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How to do the scorebook for basketball
How to do the scorebook for basketball
How to Keep a Basketball Score Sheet
How to Keep a Basketball Score Sheet
Keeping track of the score in basketball games is something that every person involved in the sport does, even if you are just an avid fan watching the match.
But basketball also includes detailed statistical categories other than the points a team compile when they successfully put the ball into the hoop. If you are tasked to be a scorekeeper, you also have to tally rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and other important numbers essential in the rules of basketball.
This is not just one of those easy drills as the stats has to be accurate and should not include any discrepancy. If you are new to filling out a basketball stat sheet or you just want to refresh your knowledge of it, then read on as we go through the basics of basketball statistics.
Writing down the players' names and numbers
The first category to fill out consists of the names of the players and their jersey numbers, as well as the names of the coaches.![]()
You write down their names on the longest boxes you can see on the stat sheet, then place their numbers on their corresponding small boxes. The boxes for the coaches' names are usually located at the top, right beside the names of the teams. You have to be accurate in writing down their numbers because the referees will do a hand signal of a player's number when he commits a foul.
Moreover, the number printed at the back of a player's jersey is usually the largest one you can see on his uniform, making it easier for you to tally his points when he scores. In terms of the sequence of the players' names, you can list them down numerically so that you can find them on the stat sheet more quickly. After that, you should mark with an asterisk the starting line-up of each team or basically the first five players fielded in by the coaches. You can do this first category of the stat sheet by yourself, or you can ask the coaches or the managers to write them down for you.
Marking Change of Possesion on a Basketball Stat Sheet
Another important non-statistical category in basketball stat sheets is marking the change of possessions.
This occurs in jump-ball situations, but there is a big difference between amateur and professional leagues. In amateur leagues, teams only jump for the ball at the start of the game and to begin an overtime period.
If there is a situation when there is a tie-up for the ball, the referees will refer to the scorekeeper to see which team will be rewarded with the possession. That is the main reason why you should be careful in marking this category. It is usually located at the top right corner of basketball stat sheets, in which you encircle the squad who won the first possession.
After that, you then just draw a line through each squad so that you would easily know who will be rewarded with the next possession.
Keeping track of team and individual player points
Now, we dive deep on most vital stat: points. It is the primary reason why we have a stat sheet in basketball. Two essential things to consider is that points are separated into two: team points and individual player points.
You record team points through the Running Score section. When a player scores, you just put a slash mark in the corresponding box to keep track of teams' total points. As soon as a quarter ends, you will put the teams' total points in the Quarter Score section. After you record each made basket in the Running Score section, you then proceed to the players' points section. When a player makes a two-point basket, you just write "2" in the box. You write "3" when he successfully hits a three-pointer, then "1" for each free throw made. The individual scores are divided by the four quarters, which means that you have to record somebody's stats under the corresponding quarter.
Recording team and individual player fouls and timeouts
Yet, that is not where basketball stat sheets end. The next critical category you have to track is the fouls. Just like in the scoring section, there are team fouls and players' fouls. When a referee calls a foul, immediately record it at the teams' fouls section so that you would know if they hit the penalty situation.
As for the individual fouls, you can see the boxes of the personal fouls beside the scoring section for the players. If someone commits a personal foul, put a slash mark on the "P1" box in the section. If he reaches five fouls, you have to inform the referees because it means that he has fouled out of the game and is not allowed to continue playing. You can also see the technical foul boxes in this section. Should someone be called for a technical foul, put a slash mark on the "T1" box. Bear in mind that a technical foul is also counted on the five allowed fouls for each player, and two technical fouls means that he is ejected from the game. Also, be reminded that timeouts are recorded in the stat sheet. This category is located at the Teams are usually allowed seven timeouts in games, and two timeouts for every quarter. Make sure you got this right so that coaches would know if they have already used up their allowed timeouts.
Tallying assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, turnovers and field goal attempts
Then, there are the other individual basketball stats that you have to keep track of if the tournament's committee deems it necessary.
Usually, basketball stat sheets just record points and fouls under the individual categories. However, there is also the possibility that you need to mark down a player's assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, turnovers and field goal makes and misses. Today's coaches have been very mindful of these statistics as a helpful tool in figuring out the strengths, weaknesses and tendencies of their hoopers. But the thing is you cannot track all these stats alone so you have to ask help from two or three more people to watch the plays and mark down the stats.
We start with tracking each player's assists. Usually, point guards are the ones who tally the most assists but basketball has become a positionless game so everyone has the chance to dish out assists. When a player passes the ball to his teammate, who then successfully scores, you immediately mark a slash mark on the assists category of that hooper who passed the ball. Another important stat in basketball is the rebounds.
Coaches would always say that a team controls games by controlling the rebounds. As the stats tracker, you have to be alert in identifying which player made the rebound, whether it be on offense or defense. Same with the assists, you just have to put a slash mark at the rebounds category and then just add it up for the total number of rebounds after the game. The next stat categories are defensive stats such as steals and blocks. These defensive stats act as excellent barometer for how players exert tremendous effort on defense, something that has been very underrated because most aspiring basketball athletes only want to score. Again, whenever a defensive player steals the ball or disrupts the passing lane and tips the ball to his teammate, put another slash mark on his corresponding steals section. On the other hand, if defensive players successfully blocks a shot from the opposing team, you just have to do the slash mark you did in the assists, rebounds and steals category.
Coaches put a lot of emphasis in their squad's defense, so expect them to really dive deep in looking at their players' steals and blocks tally.
Then their are the other stats like field goal attempts and turnovers. Coaches would want to know how efficient their players are shooting the basketball, which is the main reason why you also have to tally how many times a hooper has shot the ball. Shots are divided by three sections: two-point shots, three-pointers and free throws. Also be reminded that you don't just keep track of how often a player shoots the ball. You should also mark how many times he has successfully put the basketball into the hoop. Through this, his coaches will be able to know how well he is shooting the basketball. Lastly, you also have to track players' turnovers as this is another barometer that tells how teams are executing their offensive plays during the games. When a player is handling the basketball then the defender from the opposing team steals it from him, that is automatically a tally in his turnovers count.
Offensive fouls are also counted as turnovers so make sure to ask referees what kind of fouls they are calling.
How to Keep a Basketball Scorebook
Basketball scorebooks allow you to keep a complete record of a game. Utilize them to keep statistics for your team, monitor game information for the coaching staff or serve the official scorer. Track field goals, free throws, personal fouls, technical fouls, timeouts and alternating possessions for held balls in these books.
Filling Out The Roster
Start by putting in correct team information. List the players in numerical order, from the smallest number to the largest. Designate the starters by checking the appropriate box, if your scorebook has one. Make sure the information is listed accurately. Teams that give the official scorer an incorrect roster -- or fill out the official scorebook incorrectly -- can be penalized with technical free throws.
Recording Fouls
Be very sure of foul calls before recording them.
If you are an official scorer or you're keeping the book on behalf of the coaching staff, ask officials for a clarification if you are not sure. The official NCAA Scorebook features the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 to the left of the player's name and a box under each numbers. Draw a line through the 1 for the first foul, a line through the 2 for the second foul and so forth. Write the time of each foul under the number, if there is space for it. Chronicle team fouls one by one in the designated area, using the number of the player charged to denote the foul. If you are keeping the book on behalf of the coaching staff, your record-keeping will be vital if there is dispute on foul totals at some point in the game.
Recording Technical Fouls
Learn the technical foul rules at your level of competition; in some cases a technical foul also counts as a personal foul. Record technical fouls in a separate area with a notation on the time, the type of technical foul and which individual received it -- unless it was a bench technical on no one person.
Tracking Time Outs
Tracking timeouts is another critical function if you're keeping the scorebook for a team. Keep a count in the space allotted and add the time of the stoppage under the notation if you can. Differentiate between a regular timeout and a 20-second timeout, if there are such things at your level.
Documenting Individual Scoring
For regular field goals, put down a 2 in the player's column for that quarter or half. For 3-point field goals, put down a 3. For a free throw attempt, put down a 0. For a made free throw attempt, put a X inside that 0. For two-shot fouls, connect the 0s with a small "v" underneath them. For one-and-one foul calls, connect the 0s with an inverted "v" on top. If a player misses the front end of the one-and-one, you would put down a 0, attach the inverted "v" on top and leave the second spot blank -- because the player did not get the second shot.
Providing Team Totals
For the team totals, add up the number of regular field goals in each quarter or half and put down that number with (2) next to it in the total box.
Add up the 3-point field goals and put (3) next to that number in the total box. In the free throw column, add up the makes and misses and put those numbers in the total box. Then add up the game totals in the total boxes underneath the individual player summaries.
Recording Running Score
Keep a running score if your scorebook has an easy format for that. In the Official NCAA Scorebook, there are numbers 1 through 136 displayed for this purpose. If player makes a basket to give his team 16 points for the game, draw a line through the 16 and put the player's number under that. Record the time of the basket as well, if you want that much detail.
Although the Official NCAA Scorebook doesn't include columns for missed field goals, assists, rebounds, blocked shots and steals, you can keep those statistics too. One simple way to track missed shots is to put down a 1, 2 or 3 for each free throw, field goal and three-point shot taken. Then circle the shots that are made.
strategy and system tips - how to win more often
Basketball (along with baseball and hockey) is one of the most popular sports in North America, and basketball betting takes a serious place in the total amount of sports betting.
At the same time, the point here is not only (and even not so much) that it is in North America that the matches of the strongest basketball league in the world take place - the point is the number of equiprobable outcomes that the basketball line offers. Also on our site you will find bookmakers for betting on basketball.
Content
- Benefits of betting on basketball
- Disadvantages of betting on basketball
- Types of bets
- Main Outcomes
- Handicap
- Total
- Basketball total betting strategy
- Quarter Basketball Betting
- Quarterly Basketball Betting Strategy
- Pre-match analytics
- Where to bet on basketball?
The vast majority of professional players and cappers, of which there are many in America, play just such “half-way” outcomes in order to get the most even profit over a long distance.
In any basketball game, there are at least two equally likely events that you can bet on - handicap and total. It is thanks to this property that basketball has become one of the most popular objects for large bets.
Basketball bookmakers
Benefits of betting on basketball
A large number of equally likely events . As mentioned above, basketball is one of the most suitable sports for those who like to bet on equally likely events.
High NBA betting limits. The vast majority of big cappers make bets on the NBA, including the lion's share of US players who traditionally make big bets. In pursuit of this traffic, the best bookmakers are trying to create the most comfortable conditions for basketball betters by offering generous betting limits on the main outcomes, as well as handicap and total. True, this feature is more characteristic of large Western bookmakers.
Domestic gambling establishments most often offer limits for NBA matches no higher than those given for the same Euroleague and the Russian Championship.
Low NBA margins. All the same competition between bookmakers in the struggle for the biggest players has led to the fact that in almost all leading gambling establishments in the world the margin for NBA matches is less than for all other competitions and sports offered in the line.
Regularity of games. The fact that most basketball teams play between two and four games a week makes this sport the most attractive for statistics lovers in calculations - the sample of analyzed NBA matches is very solid and allows you to make fairly accurate predictions. In addition, the NBA is often the only competition that can be bet on any day, including holidays - even on December 31 and January 1, at least two or three matches are invariably played in this league.
Disadvantages of betting on basketball
Low limits and odds for European competitions.
Unlike NBA matches, European Cups and European Championship matches usually offer very modest upper betting limits; the odds are also generally 3-5 points lower than the NBA odds. All this makes betting on the same Euroleague not the most profitable business.
Rating of bookmakers by odds
You can find out which Russian bookmakers offer the best basketball odds on Legalbet in the Odds Rating (“Basketball” tab). Our experts have calculated the margins of all bookmakers based on real events in their lines and based on these calculations sorted the companies into categories in order to identify the best offers for fans of basketball betting.
Weak painting. The vast majority of bookmakers offer a weak list of basketball matches. Many are completely limited to handicap, total and main outcomes. Despite the fact that such painting is enough for professionals, for many players who are used to betting on football, it may seem very meager.
Types of bets
Main outcomes
The number of main outcomes offered for a basketball match depends on which bookmaker you play at. Some gambling establishments open three main outcomes: W1, X and W2, adding a win including overtime to the list, while others offer only two outcomes - W1 and W2 (this means that in case of a draw, the winner will be determined in overtime).
Before you start betting on basketball, it is very important to clarify which positions in a given gambling establishment take into account OT and which do not, because it often happens that the handicap with the total is calculated according to one rules, and the main outcomes are calculated according to others.
Handicap
Handicap in basketball shows the final score difference in favor of one of the teams. You are required to guess if it will be more or less than the specified value. For example, if you bet on a team with a handicap of -5.5, you need it to win at least 6 points.
If you bet on it with a handicap of +5.5, you would be rooting for this team to lose no more than 5 points. The handicap in basketball is not much different from the handicap in other sports, and most bookmakers allow you to buy more handicaps, while most often the coefficient drops by 8-10 points for each point bought. You can usually buy in addition from 4 to 12 points (each office determines the exact value for itself).
Total
Total is a type of bet in which you have to predict whether the final result of the game will be more or less than the proposed value. Almost always, the coefficients for "more" and "less" are the same. Totals, as well as odds, can be bought in addition, both up and down. The dynamics of odds changes in this case is most often similar to the dynamics of changes in quotes for a handicap.
Please note! Bookmakers accept bets on both the total in regular time of the match and the total with overtime in basketball, and it is important to understand that when calculating these bets, different time periods of the game will be taken into account.
The calculation of the total in basketball in regular time is based on the results of 4 quarters.
Basketball total betting strategy
Basketball total betting strategy seems simple at first glance. It is enough to look at the previous results of the teams and analyze how many points they score per game. However, not everything is so simple: anything can happen in one particular match, and several factors can affect the team's game at once: from the psychological state of the players to their physical condition.
Quarter basketball betting
This type of bet is very popular among those who like to bet on basketball. A quarter in basketball is a mini-match. The head coach uses different tactics, simulated combinations, there can be constant replacements of athletes on the court. Player fatigue accumulated over the previous quarters also affects the result. Often in betting lines you can see a bet not only on the outcome, handicap and total of each quarter, but also on a comparison of the performance of the quarters: more points scored, more fouls committed, etc.
Basketball betting strategy by quarters
Basketball by quarters strategy also has its own peculiarities. Here you need to have an idea how the team plays in the first half of the game, and how in the second, what are the features and differences in the team's actions in different quarters. In the case of betting on quarters, you should keep a closer eye on what happened on the court in the previous quarter.
Other offers. In addition to the standard set of positions, the vast majority of bookmakers include an additional painting in their line. An additional list can offer a variety of betting options: on the handicap and total of each quarter, on the individual totals of the teams, on the individual totals of the leading basketball players, on the presence or absence of overtime, etc. There is also a bet under the conditional name "even-odd". Basketball is a game that scores a lot of points. And the score at the end of the meeting or quarter will definitely be even or odd.
Bookmakers also offer to bet on this. This type of bet, by the way, is the purest “guessing game” and does not require any knowledge of the game from the player.
Pre-match analytics
Pre-match analytics of basketball matches is somewhat simpler than debriefing in football matches, since the lineups in basketball teams are 2-3 times smaller, and teams play twice as often, so there is always plenty of information about opponents. Some difficulty is represented only by a small number of broadcasts of basketball competitions in the post-Soviet expanses. However, the availability of high-speed Internet fully compensates for this small drawback. So, what does basketball match analytics include?
- Opponents current kit . The specificity of basketball lies in the fact that there are traditionally much fewer game recessions than, for example, in tennis and football, and therefore it becomes much easier to track the current form. It also helps that each team plays 2-3 matches a week, which means that it is possible to get the latest information about their current level and fitness.
Don't forget to check the results of the last 5-6 matches of each team. Separately, pay attention to the statistics of home and away matches: basketball is a sport in which the home court factor is extremely important, and sometimes even decisive, so when analyzing statistics, evaluate home and away matches separately.
- Head-to-head history . Let's not forget about the history of rivalry confrontation. It often happens that the indicators of the last three or four face-to-face meetings of teams can tell you much more than dozens of live matches watched with their participation. Again, do not forget that in basketball, the statistics of home and away matches differ significantly, and therefore it is worth evaluating it differently.
- Tournament position and motivation. And, of course, we could not forget about such a key factor as motivation - in such a hard and strong-willed sport as basketball, motivation is of particular importance.
Be sure to evaluate who needs what from the upcoming match and, based on this information, try to adjust your forecast so that you do not bet on a team that no longer needs anything against an over-motivated opponent. - List of injured and disqualified. With basketball's busy schedule, it's no surprise that injuries and suspensions are common in the sport. In order to be sure that your bet is considered, you should definitely monitor the press regularly to keep abreast of any personnel changes in the composition of each team.
During major basketball tournaments on the Legalbet website, you can get acquainted with the expectations of the forecasters of our website, find out which basketball bets they recommend choosing, as well as get acquainted with their arguments in favor of one or another option.
- Basketball predictions at Legalbet
Where to bet on basketball?
Modern bookmakers try to offer players the widest possible line of basketball.
Bets on matches of the NBA, VTB United League, Euroleague, as well as the World and European Championships can be made at absolutely any legal bookmaker in Russia.
The bookmaker's office "1xBet" offers the most complete list. On the site of this bookmaker, in the left menu, you can click on the sport, and this will open all the championships available for betting. After selecting a specific match, the entire list for the match will appear in the center of the screen. Also, BC "1xBet" offers a wide variety of live basketball bets, in which the bettor, using various strategies, can try his luck. A good painting for basketball is also offered on the official websites of the online bookmakers Paribet and Winline.
- View basketball bets on the 1xBet website
- View Basketball Betting on Winline
- View basketball bets on Paribet website
Read also:
- NBA betting
- Basketball World Cup Betting
- Euroleague betting
- Bets on VTB United League
Subscribe to new bookmaker bonuses
Material prepared:
Alexander Noskov
Legalbet editor
Basketball rules
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?
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
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 may not 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 entire game. It is not allowed to replace a disqualified player.
- Punching the ball is a violation of rules 2 and 4, 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 actions 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.
