How To Play Basketball

Would you like to learn how to play basketball? If so, you've come to the right place.

Basketball is a game played by two teams of five members each that have learned how to play basketball. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by tossing the ball into the opponents' basket, and at the same time to prevent the other team from scoring. The game is played on a rectangular court. The playing area is enclosed by well defined lines.

The court is further marked off by a circle in the center and free-throw lines at both ends. Aside from the court the only other equipment necessary is a basketball and two backboards, one for each end of the floor. A team is composed of two forwards, a center, and two guards.

In order for a basketball team to be successful, not only does each individual player must learn how to play basketball, they must learn how to play basketball together as one unit, as a team. The forwards are primarily responsible for the scoring, the guards for preventing the scoring of the opposing team, while the duties of the center may be either.

The game is started by the referee, who tosses the ball up usually between the two centers in the middle of the floor. Each player attempts to bat the ball to one of his teammates. The side securing it immediately goes on the offense, and endeavors by a series of passes or dribbles to advance the ball near enough to the opponents' goal to make a successful shot.

The team failing to secure the ball is compelled to fall back on the defense, where it attempts to prevent the opponents from making a basket, and at the same time tries to get possession of the ball, after which it becomes the attacking side.

When a member of one team causes the ball to go out of bounds, it is returned into the court by a member of the opposing team, who, bringing it to the point where it left the court may pass it in any direction to any one of his teammates.

The player having possession of the ball may neither run with it nor kick it, but must advance the ball by passing, dribbling, or shooting.

The player on defense may not tackle, trip, shove, or use any method that is unnecessarily rough, butmust secure the ball by intercepting a pass or taking it from an opponent without coming in bodily contact with him. Violation of any of the rules constitutes a foul.

When a basket is made from the field two points are scored; when made from the foul-line in what is known as a "free throw," one point is scored; and, when made from beyond the 3-point arc, three points is awarded.

As part of learning how to play basketball, each basketball player is required to learn the different basketball terminologies. Some of these basketball terms are listed below.

How To Play Basketball: Common Basketball Terms.

GOAL: A Goal is made when the ball enters the basket.

BASKETBALL PLAYER OUT OF BOUNDS: A player is out of bounds when any part of his body touches the boundary line or the floor outside of the boundary line.

BALL OUT OF BOUNDS: The ball is out of bounds when any part of it touches the boundary line, the floor outside the boundary line, any object outside the boundary line, or when it is touched by a player who is out of bounds.

WHO CAUSES BALL TO GO OUT OF BOUNDS: The ball is caused to go out of bounds by the last player touched by it before it crosses the line.

HELD BALL: Held Ball is declared when two players of opposing teams have one or both hands on the ball, or when one closely guarded player is withholding the ball from play.

TIME OUT: Time Out is declared whenever the game can be legally stopped without the loss of playing time.

FOUL: A Foul is a violation of a rule for which a free throw is allowed.

DEAD BALL: The Ball is Dead and play shall cease until the ball is put in play again in a manner indicated by the referee.

DRIBBLING: A Dribble is made by a player giving impetus to the ball by throwing, bouncing, rolling, and touching it again before it touches another player. The instant the ball comes to rest in either one or both hands or touches both hands simultaneously the dribble ceases.

HOLDING: Holding is personal contact with an opponent that interferes with the opponent's freedom of movement.

BLOCKING: Blocking is impeding the progress of an opponent.

FREE THROW: A Free Throw for goal is the privilege given a team to throw for goal from a position directly behind the free-throw line.

DOUBLE FOUL: A Double Foul is made by both teams having fouls called against them simultaneously.

DELAYING GAME: Delaying the game is unnecessarily interfering with the progress of the game by a player.

EXTRA PERIOD: Extra Period is the five-minute extension of playing time necessary to break a tie score.

TECHNICAL FOUL: Technical Foul is any foul not involving personal contact.

PERSONAL FOUL: Personal Foul is holding, blocking, tripping, pushing, charging, or committing any other form of unnecessary roughness.

DISQUALIFYING FOUL: Disqualifying Foul is rough play for which a player is removed from the game.

However, learning how to play basketball goes beyond learning basketball terms.

There are other aspects of learning how to play basketball that include shooting a basketall, passing a basketball, grabbing a rebound, and much more that are covered on other areas of this website. Return From How To Play Basketball To Home Page