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How does any game of basketball begin
How to play, scoring and all you need to know
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.
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.
WE ALL LOVE TO PLAY BASKETBALL, BUT DO YOU KNOW THE RULES EXACTLY?
Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Then everything was different: playgrounds, baskets, balls…
!!! Read about the evolution of balls in the article:
Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Then everything was different: playgrounds, baskets, balls…
!!! Read about the evolution of balls in the article:
The history of basketballs
The history of basketballs
What balls are played now and how it happened
The beginning
The rules have also changed a lot during this time. Initially, there were only 13 of them in basketball:
The ball can be thrown in any direction with one or two hands.
The ball may be hit with one or both hands in any direction, but never with the fist.
The player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw the ball from the point at which he caught it, except for a player running at high speed.
The ball must be held with the hands. You can not use the forearms and body to hold the ball.
In any case, hitting, grabbing, holding and pushing the opponent is not allowed. The first violation of this rule by any player shall be called a foul; the second foul disqualifies him until the next ball is scored, and if there was an obvious intention to injure the player, then a disqualification for the whole game. It is not allowed to replace a disqualified player.
Punching the ball is a violation of rules 2 and 4, the penalty is described in rule 5. commit no foul).
A point is scored if a ball thrown or bouncing off the floor hits the basket and stays there. Defending players are not allowed to touch the ball or basket while shooting. If the ball touches the edge and the opponents move the basket, then a point is scored.
If the ball goes out of bounds, it must be dropped into the field by the first player to touch it. In the event of a dispute, the referee must throw the ball into the field. The thrower is allowed to hold the ball for five seconds. If he holds it longer, then the ball is given to the opponent. If either side tries to play for time, the referee must give them a foul.
The referee must monitor the actions of the players and fouls, and notify the referee of three consecutive fouls. He shall have the power to disqualify players under rule 5.
The referee must watch the ball and determine when the ball is in play (inbounds) and when it goes out of bounds (out of bounds), which side should be in possession of the ball, and any other action that the referee would normally take .
The game consists of two halves of 15 minutes each with a break of 5 minutes between them.
The side with the most goals during this time period is the winner.
The most important rule change in the history of basketball is the introduction of dribbling. In the original version of the game, this was prohibited by paragraph 3 of the rules.
One of the first changes in the game and the rules was the replacement of the basket with a ring with a net. It seemed to be very inconvenient to climb after the ball every time after a hit. Around the same time, free throws, dribbling appeared, and the composition of the teams was fixed for 5 players on the court at the same time. Before that, in some matches, up to 50 people could be on the court at the same time. All this happened back in 1896-1897.
The emergence of FIBA (International Basketball Federation)
Basketball in the early 20th century was becoming more popular and the rules in each country could be different. This was one of the reasons why FIBA appeared in 1932 year. At the first FIBA congress, the teams were approved (5 people and 2 substitutes), and it was decided that after each goal there would be a throw-in in the center. This rule was removed after 4 years to reduce the advantage of tall players.
Over the next few years, the main changes were related to the number of personal fouls, the number of players on the bench and the introduction of a time limit for getting the ball into the opponent's half of the court.
More changes came in 1952 after the Olympics. The game became very boring, because the teams held the ball, having received a minimal lead in the score. Everyone understood this and searched for solutions for several years in order to save the life of basketball. At 1954 Danny Biason proposed to the NBA to limit the time for the shot to 24 seconds. At the 1956 Olympics, there was a similar rule: it was necessary to make a throw in 30 seconds. At the same time, to add equality between defense and attack, another rule familiar to us appeared: you need to start dribbling the ball before the supporting leg comes off.
Then the game became similar to the modern one from a technical point of view: dribbling, shots, a three-second zone appeared. In 1979, the NBA added a three-point line, and in 19In 1984, FIBA also added an arc.
!!! An article about the evolution of the three-point shot and interesting facts:
10 interesting facts about the three-point shot.
10 interesting facts about the three-point shot.
Three-pointer evolution and insane records.
Changes in the rules and basketball since 1956 have included the number of free kicks, the situations in which these free kicks are given, and individual and team penalties. Some rules were introduced, and a few years later they were canceled. For example, the "3 for 2" rule: if a player was fouled in the shooting phase, then if one of the first two shots was missed, he could make another free throw. This rule was later removed.
Since the 1990s there have been constant changes: the emergence of alley-oops, changes in the timing and rewriting of the rules of running, which continue to this day.
From the most interesting: if the team has 0.3 seconds or less to throw the ball from behind, then it must be a one-touch throw. It takes at least 0.4 seconds to perform a full throw.
Derrick Fisher made similar throws:
And here is a small selection of videos of how they throw in 0.2 seconds:
Do you want to take your first steps in basketball or improve your basic skills? We have a Basic Basketball Skills workout for you. See the schedule and sign up:
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Coach: Yuriy Bespalov
- Professional player of the INANOMO 3x3 team; - Champion of Russia 3x3 2019, 2021; - Winner and medalist of the MOFB championship; - MLBL Summer League MVP 2017; - Multiple participant of Moscow Open; - Champion of Moscow 3x3 2017; - MVP GrunisCup 2017.
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Basketball: team and substitutes.
Each team consists of 5 main and 5-7 (in major tournaments) regular substitutes who can only enter the game after the game has stopped and the referee whistles.
If the team in possession of the ball is entitled to a substitution at every stoppage of play, then the team not in possession of the ball is only entitled to a substitution in the event of a bounce and time-out or when the team in possession makes a substitution.
Basketball: game time.
In all classes, basketball matches last 2 halves of 20 minutes of pure time. The break between halves is 10 minutes. If at the end of the match the teams scored the same number of points, then extra time (5 minutes) is given to determine the winner.
Basketball: time out.
Each team is entitled to 2 time-outs in each half and 1 time-out in extra time. Coaches usually use the timeout to give players tactical instructions and make substitutions.
Basketball: start of the game.
The game begins with the referee throwing the ball up in the center of the court between 2 players, each of whom tries to return the ball to his team. The rest of the team players are outside the center circle or in the front zone.
Basketball: movement rules.
According to this rule, the player who receives the ball is only allowed to take 2 steps (more precisely, 2 contacts with the floor). Touching the floor while receiving the ball (also catching the ball on the spot) counts as 1st contact. Jumping from a place with the ball in hand is a violation of the movement rule. Especially often this rule is violated during runs, at the beginning and at the end of dribbling.
Basketball: dribbling.
At some point, an athlete can only dribble once. As soon as the athlete touches the ball with both hands or takes it with one or the other hand, the dribbling ends. If the athlete again continues to dribble, then this is considered a violation of the rules (double-dribbling). The ball is passed to the opposing team who put it in play from behind the touchline.
Basketball stop ball.
A stopping ball is such a game situation in which 1 or 2 players of each team touch the ball and the ball is taken out of the game. In this case, the game continues with a controversial face-off.
Basketball: the ball is out of play.
If the ball or the ball carrier touches the boundary lines of the court or the floor, an object or a person is off the court, the referee gives the order “offside”.
In the event that the offside is difficult to determine, i.e. if both touch judges have different opinions or if the referees are unable to determine which team caused the offside, the game continues with a controversial throw-in.
Basketball: Throw-in.
After the game has been stopped in case of offside or technical errors (violation of the movement rule, double-dribbling, violation of the 3 sec rule, etc.), the ball is put into play by a throw-in from the touchline. In case of a successful throw into the basket, a throw-in occurs from behind the end line.
Basketball: estimates.
Throwing the ball into the basket is counted if the ball falls through the ring and the net from top to bottom. For each successful shot made during the game, a shot from an average or close distance (closer than the three-point line), the team receives 2 points. For a successful shot from behind the three-point line (from a distance of more than 6 meters 75 cm (7.24 m in the NBA)), the team receives 3 points, for each successful free throw - 1 point.
Basketball: foul rule.
One of the most important rules of basketball is the foul rule (translated from English - "mistake"). There are personal and technical fouls.
Personal fouls include any intentional touching of an opponent (holding, pushing, hitting, blocking with hands and feet, etc.). In such cases, the ball is passed to the opponent for a throw-in. After the 11th foul in a half period, a foul on an opponent's missed shot is punishable by 2 free throws.
In addition, all personal comments are recorded in the athlete's personal card. If at the same time 2 players of the team receive a warning, then the opponent is entitled to 2 free throws. In most cases, the free throw is taken by the player against whom the rules were violated.
Players receive a mutual warning in case of simultaneous violation of the rules in relation to each other. In this case, a controversial throw-in occurs. Each player who has received 5 personal or technical remarks must leave the court. In case of gross and intentional violations of the rules, the athlete may be disqualified. But in both cases, the team has the right to change. From 1976 fouls of the attackers when throwing the basket are especially severely penalized. If the ball misses the basket due to a foul, the attacker is entitled to 2 free throws. If the ball misses the basket on the 1st or 2nd free throw, the attacker is entitled to 1 more free throw (3 in total).
If, despite the foul, the player shoots the ball into the basket, then this shot is counted and the player receives an additional 1 free throw.
A technical foul is called for unsportsmanlike conduct by a player and is punishable by 2 free throws by any player on the opposing team.
A player who receives 5 personal and/or technical fouls (or 6 fouls in the NBA) or 2 unsportsmanlike fouls in a match must leave the playing court and may not take part in the match (but is allowed to remain on the bench). A player who receives 2 technical warnings or a disqualifying foul is ejected from the pitch and must leave the match venue (the player is not allowed to remain on the bench).
Basketball: the rules of the time.
Some of the rules of time are extremely important. 24 seconds after the throw-in, the attack must be completed with a throw into the opponent's basket (24 second rule). The 3 second rule states that an attacker cannot be in the opponent's free throw area for more than 3 seconds. For the throw-in and for the implementation of the free throw, the player is given 5 seconds. If the time rules are violated, the ball is given to the opponent for a throw-in.
The 8 second rule implies that the attacking team must, after a throw-in administered in its own half of the pitch, not more than 8 seconds later bring the ball to the opponent's half, after which the attacking team may not return the ball to their own half.
6m diameter semi-circle drawn on the outer part of the free-throw line called the free-throw circle.
These are referred to as three-pointers.
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.
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.
This is called goaltending violation.
A point guard’s primary role is to orchestrate both offensive and defensive plays and set up scoring opportunities for team-mates.
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.
Once the ball is tipped, it’s a free-for all. Whichever team gets the ball, gets the ball.
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.
Initially, there were only 13 of them in basketball: 
This was one of the reasons why FIBA appeared in 1932 year. At the first FIBA congress, the teams were approved (5 people and 2 substitutes), and it was decided that after each goal there would be a throw-in in the center. This rule was removed after 4 years to reduce the advantage of tall players. 
The ball is passed to the opposing team who put it in play from behind the touchline. 
In case of a successful throw into the basket, a throw-in occurs from behind the end line. 
After the 11th foul in a half period, a foul on an opponent's missed shot is punishable by 2 free throws. 
For the throw-in and for the implementation of the free throw, the player is given 5 seconds. If the time rules are violated, the ball is given to the opponent for a throw-in. /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/11429631/usa_today_10691778.jpg)
