How to play physical basketball

Basketball on the Edge - 10 Tips for Playing More Aggressive Basketball

Coaches in every sport say it, “Be aggressive out there!”  What does that mean exactly?   You know your coach wants you to “be more aggressive” but what specifically can you do to play more aggressively?  Here are some suggestions of what you can do right now to play more aggressively and some suggestions that can help over the long term.

Play more aggressively today.

1.  Go after loose balls.

Every coach loves a player who will get on the floor for a loose ball.  Possessions are valuable, they give your team another opportunity to score.  Be the player that gets after (AND GETS) every loose ball.

2.  Develop an “Every rebound is mine.” mentality.

What stops you from going after every rebound?  Unless it is your responsibility to get back on defense why not go hard after the rebound?  I watch players in every game just stand and watch as the shot goes up.  If you think “Every rebound is mine. ”  You’ll play more aggressively.

3.  Don’t hesitate.  Make a decision and go.

Catch the ball and make a quick basketball.  Are you open?  Take a shot.  Defender rushing at you?  Head fake and drive.  Teammate open?  Make a quick pass.  As your skill level improves (See #1 in the long term section) you’ll get better at eliminating hesitation from your game

4.  Set physical screens.

Make contact with defenders when you screen.  Too many players set phantom screens with little or no contact.  It doesn’t take great talent to set a hard screen.  Make setting physical screens part of your identity as a player.

5.  Play with high energy.

Run the floor harder than your opponent.  Don’t rest while you are playing help-side defense.  Make hard cuts to the basket on offense.  Think of all the little ways you can bring more energy to the game.

6.  Communicate

If you want to play more aggressively become a better communicator.  Talk more out on the floor.   Remind teammates where to go, what to do, or about specific game situations.  Your coach will perceive you as a more aggressive player when you are out there communicating and talking the game.

Ways to improve your aggressiveness for the long term.

7.  Develop your basketball skills.

The better your basketball skill set the more likely you are to be aggressive.  If you can’t dribble well with your weak hand, you probably won’t be very aggressive driving that direction in a game.  As you develop your skills you’ll become more aggressive because you know you can do certain out on the court.  You know you’ve put the time to become a better player that can “be more aggressive”.

8.  Be confident.

Skill building is confidence building.  When you are confident you feel you can do almost anything out on the court.  You’ll be more relaxed, knowing you’ve put the time in working on your game.  How much more confident and aggressive would you be shooting a game winning jump shot in a tie game with 2 seconds left if you had practiced 100 of those shots every day in the off-season?  Confident players are aggressive players.

9.  Get your body right.

Work on your strength, agility, cardio, and athleticism.  Eat right, Get enough sleep.  You can’t be aggressive if you’re worn down, injured, or tired.

10.  Don’t fear failure.

When you play scared you often play trying to avoid mistakes.  That is a sure way to avoid playing aggressively.  Fear often grips players who are bench players.  They check in the game feeling that one mistake will have them on the bench.  Try to remember that fear really only exists in your mind.  Play the way you are capable of playing and good things will happen.

Follow these ten tips and you can start being a more aggressive player today.  Show your coach that you know how to “Be more aggressive!”

Leave us a comment about this post [email protected]

Sign up now to get a “Head Start” on your competition with our free basketball tip of the day delivered straight to your inbox. Click below, enter your email and we’ll also send you our E-Book, “Mental Toughness, Improve Your Brain – Improve Your Game”.

Free Tip of the Day!

7 Basketball Toughness Drills To Develop Aggressiveness, Confidence & Swagger

If your youth basketball coaching sessions have seen your coach imploring you to be more aggressive out there on the court, there are a great number of drills you can do to gain more toughness and therefore more aggressive in your basketball.

Teaching the Aggressive Defensive Basketball Position Drill

Aggressive play starts with defense.

Put your energy into stopping that opposing player from scoring like your life depends on it. Get every rebound and never give up on it. This is a way to play aggressively when playing the fundamentals of basketball.

Your teammates will take notice and consider you a valuable asset on the court – someone who will always have their back.

Your teammates will feed off this energy and you will be considered a huge presence on the court. This, in turn, will give you the confidence you need for aggressive offensive play.

Own the Ball

When the ball is in your hands and you’re on the offense – own it! Cultivate the idea that the ball belongs to you – not the defender!

It is your ball…you are holding it.

It is not theirs…and never will be.

All you have to do is hold on to the ball, keep it from them, and the rest will come to you.

Have a Basketball Match with Unknown Players

If you find your aggression changes based on who you are playing, this can be a guide for taming your passiveness problem. It is common for players to play aggressively with their friends and people they know well as they are comfortable and in their element.

Players know that if they make a mistake with their friends they probably won’t punish them too badly for it. Players also know that if they push aggressively by using their elbows and arms more vigorously, accidentally hurting someone they know will be more quickly forgiven.

When we play against unknown players we are out of our groove and we don’t know exactly how they will react to aggressive play.

This can make us tense, nervous, and timid.

The key to getting out of this psychological rut is to play more with people you do not know – play more games with the people that make you nervous or in settings that push your boundaries. Each time you play with unknown players you are building your mental strength.

You will be gaining the experience and learning the skills needed to deal with any kind of teammate or opponent, as well as proving to yourself that there is nothing to fear.

Develop Your Skills in Basketball

It’s easy to look at the best players on the team that seem to effortlessly scoring basket after basket and think: “Well, I would be confident if I could play that well. ”

The fact is they have practiced those shots hundreds or thousands of times.

If you practice the same way you will feel the same confidence – even when there are three seconds left on the clock and the ball is in your hands.

If you’ve got a weak dribble with the ball in your left hand, for example, work on it every day.

Work on your strength, your athleticism, agility, and playing skills. Eat the right food, and get enough sleep every day so you’re always playing at your best and developing your skills as quickly as possible.

Teaching the “Build the Habit Drill”

Consciously start hand-checking and boxing out more often. Much like any habit: aggressive, confident basketball playing comes from forcing yourself to do it time and again…until it becomes second nature.

This builds your toughness!

If you find yourself standing around the perimeter then it’s time to remind yourself to get in there and work – even it if appears your immediate efforts are unimportant. It’s all about building up those aggressive habits until they become second nature as you become a naturally aggressive player.

Try Cross-Training

One suggestion is to cross-train in a different sport…perhaps football?

Football is a highly aggressive contact youth sport…much more so than basketball.

You will be learning how to play aggressively every day and becoming used to the rough and tumble of competitive sports!

Never Fear to Fail

If you’re often benched, you might build a mental block where you fear that any on-court failure will have you back on the bench. You prefer to play it safe – a dangerous thing to do in basketball. Try to remember that fear is just a state of mind.

You have the power to tell yourself “No, I’m not afraid!”

Taking more risks will make you a better player. Your coach will ultimately not want to bench the player that’s always ready to go in for that loose ball.

Aggressiveness and mental toughness comes from confidence. The less confident we are, the more fearful we are of making mistakes. The more fearful we are of making mistakes, the more we fear failure. The more we fear failure, the more we fear our coaches. Ultimately, this is can result in a loss of passion for the game, which again feeds into a lack of aggression on the court.

Love the game first, and you’ll want to get in there and win it all for your cherished teammates.

The Mental Toughness Academy has a program designed specifically to improve your ability on the court. Our Basketball Mental Toughness program can teach you how to overcome negativity and doubt by instilling confidence and mental fortitude.

A mentally tough athlete is an unstoppable athlete!

Welcome to the Winner’s Circle!

Craig Sigl, The Mental Toughness Trainer and Youth Sports Specialist

Go to Top

Basketball basic rules.

Basketball is a dynamic and exciting sports team game. For people who want to have a good time, get a lot of good impressions, and at the same time improve their health, basketball is an excellent choice. It is useful for the reason that during the game you need to run a lot and quickly, as well as jump and throw the ball. Photo by Nick Hubbard, original link (photo has been modified).

Health benefits of basketball

• - Increasing the body's endurance.
• - Development and strengthening of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
• - Development and strengthening of the muscles of the body.
• - Improved coordination.
• - A noticeable improvement in peripheral vision, which is especially useful for children.
• - Burning a huge amount of energy (about 5 times more than when running), which allows you to get and maintain a beautiful figure.
• - Prevention of diseases of the joints (due to throwing the ball, for example).
• - Beneficial effect on the nervous system

Tips for playing basketball

In order for basketball to bring only benefits, you must follow simple rules:

• - Don't play basketball if your fitness level is too weak. Excessive stress experienced by the body during the game can only harm.
• - Be sure to warm up your body before the game, because in basketball you need to make a lot of sharp and fast movements.
• - Since basketball is a contact game (and even very much), you should be very careful and attentive. This will avoid unnecessary injury.
• - Do not be too rude during the game, so as not to harm other players.

The essence of the game basketball

Playground.
The size of the basketball court is 28 meters long and 15 meters wide. On its far sides there is a shield with a "basket" located at a height of 3.05 meters. The site itself is divided by a line into 2 halves, each of which is assigned to one of the teams for the duration of the game.

Composition and purpose of teams.
5 players from each team may be on the court at a time, although any number of substitutions may be made. Therefore, as a rule, the number of players in teams is 12 people (no more).
The goal of each team is to throw a basketball into the opponent's basket (the ring diameter of which is approximately 2 times the diameter of the ball - 45 cm versus 22-23 cm), and also to prevent the opposing team from throwing the ball into their own basket. And interfering, of course, is allowed only in game ways.

Game.
The game lasts 40 minutes (4 quarters of 10 minutes each, although in the NBA a quarter is 12 minutes long). And only pure playing time is considered. That is, as a result of various actions, the game stops (and the countdown stops, respectively). This happens when the ball hits the basket, when it goes out of bounds, in violation of the rules, etc. So the real time of the match can exceed several hours.

You can only play the ball with your hands, while it is forbidden to carry it in your hands - you must hit the ball on the floor, thus moving around the court. It is also forbidden to intentionally hit the ball with your feet and fists.

In case of throwing the ball into the basket of one of the teams, the other team is awarded a certain number of points:

- 2 points by default.
- 3 points for hitting from long range (three-point line is 6.75 meters from the rim, in the NBA it is 7.24 meters).
- 1 point for hitting a free throw (given in violation of the rules).

The team with the most points wins the game.

Conclusion

Basketball is a very healthy, and at the same time terribly exciting sports game. And in order to avoid harm (or harm to others), you must follow the recommendations and follow the rules of basketball. Only then the game will benefit the body and give a good mood.

Modern Basketball Rules 2021 in Brief

Basketball is one of the most popular ball games. Originating in the United States, this sport has spread far beyond its borders. Now the ball is thrown into the ring in schools, universities, on the playgrounds. However, only a small number of people know about the real rules of basketball. And even less knows how to play correctly. In the article below you can read about the history of basketball and tactics that will help lead the team to victory.

A Brief History

In the United States until the 20th century, American football was the most popular sport. Rugby allowed players to improve physical strength, speed, endurance. However, the school gym teacher at the Springfield High School was unhappy with this. James Naismith wanted to make a game where dexterity, not strength, would be the main parameter. Thus, in 1891, basketball was born. In the same 1891, the first basketball rules appeared, and James Naismith formulated them !

James was the creator of the first basketball rules. He simply placed two baskets at opposite ends of the field and told the students to throw the ball into the opponent's basket as many times as they could. The game ended with the victory of one of the teams with a score of 1-0. But the guys liked the game so much that they soon told everyone about the new sport. However, the game was devoid of entertainment, since in the first versions of the game it was possible to push, run with the ball, kick it.

James Naismith continued to develop his game. He added ground rules that forbade physical contact and running with the ball. Already in 1896, the teams began to play the first official matches. The first shields appeared, from which the ball could get into the basket with the bottom already cut out. The rings began to be suspended at a height of about three meters.

For about 50 years, basketball has developed unevenly. He had bad moments, which were dictated by the Great War, the depression of the 30s, the Second World War. But at the same time, the game is starting to gain popularity in colleges and universities. In parallel with this, basketball came to the USSR. George Dupperon popularized this sport, and also held the first official games in 1906 year.

In 1946 the National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed. From now on, the game goes to a new level. Now basketball receives accreditation from partners and states that began to compete in the World and European Championships. Since the middle of the 20th century, millions of spectators have been riveted to the matches of this game.

Basic Basketball Rules Briefly and Clearly

Since the invention of this game, the rules have changed many times, but the essence has remained the same. The main thing in basketball is agility and dynamism. Therefore, the basic principles of a competitive game reinforce precisely these concepts:

• Only hands can interact with the ball. Any kicks are considered a violation of the rules.
• Points are scored when the ball hits the basket. Two - in the case of close shots, three - in the case of a goal from the three-point zone. One point is counted if the ball was scored from a free kick.
• The meeting lasts 4 quarters. Each part is 12-15 minutes long. There is a break of 2 minutes between the quarters and 15 minutes between the two halves of the match.
• If the match is not completed within the prescribed 60 game minutes, then the teams are given a rest and an overtime (5 minutes) is assigned. It will be played as many times as necessary to determine the winner.
• The team consists of 12 people. However, only 5 can be on the field at the same time. The rest change at the request of the coach. The number of substitutions is unlimited.
• The game starts with a throw in the center of the field. The match may be suspended in case of violation of the rules or the end of the quarter.

These are the short general rules of the game. But we must not forget that basketball is very dynamic. Because of this, there are many rules that are related to time. Players have 5 to 6 opportunities to break the rules (get fouled). If the limit is exceeded, the referee will exclude the player from the field.

Technical aspects and characteristics

In the past, basketball could be played both indoors and outdoors. However, now FIBA ​​and NBA hold official meetings only in indoor stadiums. Organizations have strict requirements for all attributes of the game. This is what a stadium needs to be like to host an NBA game:

• The height of the ceilings is 7 meters.
• The size of the field is 15 by 28 meters.
• The presence of a roof that prevents the weather from interfering with the game.

In addition, the association puts forward separate requirements for the shield and the ring. For official games, the following requirements must be met:

• The area of ​​the backboard must be 180 x 105 cm.
• Basket height 305 cm.
• The basket is located at a distance of 5 cm from the shield.

The marking of the field has also been discussed. If you look, the dimensions of the elements will seem inaccurate. Some numbers can be rounded up or down (some companies hang a shield just 2 by 1 m, for example). This is due to the fact that the American number system is based on inches and feet. When basketball was born, no one thought about other countries. Hence the following markup options:

• Front lines measuring 15 by 28 meters.
• The center line is drawn on the 14 meter field.
• In the center is a circle for the ball to be thrown by the referee. Its diameter is 3.6 meters.
• Lines for zone 3 points. This zone is located next to the ring. The 2.99m lines help determine which shots are close and which are far.
• The radius of the circles near the rings is 1.8 meters. This is where free throws are made. More details are shown in the diagram.

Basic concepts and terms

• Dribbling is dribbling the ball in a kind of "chasing" style.
• Face - front line of the court
• Butt - sideline.
• Roster is a member of your team.
• Live ball - the beginning of the countdown of playing time.
• Buzzer - a siren that informs the referees about a foul and violation of the rules.
• Dead ball - a break in the game.
• Crossover - a sharp change in the direction of the ball.
• Assist - transfer to a partner.
• Swing - hard ending of the game, when the score is almost equal.

Ball parameters

The ball must also be of a certain weight and size:

• For men, a projectile of 76-78 cm is provided, which weighs from 560 to 650 grams.
• For women, the circumference is 72 to 74 cm. The weight of the women's basketball is 510 to 567 grams.
• For children circumference: 69 to 71 cm. Weight 47 to 50 grams.

Children's ball is very light and elastic, which allows both teams to play basketball comfortably.

The technical aspects are strict, but they are only needed to play at a professional level. For amateur and school, any playground equipped with rings is suitable. World-class athletes also train in such conditions.

Elements of the game

Basketball has its common elements. These include throw-in, pass, throw, block.

Throw-in

Taken at the start of the game and if the ball has gone out of bounds. This element is best performed by a player with a good physique and a pass. A won ball or an unexpected serve can lead to an early goal.

Pass

You can pass if you are standing on the ground or dribbling. There is no physical contact in basketball, so the whole game is built through this element. It is important to understand your teammates and give sharpening passes. In basketball, individual passes are very rare, because the game itself encourages frequent passes.

Throw

If the player thinks that now is the right moment, he throws the ball into the ring. For a hit from the near zone, the team will receive 2 points, and from the far zone - 3. If the throws are made from the penalty area, then this will bring 1 point. The main thing in the throw is to make sure that there are no more options for passing. If the player understands that he is in the most favorable position for the shot, then it is worth trying to score a goal.

Block

If a team is playing defensively, it may cover the player or block. It is not always possible to close the leader and intercept the ball. So on the outskirts of the ring, players use a block. When a person throws the ball, the opponents' hands rise up and put up a defense. It is important to block as early as possible so that the ball does not have time to gain height.

Violations of the rules and penalties

Basketball is one of the most unusual games in terms of rules. If violations in football, rugby, hockey are clear to everyone, then basketball has its own time frame. The referee may penalize a player for:

• 3 seconds. The player spent more than three seconds in the area under the ring. If it is an attacker, then the ball is given to the defenders, and if the player was from the defense, then free throws are assigned.
• 8 seconds. If a player does not have time to get the ball out of his own half of the field during this time, then a violation of the rules is counted. This means that the ball will go to the other team.
• 24 seconds. You can stay under the hoop for 3 seconds, but on the opponent's field no more than 24. If the attack is not completed within this time, then the ball is passed to the opponents.
• 5 seconds of passivity. If a player is heavily guarded by an opponent and cannot pass or dribble, they will be penalized after 5 seconds.

Also, as mentioned above, players are prohibited from hitting an opponent on the hands, pushing him, holding him with his hands, stepping on his feet, meeting with his foot (both straight and bent at the knee).

Each violation is called a foul. If a player receives 5 fouls, then he is disqualified from the game and cannot take part in a further match.

Possible tactics

To win in basketball you need to develop a good strategy. There are quite universal ones that will suit teams of any level:

• Game on the third. When a team starts attacking, one player approaches the edge of the penalty area and starts approaching the three seconds area. From there, he immediately passes the ball to any free player who passes the ball to the third player who has already run in. In the diagram, this combination is represented by passes between players 4-2-3.

  ---

  Learn more

  • 
    How has the game of basketball changed
  • 
    How to become a very good basketball player
  • 
    How was the basketball invented
  • 
    How to dribble a basketball without looking down
  • 
    How much for basketball court
  • 
    How to repair a basketball
  • 
    How high should a basketball goal be
  • 
    How much does a wilson evolution basketball cost
  • 
    How to change speed in basketball
  • 
    How many players in basketball match
  • 
    How to train like a basketball player