How do basketball games start? What's a jump ball?
Dear Sports Fan,
How do basketball games start? I know there’s a jump ball to begin but I don’t really understand how it works and what it decides.
Thanks, Drew
Dear Drew,
Every college and NBA basketball game begins with a jump ball. During a jump ball, two players stand on either side of a referee who then throws the ball up between them. Once the ball has reached the highest part of its arc, it is then free to be touched. Both players attempt to tip the ball to one of their teammates who are set up around the jump ball in a circle with alternating players on each team. Once the ball is tipped, it’s a free-for all. Whichever team gets the ball, gets the ball.
Basketball games in the NBA and WNBA start with a jump ball. There isn’t a jump ball at the start of each quarter, instead the initial jump ball is used to determine who gets the ball to start each of the other three quarters. The team that loses the initial jump ball gets the first possession of the second and third quarters. The team that gains possession of the jump ball to start the game also starts with the ball in the fourth quarter. I’ve never seen a study which tried to figure out whether it was actually better to win the jump ball and get the ball in the first and fourth or lose it and get it in the second and third. My guess is that it’s insignificant because of the high number of possessions overall (around 200) in each game.
The jump ball is not a unique feature of sports. It is a little bit like a face off in hockey or lacrosse, although in both those games the ball/puck is either dropped down onto the ground or begins on the ground. In all three sports, the goal is to start play with both sides having an even (or close to even. In hockey the home team gets a small advantage) chance of gaining possession of the ball. In lacrosse there are face offs at the start of the game, at halftime, and after every goal. In hockey, face offs are quite common, and are used whenever play needs to be restarted after a whistle.In basketball, jump balls are much more rare. In many games, the jump balled used to start the game, sometimes called an opening tip, will be the only jump ball during the game. In the NBA and WNBA, jump balls can happen during the game if there is a “tie-up” when two players from opposing teams seem to simultaneously have possession of the ball. When that happens, the referee stops play and those two players compete in a jump ball to see who can get the ball. This is better than allowing the game to dissolve into a wrestling match but it does sometimes result in some pretty funny looking jump balls between players of very different heights.
The jump ball hasn’t always been rare. Before the 1930s, it was used just like a hockey face off is, to restart play after almost every stoppage. Think about how often that must have been in as high scoring a sport as basketball! This was before the shot clock had been implemented, so basketball wasn’t as high scoring as it was today, but there still must have been a lot of jump balls. Winning jump balls would have been an important skill to have because a team that was good at it could have gotten possession of the ball, scored, and then gotten possession right back again. Today, the jump ball is archaic and almost extinct. It’s not used in college basketball or international basketball except to start the game. If there is a tie-up during a game in college or internationally, one team will get the ball and then the next time it happens the other team will. This is called alternating possession. Although equally fair, there’s something more pleasing to me about the jump ball. I hope it doesn’t disappear completely.
One of the most popular sporting disciplines in the world, basketball made its first appearance at the Olympics as a demonstration sport at the 1904 St Louis Games.
At the 1936 Games, basketball was included as a medal event and has been a permanent fixture at the quadrennial sporting showpiece since. Women’s basketball made its Olympic debut in 1976.
For people unfamiliar with the sport, here are the modern-day basketball rules, the regulations, scoring system, positions, and the origin of the sport.
Basketball has been a regular fixture at the Olympics since 1936.
Who invented basketball?
The origin of basketball can be traced to Springfield, Massachusetts in the USA. Dr James Naismith, a Canadian physical instructor working at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, introduced basketball in 1891.
Instructed to devise an indoor sport to keep the YMCA athletes in shape during the harsh winter months, Naismith came up with a sport involving two peach baskets and a soccer ball with a set of 13 rules.
The first game of basketball was a 9 vs 9 contest according to Naismith’s rule book but over the years, the laws have been changed and fine-tuned to make what we know as modern-day basketball.
Basketball court: Dimensions and markings
To understand basketball, it’s important to have an idea of the court’s layout.
According to FIBA (international basketball federation) guidelines, a basketball court is a rectangular playing area 28m in length and 15m in width. International competitions including the Olympics follow FIBA guidelines.
The border markings along the length of the court are called sidelines and the breadth of the court are called endlines or baselines.
The key in the basketball court is a rectangular painted area inside the three-point arc.
The outer edge of the key parallel to the endline is called the free-throw line. There’s a 3.6m diameter semi-circle drawn on the outer part of the free-throw line called the free-throw circle.
Basketball rules and sport's regulations
Basketball is a team sport and the game is played between two sides. The core objective in a basketball game is to score points by putting the ball inside the hoop (basket) and to prevent the opposing team from doing the same.
A basketball game starts at the centre of the court when the ball is thrown high up by the referee and one player from each team competing to gain possession. The team that catches the ball, or in possession, is called the offensive team while the team not on the ball is the defensive team.
The offensive team plays with the intent of getting the ball through the opposition hoop or scoring a field goal after moving the ball around the court by passing or dribbling the ball, abiding by a fixed set of basketball rules.
Basketball points-scoring system
Three-point shot: Shooting and scoring a field goal from anywhere outside the three-point line arc wins the team three points. These are referred to as three-pointers.
Two-point shot: A field goal which is scored from inside the area encircled by the three-point arc in the opposition half is worth two points. These are called two-pointers.
One-point shot: Points can also be accumulated through free-throws, which are worth a point each. Free throws are awarded to a team when the opposition team fouls.
During free throw, the fouled player is allowed a fixed number of shots -- depending on the nature and referee’s interpretation of the foul committed -- at an open basket from anywhere inside the free-throw circle with both his feet behind the free-throw line.
Illegal physical contact or obstructions without the intention of winning the ball by a defender when an offensive player is aiming to shoot is regarded as a foul.
A FIBA sanctioned game typically consists of four quarters of 10 minutes each. After two quarters or half-time, the teams switch sides on the court. The team with more points at the end of the four quarters wins the match. If the score is tied at the end of regulation time, the game can go into an overtime period.
Basketball violations
An offensive player can keep the basketball moving around the court by dribbling or passing the ball to a teammate. In a basketball dribble, a player needs to bounce the ball against the floor continuously using one hand at a time.
Using both hands simultaneously to dribble or touching the ball twice before it bounces once constitutes a double dribble violation, which ends in ceding possession to the opponent team.
Furthermore, if a player stops a dribble completely, they need to pass or shoot the ball. In case they start dribbling the ball again after stopping, it is also considered a double dribble violation.
While receiving a ball on the move, a player is allowed to take a maximum of two steps before passing, shooting or starting a dribble. Basically, a player is not allowed to run with the ball. Otherwise, they are called for traveling violation, which again results in turning over possession.
If in a stationary position while receiving a ball or after stopping a dribble, a player also needs to establish a pivot foot, on which they need to stay planted in the same spot while swerving or turning until a pass or shot is made.
Players receiving the ball can start a dribble but can’t lift or displace the pivot foot until the ball leaves his hands. Failure to comply results in a traveling violation.
When a team gains possession inside its own half, the players get 10 seconds to move into the opposition half. Once a team crosses into the midline, possession needs to be maintained in the defending team’s half and offensive players cannot go back to their own half. If the ball is passed back, it results in backcourt violation.
A defensive player is also not allowed to block or touch the ball when in a downward trajectory towards the basket. This is called goaltending violation.
During an attack, an offensive player isn’t allowed to stay in the opposition key for over three seconds without attempting a shot. It is called the three-second rule and results in lane violation.
Shot Clock
Once a team gains possession of the ball, they are put on a 24-second Shot Clock, which means they have to throw the ball at the hoop or attempt a valid field goal before time runs out.
Failure to do so again results in the possession being turned over to the opposition team.
A Shot Clock stopwatch is typically displayed behind the basket during a basketball game.
How many players in a basketball team
A traditional basketball team has 12 players, with five basketball players on the court at any given time. Unlimited substitutions are allowed.
The five players can be segregated into the following positions:
Point guard: Usually players with the best ball-handling skills and vision in the team play as point guards. A point guard’s primary role is to orchestrate both offensive and defensive plays and set up scoring opportunities for team-mates.
Shooting guard: Typically the best long-range and mid-range shooter in the team. Players patrolling the position constantly look for three-pointers or can help drag defenders out wide to create space near the basket for their team-mates.
Basketball legend Michael Jordan typically played as a shooting guard
Small forward: Playing as a short forward needs a versatile skill set. It requires strength and height as well as speed and dribbling abilities. Mid-range and short-range shooting abilities are also important.
Power forward: A power forward is somewhat similar to a small forward but with a bigger focus on physicality. A power forward is usually a foil for the center and are the team’s most dependable scorers from inside the paint.
Center: Usually the tallest player in the team, a center is required to occupy the space nearest to the basket in both halves. In defence, they are tasked to pick rebounds and block opposition shooters while their offensive duties require them to finish off short-range moves or shield out defenders to allow their team-mates a clean drive at the basket.
NBA, the popular US-based basketball league, also follows similar rules with very minor alterations.
basketball: clock and time
How long is a basketball game?
Basketball is played for a certain amount of time. Different leagues and levels of play vary:
High School - High school basketball games consist of four 8-minute quarters or two 16-minute quarters.
College - NCAA college basketball games consist of two 20-minute halves. The same for WNBA and international games.
NBA - NBA games consist of four 12-minute quarters.
What time is the clock?
The clock runs whenever the ball is in play. The clock is stopped whenever the ball goes out of bounds, a foul is called, free throws are taken and during time-outs. When the ball is in the strike zone, the clock starts as soon as the player touches the ball.
In the NBA, the clock stops after a hit made during the last two minutes of play and overtime. In college, he stops in the last minute of the game and in overtime.
Over time
If the game is tied at the end of normal time, extra time will be played. In most leagues, overtime is 5 minutes. Additional overtimes will be added until one of the teams is at the top.
Shot Clock
A shot clock has been added to speed up the game and prevent teams from stopping. This is how long you need to shoot the ball. If the ball goes into possession or goes into the basket, the shot clock restarts. Shot timer length varies for different basketball leagues:
NCAA College Men - 35 seconds
NCAA College Women - 30 seconds
NBA - 24 seconds
Not all states have high school shot clocks. Where they do, they usually follow NCAA rules.
Time-outs
30-second time-out signal
To give your team a break, call a game, or simply stop play for a while, teams can call a time-out. Different leagues have different timeout rules:
High School - The players on the court or the coach may call a time-out. There are five time-outs per game, including three 60-second time-outs and two 30-second time-outs.
College NCAA - There is a different number of time-outs depending on whether the game is on TV or not. This is because there are media timeouts during a TV game, so ads can be shown on the TV channel. For a televised game, each team receives one 60-second time-out and four 30-second time-outs. For a non-television game, each team has four 75-second and two 30-second timeouts.
NBA - In the NBA, each basketball team has six full timeouts and one 20 second timeout. Only a player in the game can call a timeout.
More links to basketball:
Rules Basketball Rules Signals of judge Personal fals Punishment for foul Violation of the rules without foul Equipment Basketball platform 9008
How long is a basketball game?
In any sport, there is a moment when players take a short break, allowing teams to rest and also regroup their game. It is this moment that the timeout expression is considered to be. In some games it lasts 2-3 minutes, and in more contact games like basketball up to 5 minutes.
What is a time-out in basketball?
Time-out is a short pause used by coaches or match officials. Coaches use such a tool to adjust the strategy of the game, as well as to allow the players to take a break. Moreover, not only the coach, but also their assistants can take time-outs by showing the referee a certain hand gesture in the form of palms that are straightened on both hands, making the letter “T”. It is used by judges in case of technical interference, for example, lighting has stopped working, etc.
It is not mandated by the rules to grant a timeout immediately, as there is a specified duration of timeouts. The game should be stopped at the moment when the referee shows a special gesture to all players of both teams. Despite the fact that the timeout is fleeting, such a tactical move cannot be underestimated. There are many cases in history when, with the help of a time-out, it was possible to turn the game around, determining the winner at the end of the match.
Timeout cases
If we talk about a pause in the game, then it is stipulated by the rules, and can be granted in the following cases:
The ball lies “tight”, the coach and the referees managed to discuss the points related to the timeout. For example, when the ball was scored in the basket (ring).
At the time of the free throw.
The right is granted to the team that missed the attack of the opponents.
While the ball is in play, the requested time-out will not be granted to the team. This position was specifically designed to avoid disrupting the most potential game attacks.
How long does it take?
If we talk about the duration of the break, it all depends on the league, under the auspices of which it takes place. That is why the break can last in different ways.
In FIBA matches, the break lasts one minute.
Student leagues have 6 breaks, 4 of which last no more than 75 seconds and another 2 of 30 seconds (if the games are not shown on TV).
Only 4 breaks can be taken at the time of showing student matches on digital TV, one of which is 60 seconds, and three more 30 seconds.
In school tournaments, coaches may request three breaks of 60 seconds and 2 of 30.
The most difficult time-out report is considered if the match is held under the auspices of the NBA, because:
there are pauses of 20 seconds in the first half;
for the whole match, you can apply 6 so-called “minute freezes” for 60 seconds;
the first and third (odd) quarters have two breaks of 100 seconds each;
second and fourth (even quarters) 3 timeouts of 100 seconds.
How much can you do?
If matches among professional players are held under the auspices of the IBF (International Basketball Federation) and the EBF (European Basketball Federation), then the coach of either team will be able to require 6 pauses. The same rules apply to matches held during the Olympiad. Some popular championships also use this rule. If we talk about CA (student association) games, then up to 6 breaks can also be used. Breaks for violations do not count. And this also applies to national competitions.
When broadcasting matches on television, they can be reduced to 5 per match. Commercial breaks and fouls are not taken into account - thus, players have additional moments to rest at the time of the advertisement. If there are school-level competitions, then no more than 5 time-outs per game can be taken.
In the NBA, up to 18 timeouts can be taken per game. At the same time, in those matches where there are commercial breaks, the number was “cut down” to 14 pieces. All this was influenced by the complaints of the audience, which, due to all the interruptions - advertising and requested, the game becomes less spectacular, as well as protracted. And if there is overtime in the match, then the task of watching the match to the end becomes much more difficult.
Speaking about women's basketball, the breaks in them are the same as for men, with the same number of breaks.
General time-out rules
A time-out may be granted to a team if the coach or assistant coach has made a certain gesture to the referee, after which the referee responds with a whistle and a reverse signal. At the moment of pause, each player is given the opportunity to sit down and rest. Coaches are also allowed to appoint game substitutions, regardless of the points scored.
The seated may get up from the bench at the time of the break and enter the court. The rule is valid as long as they are close to the line of sight of the bench.
After the pause ends - the referee blows his whistle and the main part of the teams must return to the field to continue the game. Unlike breaks between quarters, when the game starts with a throw-in, the team that was supposed to continue the attack enters the game.
It is these game rules that exist to make it more comfortable for players to play.
Conclusion
How can you understand the rules and procedures for a time-out in basketball is much more interesting and confusing than in football or any other sport. No other sport has such a large number of game breaks. A sufficient amount of playing time is allocated for breaks, especially when it comes to matches held under the auspices of the National Basketball Association. But in modern realities, this is a forced necessity, first of all, to ensure the safety of athletes.
For example, if you compare basketball with bandy, then there is one break per team assigned with a duration of exactly 60 seconds. In addition, you can take a break there only at the moment when the player is in possession of the ball, and at the moment of the pause itself, the players should not leave the field, since the coach should address them from the bench. In basketball, the game stops only when the ball is in a “dead” state. The communication of basketball players takes place on the benches.
In hockey, face offs are quite common, and are used whenever play needs to be restarted after a whistle.In basketball, jump balls are much more rare. In many games, the jump balled used to start the game, sometimes called an opening tip, will be the only jump ball during the game. In the NBA and WNBA, jump balls can happen during the game if there is a “tie-up” when two players from opposing teams seem to simultaneously have possession of the ball. When that happens, the referee stops play and those two players compete in a jump ball to see who can get the ball. This is better than allowing the game to dissolve into a wrestling match but it does sometimes result in some pretty funny looking jump balls between players of very different heights.
Winning jump balls would have been an important skill to have because a team that was good at it could have gotten possession of the ball, scored, and then gotten possession right back again. Today, the jump ball is archaic and almost extinct. It’s not used in college basketball or international basketball except to start the game. If there is a tie-up during a game in college or internationally, one team will get the ball and then the next time it happens the other team will. This is called alternating possession. Although equally fair, there’s something more pleasing to me about the jump ball. I hope it doesn’t disappear completely.
The core objective in a basketball game is to score points by putting the ball inside the hoop (basket) and to prevent the opposing team from doing the same.
These are called two-pointers.
In a basketball dribble, a player needs to bounce the ball against the floor continuously using one hand at a time.
It requires strength and height as well as speed and dribbling abilities. Mid-range and short-range shooting abilities are also important.
Different leagues and levels of play vary: 
Additional overtimes will be added until one of the teams is at the top. 
It is this moment that the timeout expression is considered to be. In some games it lasts 2-3 minutes, and in more contact games like basketball up to 5 minutes. 
There are many cases in history when, with the help of a time-out, it was possible to turn the game around, determining the winner at the end of the match. 
The same rules apply to matches held during the Olympiad. Some popular championships also use this rule. If we talk about CA (student association) games, then up to 6 breaks can also be used. Breaks for violations do not count. And this also applies to national competitions. 
