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How many rules does basketball have
How many rules does basketball have
What are the Basic Rules of Basketball?
We are 100% sure that if you ask any basketball player on the planet, how many rules are in basketball, you will never get the correct answer. I bet you are now trying to answer the question yourself.
We play a game that has some very complex, dynamic, or varying rules. Basketball has some rules that are different based on the leagues in which you are playing.
Some of the rules of the game are quite simple and easy to remember. However, some are quite the opposite. We will be doing our best to explain the rules of the game in-depth for you today. Hopefully, we can help you to avoid arguments the next time you enter the gym.
How Many Rules are in Basketball? Unfortunately, this question does not have a clear-cut answer. We would have to answer based on the league that you are playing in. Some leagues around the world officiate heir games and administer their leagues based on the rules stipulated by FIBA.![]()
In the USA, the high school league, NCAA, and the NBA all have a different amount of regulations.
There are a lot of categories regarding rules in basketball. There are categories concerning the court to the rules regarding the players. Let’s categorize the rules so we can have a basic understanding of the game.
Court Dimensions – Equipment
In leagues around the world, basketball games are played on courts that have regulations governing how the courts should be marked. Each area on the court has a predetermined dimension. These dimensions need to be observed for the court to be deemed as legal. This is for all lines from the free-throw line, the three-point line, the areas in the key, the touchlines to the boxes designated for off-court areas.
There should be a body tasked with inspecting and ensuring that all courts are legal before they are accepted for use. In addition to the courts being appropriately marked, the equipment used by players should also be properly organized and built.
This goes for the rims and the backboards.
Some leagues have dimensions and materials specified for these to be constructed with. Safety equipment should also be regulated even though this isn’t the standard for every league, unfortunately.
Basketball rules also include the duties of the officials.
Officials range from game officials to the scorers and timers. In the NBA, game officials include crew chief, the referees, the Replay Center, and the Umpire.
Next, we have the rules for players, coaches and substitutes.
On the court, the rules allow only five players for each team. After a player has fouled out, he is asked to leave the court. In some leagues of the player can be asked to leave the game entirely. Some rules determine who can interact with the referee throughout the game.
The team captain is the only player that can check with an official about the interpretation of a rule during a game. A coach should be positioned on the bench.
They can also walk from the substitution box line to the baseline. If a coach violates these parameters, the referee should assess him with a technical foul immediately.
If a player has been given the role of a coach, so now he is a player-coach, he should conduct himself in the same way as any other player should. If other persons are seated on the bench, meaning persons that are a part of the club, these persons are expected to conduct themselves in a dignified way.
Depending on the league being played, the bench can only be occupied by specified persons. In the NBA, the head coach, three assistants, a trainer, and players occupy the bench. Some rules determine how substitutions can be made. In most cases, substitutions are only allowed after a dead ball.
Uniforms
In every league, the uniforms worn by players are governed by a specific set of rules. The number on each jersey is quite essential. Numbers should be placed on the front and back of the jersey in a color that contrasts with the jersey’s color.
In most scenarios, home teams should wear light-colored jerseys while the visiting teams wear darker colored jerseys.
Clock rules
Each basketball league has its own rules as it relates to how long quarters should be. In the NCAA, the rules state that the game should be divided into halves and not quarters. Games that are played under FIBA official rules follow the FIBA game clock rules.
Games being played in the United States will follow the game clock rules of their specific league. In addition to the game clock, other rules refer to time such as shot clock violations, timeline violations, and other time violations while the game is being played.
There are also rules per league that will tell each team how many timeouts they have available. It is up to the coaches to determine when and how to use these timeouts. Some leagues will allow only coaches to call a timeout, while others will allow both players and coaches to make the call.
Violations and Penalties
In addition to the rules previously mentioned, there are rules in basketball that concern violations, penalties, and how these violations and penalties should be officiated.
There are various violations in basketball, such as out of bounds violations and fouls.
Basketball is said to be a non-contact sport by many people. However, basketball has more contact than it does not because of the nature of the game. Many rules govern how these contacts can be legally carried out. This is where fouls come into play.
Fouls can be carried out by both persons on offense and the persons on defense. For a complete list of fouls and their penalties, please refer to the NBA rulebook here. You can also find a complete list of basketball rules on that page.
What are the Original 13 Rules of Basketball? When the great James Naismith came up with this amazing game that we all love, he needed to implement rules by which the game should be played. Basketball now has over a hundred on and off the court rules, but when the game was created, James Naismith only made 13 basic rules by which players and officials should abide. Here is the complete list of James Naismith’s 13 rules of basketball.
What are the Different Fouls and Violations in Basketball? When a player starts to play basketball, their coaches will tell them the rules for dribbling the ball, the rules for playing defense, and how they can score the ball. As a player develops his game and his knowledge of the sport, he will begin to learn that many other violations and fouls are included in the sport. Here are some of the common violations and fouls that basketball has.
Dribbling violations
There are two main dribbling violations in the sport of basketball. These are double dribbling violations and traveling violations. A double dribble is a violation that occurs once a player picks up the ball or ends his dribble and then starts to dribble instead of passing or shooting the ball. This is a No-No in basketball.
Once a dribble ceases, it must be followed by a shot or a pass. If the player dribbles the ball again, then he will be charged with a violation, and the ball will be turned over to the opposing team.
The next violation is a traveling violation.
There are many ways that a travel can occur. A basic way to look at a travel is to say that it happens when a player takes an illegal number of steps while in possession of the ball without dribbling the ball. A travel can occur when a player, while on the move, gathers the ball, and the takes more than two steps after.
Travels can also happen when players that are standing receive the ball and then move both legs before completing a dribble. Traveling violations are also turnovers that give possession of the ball to the opposing team.
Another violation that is sometimes called in games is the carrying violation. A carry is when a player palms the ball and temporarily pauses the natural flow of the ball while dribbling. This violation is maybe the most frequent dribbling violation that you will witness as today’s crop of players doesn’t seem to recognize this rule a lot.
Carrying the ball often allows players to perform fancy moves, and they disregard the rule for an effort to look fancy, and sometimes they simply can’t play the game any better.
Technical and time violations
Other minor violations include striking the ball with your feet or your fists out of anger. This is a very unsportsmanlike violation and could result in a technical foul. There are also time violations that are very common in basketball. In different leagues, players have different amounts of time that they needed to complete actions.
These include 24-second shot-clock violations, 8 or 10 seconds timeline violations, 3-second violations, and 5 Second violations. After crossing over the half-court line while on offense with the ball, players are not allowed to take the ball back behind the half-court mark.
This violation is considered as a backcourt violation. For a complete list of violations, please check rule number 10 of the NBA rulebook here.
Personal and technical fouls
Let’s now look at the different fouls that are commonly called in basketball. The categories of fouls in basketball include personal fouls and technical fouls.
A personal foul can be assessed on a player that holds, pushes, charges into, or impedes the progress of an opponent with their arms, hand, legs, or abnormally positioning of their body.
Technical fouls, on the other hand, can range from a variety of other illegal actions that happened both on and off the court.
What is the Three Second Rule in Basketball?A 3-second violation is normally a violation that occurs when a time limit of three seconds is allowed to do something, and then the time passes before the action or process is completed. Basketball has two types of 3-second violations; these include offensive 3-second violations add defensive 3-second violations.
What is the Five-Second Rule in Basketball? A 5-second violation in basketball happens in a variety of ways. A player attempting to inbound the basketball from the sidelines or end line has 5 seconds in which to release the ball. In some leagues, there are other five-second violations.
One of them is holding on to the basketball for more than 5 seconds while being closely guarded.
In the NBA, there is a five-second rule that states a player can only back down another player with their back to the basket while operating below the free-throw line, for a maximum of 5 Seconds. The last five-second rule in basketball is for free throws. FIBA rules state that a player should shoot a free throw within five seconds.
What is the Ten Second Rule in Basketball?The 10-second rule is what most people know as the 8-second rule. Outside of the NBA, each team in each league is given 10 seconds within which to cross half-court. If they cannot get the ball across the timeline within the 10 seconds, the ball will be turned over to their opponents.
What is the 24 Second Rule in Basketball?The 24-second rule refers to the shot clock in basketball. Most leagues in the USA and across the world recognize a 24-second shot-clock. What this means is that the team has 24 seconds within which to attempt a shot that hits the rim or score.
If 24 seconds pass and the team has not managed to attempt a shot that scores or hits the rim, this will result in a turnover.
Wrapping Things Up: What are the Basic Rules of BasketballBasketball is a beautiful, engaging, and dynamic game; however, it does have some rules that can be tricky and confusing. Don’t be disheartened by this as the rules, even though tricky and complicated, can be easily understood. If they are explained correctly, they can be broken down for even the youngest learners.
The rules of basketball serve many purposes. Some rules help the defense, support the offense, make the game more entertaining, and protect the players.
Until next time ballers, learn the rules and play safe.
Did you find this helpful? Then also check out other basketball FAQ articles here.
> How to Start Playing Basketball: The Ultimate Guide
> How to Start Playing Basketball Again: Making a Return
Basketball Rules List
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There are many rules that make basketball the sport that it is today.
They include:
- Scoring Rules
- Dribbling Rules
- Traveling Rule
- Carrying Rule
- Double Dribble Rule
- 8-Second Backcourt Rule
- 3-Second Paint Rule
- Out of Bounds Rules
- Free Throw Rules
- Number of Players rule
- Substitution Rules
- Physical Contact Rules
- Goaltending Rules
Table of Contents
- Scoring Rules
- Dribbling Rules
- Traveling Rule
- Carrying Rule
- Double Dribble Rule
- 8-Second Backcourt Rule
- 3-Second Paint Rule
- Out of Bounds Rule
- Free Throw Rules
- Number of Players Rule
- Substitution Rules
- Physical Contact Rules
- Goaltending Rule
Scoring Rules
In basketball a point is worth two points or three points depending on the location of the shot. Any shot taken from on or within the 3-point line is worth two points. Any shot taken from outside the three-point arc is worth three points.
On free throws, a successful basket is worth one point.
Dribbling Rules
In order for a player to move with the ball in their possession, they must dribble the ball. Dribbling is when a player bounces the ball on the court in a continuous motion with one hand. The player must keep a live dribble at all times in order to move with the basketball. If the ball is knocked from the player’s possession when they are dribbling then they are allowed to resume dribbling if they get it back.
Traveling Rule
A travel is when a player who has possession of the ball moves without dribbling the ball. Traveling is most common with players going for a contested layup or players who try to create space to take a jump shot. A player may take at most two steps without dribbling the basketball, but they must be moving with the intention to score.
Carrying Rule
A carry is when a player either palms the ball, their hand gathers the ball from underneath the ball or their forearm is able to carry the ball and pause then continue their dribble.
Double Dribble Rule
A double-dribble is when a player ends their dribble and picks it up again to continue their dribble without passing, shooting or losing possession of the ball.
8-Second Backcourt Rule
When dribbling the ball up the court a player has 8 seconds to get the ball beyond the half court line, if they fail to do this then it results in a backcourt violation. If a team has already moved the ball into the front court they can not go back and pass the ball into the backcourt. If there is a loose ball and a player touches the ball and causes it to go into the backcourt, they are not allowed to be the first one to touch the ball if the ball was in their control.
3-Second Paint Rule
A three seconds violation occurs when a player stays in the paint for longer than three seconds. There are two variations of this penalty, one being on offense and the other is on defense.
Offensive 3-Second rule
An offensive three seconds violation occurs when a player is in the paint for longer than three seconds.
However, if a player is in the act of shooting during the third second then it is completely legal and no penalty shall be applied. The three second count cannot begin until the team is in full control of the ball.
Defensive 3-Second rule
A defensive three seconds violation has the same rules that apply. However, in this case the rule doesn’t apply if the defender is actively guarding someone who is close to the paint. Also, the count does not begin until the offensive team advances the ball into the front court.
Out of Bounds Rule
If a player steps out of bounds in any direction then they lose possession of the ball. The ball is considered dead and must be put back into play with a throw-in. If the ball itself goes out of bounds, whichever team touches it last the opposing team is granted possession of the ball. If a player touches the ball and saves it from going out of bounds, they are not allowed to be the first person to touch the ball even if they have regained position within the boundaries of the court, this incident will also result in a turnover.
Free Throw Rules
A free-throw is a shot that is given to a player as an opportunity to score one point due to a foul from the other team. The player must shoot from the free-throw line which is 15 feet from the basket. If the basket is made, that team is awarded 1 point.
When shooting a free throw a player has less than ten seconds to take their shot or else their shot will not be counted and they will forfeit their chance to take a free throw shot. A player is not allowed to step over the free throw line when they take their shot or else their shot will not be counted, even if the shot goes in. Also, a player is not allowed to fake a free throw shot on purpose. The free throw shooter is not allowed to purposely throw the basketball off the back of the backboard in order to catch it and regain possession of the ball, that is considered a violation.
Number of Players Rule
Both teams are allowed to have five players on the court at any given time. This ensures that each player on the opposing team is able to match up properly with another player on the other team.
Given this dynamic, it allows for fair play for each team to play the sport on an equal playing field.
Substitution Rules
Players can leave the court and be substituted for another player on the bench. This happens relatively often throughout the course of a game to give a player a much needed rest. There is no limit to how many times a player can be substituted during a game, so this allows for different matchups and in-game rotation strategies to be used by coaches.
A foul occurs when a player comes into illegal contact with another player on the opposing team. Examples of illegal contact include personal fouls, shooting fouls, illegal screens, charging, and blocking fouls. Players are not allowed to hit, hold, or push other players.
Goaltending Rule
Goaltending happens when a defensive player touches the ball when it is above the rim, on the rim, or if the shot is on its way down and the player blocks the ball from entering the rim. It is also considered goaltending if a player touches the ball after it has been shot and has touched any part of the backboard above the rim and appears to have a chance of going down.
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Pages Related to Basketball Rules List
- Basketball Salary Cap
- Basketball Shot Clock Violation
- Basketball Shot Clock
- Basketball Quarters
- Basketball Pushing Rules
- Basketball Rim Height
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Rules of Basketball
How the rules have changed in your favorite game
How the rules have changed in your favorite game
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 points 2 and 4, the penalty is described in point 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 became 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 Olympic Games. 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 Rules - Sports Fan
is one of the most popular sports in the world. Everyone who is interested in this sport should understand and know the rules of basketball . The rules in basketball throughout the history of the development of sports have changed and supplemented. In our article, we will talk about the current official FIBA rules.
Two teams take part in the game. The goal of each team is to throw the maximum number of times the basketball into the opponent's basket and at the same time prevent the opponent from taking possession of the ball and throwing it into their own basket. The height of the basket (basketball hoop) is 3.
05 meters from the site.
A different number of points are scored for each goal scored from different distances.
From middle and close distances - 2 points, for throwing the ball from a long distance the team gets 3 points, and from a penalty kick the team gets 1 point. The basketball court is 15 meters wide and 28 meters long.
A basketball game starts with a throw-in in the center of the field. As soon as one of the players has touched the ball, the countdown begins. A separate judge, “timekeeper”, monitors the timekeeping. His powers include stopping time on a whistle and resuming it. The match consists of 4 periods of 10 minutes each. Breaks between periods are 15 minutes.
Three-Point Zone
Each team has only 24 seconds to attack. At the same time, there is also a “three-second zone”. The “3-second zone” is the zone of the opponent, in which a player of the team who attacks no more than 3 seconds in a row can be located. There are also such rules as "Five seconds" and "Eight seconds".
The Eight Second Rule is a rule that restricts the actions of one's team in the backcourt. When receiving the ball in the backcourt, the team has 8 seconds to transfer the ball to the frontcourt, i.e. essentially launch an attack. The Five Second Rule is a rule that restricts a player from passing the ball, as long as he is closely guarded.
A tie in basketball is not allowed. In this case, additional or additional overtime is assigned until one of the teams can take the lead. Each overtime is 5 minutes long.
During the game, there are moments when opponents, both players from different teams, hold the ball with both hands and do not concede to each other. This moment is called controversial. Such a moment is allowed by throwing the ball between these players.
Out is when the basketball is out of court. Out means putting the ball into play after it has been determined from which player of the team the ball came out. If it is not possible to determine, the ball is considered dropped and put into play by a throw-in.
The ball goes to the team from which the ball did not go out.
During the game of basketball, the technique of dribbling is clearly monitored. The rules have their limits here. So, after dribbling, the player is allowed to take only two steps with the ball in his hands, while not hitting the ball on the floor. The player must pass this ball either to a partner or throw it around the ring. If the player continues to move, this is again a violation and is called "double dribble". In both cases described above, the offense is punished by passing the ball to the opponent.
Dribble Rules
If the player does not fix the ball, but continues to tap it on the floor, while being motionless, and after 3 or 4 seconds continues to move, then no violations are seen. Throwing the ball in with both hands is prohibited, as well as hitting the ball with a fist. You can dribble with either your right or left hand. In case of violation of dribbling - the punishment is the transfer of the ball to the opponent.
Replacements. Substitutions in the game are possible when the game is stopped. The number of substitutions is not limited. As a rule, there are 7 players on the bench.
Basketball is an emotional and inspiring game. Naturally, this game is not complete without brawls and fights. For such violations, a technical foul is assigned and is punished with a free throw from 6 meters. A free throw can be taken by both the injured person and a teammate.
If there was a fight, then this is a serious violation and it is punished by disqualification of the player until the end of the game, but with the right to substitute.
In general, there are many skirmishes and fouls during the game. For each foul the player is given a warning. A player can receive no more than 5 warnings per game. After that, the player is disqualified until the end of the game, but again, with the right to substitute.
During the game, the referees communicate using gestures.
