces once before it reaches the teammate.
 Overhead passes: Grab the ball firmly and pull it back behind your head. Then, hurl
the ball forward over your head towards your teammate.
 Fullcourt passes: If you need to get the ball to the other end of the court quickly
without being too accurate, pull the ball back and throw it like a football.
Shooting
1. Square up to the basket every time you shoot the ball. It's important to square
up, which means you point both of your feet straight at the hoop.
Line your hips up over your feet, which should be shoulder-length
apart. Your shots will be more accurate this way.[9]

 When you're getting ready to take a shot, stop dribbling and take the ball in both
hands, and square up to the hoop. Practice your pick-up step. Take one last dribble
and turn your hips in one motion.

2. Balance the ball in your dominant hand.

Your shooting hand is your dominant hand. Keep your shooting

elbow in tight to your hip, and keep the ball balanced on your finger-
tips on the bottom of the basketball. Brace the ball with your other
hand. Bring the ball up so it’s even with your chin and bend your
knees.[10]

 You do not shoot with both hands, but you do use your nondominant hand to keep the
ball balanced as you shoot.
 To practice your shot motion, lay on the ground with the ball and hold the ball straight
up with your shooting hand. Practice rolling the ball straight up into the air a few
inches with backspin.

3. Roll the ball off of your fingertips as you extend the shot.
Extend your shooting elbow straight up and forward. Roll your wrist
forward, as if you were trying to reach into a cookie jar on a high
shelf. Let the ball pop forward when your arm extends to the end,
rolling backward as you release it. Keep following through with your
hand, putting it in the cookie jar, after you've released the ball. [11]

 The “follow through” is super important. It puts backspin on the ball, which increases
the odds the ball goes in when it catches the rim or backboard.

4. Push off with your feet, jumping straight up as you shoot.

At the same time you extend your elbow to begin shooting, crouch
down and jump up with your legs as you release the ball. When your
arm is just about to reach the highest point, you should be at your
highest point in the air.[12]

 Don't jump forward towards the hoop; jump straight up.

 Your arms help you aim when you shoot, but your power comes from your legs. The
harder you jump as you shoot, the further the ball will travel.

5. Aim for getting the ball just over the rim and into the basket.

Some coaches will tell you to try and get the ball just over the rim of
the basket. Keep your eye on the target and try to do everything in
one fluid motion. Aiming can be difficult to figure out at first when
you’re new, but you’ll get used to choosing the right power and arc
for each shot.[13]

 As you practice, start close to the net to get used to the feeling of it.
 You can also try to aim to bank the ball in off of the glass if you’re at an angle to the
rim.

6. Practice layups by dribbling to the net and jumping as you shoot.

Layups are an important part of basketball. Good basketball players

should have layups locked down so well they'll never miss one in a
game.[14] Here’s how to do them:
  Start at the corner of the free-throw line on your dominant side. Dribble in toward the
hoop from an angle, and pull up when you get near the second to last line on the side
of the lane-marker.
 Pick the ball up as you take two long steps with the ball. Push up off of your
nondominant foot to throw yourself into the air.
 With one hand, roll the ball up towards the rim. Bounce the ball in off the backboard.

Defense

1.Understand why playing defense is so important.

It’s easy to get excited to shoot the ball, but defense is how you win
championships! When your team doesn’t have the ball, your goal is
to keep your opponents from scoring. Disrupt passes, try to steal the
ball if possible, and block shots. It's your job to be annoying and
disruptive to the other team.[15] There are a few types of defense:

 Man-to-man: This is typical defense. Every player is assigned another player to guard
and they follow them around.
 Zone: Every player is assigned an area of the floor to cover and defend, regardless of
who is there. The most common zone is “2-3,” where the guards take the top and the
forwards and center take the bottom by the rim.
 Halfcourt: This is when a team only defends the portion of the court that’s closest to
the rim.
 Fullcourt: This is when a team defends the entire court—usually because they’re
trying to get a steal or exhaust the other team.

. 2. Get into the proper defensive stance with your arms out.

Get low and get wide. Crouch with your feet more than shoulder-
width apart and put your arms straight out at your sides. Stand on
the balls of your feet and make sideways movements to guard the
opponent.[16]

 Who you face depends on where the ball is. If the player you’re guarding has the ball,
face them directly. Otherwise, split the difference by facing your assigned player
and the ball.
3. Practice your side-to-side movements to stay nimble.
The hardest thing about playing defense is staying in your defensive
crouch and sticking to the opponent like glue. It's hard to move side-
to-side quickly, so the more experienced you are at doing the side-
to-side shuffle step, the better a defensive player you'll be. [17]

 Practice running sideways, taking a big step to the side in one direction, crossing your
trailing foot just behind your lead foot, and pushing off again. Then, go back the
other way.