Basketball FAQs

All you need to know about basketball – the game in which a player must aim to be the best player for the team, not the best player on the team.

A basketball team comprises of five players on the court at any one time, with a host of substitutes waiting to be swapped in when necessary.

A basketball game lasts for a total of 48 minutes, split up into four 12-minute quarters with two-minute breaks between them and a 15-minute half time. If the game is tied at the end, 'overtime' is added which is five minutes long.

The five players in a team are assigned one of five basketball positions. These are: centre, power forward, small forward, point guard and shooting guard.

In the UK’s National Basketball League and America’s National Basketball Association, a basketball court is 28m x 15m (94 feet long and 50 feet wide).

A basketball hoop is 10 feet high and the hoop itself has a diameter of 18 inches. Shop basketball stands and hoops here

Teams are awarded points every time they throw the ball through the hoop to achieve a basket. Two points are earned for a throw from inside the semi-circle and three points for a throw scored from outside this area. Additionally, free-throws are awarded after a foul and are taken from the free-throw line to earn one point. Whichever team has accumulated the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Basketball was invented by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, back in 1891. A P.E. teacher, Naismith came up with the indoor game as a way to keep athletes in shape during poor weather.

Michael Jordan is rated as the best basketball player of all time, with the highest average points per game (PPG) in the history of the NBA. His success has led him to launching the iconic Air Jordan range with Nike, which you can shop right qui.

An airball is when a player takes a shot and it misses everything - the hoop, the net, the backboard

An attacking play where a player takes control of the ball in the air and finishes in the hoop with a layup or dunk before returning to the floor

A player gets an assist when their pass is directly scored by a teammate

Aside from the physical basket, the term basket can also be used to denote a score - if a player scores once then they have one basket for instance

The rectangular board which the hoop is attached to. Players will use the backboard to rebound shots into the basket

This is when a player passes to a teammate by bouncing the ball, rather than simply throwing the ball

Charging is a type of foul in basketball where an offensive player runs into an opposing defensive player who has already established a position

A chest pass is thrown directly from one player's chest to another, hence the name. It is the fastest of the passes

The playing area of a basketball game is called the court. It is rectangular in shape with two end lines and two sidelines. The basket at each end is the target for the two teams

In basketball, dribbling is where one player retains control of the ball and moves around the court by continuously bouncing the ball against the floor. If they do not bounce the ball, it is a foul

A dunk is when a player jumps toward the hoop and pushes the ball hard down into the net to score

An uncontested shot from 15 feet as a result of a player being fouled

This is another close range score where a player is extremely close to the basket and pops the ball into the net usually off the backboard

A defensive tactic where each player on the team is designated a specific opponent to defend against when their team is out of possession

The National Basketball Association. The NBA is the biggest basketball league in the world by some distance and features 30 teams from North America

The team who has the ball and so are looking to attack and score in the basket

When a player has the ball, they are allowed to move one foot as long as the other stays on the ground at all times. The player will use this to turn around, hence the name pivot

A rebound in basketball is when a player gains control of the ball after a shot has deflected off the board or rim

A steal is when a player gains control of the ball directly from an opponent by taking the ball off them or intercepting their pass

A tactic of defending where each player in a team has an area of court designated for them to defend and try to prevent the opposition scoring from there

Enjoy shopping for jerseys, basketball clothing e shoes here.

La mia lista dei preferiti

The Basics

The History

Basketball Glossary

Airball

Alley-Oop

Assist

Basket

Blackboard

Bounce Pass

Charging

Chest Pass

Superfici dure

Dribbling

Dunk

Free Throw

Lay Up

Man-to-Man Defence

NBA

Offense

Pivot

Rebound

Steal

Zone Defence