Basketball: Rules of Basketball

The Game of Basketball

Basketball is one of the ball games and team sport. It comprise of a team of five players on each opposing side whose aim are to score by throwing the ball into a 10 feet elevated hoop (termed basket) above the ground.

The maximum (total) players each team can have is twelve, out of which, only five are allowed to play the game inside the court at any given point in time. However, unlimited substitutions can be made by both participating teams.

The beautiful game of basketball is played on a court divided into two equal halves by the mid-court line.

Whenever an attacking team passes the ball over the mid court-line (into the half of the opponent,) they aren't allowed to play it back into their own half; else, the defending team get awarded the ball.

Note: The aim of basketball is to put the ball into the opponent’s basket (that is, to score). Whenever a team scores in-play, they are awarded 2 or 3 points depending on the position from which the basket was aimed. This will be further explained under the scoring rules.

The team with most point wins the match at the end of the game.

Please read on the game of tennis with its dimensions here.

Rules of Basketball

1. Number of Players

Both teams will have a maximum of twelve players. Five are allowed to play for each team at any given point in time.

2. Duration of the Game

The game is played over four periods. Each period has a time duration of ten minutes, (40 minutes in total over four periods). Meanwhile, an overtime is added when the game ends in a draw.

Whenever the score ends in a draw, an overtime period(s) of five minutes will be played.

A winner (the team with most points) will emerge during this period else another 5 minutes is given. The game continues this way until a winner emerges after the 5 minutes added period.

3. Possession

• The ball is moved by passing it to another player or bouncing it within the court or dribbling with it.

• A player can neither dribble nor move the ball with both (two) hands on it; instead, he or she will have to pass or shoot the ball.

• When a team recovers or regains the ball in their own half, they must move it over the mid court-line within ten seconds else a foul will be called by the referee.

• Similarly, whenever the attacking team moves the ball over the mid court-line (into the opponent’s half), they will not be able to play it back into their own half; else, ball possession will be given to the opposing team.

4. Scoring

• When a team has possession of the ball, it will have 24 seconds to an attempt to score or (to have a shot towards the basket).

The team attempting to score is called the 'offence' while that defending a scoring attempt is called the 'defense'.

• The defense will do all they can to block a shot or prevent it from been fired (or make the opponent shoot outside the basket).

• One point is awarded when the inside of the basket is hit from the free throw line.

• Two points are awarded when a basket is made from inside the three point arc.

• Three points are awarded when the basket is made outside the three point arc.

The ball is returned to the opposition team after a basket had been made.

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5. Fouls

• Two free throws are awarded against a team after the team had made four fouls (on a player that isn't attempting to shoot the ball) within a period.

• A foul committed on a player attempting to shoot the ball will result in an automatic free throw as those of the shots taken. For instance, if a foul is made on a player who is about to make a three points shot; three free throws will be awarded in such instances.

• The number of free throw given depends on the area where the foul had been committed.

The free throw requires that the fouled player from the offensive team take an unopposed shot from the free throw line.

6. Violations

Violations in basketball are made when:

• A player takes more than one step without bouncing the ball. This is termed travelling.

• A ball travelling towards the basket is stopped or interfered upon by a player in the defense team. This is termed goaltending.

• A player dribbles, stops and then dribble again with both hands. This is termed a double dribble.

• A team takes the ball half way above the court line on the opponents half and then returns it back into their own half. This is called back court violation.