Social sports club in Wimbledon, London

Basketball Rules

The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in this way is called a shot. A successful shot is worth two points, or three points if it is taken from beyond the three-point arc.

Violations

The ball may be advanced toward the basket by being shot, passed between players, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled (bouncing the ball while running).

The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels out of bounds forfeits possession. The ball-handler may not move both feet without dribbling, known as travelling, nor may he dribble with both hands or catch the ball in between dribbles, a violation called double-dribbling. A player's hand must remain on top of the ball while dribbling, failure to do so is known as carrying the ball. A team, once having established ball control in the front half of the court, may not return the ball to the backcourt. The ball may not be kicked nor struck with the fist. A violation of these rules results in loss of possession, or, if committed by the defense, a reset of the shot clock.

There are limits imposed on the time taken before progressing the ball past halfway (8 seconds in international and NBA), before attempting a shot (24 seconds), holding the ball while closely guarded (5 seconds), and remaining in the restricted area (the lane, or "key") (3 seconds). These rules are designed to reward good defense.

No player may interfere with the basket or ball on its downward flight to the basket, or while it is on the rim (or, in the NBA, while it is directly above the basket), a violation known as goaltending. If a defensive player goaltends, the attempted shot is considered to have been successful. If a teammate of the shooter goaltends, the basket is cancelled and the team loses possession.

Fouls

An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through personal contact is illegal and is called a foul. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or more free throws if they are fouled in the act of shooting, depending on whether the shot was successful. One point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from a line 4.5 metres (15 feet) from the basket.

There is some discretion with the referee when calling a foul — referees consider if there was unfair advantage gained, e.g. if a player were to gain possession unfairly, sometimes making fouls controversial calls. The calling of a foul can vary between games, leagues and even between referees.

A player or coach who shows poor sportsmanship, for instance, by arguing with a referee or by fighting with another player, can be charged with a technical foul. The penalty involves free throws and varies between leagues. Repeated incidents can result in disqualification. Blatant fouls with excessive contact or that are not an attempt to play the ball are called unsportsmanlike fouls (or flagrant fouls in the NBA) and incur a harsher penalty; in some rare cases a disqualifying foul will require the player to leave the playing area.

If a team surpasses a preset limit of team fouls in a given period (quarter or half) – four for international and NBA games – the opposing team is awarded one or two free throws on all subsequent fouls for that period, the number depending on the league. A player who commits five fouls, including technical fouls, in one game (six in some professional leagues, including the NBA) is not allowed to participate for the rest of the game, and is described as having "fouled out".

The basketball court

Mid-court line

The offense has 10 seconds to advance the ball past the mid-court line and, once past it, commits a backcourt violation if it fails to keep the ball in the frontcourt.

Frontcourt

The half court area where the offense accumulates points

Backcourt

The half court area where a team defends its basket.

Baseline

Line that defines out-of-bounds at either end of the court under each basket.

Sideline

The boundary marking out-of-bounds on each side of the court.

Key

Rectangular area that spans from the free throw line to the baseline. Also called the lane. A three-second violation is called if an offensive player stays in the key for three seconds or more.

Free-throw line

The line from which a free throw is taken following certain fouls.

Three point line

An arc-shaped line about 20 feet from the basket (varies by level) behind which shots are worth three points.

Basket

To score, the ball must pass over and through an 18-inch iron circle that is mounted 10 feet off the ground to a wood or glass rectangular backboard. A net hangs below the basket to help determine when a shot is scored.

Player positions

Centre

Usually the tallest player. Position demands a lot of physical contact. On offense, receives ball and shoots close to the basket. Serves as the last line of defense, blocking opponents’ shots and rebounding their misses.

Power forward

Tall player who relies on strength and toughness to control activity in the lane. Frequently rebounds, especially on defense. Has a decent shot from short-range and scores many points by rebounding missed shots and quickly shooting them.

Small forward

Versatile and very athletic player. Aggressively attacks the defense by driving and cutting towards the basket, but also has a consistent outside shot.

Shooting guard

A tenacious defender with an aptitude for stealing the ball. On offense, serves as the secondary ball handler and sharpshooter. Has the ability to convert shots from three-point range.

Point guard

Leader of offense who uses superb passing and dribbling skills to set up teammates for open shots. Has a reliable jump shot and ability to break down a defense by driving into the lane.