How to win a basketball match

Basketball Rules: How To Play Basketball

Photo credit: Keith Allison (Source)

Basketball dates back as far as 1891 and since then has evolved into a sport played around the world. Many countries have adopted the game such as Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Spain and parts of Asia, but it is America where the biggest and most lucrative league in the world lives: the NBA (National Basketball Association).

Object of the Game

The object of basketball is to throw the ball (basketball) into a hoop to score points. The game is played out on a rectangular court and depending on which section of court you successfully throw a ball into the basket will depend on how many points are scored. The ball can be moved around the by dribbling or passing the ball. At the end of the game the team with the most points is declared the winner.

Players & Equipment

Each team is made up of 12 players with only 5 allowed on the court at any time. The positions are broken up into Point Guard, Defensive Guard, Center, Offensive forward and Defensive Forward. Each player will then take up a position on the court but are allowed to move around as they please.

The court is a rectangular shaped and measures 91 feet long and 50 feet wide. There is a halfway line in which a small circle is found in the centre; this is where the game starts with a tip off (the ball is thrown in the air by the referee and a player from each team tries to win possession for their team). At each end of the court are two baskets both 10 feet in height. A three point arc is the outside ring, whilst in the middle of that is the key which includes a free throw line.

All that is needed to play is a court and basketball. Teams must wear matching strips with some players choosing to wear gum shields and face masks for protection.

The game is split up into 4 twelve minute quarters. In between the 2 nd and 3rd quarter is a 15 minute half time interval.

Scoring

There are three scoring numbers for basketball players. Any basket scored from outside the three point arc will result in three points being scored. Baskets scored within the three point arc will result in two points being scored. Successful free throws will result in 1 point being scored per free throw. The number of free throws will depend on where the foul was committed.

Winning the Game

Winning a game of basketball is pretty simple; score more points than your opponents in the allotted game time. If the scores are tied at the end then an extra quarter will be played until a winner is found.

Rules of Basketball

• Each team can have a maximum of 5 players on the court at any one time. Substitutions can be made as many times as they wish within the game.
• The ball can only be moved by either dribbling (bouncing the ball) or passing the ball. Once a player puts two hands on the ball (not including catching the ball) they cannot then dribble or move with the ball and the ball must be passed or shot.
• After the ball goes into a team’s half and they win possession back the ball must then make it back over the half way line within 10 seconds. If the ball fails to do so then a foul will be called and the ball will be turned over.
• Each team has 24 seconds to at least shot at the basket. A shot constitutes either going in the basket or hitting the rim of the basket. If after the shot is taken and the ball fails to go in the basket then the shot clock is restarted for another 24 seconds.
• The team trying to score a basket is called the offence whilst the team trying to prevent them from scoring is called the defence. The defence must do all they can to stop the offence from scoring by either blocking a shot or preventing a shot from being fired.
• After each successful basket the ball is then turned over to the opposition.
• Fouls committed throughout the game will be accumulated and then when reached a certain number will be eventually be awarded as a free throw. A free throw involves one playerfrom the offensive team (the player fouled) to take a shot unopposed from the free throw line. Depending on where the foul was committed will depend on the number free throws a player gets.
• Violations in basketball include travelling (taking more than one step without bouncing the ball), double dribble (picking the ball up dribbling, stopping then dribbling again with two hands), goaltending (a defensive player interferes with the ball travelling downwards towards the basket) and back court violation (once the ball passes the half way line the offensive team cannot take the ball back over the half way line).

To Win More Basketball Games, You Need to be Great at 3 Things!

By Jeff Haefner

Let me share something I learned by attending dozens of coaching clinics, reading countless books, and constantly studying the game of basketball. All of those experiences have indicated that a basketball team can ONLY be great at

!

Yet, few coaches heed this concept. In fact, I believe this SINGLE CONCEPT is what holds most coaches back!

The truth is that your team can NOT be great at man defense, zone defense, fast break transition, motion offense, breaking presses, rebounding, passing, taking care of the ball, ballhandling, shooting, scoring in the post, pressing, and so on.

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At best, you will be POOR to MEDIOCRE in all those areas. There just isn't enough time in the day. It's not possible to be good in all those areas, even for professional NBA teams.

However, this is exactly what most coaches do. They try to do WAY too much. They try to be good at everything. Well, that simply does not work. There's a common saying in coaching...

     "The coach who emphasizes everything, teaches nothing!"

It seems that almost all the successful high school, college, and NBA coaches have figured out this secret. They know they can only be great at a few things and they must develop an "identity" for their team.

Duke is great at M2M defense, offensive transition, and communication. The Celtics are great at M2M defense, rebounding, and teamwork. North Carolina is great at scoring, fast breaks, and pressure defense.

Think about it...

Would you rather be MEDIOCRE in 10 different aspects of basketball - or would you rather be GREAT in 3 or 4 areas?

I firmly believe that you must choose 3 or 4 things that you will be great at. Then you focus on those 3 areas and do what ever it takes to be great. In other words, you focus on the critical few, versus the trivial many.

This will give your team an identity. This will give you, as a coach, more focus. This will give your players a clearer understanding of what you want from them. This will cause other teams to adjust to you, instead of you adjusting to them.

What 3 things should you focus on?

To give you some ideas, my "3 things" are usually (but not always). ..

1. GREAT man to man defense.
2. GREAT team rebounding.
3. GREAT half court offense that is methodical and takes high percentage shots.

Also, I usually put some emphasis on a fourth thing - taking care of the ball. This is something that is emphasized in #3 (half court offense). Keeping turnovers low and winning the possession game is important and that's why I put "low turnovers" as the 4th most important thing. We don't want to lose sight of taking care of the ball. But much of that comes in our half court offensive execution and our patience to not force things.

This is my personal philosophy for basketball coaching. But you must choose your own three things. Ask yourself the following questions...

• To be successful and win games, what does my team need to be great at?
• What are my players' strengths?
• What are my strengths? Am I very knowledgeable in a certain area (like defense)?

Personally, I chose defense, rebounding, and half court offense because I'm very knowledgeable in those areas. But I also know those are things that winning teams do! Hey, this game is simple. If you score more points than your opponent, then you win. And how do you score more points than your opponent?

Two of the easiest ways to do that are....

1. Shoot a higher percentage.
2. Or take more shots than your opponent.

All three of "the things" that we focus on have a huge impact on

and

.

90% (or more) of our practice is spent on rebounding, M2M defense, and half court offense. In particular, we do motion offense with emphasis on low turnovers and offensive fundamentals.

We do almost ZERO work on fast break offense, pressing, zone defense, and so on. We very lightly cover those things, so we're ready for those games situations. But very little time is spent on it. Our team has an identity and the players know what is expected of them.

Our players know that if they win the battle on the boards, get stops on defense, and take high percentage shots -- then we have a VERY good chance at winning. With that said, we rarely discuss winning. Instead we discuss what it takes to be successful in basketball and life.

Youth Teams

Youth teams can have identities too, but if your "3 things" are pressing, zone defense, and fast break offense - then you are RUINING your players' futures!

A youth coaches TOP priorities should be player development and having fun.

To develop players you run motion offense, man defense, and teach TONS of fundamentals.

Also, winning should be VERY VERY LOW on your priority list. Your priority should be to develop those young players. To do that, you may sacrifice a few wins at first.

Intangibles

At this point, you might be thinking... "What about the intangibles?"

The three things above are simply "tactical" things for you to work on. I believe you can still emphasize a few intangible things (in addition to the 3 tactical things above).

For example, you could stress teamwork, doing the right thing, unselfishness, hard work, being proactive, responsibility, timeliness, competing, and so on.

Intangibles are important too. Just don't try to emphasize too many things.

Overcome

Now go ahead and choose your 3 or 4 tactical areas to focus on. Overcome your fear of skimming over the other trivial stuff. Don't be afraid to make some changes.

Once you start emphasizing the right things and narrow your focus, I promise that you'll be much better off.

Do you have any questions or comments for this article? Let us know by leaving your comments...

How to analyze basketball matches and win

Hello! This is the second material from the series “How to win at basketball betting”. In the first part, we analyzed questions how to choose a bookmaker for basketball bets and considered useful statistical resources. Also there you can find a translation and decoding of the main basketball statistical terms. Today we will talk about the most popular leagues and the basics of analyzing basketball matches.

NBA is the world's premier basketball league. Without exaggeration, the best championship in terms of the level of performers, entertainment, and the conditions for cappers are the most attractive here.

Lines on the NBA are always maximally scheduled, almost all bookmakers have a huge selection of bets and outcomes. Margin is also very nice - from 2-3% on the main line . In some bookmakers, for example, Marathon and Leon , you can often find a promotional zero margin on the main outcomes of individual matches.

There is also a huge amount of statistics on the NBA. Americans love to keep a record of all sports data and, if desired, you can find any statistical calculations for this league, up to the most exotic options.

If you still can’t beat the NBA line, you can look at other American leagues - NCAA (student championship), WNBA (women's tournament), G-League (NBA development league). Capper conditions there are noticeably worse, but you can also find a lot of statistics.

Euroleague is the second most popular basketball tournament in the world. This is an analogue of the football Champions League - the annual competition of the best European clubs. Here, too, the conditions are quite attractive for cappers - a wide painting, low margin and good limits. But there is much less material for analyzing matches; not a single league can compare with the NBA in this regard.

We can also mention the Eurocup competition - the second most prestigious European club tournament. Of the national championships, the most interesting for Russian bettors are the Russian Championship United VTB League , as well as the championships of Spain, France, China, the Philippines, Greece, Turkey.

For example, let's analyze today's only NBA game between Milwaukee and Atlanta. It was the first match of the series, it is especially difficult to predict, but let's take a chance.

Lineups

You need to start the analysis of any game with an analysis of the characters. Basketball has a huge number of injuries and just minor injuries. Many of them can significantly adjust the line for the match and your definition of probabilities. The first step is to obtain reliable information about the compositions.

Next, you need to understand how the players who are absent today affect the game of the teams. If you are in the topic of the league, then it will not be difficult to figure it out, the brain will automatically give the correct answers. If you are not yet very familiar with the league, then look at the individual statistics and current form of the absent players to assess their contribution to the success of the team.

The Hawks have some roster problems - Werter & Bogdanovic . But the first one is likely to play, and the second one is not in the best condition now to take it seriously. Yes, and he can still play (and played in the end).

Most often, team losses are already reflected in the betting lines. The exception is very fresh news, and if you have up-to-date information, you can get ahead of individual slow beeches. In the same NBA, I do this regularly, having access to paid resources on injured players.

Digits

The second step is the calculation of the expected score in the match. To do this, it is enough to calculate the arithmetic mean between the attacking effectiveness ( offrtg ) of one team and the defensive effectiveness ( defrtg ) of the other. If the game pace of the teams ( pace ) is very different, then these numbers should be brought to a common denominator.

Since this is the playoffs, only postseason numbers are taken into account. Although, by the way, in the regular season there is about the same difference. The pace of the teams is also about the same, about 97.6 possessions per game. Sum (108.5 + 107.7) / 2 = 108.1 . This is the expected score for Milwaukee. Further, we consider (108.6 + 102.8) / 2 = 105.7 - this is the expected score of Atlanta.

In most cases this will roughly match the betting line in terms of individual totals , total total and points difference (basic handicap). But sometimes it won't, and that's exactly what we need.

We see that the bookmaker sets a handicap of 8 points, and the total total is 12 points higher than expected. If we see such a discrepancy, this is a signal that in this match you can find value . As we found out, the teams have no critical fresh losses. Accordingly, now our task is to figure out why bookmakers give such a serious difference with the average numbers.

To do this, let's specify the performance of the teams by three factors:

• In the last 5-10 matches;
• Matched against each other this season;
• In similar conditions (at home, with similar teams, etc.).

The more factors from the third point we analyze, the more accurate the overall indicator will be. In total, after the calculation, we get average numbers of about 115 - 110 , which makes the total quite adequate, despite the lower numbers of teams on average for the playoffs. Individual totals also approximately coincide with these data - 116.5 and 108.5 . But you can look for value in the difference, because we still have a decent gap of 3 points, which is quite a lot for such a market.

It is useful to view the game statistics of teams in previous matches. First of all, the following are important: the overall implementation of shots, the implementation of three-point shots, points after the losses of the opponent and the losses themselves, points after rebounds in the attack and the OREB themselves, the number of free throws.

As you can see, "Hawks" is close in each of the important components, and even better in some (for example, losses, free throws).

Trends

Let's check the trends to see how Atlanta keeps a head start in similar conditions according to teamrankings:

• Total: 47-36-1 ;
• Playoff 2021: 8-4 ;
• Away: 21-21-1 ;
• Underdog: 23-20 ;
• Traveling dog: 15-12 ;
• After victory: 27-10-1 ;
• Against East: 29-24-1 .

Also (based on covers.com): 4-1 in recent away matches against teams with a win percentage of 60%+, 10-4 in the last 14 games, 10-4 in matches against teams with a winning percentage of over 50. Also, the Hawks won 12 handicaps in 15 extreme personals in Milwaukee. Excellent trends, most of which are above the 60% mark, which is more than enough.

At the same time, Milwaukee's situational handicap trends are terrible and all this speaks to our bet's plus. You also need to take into account visual factors - how the team leaders behave and feel, who needs a victory more, and who has already jumped above his head and wants to rest. It is necessary to evaluate the contribution of the bench and role players, the density of the schedule (in our case, it is almost identical), how much the coaching staff of the teams promptly influence changes in the course of the series, and much more.

I even have my own table that evaluates pros and cons to the probabilities of an outcome depending on many factors. For obvious reasons, I can’t share it, but in general terms, I outlined the main things that you need to pay attention to.

Your task is to create a similar table of significant factors for the upcoming match and, giving each factor a certain value, identify the probabilities of certain outcomes. The more factors you take into account, the more accurately and more often you will get into the result. And initially you can start from any objective base value - at least betting quotes , although the same average game statistics for the season or the last segment.

In general, summing up all of the above, I would recommend taking a head start (+8) on Atlanta in this match today. I will not be shocked even by their sensational victory for many, I estimate this outcome at least 35%. And how it will actually be - very soon we will find out. To be continued...

P.S.

tips on strategy and system - how to win more often

In North America, basketball (along with baseball and hockey) is one of the most popular sports, and betting on basketball is a significant part of the total 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.

1. Benefits of betting on basketball
2. Disadvantages of betting on basketball
3. Types of bets
   1. Main Outcomes
   2. handicap
   3. Total
      1. Basketball total betting strategy
   4. Quarter Basketball Betting
      1. Quarterly Basketball Betting Strategy
4. Pre-match analytics
5. 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 fight 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 Cup 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 provide 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 for 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 the 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 drops 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 the 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

In which betting shops to bet on basketball?

Modern bookmakers are trying to offer players the widest possible line of basketball.

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