A steal in basketball is a turnover that happens when a defensive player takes or intercepts the ball from the offensive player or dribbler. Steals can happen when a defensive player uses his hands to swipe the ball out of the dribbler's hands. Another way to steal the ball is by picking or intercepting a pass from another offensive player. Steals or any turnovers are looked at as a huge advantage if your team can come up with them, this is because it puts the ball in your offense’s hands more often.
You must be careful not to make contact with the ball-handler's hands, body, or forearms. This is called a personal or reach-in foul and will result in free throws for the other team.
Table of Contents
How To Steal In Basketball
Cons of Steals In Basketball
Pros of Steals In Basketball
Basketball Press Defense
Basketball Steal Percentage
How To Steal In Basketball
If you're looking to incorporate more steals in your game, follow these steps.
Know the offense and what players are weak dribblers.
Play press defense and force the offense to make mistakes by setting traps.
Get low and bend your knees on the court to stay with the dribbler.
Trust your instincts and anticipate where the dribbler is going.
Focus on your speed and practice quick agility exercises in the offseason.
Be aggressive but not too aggressive as you don’t want to take fouls
Cons of Steals In Basketball
There are a few cons and risks of attempting to steal in a basketball game.
steals can leave the court open for breakaways if unsuccessful
steals can result in personal fouls or “reach-in” fouls
attempting too many steals can make a player foul out of the game
Attempting too many steals can force the offense to adjust and change their gameplan
Pros of Steals In Basketball
There are lots of pros to attempting a steal in a basketball game.
steals result in turnovers if successful
steals can intimidate the offense and change momentum of the game
Keeps the ball out of the hands of the opposing team
Steals put the ball in the hands of your offense
Basketball Press Defense
A press defense is a type of defensive formation and strategy that applies pressure on the offense to force turnovers. On a press defense, the defense will set traps on the court to make it easier to steal the ball. They also play tighter defense than usual and on larger parts of the court than usual.
Basketball Steal Percentage
Steals are important to the outcome of a basketball game, so it's recorded for each player as a statistic. Steal percentage defines how many offensive possessions result in a steal. Steals are always recorded for the player that initiates the steal play. Players with high steal percentages can be a nice piece to have on defense.
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Pages Related to Basketball Steal
Basketball Turnover
Basketball Rebounds
Basketball Scorebook
Does Height Matter In Basketball?
Defensive Rebound In Basketball
Basketball Possession
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How to Steal the Ball in Basketball
Stealing the ball in basketball is a deceptively simple move. The actual process is straightforward -- swipe the ball away from someone when they’re dribbling, grab the ball as it’s in the air during a pass, or swat the ball away from the other player so that another of your teammates can grab it. But knowing when to try to for the steal and when to avoid the risk of a foul is difficult. Target players who are sloppy with the ball or who are showing you what they’re about to do.
Look for players who are sloppy dribblers, or who expose the ball when they pick it up. Someone who doesn’t seem to have a very tight grip on the ball as he prepares to pass -- especially if he’s holding the ball away from his body -- could be a suitable target if you’re fast enough. Loose dribblers who don’t keep that ball under control might be unwittingly offering you extra time to snatch the basketball away mid-dribble.
Watch players to see how their bodies move before they make certain plays. Some players telegraph what they're about to do. For example, if someone is about to turn to the right and throw the ball to a teammate, she might keep her arms still but turn her shoulders a bit. She’s attempting to fake you out by leaving her arms still, but her body is giving out clues that she’s going to turn. Looking at the player’s torso and shoulders can help you spot such moves.
Act a bit lazy yourself as you zero in on a ball you want to steal. In a January 2014 article on top defenders in college basketball, players told "Sports Illustrated" that they try to seem like they’re “off-guard” or “resting,” when in fact they’re watching the ball and waiting for a moment to strike. These tactics can make the player with the ball assume you’re not much of a threat, and he might be less likely to protect the ball carefully.
Keep an eye on where nearby offensive players are standing. You might have an opportunity to intercept a pass. If the player holding the ball decides you aren't looking and throws the ball to another player nearby, you'll be in a better position to dart in front of the intended target. Instead of trying to snatch the ball out of the air from the side, be ready to place yourself in the path of the ball so you're the one who gets it.
Tips
Practice defense with a friend to increase your ability to tell when to try nabbing the ball. One of you can practice dribbling -- and making it harder for someone to steal the ball -- while the other tries to take it away. If you can get a group of three people together, the third person can practice defending the dribbler, and you can try getting past the defense.
Also try to practice speeding up your reflexes. For example, "Sports Illustrated" noted that UCLA’s basketball team practices covering a flashing sensor on a wall to work on speed. In the same article, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Briante Weber said he would also try to drop and catch pens or swat bugs as additional practice.
Warnings
Don’t touch the player who has the ball when you try to steal it, or you'll likely be called for a foul.
Interception (basketball) | it's... What is an Interception (basketball)?
This term has other meanings, see Interception.
John Stockton - the leader in NBA history in the number of steals
Interception of the ball is performed when throwing or passing the attacking players. When the attacking team loses control of the ball due to an interception by the defenders, the loss is recorded in the match statistics report. After intercepting the ball, the defending team goes into a fast break and scores "easy" points.
Contents
1 Interception of the ball during the pass
2 Dribbling interception
3 Interception statistics
4 Top players by steals at the end of the season [2]
5 All-time steals in NBA history
6 See also
7 Notes
Interception of the ball during the pass
If the attacker is waiting for the ball on the spot, does not come out to meet him, then it is relatively easy to intercept him: you should catch the ball with one or two hands in a jump after a jerk. If the attacker quickly enters the ball, the defender needs to get ahead of the opponent in a short distance on the way to the flying ball. With his shoulder and hands, he cuts off the direct path of the opponent to the ball and takes possession of it. In order not to collide with the attacker, the defender, passing close to him, must deviate somewhat to the side. After mastering the ball, he needs to immediately switch to dribbling to avoid running.
Dribbling interception
If the attacker dribbles too high and does not cover with the body, then it is relatively easy to intercept the ball: you should hit the ball with one or two hands after a dash.
For an effective interception, the player needs to take a position on the opponent's possible passing path. Basically, interceptions are the prerogative of the back line of the team - shooting guard, point guard and small forwards. The most famous interception players are Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Andrey Kirilenko. However, big players can also steal interceptions along with defensemen, as Hakim Olajuwon, a center, was statistically averaging one interception per game. To intercept the ball you need to have a good understanding of the game and a sense of the correct position.
Steal stats
The NBA first started counting steals in the 1973-74 season, and the ABA began counting steals during the same season. Kendall Gill and Larry Kenyon [1] had the most steals in an NBA regular season game with eleven each. Kenyon set the record on December 26, 1976 while Jill repeated on April 3, 1999. Alvin Robertson leads the NBA in regular season steals with 301 steals in season 19.85-86 The all-time NBA steal leader is John Stockton, who made 3,265 steals in his career. Alvin Robertson leads the NBA in steals per game with an average of 2.71 (1,250 career steals) and a season-leading 3.67 (125 steals).
Top players in season steals
[2]
John Stockton leads the NBA in career steals per game — 3,265
Alvin Robertson - 301 steals in Season 1985-86 NBA
Michael Jordan - Topped the NBA steals all-time list three times (as did Alvin Robertson). But Michael Ray Richardson was the best in interceptions at the end of the season 4 times, and 3 of them in a row (1979-82).
The leader in steals in Superleague A today is David Toya (Spartak-Primorye (Primorsky Territory)) [3] — 2.6 on average per game. To date, among the NBA players on the indicator of "Interceptions per game" , the following players can be distinguished - Chris Paul, Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade.
Maintains player statistics on steals per game (eng. "steals per game" (SPG) ). This indicator indicates the effectiveness of the player when playing on the defensive.
All-time steals in NBA history
As of December 25, 2012. Active players highlighted in blue
No.
Player
Interceptions
Games
Wed.
1
John Stockton
3265
1504
2.17
2
Jason Kidd
2603
1338
1. 95
3
Michael Jordan
2514
1072
2.35
4
Gary Payton
2445
1335
1.83
5
Maurice Cheeks
2310
1101
2.10
6
Scottie Pippen
2307
1178
1.96
7
Clyde Drexler
2207
1086
2.03
8
Hakim Olajuwon
2162
1238
1.75
9
Alvin Robertson
2112
779
2.71
10
Karl Malone
2085
1476
1.41
11
Mookie Blaylock
2075
889
2. 33
12
Allen Iverson
1983
914
2.17
13
Derek Harper
1957
1199
1.63
14
Isaiah Thomas
1861
979
1.90
15
Kobe Bryant
1764
1188
1.48
…
…
…
…
…
18
Kevin Garnett
1688
1281
1.32
26
Metta World Peace
1590
854
1.86
27
Sean Marion
1585
984
1.61
33
Paul Pierce
1542
1051
1. 47
44
Andre Miller
1414
1072
1.32
See also
Point (basketball)
Rebounding (basketball)
Blockshot
Transfer (basketball)
Notes
↑ NBA steals leaders
↑ Top players in steals at the end of the season
↑ RFB
The language of basketball. Assist, Interception, Block-shot
August 13
Our site presents the third issue of the rubric Language of Basketball. In it we talk about basketball terms - borrowed words, specific expressions and jargon - the language spoken by all participants and fans of the game. Each word is accompanied by a video tutorial with illustrative examples.
We bring to your attention the third series of the project The language of basketball , in which we will analyze three terms in detail: assist, interception and block shot.
Assist An effective pass or assist is one of the most important components of basketball. The combination game is the foundation of the basics in European basketball. In the Old World, there are enough individually strong performers who can beat opponents alone. But still, it is team actions that bring success in a long tournament distance. Team play can be assessed using such an indicator as assists. This is one of the most difficult statistical elements to pin down. Only assists are taken into account, after which the throw was directly scored, or the rules were violated on the player, and then he realized at least one of the free kicks. At the same time, the basketball player receiving the ball should already be in a situation for an attack, and not create it for himself after the pass. Passing players are highly regarded in basketball. A good example of a classic point guard is Donell Cooper, who recently signed with Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd and played for Enisey Krasnoyarsk last season. The American in the Siberians became the leader of the VTB United League in assists. He also now owns the championship record in this category. In the match against the Kazakh "Astana" Cooper assisted teammates 23 times.
Interception Interception is essentially a transfer of possession from the attacking side to the defending side. It occurs due to the loss of control over the ball by the first. A large number of interceptions is one of the main signs of a successful defense. In addition, they allow the defensive team to move quickly into the attack and get easy points in fast breaks. There are two types of interceptions: when passing the ball and on possession. The most interesting thing is that it is rare to find a player who is equally good at both techniques. Usually smart defenders are good at one thing, depending on their skills and abilities. Players with a good vision of the court and a subtle sense of the moment are more likely to intercept other people's passes. But basketball players who rely on physical qualities and athleticism usually take the ball away from an opponent on the dribble. For example, the leader of the VTB United League in steals last season, Donell Cooper (1.97 interceptions on average per match) from Enisey was a supporter of the first method, but his main pursuer Randy Culpepper (1.84 interceptions) from Krasny Oktyabr was a strong supporter of the second option.
Block shot Block shot is the most spectacular element of defense. The essence of this action is that the defending player blocks the opponent's shot, preventing the ball from reaching the basket. At the same time, according to the current rules, the defending player has the right to touch the ball only until the projectile is gaining height. If the ball reaches the highest point of the flight and begins to fall into the ring, you can no longer touch it.
The actual process is straightforward -- swipe the ball away from someone when they’re dribbling, grab the ball as it’s in the air during a pass, or swat the ball away from the other player so that another of your teammates can grab it. But knowing when to try to for the steal and when to avoid the risk of a foul is difficult. Target players who are sloppy with the ball or who are showing you what they’re about to do.
She’s attempting to fake you out by leaving her arms still, but her body is giving out clues that she’s going to turn. Looking at the player’s torso and shoulders can help you spot such moves.
If the attacker quickly enters the ball, the defender needs to get ahead of the opponent in a short distance on the way to the flying ball. With his shoulder and hands, he cuts off the direct path of the opponent to the ball and takes possession of it. In order not to collide with the attacker, the defender, passing close to him, must deviate somewhat to the side. After mastering the ball, he needs to immediately switch to dribbling to avoid running. 
However, big players can also steal interceptions along with defensemen, as Hakim Olajuwon, a center, was statistically averaging one interception per game. To intercept the ball you need to have a good understanding of the game and a sense of the correct position. 
But Michael Ray Richardson was the best in interceptions at the end of the season 4 times, and 3 of them in a row (1979-82). 
95 
33 
47 
The American in the Siberians became the leader of the VTB United League in assists. He also now owns the championship record in this category. In the match against the Kazakh "Astana" Cooper assisted teammates 23 times. 
But basketball players who rely on physical qualities and athleticism usually take the ball away from an opponent on the dribble. For example, the leader of the VTB United League in steals last season, Donell Cooper (1.97 interceptions on average per match) from Enisey was a supporter of the first method, but his main pursuer Randy Culpepper (1.84 interceptions) from Krasny Oktyabr was a strong supporter of the second option. 
